Boys brigade - Does it still exist?

[cat631]

Afraid not boys, I was in the 21st. St Thomas C of E Brightside late fifties. Many years ago and in uniform, I was approached by an elderly gentleman who expressed his interest in th BB. As a lad, he had wanted to join but his dad wouldn't allow it. Apparently, in the old days the boys were trained to use rifles, something his dad didn't agree with. I wsh I had been let loose with one.

[cat631]

PunctualP. We, the 21st St.Thomas BB. went camping with you lot twice in the late fifties. Were you on Moonshine Lane? One year we went to Ilfracomb and another to Conway.

I too remember the batallion parades. "Parade will advance in column of route, Number 1 company leading." Once we marched from the old market on Exchange Street to Carver Street Chapel, the place was packed to the rafters with us all. Reading these posts brought all the memories back. Thanks.

[walt]

I too was in the Boys Brigade, 21st Company St.Thomas Brightside from 1961 to 1968.

 

Clifford Minnis was the Captain. An inspiration to all the boys in the Company. Without doubt one of the finest christians I ever met.

 

I found this link on a website not long ago. The Boys Brigade Hymn.

It brought a lump to my throat when I listened to it.

 

http://www.majordisaster.fsnet.co.uk/will_your_anchor_hold/will_your_anchor_hold_organ.htm

[muddycoffee]

Might be a misconception on my part, but in the 40s/50s the Boy's Brigades were generally attached to methodist churches and Scouts to CofE churches.

 

Greybeard,

the essential difference between BB and scouts is that BB had an element of religious observance. They required church attendance at BB as part of following the movement.

 

The founder of the Scouts, Bayden Powell, was himself originally a Boys' Brigade officer, but he disliked the religious observance, and drill. He wished to do more outdoor persuits and camps, and thus he set up the scouts.

 

If you have observed that most Boys' Brigade branches in your experience are connected to Methodist Churches, then I think that is just a coincidence, as there were more Methodist Churches in this area and they used to be all strong with lots of families and young people. It is likely that the congregations wanted a wholesome religious pseudo military boy's group, who would take part in church services and parades to make their church look grander.

 

I know that there was at least one scout group in Fox Hill which had its own premises not supported by a church, but I would have thought that most youth organisations would require the premises and heat afforded by an existing church.

 

I remember when I was a Lad, that there were a few other organisations too, Like Church Lad's Brigade. Which I can only imagine was an offshoot of the BB too..

[cat631]

Hello Muddy. I don't think the Church Lads Brigade was in any way connected to the BB. I seem to remember an organization called the Boys Life Brigade was amalgamated with the Boys Brigade many years ago.

Our Company Captain, Mr Minnis, once arranged fo our company to have a joint church parade with Aston Church Lads Brigade. One sunny Summer's day, we went by bus to Swallownest and all marched together to Aston Church. They didn't have a band so quite enjoyed the experience. That,s the the only time I ever came across The Church Lads Brigade.

[muddycoffee]

Hello Muddy. I don't think the Church Lads Brigade was in any way connected to the BB.

 

Apart from the BB was probably the first such Brigade, and others were probably refinements of the same theme.

 

When my dad took over as band master at our company, in early 1980s we had an enormous band, which was very good, and we were often called on to march for parades for other churches. There was a main BB Sheffield Battalion band, and we were bigger "and in my view better" than that. When I became head trumpeter I used to do the last post and revallie on rememberence day. Talk about neve wracking. A silent church full of 200 people, listening to every single note.

We often had church lad's brigades on bigger processions. We were unusual in that we didn't have A girls brigade, instead we had girl guides at our church, so we were probably one of the only youth marching bands in the country which was Boys' Brigade / Girl Guides.

[dowkeruk]

A friend, Terry Eckersley, was leader of a Boys' Brigade troup (are those the right words?) and used to swirl the baton. He lived in Grimesthorpe. This was late 40's and 50's.

[cat631]

Hello Dowkeruk. I'll forgive you on this occasion. Scouts had troupes, Boys Brigade had companies and he would have carried the Mace. Please ask Terry which company he was involved with.

[geotom]

Hi Walt, yes it's a long time since I heard the Boys Brigade Hymn, which on seeing on this site, brought lots of memories back.

[dowkeruk]

Cat631

Sorry. Thanks for the corrections. It's so long ago for me. Unfortunately I lost track of Terry when we left King Edwards in 1955. The sound of the bugles is one of my enduring memories of Sheffield, mostly around Sheffield Lane Top. Did they march on Hatfield House Lane?