BOYS’ BRIGADE NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 23897, 16 August 1939, Page 7

BOYS’ BRIGADE NOTES

FOOTBALL FINAL

By

HAVERSACK

The final match in the Association football competition for the SmithMcMurdo Shield will be held on Saturday at 1.30 p.m. The 2nd Invercargill A and the 7th Invercargill A are equal with nine points each and the play-off should provide an interesting match. The knock-out competition for the battalion pennant has been abandoned because of the lateness of the season and the nearness of the school holidays.

In the rules for the annual competitions last week the conditions for the prepared speech were omitted. The subject for the prepared speech is: ‘‘Why should I be loyal to The Boys’ Brigade and how should I show it?” The time limit is four minutes and boys are allowed a handicap of three for every year under the age-limit. A boy of 12 years competing thus receives a handicap of 15. The annual Founder’s Day church parade will be held on Sunday, October 8. Preliminary arrangements were made at a meeting of the executive on Monday night. At the beginning of the session the roll number of the 7th Invercargill Company (North Presbyterian) totalled 18. There are now 31 boys on the roll and at last week’s parade there were 26 boys present. Mr H. Denton, an old brigade boy, is assisting Mr Lilley in conducting the company and preparations are being made for the annual competitions. This unit raised £l6/1/for “8.8. Week,” an increase of £2 on last year. Enough boys for one tent have registered for the centennial camp in Wellington. THE CENTENNIAL CAMP Great success is attending the efforts of the Dominion executive of The Boys’ Brigade in the matter of the centennial camp which is being organized at Wellington and which will be held from January 5 to January 15, 1940. It was estimated that there would be an attendance of about 400 boys and officers, but registrations are now in and there will be at least 1000 boys and officers under canvas. The Boys’ Brigade inaugurated camping for boys when the pioneer company, the Ist Glasgow, held its first camp at Auchenlochan, Tighnabruaich, on the Kyles of Bute. Camping for boys was then practically unknown. Dr Grenfell, of Labrador, started a small camp for boys the same year, and one or two Manchester clubs had larger camps the following spring, but these had little effect in making the practice universal. From the Ist Glasgow’s camp in 1886 sprang scores of camps in the next few years; in 10 years’ time there were hundreds of Boys’ Brigade camps, and today summer camps are numbered by the thousand. As pioneers of camping, therefore, the brigade seeks always to conduct its camps in a most efficient manner and the centennial camp at Wellington promises to be no exception to this rule. There will be more than 100 Southland members attending the camp. The Ist Southland (Winton) and 2nd Invercargill (First Church) have each .25 enrolled and the other companies should increase the total to more than 100.

Mr P. M. Velvin, of Christchurch, has been appointed commanding officer and Mr L. F. Thetford, of Wellington, is adjutant. Among the overseas campers will be contingents from Sydney and Melbourne. The Boys’ Brigade will have a court at the Centennial Exhibition. Excursions will be run from the camp to the exhibition, the return fare being 1/8. life boy Area At a recent meeting of the Southland Area Life Boy Leaders’ Council, the supervisor (Mr G. C. Dunn) presided and reported that the monthly reports had been a great success, with one exception, all teams having sent theirs in. He pointed out that in the “Remarks” leaders could put any suggestions they thought would be of use, which would be dealt with at the council meetings A letter was received from the secretary of the Dominion Council, asking each area supervisor to arrange a Life Boy conference in his own district with the object of submitting proposals to be forwarded to the Dominion Council for the strengthening of Life Boy work in the Dominion. Leaders are asked to bring any proposals they may have to the next council meeting. With the object of helping new leaders, and giving fresh inspiration to other leaders, Mr Dunn said that he was preparing model programmes for Life Boy meetings. If a leader so desired, he could get a set of these programmes; when they had been used, he could get another set. To show the leaders how one of the programmes would work in practice, it was decided that one should be applied to a particular team, and that all leaders be invited to see the team in action. It was moved by Mr Boyd, and seconded by Mr Eastlake, that the 4th Invercargill Team be asked to work to the timetable and that leaders visit the team about the middle of September. Carried. A council meeting will be held immediately after when the various aspects of the team at work will be discussed. It was further moved on the motion of Messrs Eastlake and Hunter that the Dominion supervisor be asked to attend that meeting. Mr W. Eastlake made a presentation of a brass firescreen to Mr Dunn to mark the occasion of his marriage and with it he passed on the good wishes and congratulations of the Life Boys and the leaders. Mr Dunn thanked the leaders and boys for their good wishes and gift. The secretary of the Montreal Battalion of The Boys’ Brigade, writes:— “The Royal visit was a thriller! We paraded in two battalions, one to the stadium and the other to street duty. Our bands also took part. Our boys who lined the roadway saw their Majesties at very close quarters. The Queen received much admiration from the boys. In passing us, she said to the King ‘There’s The Boys’ Brigade, dear,’ very audibly, and his Majesty, turning, waved to us all the way along. The Canadian Minister of Education congratulated us on our big parade, and the radio commentator gave great praise to the brigade, too.”