This is my story - 46

46 – Change of Command Leaders – Lieut. Colonel and Mrs. James Sloan

The 40th Anniversary Congress and the visit of General and Mrs. Clarence Wiseman on Easter Weekend 1975 was an unforgettable event. It was the first major event in which my wife and I were actively involved in the organisation and participation. We booked the Guide Hall near Newton Circus for the weekend’s meetings.

On the Saturday evening, a very good crowd from all the Corps throughout Singapore and Malaysia assembled at the Hall. Band and Songsters and other participants were all ready to give their items to the glory of God. At the given signal the Band started to play a march and everyone expected General and Mrs. Clarence Wiseman, accompanied by Major William Rivers the ADC to come marching in accompanied by the Officer Commanding and Mrs. Lieut. Sloan. They were in for a surprise.

Behind the Army flag a tricycle appeared with two passengers – General and Mrs. Wiseman and it moved slowly up the aisle to the foot of the platform to the cheers of the crowd. I understand Major Brian Corfield, the Public Relations Secretary assisted by Captain Goh Siong Kheng had stopped a trishaw near Newton Circus. The poor fellow confronted by this tall Australian with his Chinese assistant, was dumbfounded and just obeyed instructions! It was unbelievable how they got the tricycle upstairs. Anyway I understand they did pay him the fares, handsomely I hope to make up for the fright this poor trishaw rider had experienced!

We had a glorious weekend of meetings. The improvised Mercy Seat was lined with seekers on Sunday.

After the euphoria of the visit of the General and the celebration of the 40th Anniversary Congress, we received the sad news that Lieut. Colonel and Mrs. James Sloan were to return to Canada. They were good leaders and had made a great impact upon the people here. They were very humble, in fact they quite often expressed their feelings that they should not be living at in the beautiful and luxurious quarters at 80 Sunset Way. If they had their way they would rather sell the building and live in one of the Housing Board flats as they wanted to be with the ordinary people. Housing Board flats are only made available to individuals, citizens and permanent residents and not organisations.

During their term as leaders of the Command, The Salvation Army moved the Boys’ Home from a rented bungalow at Pasir Panjang to Changi, the present site where Peacehaven Nursing Home is now situated. On 20th May 1972 President Dr. B. Sheares officially opened the Boys’ Home. The Singapore Armed Forces Band were in attendance and played “Majulah Singapura” our Singapore national anthem. At the conclusion of his speech, the president cut the yellow, red and blue ribbons at the door and unveiled a plaque. Lt-Colonel J.R. Sloan paid tribute to his predecessor, Lieut. Colonel George Engel who had initiated, raised the funds and worked untiringly on this project.

The Lee Kuo Chuan Nursery Home in Upper Bukit Timah was converted to a Home for the Elderly. This involved a lot of negotiations with the Lee Foundation and the Social Welfare Department.

In 1956, the Lee Kuo Chuan Nursery Home at 500 Upper Bukit Timah was officially opened by Sir Robert Black, the Governor of Singapore. Thousands of babies and children passed through the Army’s Nursery Home. They came from broken homes or poverty stricken families. Some of the babies had been abandoned by their parents in hospitals or outside the doors of orphanages or even placed at bus stops.

The success of the Government’s campaign in family planning to control the population resulted in fewer babies being born and less of a demand for places in Nursery Homes. Besides those who wanted to put their children in our Nursery Home were not needy cases. To accept these would defeat the purpose for which the Home was built.

With the growing number of elderly people in need of accommodation, it was felt necessary to change the use of the Home and cater for the elderly, particularly those who had no relatives to take care of them. At the turn of the century many had arrived from China to work on construction sites or as domestic helpers and now in their old age had nowhere to go or anyone to take care of them.

With the concurrence of the Lee Foundation the Army closed down the Nursery Home and changed it into Home for Elderly women. Brigadier B Tjeertes a Dutch officer with much experience in social work effected the change in 1972. Thus began the Army’s first Home for the Aged. As years went by the Army had to make significant changes and today it is the Peacehaven Nursing Home.

In 1973 it was Family Focus Year. Mrs. Lieut. Colonel Grace Sloan worked very hard with my wife and the ladies in preparing programmes. The Women’s Department initiated a quarterly combined family meetings held alternately at Central and Balestier Corps. Every centre provided items. This generated a lot of interest among our people and new people were attracted to the Army. This activity continued for many years and brought the Corps folk together.

We were sorry to bid farewell to Lieut. Colonel and Mrs. Sloan who returned to Canada in April 1975. I first came to know the Colonel in 1963 when we were delegates to the same session at the International College for Officers in London. After they had left our Command we continued to keep in contact with them till their promotion to Glory. Today we look back and thank God for sending such gracious and dedicated people to serve in our Command. They were true Salvation Army missionaries who loved and cared for our people.