from the ArmyBarmy blog

from http://www.armybarmy.com/blog.html:
"There are going to be times when an officer-mother ... has to be granted time and space to be a full-time mother. This can be done if leadership is willing to take a modern and enlightened view of the situation ... [giving the] opportunity to minister to her small children for a few years.... We cannot fall into the trap of allowing systems (separate appointments, separate payment of allowances, etc.) to become anti-family. I hope that ... officer-mothers feeling the need for understanding will be met with tenderness, imagination and flexibility, and will never be deprived of an allowance. In the Officer Undertakings that we have all signed it says that our cash allowance 'is not a wage, salary, reward or payment for services rendered.' We are not paid for what we do. Officership is more about being than doing."
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Here is one reasoned response:
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"(The) comments can be taken as assuming that the wife's calling to officership and ministry is more appropriately set aside for family reasons than is the husband's, whereas I think if the Army's stand on equality is to be taken seriously, both parents ought to be sharing the family responsibilities, and the husband ought to be doing all he can to support and promote his wife's ministry.
"I wonder how (The Army) would feel about the father taking time out to be a full-time father, while the wife carried on the ministry?"
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The other bit worth noting is "Officership is more about being than about doing." Articles have been written on this subject and it is difficult to assert a development of official SA belief based on an argument on parenting inside an article on stress. So, for discussion directly on that subject, I suggest that you look up Major Harold Hill's book, LEADERSHIP IN THE SALVATION ARMY, or google articles by him online and in JAC (try his name plus leadership and/or "Salvation Army"), and start the conversation with comments on the Clarks' blog.
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God bless The General (don't forget to pray for him and our comrades around the world today at lunchtime).

I purposely didn't comment on the General's words, just threw them out there with nothing added from me. But -- no big surprise -- part of my reaction was exactly this. Why all this talk about "young mothers" (what about us old mothers? what about fathers?!?!)? What about officers who need to care for their aging parents? I'll keep my other reactions to myself for now, as I await yours!
Evelyn
P.S. The General's quote is from the current issue of The Officer magazine.