The Big Adventure Begins

This afternoon I am heading off to somewhere near Daylesford to attend my very first TCAC.  For those of you that aren't down with the acronym TCAC it stands for Territorial Creative Arts Camp, and it should be a lot of fun, well thats what I have heard anyway.  TCAC, though, is the first step in my big adventure to Sweden with the Australian Southern Territory Big Band and even though I am not actually playing an instrument in the band as general paperwork sorter and group organiser I still get to go.  TCAC is a time for the band to do some intensive practice before we fly over to Sweden to represent the country at the World Youth Convention Raised Up. 

But because its all very exciting and a big deal, we have actually made the band its very own blog, twitter and facebook fan page.  Which means that over the next little while my blog may be unattended, however this doesn't mean you won't be informed... coz as a speacial little treat I will post those blogs and the link if you want to see it in all its glory on here.  Although I am not the only writer... my good mate Benny is helping out too...

So stay tuned... there will be blogs... it might just be different

Oh and here is the first introductory blog...

G'day,

Welcome to the official blog of the 'Australian Southern Territory's Salvation Army Big Band'.

First off, you're probably wondering why we have such a long title. Well we wonder that too and can't answer that- sorry to disappoint.

Secondly, who are we? We're a group of Salvationists who have come from all over Australia to form a big band. And we don't sound too bad either!

We play a variety of music including swing, shuffle and rock. Basically everything except for the typical music you'll see David George (leading alto sax player) dancing to every Saturday night!

We leave to go to the Salvation Army's Territorial Creative Arts Camp in Blampied, Victoria this Sunday (4th July). We will do approximately 20 hours of rehearsal before finishing off our week with a concert at Ivanhoe Girls Grammar School on Friday (9th July). More information to come.

Two days later (Sunday 11th July), we head off to Stockholm, Sweden for the Salvation Army's World Youth Convention, which will be held from Thursday 15th July to Sunday 18th July. We have been asked by the General of the Salvation Army to be special guests for the convention, so we are understandably thrilled and excited about being apart of this exciting occasion.

Over the next few weeks, Emma Lewis (the band's manager) and myself (Ben Waterworth- trombone player and the most attractive specimen of the band) will keep you well informed of our movements.

You can follow us on Twitter or on Facebook as well by clicking on those two links. Our email address is astsalvobigband@hotmail.com!

Look forward to bringing you much more news, views and humorous material in the coming weeks.

Many blessings,

BW

Or if you want to see it at the blog check out http://astsalvobigband.blogspot.com/

I am a soldier

 Wow, what a day!  Today I am proud as punch to be a soldier in the Salvation Army... seriously proud as punch!

This morning I got to take Russ on his first trip to the country so that I could support so of my awesome Bendigo buddies, Dee and Gus as they were enrolled as soldiers.  Just like when my friend Renee was enrolled, the formalities made me think about the things I have promised to do... and whether or not I am still doing it...  But the crazy thing is at almost the exact same time I as I was witnessing this very cool step by Dee and Gus, Dave was at Box Hill watching Benny get enrolled!

Sometimes I think I forget how much of as step this is, and I am just so proud of these guys as they take the plunge and declare their decision to stand as a soldier in the army of Christ.  

Of course, just because this day can't get salvo enough, this afternoon I am heading into the city to a big salvo service to watch the big band play and to farewell the TCs... should be fun....