• William John Crossman, 1891-1958 by G. J. Crossman
• A Brief History of Brotherhood Youth Work in Western Australia by Merle Peacock.
• Death of H. A. G. Clark by Wilkie J. Thomson.
• Notes by Wilkie J. Thomson.

      "Nobody Cares About Grandfather's Clock But Grandma," is the title of a reprinted article in the Readers' Digest of November, 1966. In it, Dorothy Van Ark tells of the things her aunt Josephine had saved. They began to destroy them until discovering that many of them were now valuable. She writes, "Some letters had historical value. One was written in 1865 by George Francis (a relative), who rented rooms in Washington, D.C., across from the Ford Theatre. 'President Lincoln died in our house,'" he wrote to his niece, and then he went on to describe things that happened on that eventful night. She emphasises the need of keeping everything properly labelled and, "My forbears also taught me to write names and dates on the back of all photos . . . true to my heritage, I'm saving everything that can record my own family's life and times . . . When nobody cares except Grandma, a family denies itself the pleasure of knowing real live ancestors and . . . its own special heritage." This latter is true of societies, Churches, communities and nations.

      Will John Crossman, or "W.J.", as he was affectionately known to his contemporaries, was born at Bourke, N.S.W., on January 13, 1891--the eldest son of a family of nine; his parents having migrated to Australia from Plymouth, England.

      George Crossman, his father, an engine driver, was a careful, conservative man of ready, conversational powers. He was a strict teetotaller, but in his own words his "religious inclinations were not so very pronounced". He was known as "Gentleman George" to the powerful Railways Union of his day, and with Chifley (later P.M. of Australia) and Wallace (later a member of the Wollongong Church) formed the great Union triumvirate of World War 1 years.

      Annie Crossman, his mother, was a most charming lady, noted for her piety, affection and integrity. She was a member of the Methodist Church and was the regular organist for many years. Visitors to her home on a Sunday were asked to accompany her to church or call on weekdays.

      In 1909, the Chapman-Alexander Mission Party was in Australia. On June 17, 3000 men packed the Sydney Town Hall to hear the Missioner's address "After Death--The Judgment" W.J., in speaking of this night, said: "As a youth at 9.15 p.m. I gave my heart to the Lord. I shall never forget the thrill when I went home and told my mother. She prayed for me. And now when I think of her and her influence, ' 'tis but a step to Calvary'." He was baptised at the Stanmore Baptist Church by Dr. C. J. Tinsley.

      One year later W. J. Crossman entered Angus Bible College (Adelaide) and after three years' training for the ministry, became a Baptist Home Missionary at Manildra and later at Concord (N.S.W.).

      Somehow, he was not satisfied. He had searched the Scriptures to see the way of life more perfectly. So, on a matter of deep conviction he sought the help of men like A. E. Illingworth and G. T. Walden. He also had long talks with his old Pastor, Dr. Tinsley. Then the decision was made. He was received into the fellowship of Churches of Christ at Enmore in 1914.

      Under William Gale, as Home Missions Secretary, W.J. was sent to North Auburn to organise for a mission to be conducted by A. E. Forbes. On the first Sunday night there were six decisions for Christ. The three weeks mission was held in April, closing with 35 decisions. He continued as the first full-time minister. In the next five months 30 wore added to the church. Among that number were Doris Hall (widow of the late B. G. Corlett, a well-loved minister in N.S.W.), her parents and sister.

      On August 4, 1914, World War I commenced. In September W.J. enlisted as an infantry soldier with the 13th Battalion, 1^st A.I.F., sailing for Egypt in October. In March, 1916, he was in France with the 1^st Australian Casualty Clearing Station, having received a quick course of training as an anaesthetist; rising to the rank of sergeant. Efforts wore made to transfer him to the Chaplaincy Department. This was not approved because of his medical work at the Casualty Clearing Station.

      Occasional leave periods in the United Kingdom enabled him to hear some of the great Preachers of that day--R. J. Campbell of the "New Theology" fame, Sydney M. Berry, the "Gloomy" Dean Inge, J. Fort Newton, J. D. Jones, J. H. Jowett, F. B. Meyer, G. Campbell Morgan.

      In due course his appointment as a Chaplain in the field was approved; he was promoted from Sergeant to Captain-Chaplain.

      One Sunday night at Warminster, where Australians were encamped prior to returning home, a sacred concert was to be held. Two thousand troops were in attendance. He was invited to address the gathering before the concert commenced. "I gave a gospel address," he said, "after which the troops clapped. It was the first encore I ever had."

      Coming home on the troopship in 1919, he was nick-named the, "Lead Kindly Light Bloke"--a name which was to hold for some years in R.S.L. circles and unit re-unions.

      Will Crossman married Mabel Townsend (dec. April 1, 1967), Kindergarten Superintendent at Concord Baptist Church on March 13, 1920. The Rev. R. C. Pickup, a former colleague in the 13^th Bn., 1^st A.I.F., officiated. They are survived by two children--Marjorie (Mrs. Stevenson, of St. Marys, N.S.W.) and Geoffrey (Minister, Church at Preston (Vic.) and Principal Air Chaplain for the R.A.A.F.) and seven grandchildren.

      After the war years, ministries followed at Hurstville and with the daughter church at Beverley Hills from 1919-23, then 1923-27 at Taree, including Wingham, and nine other preaching outposts.

      In 1927 he became N.S.W. Social Service Organiser and Director of the Erskineville Mission, during which time he was one of the prime movers in the commencement of a Boys' Home at Dundas.

      Returning to pastoral work in 1930, he served at Lidcombe for 11 years, during which he commenced the work at Carramar, Bankstown was also under his oversight for a period.

      During the Second World War he served full-time as an Army Chaplain, being awarded the Efficiency Decoration and retiring with the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, to become Rehabilitation Officer under the Social Service Department for our N.S.W. churches.

      Returning to pastoral work, W.J. served at City Temple 1946-50, Wiley Park 1950-56, and then went to his last field, Wentworth Falls-Lawson circuit on the Blue Mountains, "where he gave heroic service, especially in the period following the disastrous bush fires, when so many homes were destroyed".

      Because of ill-health, W.J. was advised to retire from the full-time ministry, a decision that he long resisted. Farewell services were arranged for Sunday, October 12, 1958, but the Home Call came suddenly on the previous Monday evening, October 6.

      His prayer had been answered. Retirement was not to be. For him this call had come whilst still on Active Service for Christ and the Church.

      Dan Wakeley, a contemporary Minister and well-loved friend over many years, paid grateful tribute to 45 years of ministerial service, in the course of which W.J. had served on almost every Conference Committee. He was twice N.S.W. Conference President (1941, 1950), Secretary of Federal Conference 1936-38, and for seven years Secretary of the N.S.W. Conference. As Social Service Organiser, Home Missions Secretary, a member of the first College Committee, Boys' Home Board, Advisory Board, Council of Churches, and for more than 20 years on the United Churches Chaplaincy Board, he served widely, wisely and well. In his latter years he was endeavouring, as the Brotherhood Historian, to gather information concerning the early history of our work in New South Wales.

      "The keynote of his life and ministry was his loyalty to Christ and the plea for the Restoration of New Testament Christianity in its fruits, as well as in its doctrines and ordinances. His was a life spent in serving others without much regard to personal cost."--G. J. Crossman (Vic.).

      In 1905, at the Eighth Annual Conference of Churches of Christ in Western Australia, and as a result of the amalgamation of the Coastal and Goldfields Sunday School Unions, there came into existence the "W.A. Sunday School Union", the direct forerunner of the present Youth & Christian Education Committee. Mr. D. M. Wilson was elected the first President, Messrs. C. Garland and C. E. Pond the Vice-Presidents, and Mr. T. Hutchison the Secretary. Fifteen Sunday Schools became members of the Union by paying an annual subscription and 62 individuals paid one shilling per annum and were described as "honorary members". Schools were expected to send representatives to Union meetings. In later years, this group within the Brotherhood became known as the "Bible School Union" (1909), the "Bible School Committee" (1912), and then the "Bible Schools' and Young People's Committee" (1921).

      As early as 1912 a sentence in the report of that year read as follows: "Having in view the ultimate appointment and maintenance of a Bible School Organiser, the Committee suggests that it be a recommendation to the incoming Home Missionary Committee to arrange with an evangelist to devote part of his time during the coming year as Bible School Organiser." Apparently this recommendation met with little success, however, and a series of Honorary Secretaries (e. g. A. A. Lightfoot, A. J. Ingham, W. W. Jacob, M. H. R. Matthews, R. F. Robins, H. Berry) and Chairmen of the calibre of T. H. Scambler and G. T. Fitzgerald continued to shoulder the main responsibility of organising Brotherhood activities for children and youth in the Western state.

      Then in 1920, the Bible School Committee recommended to the Home Missionary Committee the advisability of keeping in mind a man with experience in Bible School work when making an appointment of Brotherhood Organising Secretary. This recommendation certainly did not go unheeded, for Mr. W. R. Hibburt was appointed Organising Secretary for the Executive and Home Missionary Committee in July, 1921. As an honorary member of the Bible Schools' and Young People's Committee, he was instrumental in initiating many new programmes for youth. For example, the first Brotherhood Training for Leadership Camp for young men was organised in 1922.

      In the 1923 Conference Report, the Committee listed in its plans for the future that attention would be given to arranging for a brother to give part-time service as a Bible School Organiser, and in 1924 reported that it had been unsuccessful in its efforts to find a capable man to fill this position. However, in 1926, Mr. Andrew Hutson was brought to the West as part-time Secretary of the Bible Schools' and Young People's Committee and part-time minister of the Inglewood Church. Mr. Hutson served as the first paid officer of the Committee for seven years and during these years the Committee's fields of activity increased considerably. The Young Men's Camps at the Claremont Show Grounds became a regular feature of the Committee's work and during the 1920s and 1930s a total of 17 of these camps were held.

      After Mr. Hutson's departure from Perth in June, 1933, the Committee was required to rely on voluntary service for the next six years and Messrs. J. K. Robinson, F. Fewster, R. Vincent and O. Biddle served as Honorary Secretaries. During these years Mr. C. F. W. Smith was the Committee Chairman--a position he occupied for 15 years. It is of interest that the Committee organised its first mixed Youth Camp at Darlington in June, 1933, its first Christmas Vacation Youth Camp at Bunbury in 1934-35 and its first Young Women's Camp at Mrs. Digwood's home in Maylands in January, 1938.

      In 1940 Mr. R. H. Hilford was appointed part-time Organiser and Secretary of the Bible Schools' and Young People's Committee. Unfortunately, due to military duties, this appointment lasted for only nine months, yet Mr. Hilford did have the honour of organising the first Christmas Youth Camp at Waterman's Bay in 1940-41.

      Mr. E. R. Sherman succeeded Mr. Bilford as part-time Organiser and Secretary in 1941. During this year, a block of land was purchased at Waterman's Bay for the first permanent Churches of Christ Camp Site in W.A. and in 1942, £135 was spent on the first buildings and equipment for the camp.

      At the conclusion of Mr. Sherman's term in May, 1942, voluntary workers maintained the youth work within the Brotherhood until December, 1945. Messrs. W. A. Smith, H. R. Steele, 1. W. Nixon and G. A. Ewers served as Honorary Secretaries.

      By 1945 the Bible Schools and Young People's Committee and the Christian Endeavour Department had combined under the name of "Young People's Department" and in December, 1945, Mr. J. K. Robinson was appointed Honorary Director. He gave valuable service in this capacity (acting also as Department Chairman for twelve months) until December, 1947, when Mr. Stan Davey was appointed the first full-time Director of youth work in W.A. During his term of office, Messrs F. J. Stephenson and D. Wood acted as Honorary Secretaries of the Department.

      Mr. Davey resigned in December, 1949, to take up University studies and in 1950, Mr. R. H. Hillier assumed the duties of Director and Secretary. He gave of his best for the sake of the Brotherhood until January, 1957, during years when the Committee faced considerable financial difficulties. . . . Again it is of interest that in 1954, 23 acres of land at Piesse Brook in the Darling Ranges was purchased for a second Brotherhood Camp Site.

      In 1957 the Youth Committee was again forced to function without a paid worker and Mr. R. G. Harvey acted as Honorary Secretary in 1957-58. Realising that it was not possible for the work to be continued solely on a voluntary basis, the Committee appointed Miss Merle Peacock as Bible School Field Worker in March, 1958. Miss Peacock resigned in April, 1959, to continue University studies and travel overseas and once again the Committee's work had to be carried out by voluntary workers. As Chairman of the Committee, Mr. F. J. Stephenson bore the main brunt of the responsibility and he was assisted by the Honorary Secretaries, Miss P. Bevan and Mr. L. Donaldson. . . . The Committee was allocated an office in the basement of the newly completed Christian Centre in 1960.

      In June, 1961, Miss Peacock returned to W.A. and became the Honorary Secretary of the Committee, for several months before being appointed fulltime Organising Secretary in October, 1961--a position she still holds (July, 1967). In 1962, the name "Youth Committee" was changed to "Youth and Christian Education Committee". A lease was obtained on four acres of land at Point Peron in 1963 and the development of the third Brotherhood Camp Site commenced in 1965. In 1967, a lease on four acres at Busselton was obtained for the fourth Brotherhood Camp Site.

      January, 1968, will see the appointment of a second full-time worker for the Committee when Mr. Brian Stitt becomes the Director of the Youth and Christian Education Committee. It is anticipated that the years ahead will be a time of rapid development for the youth work in the West.--Merle Peacock, B.A. (W.A.).

      The death of H. A. G. Clark, M.A., B.D., Dip.Ed., on July 22 (year of birth 1892), removed from our midst one who recognised the value of history and the preservation of historical records. It was he who obtained the Campbell books now in the College of the Bible, Victoria. He was a member of the first Federal Historical Society Committee. He and his wife (nee Dorothy Ludbrook) were for two years (1926-28) missionaries in Hueilichow, China, until advised to leave by the British Consulate because of the Communist uprising. While waiting to return he travelled into Indo-China to see the then little-known ruins of the lost City of Angkor. During World War II he served as Major-Chaplain with the Army in New Guinea and later in Japan. His last ministry was at Wattle Park, Victoria, and he was also Secretary of the Victorian Branch of the W.C.C. The Society's sympathy is with Mrs. Clark and daughters, Mrs. Longford and Mrs. Carr, and families.

      Welcome to new members--A. Hutson (W.A.). G. J. Crossman, and D. H. Smith, Dip.R.E. (Vic.).

      The year is well advanced but many members have not renewed their subscription for 1967. Will you please do so at an early date. Yearly subscription is $1, Life Membership $20.