BOYS’ BRIGADE

Southland Times, Issue 23512, 19 May 1938, Page 7

BOYS’ BRIGADE

BATTALION NOTES By HAVERSACK The Southland Battalion Council will hold its next meeting in St. Andrews Sunday school, Gore, on Monday, May 30, at 8 p.m. It is hoped to see a big attendance of Eastern District members. , Several companies and teams are at present in recess because of the school holidays. They will begin parades again nPYi wppk The Stobo hall team has received several new recruits recently and the work is progressing. Several boys the observation seal tests and the Bible books and collector’s seal tests are being studied. The 2nd Invercargill Company intends to use the graded system in closeorder drill. The company will be divided into three squads after a test later m the year. The gradings will be, Q (qualified), QI (qualified first class), QD (qualified with distinction). The travelling expenses of two delegates from each of the four main centres to Invercargill to attend the 1938 conference is £34 17/10. The amount divided between Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill is £6 19/7 each and at last week’s meeting ot the executive it was agreed to recommend to the Southland Battalion Council that Southland take part in the scheme. PRESENTATION MADE

On Thursday evening a party of Boys’ Brigade officers and Life Boy leaders paid a surprise visit to Mr and Mrs Owen Marshall,. nee Miss. Ramsay, and gave them a rousing tin-can-ning. A pleasant evening was spent in games and competitions. After supper Mrs M. Branks presented Mrs Marshall with a crystal water jug and six goblets in appreciation of her work among the boys, and wished them both happiness in the future. Mr J. H. Boyd also spoke in eugolistic terms of Mrs Marshall’s work in the Georgetown team. Mrs Marshall replied. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the equipment department to gauge correctly the quantities of stock required to ensure prompt delivery of equipment orders, says a letter from New Zealand Headquarters. It has been suggested that battalion secretaries might co-operate with the Dominion secretary by advising three months before the close of each session the approximate quantities of badges and certificates which will be required by the battalion at the end of each year. The Southland executive decided to act on the suggestion and captains are asked to forward an estimate of their award requirements to the battalion secretary urgently and not later than July 15. The death of Sir John Roxburgh, who was president of The Boys’ < Brigade from 1919 to 1933 has removed another prominent figure from the movement. Sir John was a personal friend of the founder, Sir William Smith, and had known the brigade from its earliest days. In 1886 he founded the 17th Glasgow Company. Later, in spite of the heavy demands of a busy life he filled many offices in the brigade and in 1919' he accepted the office of brigade president which he held for 14 years. On his retirement during the jubilee celebrations in 1933 he was presented with his portrait by the officers of the brigade and became an honorary vicepresident. In 1934 he received the honour of knighthood. That such a distinguished public figure should have devoted so much time to the brigade was greatly to the benefit of the movement, and his passing will be mourned throughout the brigade. LONG SERVICE BADGE Captains are responsible for seeing that all eligible boys are awarded the long-service badge, which is the mark of long and tried service in the ranks of the brigade. To gain the badge a boy must have served for four complete years, but it must not be awarded before May 31 in his last possible session. Captains should order this badge now to present to boys eligible at the beginning of next month. The Boys’ Brigade Manual lays it down that no boy may wear the buttonhole badge until he has at least three months’ service. For most recruits this period is now over, and they may now be among the thousands of boys who are proudly wearing the badge. One of the most interesting things about the buttonhole badge is that there are not different badges for different ranks, but that from the brig- i ade president (the Earl of Home) down to the boy of 12 and a bit, exactly the same pattern of badge is worn. It is good to see how many are worn today, but the ideal of every member wearing the badge always has not been reached. Wherever you go have your badge on, as a sign of your membership of the great brotherhood.