The Salvation Army High Council 2013.

The Salvation Army High Council 2013 is in session. What excitement as we await news of the new leader whom God desires for The Salvation Army.

I attended my first High Council in 1993. At that time wives of Territorial Commanders were not included. I was then the Territorial Commander for the Philippines. My wife's appointment was Territorial President of Women's Organisations and she was referred to as Mrs. Colonel, not Colonel. Those were the days!

The Chief of the Staff who called the High Council was Commissioner Bramwell Tillsley a Canadian.

The public welcome meeting was held at Westminster Central Hall and 50 of us, members of the High Council were publicly welcomed.

We then moved to Sunbury Court just outside London. The average age then was 61 years. Ten of the members were due to retire that year. There were 36 Commissioners and 14 colonels. (I was one of the Colonels)

Captain Peter Smith the Legal and Parliamentary Secretary was called into the chamber to confirm that the Council had been legally convened.

One matter needed to be sorted out. One of the members Colonel David Edwards was unexpectedly hospitalized in Coventry. This posed a problem - how to divide by three for the required two thirds majority on the first three ballots? After discussion and consultation a resolution was passed. If 49 members were present the more than two thirds majority be 34; if 50 were present, hopefully Colonel Edwards would be well enough to attend then the figure would be 35.

On subsequent ballots which require a simple majority vote, a more than one half would be 26 regardless of whether 49 or 50 were present.

In this High Council the following were elected to be office bearers.

President: Commissioner James Osborne
Vice-President Commissioner Wesley Harris
Recorder Commissioner Robert Thomson
Assistant Recorder Colonel Verna Skinner

The following were appointed

Chaplain Commissioner Earle Maxwell
Spokesperson Commissioner Frank Fullarton
Correspondence Respondent Commissioner Arthur Waters

(Colonel David Edwards only arrived just in time for the balloting)

The six candidates who accepted nomination were
Commissioner Paul Rader (TC USA Western)
Commissioner Bramwell Tillsley (Chief of Staff)
Commissioner Kenneth Hodder (TC USA South)
Commissioner John Gowans (TC France)
Commissioner Dinsdale Pender (TC Australia South)
Commissioner Earle Maxwell (TC New Zealand)

Commissioner Bramwell Tillsley was elected the 14th General on the fourth ballot which required only a simple majority. It was 9th July 1993.

In 1990 Commissioner and Mrs. Tillsley were appointed by General Eva Burrows to install us as Territorial Leaders for the Philippines.