BOYS' BRIGADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21919, 3 April 1933, Page 4

BOYS' BRIGADE

JUBILEE YEAR COMMEMORATED

SERVICE AT FIRST CHURCH,

There was a large attendance of officers and members of the city and district units of the Boys' Brigade at 1 irst Church last evenimr, when a special service was held to mark the jubilee of the movement. Dr V. E. Galway presided at the organ, and the singing of some ot the brigade hymns was most inspiring. The Rev. Allen Stevely delivered an appropriate address, and made a stirring appeal to the lads. He extended a cordial welcome to the officers and boys, and recalled how the movement, commencing with a small company of 30 boys on October 4, 1883, had grown to be a worldwide organisation, and continued to increase in numbers and efficiency. lne aim of the Boys' Brigade was the advancement of Christ's Kingdom among boys and the promotion of habits of obedience reverence, discipline, self-control, and all that tended towards a true Christian manliness. The personality and faith ot the founder. Sir William Smith, had left with the movement a permanent inspiration. The love of high adventure, the call of the ideal, the spirit of enthusiasm so characteristic of boyhood, found, their fullest exercise and finest realisation in the fellowship and service of Jesus Christ. In view of the fact that the boy question was a very urgent problem to-day, the highest interests of the nation demanded that our boys should develop towards manhood along the lines of Christian character. This ideal had been kept constantly before the great enterprise of. the Boys' Brigade, and all its varied activities were directed to this end. It was the pioneer of all boys' organisations, and his Majesty the King was patron of tlie movement.