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"Interview to Chief Secretary"
• Her name
Susan Mc Millan
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• Her charge
Chief Secretary.
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• Her place of birth
Toronto, Canada.
Her parents are retired Officers, Majors Mc Millan
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• The territory she comes from
Territory of Canada and Bermuda.
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• We would like to know something about your childhood... how did you become an Officer?
I am the only child of officers, that’s why we were always in different places, my parents had many changes and I knew my country very well, from one extreme to the other, both seas and cityes in between.
My parents were always Corps Officers, but after some years they went to the Headquarter.
After studying high school, I went on vacations to Mexico, there I felt I was called to be a missionary… When I came back after my vacations, I wrote to the Youth and Candidate Secretary asking what I should do to be a missionary; so he answered that I had to go to the Training School for Officers and I went to the School. In Canada there are three Training Schools for Officers, I went to Toronto. I was two years being prepared, from 1977 to 1979.
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• What can you tell us about your previous appointments, places and charges?
My first appointment was in a very little Corps, in Montreal City, I was the assistan of the Officer, a single lady. I was a short time there, about two months, because I had to go to Mexico, to the Headquarter.
I spoke very little of Spanish, just a few words, so I studied Spanish during three months.
My chieves spoke Spanish well, but they were changed; the Officers who came instead of them didn’t speak Spanish and I was their translator (laughs), I had to learn fast and there I practiced very much.
I came back from Mexico to my country; there I worked in a House of Help for persons with mental diseases.
I had the opportunity and the necessity to study, so I went to the University in Canada, I studied Bussiness Management, a Master and two levels more.
I studied during the day and worked in the night in the House of Help, I never neglected my work as an Officer, I was there about three years and a half
After that, I worked in Health Service, in the Headquarter, in charge of 11 Homes for Old Persons. After that, I worked in Hospitals; in that time there were 10 hospitals, now there are just five: trhee of them belong to The Salvation Army and the other two are societies. There I was in charge of visitation and administration.
I studied again to be a Public Accountant. There I work in the day and studied in the night. I was four years in different Hospitals sharing with Catholic partners, like a nun. We had in common our values, our policy, the care of ill persons.
I was Finances Secretary en Argentina and Canada.
Before coming to Chile, my last appointment was Administration y Bussiness Secretary, in charge of 11 departments, bussiness, public relations and finances.
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• How did you react when you heard the news you were Chief Secretary in a so distant country, like Chile?
I said: it is a very good Territory!! As if the Chief had made a mistake!!!
It was a quick change, in March I knew about the change and in June I was here.
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• and your parents?
My parents are old persons, that can be a great worry, for being far from them, but I liked the idea of coming here and God takes care of my family.
I have a female cousin who lives in Canada, she is an Officer, Commissioner Mc Millan. She is near my parant (she showed me a picture of her parents; they are old persons, but they look very young and well).
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• Being here in Chile, as Chief Secretary, what has been the most difficult thing, till today?
I have been just some months here; well, it has been... maybe to know the Territory: it is very big, it is difficult to know everything very quick, in the way I’d like. On Saturday 27th, I am going to the South, I will visit Chillán and I will go to Puerto Montt, to know more about this Territory and each Corps.
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