A review was conducted after the trek and recommendations recorded for the guidance of any future treks that might be planned. Topics covered in this report included leadership, personnel, financing of a trek, programme, literature, personal counselling training as well as lists of suggestions from Waite and Laskey. Waite also sent his own report to Commissioner A. J. Gilliard. In this, Waite highlighted a number of weaknesses in the organisation of the trek. He noted that the Hodderville Farm was unprepared for their arrival, that no arrangements had been made at Rotorua for motor camp meetings and that the ban on open-air activity in Rotorua took them by surprise, all these despite letters being sent ahead asking for such assistance. Waite also pointed out that despite these set-backs, the team rallied and as the days progressed, they clicked together as a unit, were much more practised and assured and consequently their ministry overall was very effective.7
Cover of January 1962 SASF Trek Report8
Christmas-New Year Holiday Trek – 1962 – 1963 Another trek was held from 28 December 1962 to 2 January 1963, this time to Waimate and Temuka during the annual Christmas-New Year holiday period. A planning sheet prepared by Alan Cook (leader) set out the arrangements for the trek and invited applications from SASF students.9 Students were expected to pay for their own keep, travel by either bus or train and they could take bicycles for local travel. They were to take sleeping bags and lilos and would sleep in Salvation Army halls, boys in the band room and girls in the primary. Hall kitchens would be used for meals and Elizabeth Reid would order supplies and arrange menus. A common fund would pay for film fire, printed material and publicity in local papers and on billboards. A basic programme for the trek would be: morning – domestic duties, item preparation, bible study; afternoon – children’s hour, stories, games, recreation; evening – film shows, barbecues, community singing, coffee shops, drama, hymn singing, gospel meetings. They would have books for sale, children’s texts to give away, a sing-along song sheet with sacred, secular and popular songs 7
Letter, John C. Waite to A. J. Gilliard, (19 February 1962), New Zealand Salvation Army Heritage Centre & Archives, Upper Hutt. 8 Cyril Bradwell Papers, SA Heritage Centre & Archives, File SA Archives, File A2008.036.115. 9 Alan Cook, SASF 1962-3 Trek “planning sheet”, n.d., SA Heritage Centre & Archives.
The Australasian Journal of Salvation Army History, Volume 6, Issue 1, 2021. Page 9
