L.A.’s Salvation Army Celebrates 100 Years

It wasn’t your ordinary benefit--not with First Interstate’s Joseph and Dorie Pinola, political king-maker Margaret Brock and major community leaders singing “Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the Cross.” It was the Salvation Army’s Los Angeles Centennial Celebration at the Sheraton Grande. None other than Gen. Eva Burrows, the Army’s affable leader from Australia, was in town. She noted: “We are simple people. We believe God will remake the most mixed-up simple people.”

Then she added some humor: She recalled that a New York waiter thought that the two S’s on her uniform meant “Scotch and Soda.” Not at all. Salvation and more salvation. And she admired the flowers on the dais. Bemused, she noted, “These lovely wildflowers, you know, are called kangaroo paws. They grow around Perth, where the America’s Cup is going to run. No one can tell the future, but I think Australia is going to win.” Not a soul politely booed.

Lt. Col. David P. Riley, divisional commander, and his wife Gladys, were at the helm, wearing the Red Shield centennial pins bestowed on several hundred invited guests. Hollywood Presbyterian Church’s Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie presented the invocation and had a ringside seat when young girls presented a perfect worthy-of-Broadway tambourine rhythmic number. Close by, too, was Territorial Commander Willard S. Evans, who introduced Gen. Burrows. The Steve Allens and Otis Chandler had been named with Mrs. Brock and Pinola as honorary chairmen of the affair. Chandler, who was traveling, sent a message recalling that his grandfather, Harry Chandler, had served as a member of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Advisory Board, which E. John Caldecott currently heads.

John E. Flick, dinner chairman, was instrumental in presenting the coveted Sally Award to nonagenarian Mrs. Frank Roger Seaver and the special “Others Award” to John B. Gostovich.

Gen. Burrows told the audience that when she was received by President Reagan in the Oval Office they prayed together: “I prayed that wisdom might be with him.” She was wearing the pin Reagan gave her.

The occasion was perfect to announce the new Salvation Army residential alcohol recovery home, Safe Harbor, to serve women on Skid Row. Involved in that are Army Maj. Al Van Cleef and his wife Sherryl, who flew to San Salvador after the dinner to accompany a planeload of relief supplies and a volunteer medical team to aid earthquake victims. Add to that the Army’s charity: 1,507,493 “instances of service” in the county in 1985, including lodging, meals, job referrals, interviews. For instance, the Army provided day camp for 24,655 youngsters, admitted 1,351 to alcohol residential programs, aided 388,776 at seniors centers where they served 505,704 meals, visited 150,432 patients in rest homes, gave 154,119 assistance at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Only a tad of the effort.

Arizona State University President J. Russell Nelson and his wife Bonita have been in Los Angeles a lot over the last few weeks, mingling Saguaro blossoms with rose (Bowl) fever. A little devilry seems OK. Before the Sun Devils beat UCLA, the Nelsons appeared in town with Kax (former chairman of the ASU Foundation) and Bob Herberger of Paradise Valley for a dinner with important local alumni, including First Interstate’s Ed and Nadine Carson, the Bruce Andrewses of Orange County and the Westside’s Frederick Reishes. Then, they were at the Bonaventure for brunch with 80 alumni before the Sun Devils poked USC with a football victory. Revelers included Arizona banker Budd L. Peabody, who now heads the foundation, and his wife; La Canada’s the Max Goodriches and director of development Lonnie Ostrom from Tempe. It was Nelson’s chance to announce that ASU’s first major capital campaign--for $100 million--has reached $61 million in 18 months and the university has just received an additional $23 million for an engineering/science facility.

Pitzer College is fairly innovative. Its National Issues Forum always raises a few eyebrows and rankles a few people--as it’s supposed to do, in proposing viable solutions. Robert E. (Ted) Turner III was at his unorthodox best, in that respect, for this week’s dinner at the Beverly Wilshire. Waldo Burnside, Pitzer supporter, got so angry, he walked out after Burnside raised the issue of Afghanistan in the Q&A; portion, in rebuttal to Turner’s position: “I am absolutely convinced in talking with the Soviets . . . that they want to call off the arms race . . . I hope the Soviet administration can hang in there for two years and we can get an Administration that will look to the future.”

Turner, a man who “owes over a billion,” told the audience that humanity is “the most endangered species on this planet--we have to change our ways of doing things . . . we have to have new thinking because if we stick with the old, we are going to die.” Maybe more than half the audience of 400 raised hands when Turner asked how many watched CNN, his cable television news operation. “Before that,” Turner said, “I was a yacht racer. I had made $40 or $50 million--enough to pay my racing bills and my children’s education and I don’t think I had watched 60 hours of news in my life.” His crash course, he said, enlightened him: “We live in dangerous times . . . the world has three very important problems--one, the arms race (tied in with the economy--”when we have our crash, as we will;” tied in with the lack of the Golden Rule--”we have treated them (the Soviets) like dirt--at the time of their Revolution in 1917, 80% lived in slavery” . . . “we’ve never even tried to be friends”); two, the population explosion, and three, the destruction of our national environment. His solution: “We need a plan.”

In the audience were people who have always had big plans: Ernest W. and Jean Hahn, who were honored for their community generosities; Pitzer president Frank L. Ellsworth (also a California Plein Air painters collector); the Peter S. Golds (he’s Pitzer chairman); the Chadwick F. Smiths (he was chairman of the forum); the Frederick M. Nicholases, Dr. and Mrs. William C. Janss Jr., Bruce and Janet Karatz, Sidney J. Sheinberg, Stephen and Kitty Moses (perplexed why Turner wouldn’t comment on who’s going to win the America’s Cup), Deborah Deutsch Smith of Albuquerque, the Robert A. Harrises, Scott A. Citron, John and Virginia Atherton, Tony and Jean Barash, who brought their son Matt; Kathleen S. Blunt, Bill and Marie Borinstein, Frank and Elinor Nathan, Maria Hummer and George R. McCambridge, Earl (he’s the newest Pitzer trustee) and Nancy Powell, Dorothy and Ray Rogers, Bob and Betty Strub, Royce and Anne McKinley, Lois and Bruce Rozet, and John and Ann Tierney.

MUSIC FLURRY--There’s excitement surrounding the Pasadena Symphony’s 59th season opening night Saturday. Major donors will begin the evening at a black-tie dinner at la Couronne restaurant. And all concert-goers will attend festivities on the steps of the Pasadena Civic Auditorium at 8 p.m. when actor William Christopher and Pasadena Mayor John Crowley are on the top steps, before music director Jorge Mester raises his baton. Later donors will adjourn to the home of Dr. and Mrs. Edward B. Merchant Jr. for “a symphony of spirits and sweets” catered by Rococo. Mrs. Warren Jones, symphony board vice president, is overseeing details, along with Anna Macdonnell, Renee Hanson, Billie Bowlby, Millicent Reynolds and Penny Lusche.

FAN FARE: Verne Orr, former Secretary of the Air Force, and retired Air Force Gen. Lew Allen Jr., Caltech vice president and director of Jet Propulsion Laboratory, have accepted the chairmanships for the Air Force Ball Oct. 31 at the Century Plaza. The $250-per-plate ball will benefit scholarships for Children of American Military Personnel and the Aerospace Education Foundation.

NEWEST: The Pasadena Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency hosts a reception at its new offices today. Emily Sandstrom, executive director, is welcoming friends. Betsy Hathaway is open house chairman.

COMMEMORATIVE: About 300 Chinese and American community leaders are expected for the Committee to Conserve Chinese Culture and Americans for Free China joint dinner party Sunday evening at Mid-town Hilton celebrating the 75th founding anniversary of the Republic of China on Taiwan and the 100th birthday anniversary of the late President Chiang Kai-shek. C. J. Chen, deputy representative of the Coordination Council for North American Affairs in Washington, and Bruce Herschensohn will address the gathering.

UPCOMING: A Night in Old York (ca. 1800s) is expected for the costume/masquerade Die Fledermaus Ball the Loren L. Zachary Society for the Performing Arts plans Saturday at the Beverly Wilshire. Kathy Freedland and Nedra Zachary are ball chairmen . . . Dr. LeRoy Trnavsky and Robert Hoss are behind the auction and black-tie dinner fund-raiser Saturday for the Boys and Girls Club of Whittier. Somper furs, jewels and Liberty Weekend souvenirs will be among auction items.