2ndPN - 2nd Palmerston North Boys Brigade Company

A bit about BB

Introduction

Boys Brigade (also known as BB) is Todays Youth Movement. Our vision is to develop our young kids into leaders.

The movement.

BB is open to all boys between the ages of 6 to 18. Our program is designed to challenge boys on three levels - physical ability, knowledge and spiritual life.

BB is sorted into three groups. Anchor Boys, Team Section and Company Section. See the “Sections” page for more information.
Boys brigade has a uniform which is worn on most nights throughout the year. This is because uniforms show that you belong to a group and you are proud of that group. It also reflects the discipline and order of the Boys Brigade.
Each Brigade Company is associated with a church. This gives us a place to meet and run our programs. One reason why we meet in a church is because we think churches are cool places and want to encourage you to go there yourself.

Finally the are some who wonder what the difference between Boys Brigade and Scouts is.
Scouts started as part of BB, and later became a separate organisation. There are many similarities. We both have an uniform, have similar activities, and can earn awards and badges by getting involved in the program. We both also develop Boys in all areas of life- socially, physically, educationally and spiritually.

Boys brigade however, tends to have a stronger focus on, leadership, the self-discipline needed to achieve excellence and understanding the Christian faith.

Sir William Alexander Smith - (The Founder of the Boys Brigade).

Overview.

In 1883 in Glasgow, Scotland, William (Alexander) Smith, a Sunday school teacher , was having difficulties teaching the boys at Sunday School how to be better people and about Christianity. He noticed that discipline (used in the army etc.) was effective.

Under this system he could get many of the men to do exactly as he wanted. But at Sunday school he often struggled to get the Boys to settle down and work together. Then one day he had an idea. If the Boys in the Sunday School were as well trained and behaved like those under a system of discipline and order, then he would be able to teach them.

The Boys’ Brigade was started and the first meeting was held on the 4th October, 1883.

Boys enjoyed it so much, that soon other Companies were formed in Scotland and then spread to the rest of the world. Originally this was for boys aged 12 to 17 however many boys of younger ages became interested, and the movement expanded to take boys of younger ages.

BB has gone on expanding and growing and now there are nearly 5,000 Companies throughout the world.