CHAPLAIN MULLINEUX

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2960, 26 December 1916, Page 6

CHAPLAIN MULLINEUX

GOING AS Y.M.C.A. SECRETARY

RESIGNS CHURCH„CHAPLAINGY Chaplain-Captain Mullineux, to use his camp title, as a footballer is world-wide, who was formerly ft chaplain in 4l'Q Navv, and who has acted as chaplain in the New Zealand training camgs for the past . four months, has decided to give up that work and- proceed, to the front as a field -secretary for the Y.M.C.A. All ranks at Tauhcrenikaii and Featherston camps," whe® Chaplain Mullineux was, stationed, and at Trenbh'am where he is at present in charge, hare expressed appreciation of his work. The news of his early departure will come as a surprise to them. In conversation, Chaplain Mullineux stated thnt he desired a freer hand to work among tho soldiers, than the Church Military Committee had been able to give him in tho camps. He realised that the Church was not anxious for him to go'in the role of a Y.M.C.A. secretary, hut tho conditions .of his appointment as a camp chaplain were such that ho felt there was nothing for him to do hut resign. His resignation had been accepted and would date from December 31. "I've never heen a chaplain, in the regular army sense," said Chaplain .Mullineux, "during the whole of my time in camp. But I overlooked the irregularities so that I could bo of service to the men. Now I soo just as good an opportunity to be of use and at the same time have my own status more clearly defined. So I'm going." Concerning his appointment, Chaplain Mullineux said that when lie arrived in. New Zealand from America nearly iiino months qro, his desire was to, return to-his former work as chaplain in the Navy. Before leaving San Francisco he had written to the chaplain of tho Fleet'and asked him to' address the reply to'hinyafc Wellington, fo which .port he worked his passage on the As 50 letter came, jfte'r a week or so. r Chaplain Mullineux enlisted in the N.Z.M.C. and went into cams at Awapuni. Six weeks after doing so. he received a letter from the chaplain of the Fleet instructing him to, report for service at once. The Minister of Defence, 01) being appealed to. arranged for Private Mullineux, N.Z.M.C. to go with the Sixteenth Reinforcements, and to transfer to the Royal Navy jm a-ival, in England. At this stage a number of Church clergy and laymen asked Private Mullineux "to .take n, chaplaincy with the Now Zealand Expeditionary Forces. Having in mind the many kindnesses extended to him hv New Zealanders. Prvato Mullineux agreed to go. In the meantime ho returned to Awapuni. He waited for weeks and nothing happened. At the end of August last, Surgeon-General Henderson had him sent to Wellington on indefinite leave, and he reported at Buckle Street where ho _ was told that he had heen appointed a chaplain of the l'orcos, and the appointment would he gazetted in the following. Gazette issue. Ho was told to get oilt of his private s uniform and report at Trentham on the following Friday. On Saturday he was sent to Tauherenikau in full charge Chaplain Mullineux found that whilo he held military rank by courtesy of the Defence authorities ne was paid at the modest rate of 10s., ?i /T, Military Committee, of the Church, which also gave him £20 for a uniform. But he ■ was not an army chaplain and never has been one,

llie reason- tor this arrangement, be understood, was that the Defence Department would not axithorise the* appointment of a' second Anglican chaplain in 'JVenthain, hufc was agreeablo for him to work there under the arrangement montioned. ' During the week following his arrival at Tauhercuikau, Chaplain Mullineux went to Awapuni jo return his old uniform. He was informed! that lie was still on the strength of the N.Z.M.O.

"Only & month ago' I saw my papers, said Chaplain Mullineux, "and I found I bad been discharged from the Medical Corps, not transferred. .1 mention this because it means that I have lost the four months' service during the time, I have been actiuc' as chaplain."

After being chaplain hi charge of Featherston _ camp. for' a time, while ChaplaiiirMajor Roberts was away, Chaplain Mullineux was ordered to proceed to Trent-ham to relieve Chap-lain-Colonel Tracy, who was ill. He took charge there also, still on 10s. a day, and not recognised as an army chaplain, though, the camp officers 'in all the camps gave him every assistance i" his work. On Colonel Tracy's .return he remained at Trentham as assistant chaplain. "Finding that Colonel Tracy's ways were not mino," said Chaplain Mullineux, "I decided to resign and accept an offer made to me by Mr. Virgo, of the Y.M.C.A., to go to the front. That is, where I have wished to be all along, and would have been had I not been persuaded! to stay ■ and take . a chaplaincy. No one knows, who has not worked as chaplain in a camp, what a need there is for a man who will, get into personal touch' with,the soldiers. It is one of the most Urgent needs in the camps. But my position was quite impossible. At the -, same time I do not blame anyone specifically for it."

Nevertheless Chaplain Mutiineux decided', to try it again. : The result was that lie told the Church Committee that it was hopoless to expect a man to put up with the arrangement. The committee informed him that it had no control over him, although it paid his salary. Chaplain Mullineux then asked the committee to do one of three things: • First, to send him away as chaplain of the Twenty-first Reinforcements; second 1 , to allow him to return to Awapiini, and afterwards transfer to the Navy; or, third, to accopt his resignation, so that he could take up the Y.M.C.A. work.

"Colonel Tracy • applied for the chaplaincy of the Twenty-first Reinforcement's," said Chaplain Mullineux, "and was appointed. Mr. Henderson, of tho Church Committee, wrote to me telling me of Colonel Tracy's appointment. He also said that the committee wished to appoint me to bo in charge at Trentham, and that the Rev. Bryan Brown, of Christchurch, would make a good assistant, hut ii their wish did not coincide with the Primate's wish they could do nothing. I"replied that under no circumstances would I alter my decision. I was tired of the procrastination, and of not knowingwhere I was."