European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 26, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Salvation army bugler gets in tune with the lord god wants us to do this the ban Fields Don t see themselves As zealots or Jesus by Nikki Funk associated 1 Ress it could be a dormitory on any Pas toral College Campus students invaded denims Are sweeping the floors studying in out of the Way come Sand eating sandwiches on the run. But these clean Cut men and women at suffer ny., change into drab Blue uni forms for class. They Don t smoke Don t drink and must marry each other. They Are cadets in the salvation s a certain Batch of people who think we re a Little Odd. Maybe even Weirdo. But god wants us to do this. That s Why we re Here says Charlotte Lewis 30, defending her decision to enter the aus Tere disciplined life of the officers training school at suffer. To outs Lacni the salvation army conjures up images of Soapbox preachers brass bands Christmas kettles free soup and those funny Little bonnets the women All Wear. To its officers and members it is Multi faceted social welfare and Christian evangelical ministry operating throughout 82 countries and territories on every Conti nent in the the do goobers in the musical Guys and dolls who try to Reform the gambling ways of Nathan Detroit and his pals. Salvation lists encounter both respect and scorn when tangling with the 20lh Cen their officer training schools continue to attract hundreds of applications each year far greater than the number of openings available according to suffer school director maj. Roy m. Midford. These Are healthy Normal men and women. They Don l see them wives As Kalots or Jesus freaks. They know the salvation army la a instrument to serve people and it s the right one Midford said. Most of the 106 cadets Here seem Curi Wiy removed Frum the tumultuous 1960s when other Young people their age were experimenting with political radicalism drugs and permissive sexual mores. Stephen ban held. 24, admits he suffered the growing pains of being different in his tiny Hometown of Sandford Maine where peer pressure dictated that every one look and act guess i was about nine. The Little kid next door told me he was an Honor Junior Soldier in the salvation army and one Day he came Home wearing this neat army s when i really got interested said the slim athletic Cadet who would have fit in easily at West s own family had stopped going to Church several years before. But he became an Active salvation St going to sunday services and working As a counsel or in the army s summer it was such a Small town there was really no one else in my High school who was a member of the salvation army. Sure i d get kidding remarks like. Here take my old clothes and that Type of thing. You know the misconceptions. But in my really close friends there a a respect. I guest their parents had told them about the work of the salvation army the real worst and the fathers had talked about the donuts in the War. They had quite a re Spect for me. I was really Banfield s wife Janet is a fourth generation salvation St and a Cadet at the school according to regulations marrying an outsider would mean leaving the army s certainly cuts Down the Field laughed Lewis a bubbly redhead who is single. She can Date Only with the Permis Sion of her chief Side officer the equivalent of a Dean of to the Anny s regulations the wife always takes on the rank of her Hus band no matter if it is higher or lower than her own. Her husband receives the Coue s appointment and she must follow do i Don t think there arc any buit a pie him biases toward said mrs. Ban Field. 22, As she smoothed her lung Brown hair knotted neatly in a Bun. I do every thing a Man does 1 preach i Lead meetings and women As Well As men Are ordained ministers when they Complete the two year program at one of four training schools in the country. Tui Tion is $770 for the entire program including room and Board. As officers salvation lists receive Only $50 a week in living allowance although housing transportation medical benefits and child support Are paid for by the non profit organization. Self denial discipline and teamwork Are necessary qualities among officers and cadets alike reads the salvation army cadets manual. The cadets daily schedule begins at 6 45 am. With a rising Bell includes time for daily prayer and meditation and ends at 11.00 . When they return to quarters a spartan room with bed and courses mostly Bible entered offer instruction pm everything from soul winning methods to Sermon delivery and preparation. One course entitled woman officer includes practice in etiquette table setting and meal planning. The salvation army was founded in London in 1865 by William Booth a methodist minister who was thrown out of an East end Church when he tried to bring Bis newly converted Street bums and outcasts inside. Booth and his rag tag band of volunteers broke away from accepted religious practices and held their meetings in tents rented Halls or out on the Street. His philosophy As it evolved was you can t talk to someone about their soul if he s got an empty stomach " so his follow ers satisfied the poor s physical needs before preaching spiritual salvation. Soup kitchens alcoholic treatment Cen ters and foundling shelters soon Blus some. The salvation army also operates missing persons bureaus Leper colonies and on extensive disaster Relief network. Worldwide the organization has about 25.000 officers and More than two million members. A new commander general British born Arnold Brown of Toronto Canada was chosen this cadets have smoked one or two cigarettes or indulged in an alcoholic beverage before joining. Thai s part of being a teenager few admit to Ever trying marijuana or other drugs. Midford remembers one or two trainees who had unconventional backgrounds before joining the Salva Tion army like the mate Cadet who belonged to a violence prow drug using motorcycle gang. I guess you could say he liked our uni form better than his leather jacket the school director cadets a tightly knit group readily acknowledge they feel More comfortable with one another than with in addition to army life they have their deep religious convictions in common. Lewis attended her first salvation army meeting in Florida when she was 13. Two weeks later she underwent an intense spiritual i had heard at the meeting came she said quietly. I received Jesus Christ into my heart and made a personal commitment to him. After that the salvation army was my says mrs. Banfield we believe that god has a plan for every person in the world. And we be discovered what be wants us to do with our live. I Don t think you could Ever ask so she and her husband gather up their band instruments straighten the collars of their uniforms and walk hand Inland into town to sing a Little play a Little and preach most of All. Page 10 the stars and stripes sunday. June 26, 1977
