56 – Cold weather, but warm welcome to Hong Kong
The morning after our arrival in our new appointment, the General Secretary, Major Moira Wright took us to the Command Headquarters at 547-555 Nathan Road, Kowloon. On the way, we dropped our daughter Dora Poh Chin at the Girls’ Home at Kwai Chung where Major Joan Henderson the superintendent had arranged for the staff and girls to look after her for the day.
We were introduced to the staff at Headquarters, most of them local, but the majority of the Heads of Departments were reinforcement officers.
Brigadier Thomas Lau To San, the most senior national officer was the Editor and Literary Secretary. He and his wife were near retirement. They and their family lived on the building.
Major Helen Prosser the Financial Secretary not only saw to the finances of Command which ran to millions of dollars, she was also in charge of our large Trade Department. It supplied uniforms to Salvationists both local and overseas. Our schools, kindergartens, day care centres ordered their uniforms through our Trade Department which had contacts with tailors. It sold all sorts of Salvation Army paraphernalia – ties, tie pins, trimmings, flags, gifts, souvenirs etc. The profits from our Trade Department helped towards the maintenance of our work in Hong Kong.
Captain Basil Saunders from United Kingdom was the Education Secretary. He was ably assisted by his wife Elizabeth. She was responsible for the eight kindergartens, each with two sessions daily. She did a lot to train our kindergarten teachers. Seminars for the teachers were held regularly in fact one of our teachers was seconded to the Government to form the research team on kindergarten training. The Army ran eight primary schools, two sessions daily and the William Booth Secondary School
Major Joseph Wilcox from Australia Southern Territory was the Property Secretary. He and his wife were not too far from retirement. Plans were underway for the building of the new fourteen storeyed Headquarters at Wing Sing Lane. This took up much of his time.
Captain John McPherson from Australia Southern Territory was the Public Relations Secretary. He was also responsible for our work among the refugees in Lantau Island. He arranged for worship meetings on Sunday and also during the week. The Army had a flourishing Sunday School on the island. There was a counselling centre manned by the Army.
After the departure of Major and Mrs. Glen Gilden in 1982, Captain McPherson took on additional appointment as the Acting Social Services Secretary. We were then the second largest social agency in Hong Kong running seven Day Care centres, four clinics, a Home for the Handicapped, a Girls’ Home, a Boys’ Home and Hostel, five Homes and a number of Day Care centres for the Elderly. The Army also ran a number of Youth and Community Centres.
Major and Mrs. Colin Fairclough from United Kingdom were appointed to take over the department in January 1983 but somehow they never arrived in Hong Kong at all.
There were two divisions in the Command. Major and Mrs. Andrew Lo Wai Hin and Captain and Mrs. James Lau Man Kin were the Divisional Leaders for the Hong Kong and Taiwan Divisions respectively. There were a total of twenty one Corps and one outpost in the Command.
On 8th January there was the Public Welcome held at the Kowloon Central Corps Hall led by Major Wright. In those days, there was no installation for Officers’ Commanding. Only Territorial Commanders were installed. Rev. Kwok Nai Wong, General Secretary of the Hong Kong Council of Churches spoke words of welcome on behalf the churches. Bishop Peter Kwong of the Anglican Church was also present.
Box Hill Songsters which was touring Hong Kong at that time provided a number of items during the welcome meeting. It was great to get the support of these Australians.
Hong Kong was Cantonese speaking and all our meetings were conducted in Cantonese. My wife is Cantonese, but I am a Teochew. During the meeting we spoke in English as we felt our Cantonese was not up to standard. However we had excellent interpreters.
My wife during the welcome meeting told the congregation “I have come home to the land of my birth.” The congregation responded with delight and loud applause. Then she went on to give her testimony of the Lord’s dealings in her life and expressed her joy in being appointed to serve the people of Hong Kong.
At that time, there was much anxiety prevailing in Hong Kong. The year 1997 loomed like the sword of Democles over the heads of people. Many people were worried about the future when Hong Kong would revert to Communist China. A number had either emigrated or making plans to emigrate.
This was our first overseas appointment. We did not know then that we would spend seven and half wonderful years in Hong Kong. That night my wife and I before we went to bed, recommitted our lives to Him. It was an awesome responsibility to be the leaders of Hong Kong and Taiwan for such a time as that.
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