Chairman of Well-Being Australia Mark Tronson says it has been his privilege to have been a receiptent of wisdom from numerous such people leading up to and during his 18 years of founding the Sports and Leisure Ministry, 17 years as the Australian cricket team chaplain, and now 29 years in faith financed mission.
Three of these people were Salvos – (Salvation Army).
Mark Tronson picks up the story: My years in Wollongong from 1969 to 1977 were years of significant influence, and three Salvation Army men played important continuing roles in my development.
Bill Simpson
Bill Simpson was Sports Editor of the Illawarra Mercury newspaper in the early 1970's when I was elected the Illawarra Hockey Association's Publicity Officer. Bill Simpson, a Salvationist, made me feel at ease when I visited him on appointment.
He invited me to explain what I sought to achieve in writing hockey articles, then gave me a bundle of small orange paper on which to submit articles, typed double spaced. My hockey articles began to be published. Bill Simpson regularly offered helpful advice.
Seven years later I entered theological college in Sydney, Bill Simpson wrote a special piece about my "calling" and contribution to hockey. Those years under Bill Simpson's tuition provided the means whereby I subsequently wrote hockey for the Sydney Morning Herald, The Daily Telegraph and The Australian, covering multiple Olympics, World Cups and becoming the author 23 books.
Bill's son Dean Simpson assisted me in 1994, with my story in sports ministry in my book titled: "No Orchestra, No Trumpet".
Gordon Newton
Gordon Newton was one of Illawarra's top hockey players (1960s-70s), captaining the Illawarra representative team, moving from Spotlights (a Salvation Army team) to 1st grade St Matthews (my club) in 1972.
His Christian witness gave me comfort as a young Christian man. Years later, as the Australian Cricket Team Chaplain, Gordon Newton invited me to speak at a packed Wollongong Salvation Army Men's Dinner. Gordon has been a friend over many years. Another hockey link.
Neville Clarke
Neville Clarke was an Express Passenger Train Driver on the NSW Government Railways based at Wollongong Depot. While studying at Wollongong University I was temporarily posted to Wollongong Depot from Port Kembla as a Locomotive Fireman in order that I could get to either morning or evening classes.
Port Kembla Depot meant working away to Barracks for 30-40 hours at a time. While working at Wollongong Depot, Neville, a Salvationist was my driver on many occasions. We'd regularly discuss the Lord & His wonders.
Neville Clarke contributed to several of my 16 train driver anecdote books (1984-96) as did train drivers' from all over Australia. Train driver anecdotes is a delightful hobby, I enjoy reading Australian diesel locomotive magazines and watching diesel locomotive videos.