NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Boys' Brigade

The Boys' Brigade (BB) is the world's first uniformed youth organization. The idea for this interdenominational Christian organisation was conceived by William Alexander Smith. Following its inception in Glasgow in 1883, the BB quickly spread across the United Kingdom and became a worldwide organisation by the early 1890s.^[1] Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ... Image File history File links The official logo for the Boys Brigade in the United Kingdom, and almost everywhere else that the organisation exists. ... Image File history File links The official logo for the Boys Brigade in the United Kingdom, and almost everywhere else that the organisation exists. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Sir William Alexander Smith (October 27, 1854 - May 10, 1914), the founder of the Boys Brigade, was born in Pennyland House, Thurso, Scotland. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Object, motto and emblem

The object of the Boys' Brigade is "The advancement of Christ's kingdom among Boys and the promotion of habits of Obedience, Reverence, Discipline, Self-respect and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness." Except for the addition of the word "obedience" in 1893, the object has remained unchanged from the beginning.^[2]

When designing the Brigade's motto and crest, William Smith referred directly to Hebrews 6:19 in the King James Version of the Bible, "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast..." This page is about the version of the Bible; for the Harvey Danger album, see King James Version (album). ...

From this verse came the BB motto, "Sure and Stedfast", retaining the old spelling of the latter word.^[2] Today, some parts of the movement have adopted the modern spelling of "steadfast", whilst others continue to use the original spelling.^[1]^[3]

The crest was originally a plain anchor, bearing the BB motto with a capital 'B' on either side. Upon the merger between the Boys' Brigade and the Boys' Life Brigade in 1926, the red Greek cross was placed behind the anchor to form the current emblem.^[1] The cross originally formed part of emblem of the Boys' Life Brigade. Also known as the Latin cross or crux ordinaria. ...

History

The first Boys' Brigade company was set up by Sir William Smith on 4 October 1883 at Free Church Mission Hall, North Woodside Road, Glasgow, Scotland to develop "Christian manliness" by the use of a semi-military discipline and order, gymnastics, summer camps, and religious services and classes. is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation) George Square and Glasgows City Chambers Glasgow is Scotlands largest city, located on the River Clyde in West Central Scotland. ... Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, and kinesthetic awareness, such as handsprings, handstands, split leaps, aerials and cartwheels. ... Summer camp is a supervised program for children and teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. ...

In the years following the establishment of the 1st Glasgow company, others were rapidly formed throughout Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom leading to a movement comprising thousands of boys: in the early 20th century there were about 2,200 companies connected with different churches throughout the United Kingdom, the British Empire, and the United States, with 10,000 officers and 160,000 boys. Each company is normally affiliated to a battalion encompassing several nearby companies, which in turn are organized at a district and then national level, although in Scotland each company is attached to a local district, which is attached to a battalion. Companies are named in the form "2nd Springfield", indicating the second company to have been established in or around Springfield; it should be noted that where companies have closed, numbers are not normally reallocated, so it is quite normal to find a "2nd" but no "1st" company. This article is about the country. ...

Being the earliest of all youth organizations, a simple rosette was worn as an identifying uniform, shortly being replaced by the simple use of a belt, haversack, and pillbox cap (a popular military cap of the day) worn over the boys' everyday clothing. The pillbox cap was used into the 1960s, long after it had fallen out of use in the British Army, when it was replaced with a field cap. A haversack, or havresack (through the French frog Ger. ... A pillbox hat is a small womans hat with a flat crown and straight, upright sides. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

The movement also pioneered camping for leisure in Britain, previously rarely used outside the military. Early admirers of the Brigade included Robert Baden-Powell who as Vice President of the Boys' Brigade used it alongside initiatives in schools, particularly Eton, to promote the idea of scouting and outdoor pursuits based on those of the military for boys. At the time, he did not originally intend that any individual organization would later arise from this aim in the form of the various Boy Scouts movements. Early examples of Scouting were seen in Boys' Brigade Scouting awards and even specialised Boys' Brigade Scout sections who wore a blue uniform with shorts and the distinctive Smokey Bear hat traditionally identified with Scouts, and still worn today by drill sergeants in the United States Army. However, nowadays there is a certain friendly rivalry between the two groups. Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB (February 22, 1857 - January 8, 1941) was a soldier, writer and founder of the world scouting movement. ... The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor, commonly known as Eton College or just Eton, is a public school (privately funded and independent) for boys, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. It is located in Eton, near Windsor in England, north of Windsor Castle, and... This article is about the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts/Girl Guides organizations. ... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ...

The Boys' Life Brigade was one of many similar movements formed by the Boys' Brigade's influence, sometimes along denominational or religious lines, including the Church Lads' Brigade, the Jewish Lads' Brigade, or the Catholic Boys' Brigade. The merger also prompted the abandonment of dummy drill rifles that had been used in The Boys' Brigade, due to the Life Brigade's objection to use of weapons or their representations. For some time afterwards, the section covering members aged 8–12 years was known as Life Boys, before being restyled as the Junior section (see below).

A popular ^{[citation needed]} hymn in the BB is "Will Your Anchor Hold"^[4] by Priscilla Owens, usually sung at displays and church services. Priscilla Owen (born in Palacios, Texas, October 4, 1954) is a judge in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. ...

Establishment of recreational camping

Drawing from his military experience, Sir William Smith introduced the concept of camping into the Brigade to allow boys and officers to remain in contact when other activities ceased for the summer break.^[5] Car camping is camping in a tent, but nearby the car for easier access and for supply storage. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

The notion was initially ill-received due to concerns for the boys' safety.^[5]^[6] A mother has been quoted saying, "Camp! My children have always had a roof over their heads, and as long as I live, always will!".^[5] Nevertheless, Sir William Smith proceeded with the idea and 1st Glasgow Company held its inaugural one-week camp beginning on Friday, 16 July 1886, at Tighnabruaich in the Kyles of Bute.^[5] Tighnabruaich is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. ... The Kyles of Bute are a narrow sea channel which separates the northern end of the Isle of Bute from the Scottish mainland. ...

The initial reservations towards camping did not last. A tradition developed, where the boys who were marching home on the last day of camp would be greeted by cheers from residents and were each presented with a bouquet of flowers.^[5] Camps soon became one of the most anticipated events in the year^[6] and early publications of the Boys' Brigade Gazette contained many accounts of camping experiences.^[5] The Boys Brigade Gazette is a monthly magazine printed in the UK for the Battalions and Companys of the Brigade in the UK and Ireland. ...

Sir William Smith's plans and notes for his first camps have been preserved, and have been used by many other campers.^[5]

Sections in the BB

There are five different age groups, known as "sections", within the organisation:

Leadership

Officers (adult leaders)

Leaders in training Warrant Officers attaining the rank of Lieutenant only when having completed additional formal training in youth leadership. To avoid unnecessary leader hierarchy, all qualified officers are Lieutenants.^{[citation needed]} The post of Captain of a company is a brevet rank with those in the position reverting to Lieutenant when they cease to be in the position; similarly other positions such as the company Adjutant (second to the captain) are considered appointments rather than substantive ranks. For Warrant Officers in the United States military, see Warrant Officer (United States). ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... Captain is a rank or title with various meanings. ... In the US military, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank. ... Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. ...

Boys bearing the rank of Staff-Sergeant are non-commissioned officers but act within the company as Officers.

Boys as Non-Commissioned Officers

An older boy can gain promotion to become a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO). There are six ranks available, each being awarded when a boy is of a certain age and reaches a high enough standard of leadership. The six ranks are:

NCOs often play an important role in the Boys' Brigade, helping the officers and other adult helpers with organising activities and awards classes, particular in the Anchors and Juniors sections. NCOs wear chevrons on their upper right arm, a red sash is worn by Colour Sergeants and a Drum Major wears a badge on his right upper armband.

Staff sergeants act within the company as officers and do not stand in the ranks; however Staff Sergeants are boys of the Brigade. As they have received no formal training as officers and are not required to under go the standard police checks as they are still serving ‘boys’, they can still partake in company activities and computations and still earn awards and badges. The uniform of Staff Sergeants is also different to that of the normal boy or NCO, they wear a white shirt with an armband on the right forearm which has four inverted chevrons on it (as historically worn by senior grades of sergeant in the British Army) other than that the rest of the uniform is the same Enlisted ranks is not a term used in the British Army, and is only used in this articles title for the sake of consistency with rank listings in other countries; not least those of the United States. ...

Awards

Each section within the Boys' Brigade has awards that can be gained by fulfilling achievements.

The Juniors award scheme was revised in 2004 and members of the section can now gain the Junior Target Award, followed by Bronze, Silver and Gold awards, by completing a variety of activities in the areas of Body, Mind, Spirit, Community, and Creativity. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Company Section can gain one Target badge first (reduced from the required two in an award reorganisation a few years ago, though Target Two can still be completed as an optional extra), then five other badges (Interests, Adventure, Leadership, Physical and Community) with red and blue flashes around them. After about three years, the boys should have gained all five badges with both red and blue flashes. This enables the boys to attend a Leadership Training Course and potentially attain the President's Badge. This is a necessary prerequisite for the Brigade's highest award - the Queen's Badge.

In non-Commonwealth countries, the Founder's Badge is used in place of the Queen's Badge.^[7] However, the Boys' Brigade in Malaysia and the Boys' Brigade in Singapore have chosen to use the Founder's Badge, although these countries are members of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2006 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders - Queen Elizabeth II - Secretary-General Don McKinnon (since 1 April 2000) Establishment - Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926 - Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931 - London Declaration 28 April 1949 Area - Total... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Other countries

There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... The Boys Brigade in Singapore is a youth uniformed group organization which has been present in Singapore since 1930. ... Historic section of Shantou, China with both Western and Chinese architecture Shantou (Simplified: 汕头, Traditional: 汕頭 Pinyin: Shan4tou2), transliterated in Min Chinese as Swatow or Suatao, is a city of 784,000 in coastal eastern Guangdong Province, China. ... Communist Party of China flag The Communist Party of China (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; pinyin: Zhōnggu ngchǎndǎng) is the ruling party of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

See also

The Girls Brigade crest The Girls Brigade is an international and interdenominational Christian youth organization. ... The Boys Brigade in Australia is a Christian uniformed youth organization in Australia, which is part of the global Boys Brigade movement. ... Boys Brigade, Hong Kong (é¦™æ¸¯åŸºç£å°‘å¹´è») is a branch of Boys Brigade in Hong Kong. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... The Boys Brigade in Singapore is a youth uniformed group organization which has been present in Singapore since 1930. ... The Boys Brigade Logo The Boys Brigade is the largest Christian uniformed youth organisation in the United Kingdom. ...

References

^ ^a ^b ^c (2003) Senior Section Handbook, Fifth Edition. Malaysia: The Boys' Brigade in Malaysia.
^ ^a ^b McFarlan, Donald M. (1983). "Sure and Stedfast". First for Boys. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
^ The Boys' Brigade UK: About Us. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
^ Gospel Music - 'Will Your Anchor Hold'
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g McFarlan, Donald M. (1983). "Summer Camp". First for Boys. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
^ ^a ^b Boys' Brigade Uniforms: History (2003-09-11). Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
^ See Boys' Brigade Badges
^ BB Asia: Member Countries (URL last accessed on May 6, 2007)
^ BB Asia: Member Countries (URL last accessed on May 6, 2007)
^ BB Singapore: Factsheet (URL last accessed on May 6, 2007)

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Sources

EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica, the eleventh edition The EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910â€“1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

External links

Links to companies are not listed, but can be found on the appropriate national BB website.