BOYS’ BRIGADE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21380, 24 June 1939, Page 10

BOYS’ BRIGADE

HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT (By “Skipper”) At the beginning of the year 1885 there were five companies in process of formation and the founder saw that the time had come to organise a national movement. He called a meeting of prospective officers at No. 2 Ann St., on January 26. and Messrs J. R. Hill, J. B. Hill, J. S. Couper, J. B. Couper, F. P. R. Ferguson, E. W. Hamlen, and W. Nicholl accepted the invitation. After the meeting had been opened with prayer, Smith gave a short sketch of the origin of the movement, its aims, and the methods used to inculcate’ habits that would form a sound foundation on which to build useful Christian lives. By associating Christianity, he said, with all that was most noble and manly in a boy’s sight, they would be going a long way to disabuse his mind of the far too prevalent idea that there was something essentially feminine about it, and that, while it was all right for girls, it was something alien to the nature of high-spirited boys. The result had more than justified anticipations. The boys had entered into it heartily, and this winter they were carrying on the work with greatly increased success. The idea had met with approval from gentlemen connected with other Sunday Schools who had visited their company, and other companies were now being formed. It was for the purpose of organising the movement and putting it into proper shape that the meeting had been called. Mr Hamlen then moved and Mr Ferguson seconded “That this meeting constitute itself into the Council of The Boys’ Brigade, and proceed to draw up a constitution.” It was unanimously resolved to adopt the emblem and motto of the original company—an anchor with the words “Sure and Steadfast,” —and also its text, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” The following companies were then put on the strength of the Brigade: “Tire Ist Glasgow Company, connected with the North Woodside Mission, and the 2nd Glasgow Company, connected with Berkeley St. Church Mission. At the next meeting of the newly-formed Council, on March 30, 1885, five new companies were enrolled, the 3rd, 4th, sth and 6th Glasgow, and the Ist Edinburgh. Among the new officers were men who became pillars of the Boys' Brigade, Nicholl and Ferguson, Captain and Lieut, of the 4th, J. Carfrae Alston, Captain, sth, John Lammie, Captain, and Alex Orr, Lieut, of the 6th. Smith was delighted to enrol a company in Edinburgh and to welcome its Captain, A. S. Paterson, to their deliberations. It meant that the Brigade was no longer a local movement. How The Boys’ Brigade has Helped ‘ Me The winning essay in the senior division of the almanac competition was written by Sgt. Richards of the Ist West Bromwich Company. Sgt. Richards tells, how the 8.8. has helped him: “For close on four years now, the Boys’ Brigade has been my only hobby, my only spare-time occupation, and my only interest outside my school work. When I first started, and was so keen and enthusiastic, as most young recruits are, my father, knowing me of old said that it was only a ‘flash in the pan.’ But he was wrong, for amongst other things the Boys’ Brigade has helped me to see that when one undertakes a thing, the proper thing is to do it ‘with all thy might,’ in the words of this year’s motto. The Brigade has made me want to give my life in the service of others, and through the excellent medium of its classes, has shown me the most suitable methods for thus serving my fellows. “It has given me an outlet for all my high spirits, and, more than that, it has turned them into the channel through which they may do most good to. other people. It has taken all my childish ideals and boyish ambitions and moulded them to a true Christian outlook; and moulded all my childish heroes into the semblance of the domnating spirit of the Brigade, the great Sir William. “But the greatest thing of all that the Brigade has ever taught me is that the most fitting result of Boys’ Brigade training is to join the Church, which I, through my connection with the Boys’ Brigade and as a direct result of its training have just done in company with a fellow N.C.0.” A Way They Have in Malaya They do not do things by halves in the Singapore Battalion. Recently,

applications reached Abbey House from there for seven King's Badges, and in most cases the forms showed that the N.C.O.’s concerned, not content with the minimum qualification, held also an extra badge or two. The same spirit of enterprise was shown in 1933 by Corporals Tan King Kang and Choy Ah Soo when they visited the United Kingdom for the Boys’ Brigade jubilee. Beset by many for their autographs, they decided to I make a charge. 11, was not surprising, as the President of the Battalion hails from Aberdeen! As a result they I collected enough money to purchase | bugles for the nucleus of a battalion band. A gilt of djruins from the Nottingham Battalion supplemented this, | and the two boys arrived back in I Singapore with practically all that