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."[2]
The Boys' Brigade is the largest Christian uniformed youth organisation in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.[2] The Boys' Brigade was founded in Glasgow, Scotland on 4 October 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith, and celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2008.[1] Today Felden Lodge in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire serves as the main headquarters and England regional headquarters, while other regions have their own regional headquarters.[3] Today the BB has in the region of 50,000 boys involved in about 1,400 companies ranging geographically from Shetland to Cornwall.[6]
The first Company of The Boys' Brigade was set up by Sir William Alexander 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.
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.
The Object
The object of The Boys' Brigade since its formation has been "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". Although, the word Obedience was added ten years after the founding of the organisation. These aims led The Boys' Brigade to become one of the founders of The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS), which is an England-wide organisation working to support and promote the activities of charities and groups with a focus on the welfare of young people. The Boys' Brigade has remained a member of NCVYS[7] since its creation in 1936. When writing the object Sir William Smith wrote down all of the important words in capital letters as to highlight them and as true of his century, when Glasgow was the heart of Queen Victoria's expanding empire, it was said that everything was either flown, carted, shipped or carried from there that was in the Industrial Revolution.
Motto
The motto of The Boys' Brigade takes the organisation back to its roots and the reason for its work, the Bible, teaching Christ’s Kingdom to Boys. Upon designing both the motto and emblem of the Boys' Brigade, Sir William Smith took inspiration from the Bible, particularly Hebrews 6:19, which says 'Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast'.[8] At that time, the Authorised Version was almost exclusively used amongst Christians, and thus the spelling of "Stedfast" (rather than "Steadfast") was used. Some people and companies still prefer to use the former spelling.
The Emblem
The original emblem was also designed by Sir William Alexander Smith. As with the motto, the inspiration came from Hebrews 6:19. The emblem contained an anchor and rope with the words "Sure" on the top bar and "Stedfast" on the bottom. The anchor was used to represent the faith the boys were called to have in Jesus Christ, and the rope to represent faith and hope in him.
On 1 October 1926, The Boys' Brigade amalgamated with the Boys’ Life Brigade. As part of this newly united organisation, the Boys' Brigade anchor became combined neatly with the Geneva Cross of the Boys' Life Brigade to form their current emblem. The rope that was in the original design is now largely hidden behind the cross.[9]
The Uniform
South London Boys' Brigade at summer camp, early 20th century
Since its inception, the uniform of The Boys' Brigade has undergone several remodellings, from a formal military-styled uniform to a modern much more casual variant.
Early uniforms were often based upon school uniforms, jacket, tie and trousers with dress shoes with the simple addition of a brown belt with brass buckle and a white haversack and a pillbox hat (a common cap in the British Army of the 19th century). The pocket functionality of the haversack later disappeared and dummy rifles used for drill and parade purposes were eliminated on the Brigades' amalgamation with the Boys' Life Brigade which objected to the symbolism of weapons.
Lord Baden Powell's interest in the organisation and the introduction of scouting led to some units of Boys' Brigade scouts being formed in the early years with a similar uniform to that seen in early scouting but in blue.
In the 1960s the uniform was updated with the replacement of the pill box with a forage cap and, with many schools no longer using a blazer in their uniform, from the 1970s the jacket was gradually dispensed of in favour of dark blue or white shirt variants with no jacket. Many companies adopted a blue shirt with epaulets for officers ranks.
A full company section uniform for boys' from the 1980s to mid-1990s could be daunting. Blue shirt, forage cap, brown leather belt with brass buckle, white lanyard under the left shoulder attached to the left breast pocket, white haversack (red sash for Colour Sergeants or brown leather haversack and stick for Staff Sergeant) over the right shoulder, main armband with rank on the upper right arm (right cuff for Staff Sergeant) and achievement badges, on the left arm band.
The rank insignia for NCOs imitated that of the British Army with one to three downward pointing chevrons being used from Lance-Corporal to Sergeant. The four up-pointing chevrons on the lower right cuff for Staff Sergeants continued to imitate the insignia used by senior sergeants in the British Army up until the first world war. Trained officers (Lieutenants and Captains) wore a metal Boys' Brigade anchor on each of their upper lapels (epaulettes in shirt dress), and brown leather gloves. A Captain was distinguished by his cane carried under the right arm. Warrant Officers (adult leaders not having gone through the formal officer training) wore a metal badge in place of the anchor which featured the letters BB in a surrounding laurel.
The modern uniform is more relaxed with a choice of polo-shirt and pullover or shirt and tie with variations for ranks and sections. Headgear is optional.
Up until the last uniform change around the turn of this century, it was common for presentation of the uniform to be marked at meetings and at camp. For example, Brasso on the white haversack would see points deducted, as would boot polish on the belt buckle. These points competitions were often fiercely fought between squads.
Each local group of The Boys' Brigade is known as a Company and is part of a Church or other Christian organisation.[10][11] Companies are normally grouped into Battalions, which are in turn grouped into Districts.[10][11]
Each District is then grouped into one of the five Regions, which are:[10][11]
England
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Wales
Republic of Ireland
A notable exception however is that Districts do not exist in Scotland, with Battalions being grouped directly to form the Region.[10][11] Curiously, the Northern Ireland Region and the Wales Region each have only a single District, known as the Northern Ireland District and the Wales District, respectively, which formally exist as distinct entities from their corresponding Regions.
Sections within a Company
Within a Company (local group), each boy or young man will normally fall into one of four Sections (age groups):[12][13]
Anchor Boys - 5 to 8 years of age
Junior Section - 8 to 11 years of age
Company Section - 11 to 15 years of age
Seniors - 15 to 18 years of age
Some Companies can admit 4 year-olds to the Anchor Boys, where they have the appropriate training and authorisation.[13]
Companies which have opted to have a Girls' Association can admit girls and young ladies to the same Sections based upon the same age groups.[14]
The Boys' Brigade also offers the Amicus scheme, whereby an Amicus group can be set up at a church either independently or alongside a Company of The Boys' Brigade or The Girls' Brigade.[15][16] Such groups provide an alternative programme to young people aged from the equivalent of an English school year 11 up to 22 years of age.[15][16]
Leadership
Officers are designated as Warrant Officers attaining the rank of lieutenant only when having completed additional formal training in youth leadership. To avoid unnecessary officer hierarchy, all qualified officers are Lieutenants. 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.
Older boys can be promoted to be non-commissioned officers. There are four levels of non-commissioned officer, each being awarded when a boy reaches a high enough standard of leadership. The four levels are lance-corporal (minimum age 14), corporal (minimum age 15), sergeant (minimum age 16), and staff sergeant (minimum age 17). Non-commissioned officers often play an important role in The Boys' Brigade, helping the officers and other adults with organising activities and awards classes, particular in the Anchor and Junior sections. Based on the rank insignia of the British Army at the time the Brigade was formed, non-commissioned officer to the rank of sergeant wear chevrons on their upper right arm, and staff sergeants wear four chevrons on the lower sleeve, with the point facing upwards.
Sergeant (Sgt) is a rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, serjeant, is used in The Rifles and other units that draw their heritage from the British light infantry. Its origin is the Latin serviens, 'one who serves', through the Old French term serjant.
The Boys' Brigade (BB) is an international interdenominational Christian youth organisation, conceived by the Scottish businessman Sir William Alexander Smith to combine drill and fun activities with Christian values. Following its inception in Glasgow in 1883 the BB quickly spread across the United Kingdom, becoming a worldwide organisation by the early 1890s. As of 2018, the Boys' Brigade claimed 750,000 members in 60 countries.
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services.
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries.
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
The chart below shows the current enlisted rank insignia of the United States Army, with seniority, and pay grade, increasing from right to left. The enlisted ranks of corporal (E-4) and higher are considered non-commissioned officers (NCOs). The rank of specialist is also in pay grade E-4, but does not hold non-commissioned officer status; it is common that a soldier may never hold the rank of corporal, and instead be promoted from specialist to sergeant, attaining junior NCO status at that time.
The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which operates in schools, sub divided into Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and Royal Air Force sections. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance, resourcefulness, endurance and perseverance".
The Army Cadet Force (ACF), generally shortened to Army Cadets, is a national youth organisation sponsored by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence and the British Army. Along with the Sea Cadet Corps and the Air Training Corps, the ACF make up the Community Cadet Forces. It is a separate organisation from the Combined Cadet Force which provides similar training within principally private schools.
"Other ranks" is the term used to refer to all ranks below officers in the British Army and the Royal Marines. It includes warrant officers, non-commissioned officers ("NCOs") and ordinary soldiers with the rank of private or regimental equivalent. Officers may, in speaking, distinguish themselves from those "in the ranks".
Police ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships in police organisations. The rank system defines authority and responsibility in a police organisation, and affects the culture within the police force. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms.
The Church Lads' and Church Girls' Brigade is an Anglican youth organisation with branches in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Bermuda, Kenya, South Africa, Barbados, Newfoundland and St Helena. Its origins lie in the formation in 1891 of the Church Lads' Brigade with its sister organisation, the Church Red Cross Brigade, later the Church Girls' Brigade, founded in 1901. The two respective founders were Walter M. Gee and the Reverend Thomas Milner. The two brigades amalgamated in 1978 to form the Church Lads' and Church Girls' Brigade.
The Girls' Brigade is an international, interdenominational Christian youth organisation founded in 1893 in Dublin, Ireland. The modern Brigade was formed as the result of the consolidation of three organisations: the Girls' Brigade of Ireland (1893), the Girls' Guildry of Scotland (1900), and the Girls' Life Brigade of England (1902). The international headquarters are currently based in Derbyshire, England.
The Military ranks of Finland are the military insignia used by the Finnish Defence Forces. The ranks incorporates features from Swedish, German, and Russian armed forces. In addition, the system has some typically Finnish characteristics that are mostly due to the personnel structure of the Finnish Defence Forces. The ranks have official names in Finnish and Swedish languages and official English translations. The Swedish forms are used in all Swedish-languages communications in Finland, e.g. in Swedish-speaking units of Finnish Defence Force. The system of ranks in the Swedish Armed Forces is slightly different.
The Pathfinder & Rover Explorer Scouts' Association (P-RESA) is an independent Traditional Scouting Association in the United Kingdom, with International branches. The Association's training programme runs along the lines of Baden-Powell's original Scouting for Boys, upholding the traditions and practices set out by B-P, using the 1938 Boy Scouts' Association Policy Organisation & Rules (POR) as its basis.
The Boys' Brigade in Malaysia or Briged Putera Malaysia is part of the global Boys' Brigade movement.
The Boys' Brigade in Australia is a Christian uniformed youth organisation in Australia, which is part of the global Boys' Brigade movement.
The Kriegsmarine was the navy of Nazi Germany prior to and during World War II. Kriegsmarine uniform design followed that of the preexisting Reichsmarine, itself based on that of the First World War Kaiserliche Marine. Kriegsmarine styles of uniform and insignia had many features in common with those of other European navies, all derived from the British Royal Navy of the 19th century, such as officers' frock coats, sleeve braid, and the "sailor suit" uniform for enlisted personnel and petty officers.
The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) was a membership network of over 200 voluntary and community organisations, as well as local and regional networks, that work with and for young people across England. The organisation closed in 2016. For 80 years, NCVYS acted as an independent voice of the voluntary and community youth sector, working to inform and influence public policy, supporting members to improve the quality of their work, and also raising the profile of the voluntary and community sector's work with young people.
The United States Army's enlisted rank insignia that was used during World War I differs from the current system. The color scheme used for the insignia's chevron was olive drab for field use uniforms or one of several colors depending on the corps on dress uniforms. The chevron system used by enlisted men during World War I came into being on July 17, 1902, and was changed to a different system in 1919. Specification 760, which was dated May 31, 1905, contained 45 different enlisted insignia that varied designs and titles by different corps of the Army. General Order Number 169, which was enacted on August 14, 1907, created an even larger variety of enlisted rank insignia. Pay grades similar to the current system were not yet in use by the U.S. Army, and instead, the pay system reflected the job assignment of the soldier rather than their rank. By the end of World War I, the system contained 128 different insignia designs.
There are many national organisations in the United Kingdom that have been established to provide services to people under the age of 18.
References
1 2 3 4 "Our History". The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
1 2 3 4 5 "Who We Are". The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
1 2 "Contact Us". The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
↑ "Brigade President". The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
1 2 3 4 "Structure". The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
1 2 3 4 The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI (2012). "Brigade Regulations"(PDF). The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI. pp.6–27 (Section Three: The Organisation - Regulations & Procedures). Retrieved 13 February 2014.
1 2 The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI (2012). "Brigade Regulations"(PDF). The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI. pp.36–39 (Section Five: Age Regulations). Retrieved 18 October 2016.
↑ The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI (2012). "Brigade Regulations"(PDF). The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI. pp.53–54 (Section 10: Girls' Association). Retrieved 18 October 2016.
1 2 "Amicus". The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
1 2 The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI (2012). "Brigade Regulations"(PDF). The Boys' Brigade UK & RoI. pp.51–52 (Section 9: Amicus). Retrieved 17 October 2016.
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