A LOOK BACK ...
THE BEGINNING...
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In 1865 William Booth, a young minister, left the “Methodist Church” in order to begin a mission in the poverty-ridden London East End. Disillusioned by the Church's negative response to the attendance of the poor and street people in the Church services, Booth and his wife, Catherine Mumford, an avowed feminist and activist for social reform, decided to reach out to "the unwanteds", tending to their needs rather than cultivating the comfortable middle class.
In an outdoor meeting in Whitechapel, July 2, 1865, Booth preached to the poor and wretched of London's East End. He had found his calling. That year he began "The Christian Mission", which would officially change its nam e to The Salvation Army in 1878.
Realizing that man's physical needs for food, shelter, personal hygeine and self worth must be addressed, as well as spiritual needs, Booth developed the motto - "Soup, Soap & Salvation." He soon introduced paramilitary ranks and uniforms, creating the known presence of an army of soldiers in the war against sin, poverty, and human suffering. The movement immediately captured the public imagination and spread quickly throughout the British Isles. In 1880, following a successful pilgrimmage to America by Lt. Eliza Shirley and her family, General Booth determined that the United States was ready for conquer.
Booth called upon Commissioner George Scott Railton, to set sail to America with the aid of Captain Emma Westbrook and six "Hallelujah Lassies.” The Salvation Army set to "invade" America. Railton and his Lassies made swift progress with their unorthodox style of "Open Air Chapels", music and street corner ministry.
SOCIAL REFORMS...
During these years, great strides were also being made in the social welfare programs of The Salvation Army. In 1890, Booth's controversial book, In Darkest England and The Way Out was published. In it he presented his plans for a program of "Social Reform" which helped the poor and needy. Despite a lack of immediate funds Booth decided to put his welfare plan into action.
The first thing to be set up was a labour bureau to help people find work. He purchased a farm where men could be trained in certain types of work and at the same time gain some self-respect, because often when men had been unemployed for some years their confidence needed to be restored. Other projects included a missing persons bureau to help find missing relatives and reunite families, a women's "Slum Brigade" who worked side-by-side with the masses to "clean-up" the slums, more hostels for the homeless and a poor mans bank which could make small loans to workers who could buy tools or set up in a trade.
In 1891, The Salvation Army openend a match making factory to create safe working environments and eliminate "Phossy jaw", as well as taking on issues like child slavery and human trafficking.
Booth's book sold 200,000 copies within the first year. Booth's book was also used as a blueprint for the present day welfare state when it was set up by the government in 1948.
WESTERN INVASION...
By 1893, three years after coming to America, Booth determined that The Salvation Army needed to go West. Salvation Army Staff Captain William McIntyre accompanied by an able army of women prepared to invade Arizona.
Staff Captain McIntyre with Captain Lizzie Knight and assisted by Lieutenant Clara Clemo arrived in Tucson on Sunday, November 19, 1893. They “opened fire” in the Opera House, holding three services that day to crowds of receptive Tucsonans.
They soon established quarters inside an old grocery where they began their Tucson ministry. This first corps established was Tucson Salvation Army Temple Corps in 1893.
In 1904, Evangeline Booth, daughter of founders William and Catherine was appointed as Commander of the United States (1904-1934).. Under her leadership, the American Salvation Army expanded its already far-reaching social services. She established hospitals for unwed mothers, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, services for the unemployed, homes for aging adults and prison work.
WWI and THE DONUT LASSIES...
When President Wilson declared war against Germany on April 7, 1917, Evangeline Booth
placed The Salvation Army on a war-service basis. And when US Troops went to France in WWI, Evangeline said, "American boys are going to France. We must go with them!"
By October, a blanket of depression was hanging over the troops and The Salvation Army Lassies agreed that to help the troops feel better, "we ought to be able to give them some real home cooking." With only limited supplies available, the lassies did what they could - Doughnuts!
The first doughnuts were patted out by hand. A small wood fire was coaxed in a low, pot-bellied stove. A frying pan was used and the first doughnuts were fried "seven at a time," and cut from tin cans and artillery shells. The tempting fragrance of frying doughnuts drew the homesick soldiers to the hut, and they lined up in the rain, waiting for a taste. The word went around. "If you're hungry and broke, you can get something to eat at The Salvation Army."
The doughboys noticed that Salvationists catered to their needs, along battle lines, in the hospitals and at the side of fallen soldiers. Soldiers wrote home telling about the brave, caring Salvationists and following the war, the doughnut lassies returned to a new, popularity amongst the Amnerican people.
During this time, in America, Evangeline raised an unprecedented $13 million to fund The Salvation Army's provisions of canteens, hostels, and care and accomodations of returning soldiers. For The Salvation Army's work during the war, Evangeline was awarded by the President of the United States, the U.S. Distinguished Service Medal in 1919.
MUSIC
From the earliest days Salvationists held meetings in streets so that their message would reach those who would be unlikely to go to church. Sometimes people shouted abuse to drown the speaker's voice so Salvationists used music to carry the gospel message in a more effective way.
William Booth, Founder of The Salvation Army was reluctant to use secular music but after some persuasion realised the value of using melodies with which the people were familiar. He said, 'Why should the devil have all the best tunes?' Soon music-hall and other popular tunes were being used in Army meetings with new words-'Champagne Charlie is my name' became 'Bless his name he sets me free' and 'Way down upon the Swanee River' became 'Joy, freedom, peace and ceaseless blessing'
During the 1890s, singing bands, or singing brigades, were formed in a number of corps, and by the early 1900s such brigades [later known as songster brigades] began to spring up all over the country.
Red Shield Club
At the end of the First World War, The War Cry, 10 August 1918,, announced that a new organization known as the 'Red Shield Club' was to be created for Salvationist servicemen around the world.
FUN FACTS ; "Did you know?"
(Facts based on US statistics)
The Salvation Army provides assistance to those in need 365 days a year.
Founded by William Booth in 1865, The Salvation Army is an international organization that meets the physical and spiritual needs of people in 113 countries around the globe, without discrimination.
With 8,500 centers of operation in the United States, The Salvation Army assists nearly 36 million individuals nationwide throughout the year - almost 5 million of those during the holiday season alone.
83% of your donation to The Salvation Army goes directly to program funding to help people who need it most.
The Salvation Army operates several domestic violence shelters nationwide, where abused women and children can get a fresh start in life, safely and confidentially.
When you shop at Salvation Army thrift stores, you are supporting adult rehabilitation centers that annually help more than 216,000 people from every walk of life fight substance abuse and return to their communities as participating, contributing members.
The Salvation Army's Alegria program in Los Angeles provides transitional and permanent housing and specialized support services to homeless and low-income families affected by HIV/AIDS.
The red Christmas kettle debuted in San Francisco in 1891 in the guise of a crab pot. A depression had thrown many out of work, including hundreds of seamen and longshoremen. The campaign proved so successful that by 1900 it was imitated nationwide.
Movie actors Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Mae West, and Joan Crawford have all appeared in movies with Army characters.
More than 3.5 million people volunteer for The Salvation Army nationwide.
The Salvation Army operates a Missing Persons Program, which helped more than 187,000 people last year.
The Salvation Army's Community Care Ministries visited more than 3.3 million people with special needs in hospitals, nursing homes, and correctional facilities last year.
The Salvation Army assists nearly 19.8 million people with basic social services each year.
The Salvation Army provided an opportunity to camp for more than 193,000 underprivileged children, seniors, and adults last year.
The Salvation Army was at the frontlines in World Wars I and II, offering comfort and pastoral guidance.
The Salvation Army provided nearly 76,000 job referrals last year.
Peter Drucker called The Salvation Army "by far the most effective organization in the U.S.," in Forbes magazine.
The red shield dates from 1896 and serves as the trademark for the Army's social services.
Known for their brass band music, The Salvation Army has approximately 2,500 brass bands worldwide.
Since the 1920s, a Salvation Army brass band from Southern California has marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade.
The phrase "on the wagon" was coined by men and women receiving the services of The Salvation Army. Former National Commander Evangeline Booth - founder William Booth's daughter - drove a hay wagon through the streets of New York to encourage alcoholics on board for a ride back to The Salvation Army. Hence, alcoholics in recovery were said to be "on the wagon."
The first Salvation Army band was formed in 1882 by accident. Charles Frye and his sons offered their services as bodyguards for Salvation Army street preachers. They began playing music on their brass instruments to give them something to do while they protected the officers, and soon after quit their family business to lead the Army's music department.
The Salvation Army led in the formation of the USO - United Services Organization. The USO operates service units, which serve members of the armed forces abroad.
"Strawberry Fields Forever" in the Beatles 1966 song by that name, is John Lennon's nostalgic reference to a Salvation Army orphanage called Strawberry Field in Woolton, England. Lennon is said to have played with childhood friends in the trees behind the orphanage when he was a boy.
(Revised 2/08)
