BOYS’ BRIGADE

Southland Times, Issue 23773, 22 March 1939, Page 3

BOYS’ BRIGADE

INDOOR SESSION BEGINS By HAVERSACK The indoor session of The Boys’ Brigade in New Zealand begins, in March and companies in Southland are on the threshold of another year’s activities. Company officers will be meeting to discuss and decide, to plan and arrange the programme for the session. There is much to be done, new ideas to be introduced, new appointments to be made and a higher standard to be aimed at in everything the company undertakes. The keynote to a really successful session is careful preparation. Everything should be thought out and planned well in advance so that the whole session’s work runs smoothly to an organized schedule. There is one way in which every boy can serve his company. Begin now to do active recruiting among boys you know who are of age to join the Brigade. This is definitely a boy’s job; you can’t expect officers to do it. If you are a boy get busy now.' Tell your friends all about your company; tell them how good it is to be in The Boys’ Brigade with its many interests which make life so happy, and bring along a bunch of good recruits. In this way you can do a real service to your company; you will be doing those boys a good turn; and you will feel happy to have done something for your company, too.

Until you are 12 years of age you cannot join The Boys’ Brigade. But if you are now 12 and not yet in the brigade what a transformation _ lies within your grasp! The Boys’ Brigade will welcome you into its great fellowship, and you can join the finest gang in the world, a gang 120,000 strong, in which boys are finding that life is happy and full of interest and that the brigade can help them to grow up fit and strong and true. In drill parade and Bible Class, on the gymnasium floor and in the club room, on the playing fields and in camp the movement is making men, and every keen boy over 12 years old should make up his mind now to join the nearest company without delay. Do not put off until it is too late. Join up now and you will never regret it. This is a true recruiting story:—He was 11 years of age and had an elder brother in The Boys’ Brigade. He was now living for the great day when he could join the company himself. Recruiting day was announced and, alas, he was then three months below age. He made diplomatic but doubting inquiries, and on receiving the inevitable reply departed, sorrowful but determined to do his bit. Through his brother he got hold of recruiting leaflets and when the night came assembled at his house his complete “bag” of five excellent eligible recruits who were marched by his brother to the hall. During the evening he was found outside the hall eagerly peering through a window at the promised land within. Does anyone say that this is not a future sergeant? Some of our senior boys will find themselves at the end of their boyhood career. Whether there is a post for them on the company staff or not, they should not be lost sight of, and captains should spare no effort to ensure that they are all linked up with the appropriate young men’s society in the church. The chaplain and the secretary of the young men’s society should be given the names and addresses of the lads concerned and arrangements should be made to transfer the age-limit boys to some such organization so that their contact with the church may not be broken. COMPANY AT WOODLANDS Arrangements are completed to form a company of The Boys’ Brigade at Woodlands. Suitable men have offered their services as officers and the inaugural meeting will take place on Saturday, April 15, when Invercargill boys will be present to demonstrate the work done by the movement. The first meeting of a team of Life Boys, connected with Gore Methodist Church, will be held tonight. The 2nd Invercargill Company held its initial parade for the year on the first Saturday in March. There were 35 boys, two staff-sergeants and two officers present. The next Saturday the parade was held at Oreti Beach. Mr A. Wachner supplied the boys with tea. The company chaplain (the Rev. J. A. Thomson) thanked Mr Wachner for his hospitality and also for providing the battalion camp with new potatoes for New Year Day’s dinner. Mr Wachner, in reply, said he was just doing for the boys what others had done for him when he was a member of The Boys’ Brigade in Sydney.