THE BOYS' BRIGADE NOTES

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 127, 1 June 1938, Page 22

THE BOYS' BRIGADE NOTES

The Marquess of Clydesdale. Every British boy knows of the splendid achievement of Most Hon. the Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale in and in aviation. Not only is lie a famous amateur sportsman, but he was the gallant leader of the great Mount Everest flight, when for the first time the highest mountains in the world were surveyed from the air. Lord Clydesdale, wlio lias always been keenly interested in the Boys' Brigade, has now given a further proof of his interest by accepting the office of brigade treasurer. Officers and boys everywhere will be delighted to hear of this, and will unite in a cordial welcome to his Lordship, who has now honoured the Boys' Brigade by agreeing to take this important office on the brigade executive The Empire Exhibition. Visitors from ail parts of the Empire are flooking to the Exhibition which is being held in Glasgow. A 8.8. stall, planned on novel lines, is arousing widespread interest, and will, we believe, lead to the further development of the brigade in the dominions and colonies. In place of the annual review of the Glasgow Battalion, a Scottish 8.8. display was 1 arranged to be given in the Exhibition Stadium at Ibrox Park on May 21, the Marquess of Clydesdale acting as the reviewing officer. Most of the Scottish battalions were to take part, and thousands of Scottish Brigade Boys were expected to take part. A Plucky 8.8. Boy. The Boys' Brigade diploma for gallant conduct has been awarded to LaneeCorporal Alexander Mclntyre, aged 15, of the 257t1i Glasgow Company, for stopping a runaway horse. The incident occurred in a busy thoroughfare between two main roads. The horse, yoked to a van, was alarmed by the noise of a train car bell, and taking fright bolted down the street. The driver was thrown off, and the horse was approaching the cross-roads when Mclntyre ran into the road, and jumping at the animal's head succeeded in bringing it to a standstill. He was carried 30 yards before, he wa9 able to pull, up the horse, and there is little doubt that" he averted the possibility of a serious accident. "Starting a Company." Many churches have no provision of any kind for their older boys. They have tried various methods "of holding the interest of boys and are disappointed with the results. To'all these we sav, "Now try the 8.8. way." A booklet, entitled "On Starting a Company," is available for the information and guidance of those considering the formation of a company of the Boys' Brigade. This booklet may be obtained gratis from brigade headquarters by anyone interested. A good start means a great deal, and if the advice given in this leaflet is followed, success will be assured, and the boy problem in your church will be solved. A postcard to The Dominion Secretary, Fortunatus Street, Wellington, S.W.I, will secure your copy. A good staff of officers is essential to the success of a 8.8. company. The leaflet,

By Padre

|"A Man's .Tob," gives anyone without previous 8.8. experience some idea of the nature of the task. Copies of this may also be had free of charge. The Church of To-morrow. The chaplain of a new 8.8. .Company writes:—"I have had a wonderful first session with my boys, and my school has increased beyond my expectations. Almost all the company are scholars in my senior department, and I look upon that fact as the greatest achievement for a company in its first session. The Life Boys have had the same effect on the junior school. "To my mind, there would be less talk about decrease in Sunday school scholars if more churches would only realise the value of the 8.8. and Life Boyf. I am convinced that along these lines can the gulf between school and church be fixed. My own school is proof of that." The 8.8. can do this for other churches, too. Full information can be had from the Dominion Secretary, Fortunatus Street, Wellington, S.W.I. Old Boys and the Churches. At this time of year many fellows who are no longer boys find they have reachcd the age limit; their service in the Boys' Brigade has come to an end. So they must retire to make room for younger boys. But they now have an opportunity of putting into practice, in service for others, what they have been taught in the brigade. Many church organisations at this time of the-year are on the lookout for workers, and it is expected that every old boy will avail himself of any opportunity that presents itself of getting something to do in this direction. Ihe Boys' Brigade has reason to be proud of the thousands of ex-members who are actively engaged in carrying on the work of the churches. Manv of them are clergymen; in every continent others are serving as missionaries; many more are engaged as laymen in Sunday school and other spheres of Church work, while over 7000 old boys, now officers of the Hrigade. are teaching to their younger brothers the lessons they themselves learned as lxiys. There's work to be done, and the old boys of the B.B." are the fellows to do it. Wearing the Badge. The Boys' Brigade manual lays it down that no boy may wear the 8.8. buttonhole badge until he has at least three months' service. For most recruits this period is now over, and they may now be amongst the thousands of boys who are proudly wearing the badge. *One of the most interesting things about our buttonhole badge is that there are not different badges for different ranks, but that from the brigade president—the Earl of Home—down to the boy of twelve and a bit, exactly the same pattern of badge is worn. It is good to see how many are worn to-day, but we have not reached the ideal of every member wearing the badge always. A good scheme is to"have one for every jacket, and also for your overcoat, and then wherever you go vou have your badge on, as a sign of vour membership of the great 8.8. brotherhood.