Brigade Junior Camp – Dover 2009

The Bridages’s junior sections went to Dover on their annual camp ( not under canvas) but none the less had great fun …. see some pictures of the week end to get flavour of what goes on at these events.

to see all the pictures in a slide show click here

 

Brigade Camp – 26-28th June 2009

The brigades went off to camp…. minibus loaded with people and gear – not mention the cars that went loaded too…. want to know what happened, ask one of the children who went.

To give you an idea here a couple pictures and a link to a lot , lot more !! [you were warned ] = click here for more (grid view of all pictures or slide show)

 

Family service and Parade plus special presentations by the BB National Secretary – Steve Dickinson

Please join us for our Family Service and our awards Presentation

When : 5th July 09 at  10:45am

Includes special presentation by the BB National Secretary – Steve Dickinson

Coffee and Biscuits at 12 midday

Lunch about 12:45pm

Awards about 1:45pm

National Band Competition – What a result!!

What a result for the Joint Girl’s & Boys’ Brigade band – after a very long Journey to Stoke, the travel was well worth it ( and I guess the practise too looking at the result). Returning with 4 trophies !!

• Drum Major
• Drill & deportment
• Percussion
• Runner up

well done to all!

the winning band

Firm Foundations – update

Dear Parents,

It will soon be time for our first camp of the year- Firm Foundations.
We require the balance to be paid by the end of April- £50 – as the deposit
of £25 has already been paid.
We are all looking forward to this special event arranged by the BB and
GB for our young people. A camp list will be given to you later on nearer
to the time.
Yours sincerely
Ivan & Linda Lane

Band activities update and changes to competion plans

We had a good time last Sunday playing for the Mayor at his Civic Service – both as he
paraded into the Church, and then for a time during the service! All the young people played
really well, and were a credit both to you and themselves.
I wanted to confirm a couple of forthcoming dates. We have agreed to play for the local
scouts association and their Annual St George’s Day Parade on Sunday 26th April 2009. As
last year, the service will take place at the Winter Gardens in the afternoon; we will have more
detail nearer the time.
The SE Regional Band Competition has unfortunately had to be cancelled – you will recall
this was planned for the 9th May – so that’s a Saturday off!! However, we are hopeful that
there will be a new opportunity next year.
In the meantime, we are busy trying to put our performance together for the national
competitions at Stoke on the 6th June 2009.
If in the meantime you have any questions, then please do not hesitate to speak with me or
one of the other officers.
Karen Graham
Captain
1st Margate GB Company

Sunday 1st March – Parade service & Commissioning a new officer

This Sunday 1st March it is our monthly family and parade service, and we are particularly hoping
you will be able to join with us on this occasion. During the service, Philip will be receiving his
Commission as an Officer in our Boy’s Brigade Company.
Many of you will know Philip from Holiday Club, or from some of the activities he leads with u& on a
Friday night. We are really pleased that we are able to celebrate with him as he takes on this
additional commitment with the company.
Your child should be here in full uniform for about 10.30am. We hope to parade at about midday,
and then as usual have coffee and biscuits in the hall. It would be great if you were able to join
with all or some of this time.

if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to speak with me or one of the other leaders
Karen Graham
Captain 1st Margate GB

Playing for the Mayor – Sunday 22.2.09

To confirm the arrangements for this Sunday.
Meet at our hall for 2.30 to collect instruments to go up to St John’s. We will need to work out where we will play from both in the service and whilst people arrive.

Please make sure your have your full uniform. We will play before the service and a couple of pieces in the service. We’ll go back to cecil square afterwards – there will be some food for us back at the church, and then it is Cafe Church and youth club in the evening.

Ever Wondered how the BB started….read on…

FOUNDING OF THE BB

William Smith had started as a a teacher in the Sabbath School which was held in the mission hall, where he found that the older boys were bored and restless. They were suspicious of teachers who told them to sit still, make less noise, and generally behave themselves – in short, they were typical teenagers! He compared this with the time he spent on a Saturday afternoon, as a Lieutenant with the volunteers, when he had no difficulty in making a hundred men obey his every word of command on the nearby drill ground.

It was then he had his idea: ‘Drill and Discipline’. Why not turn the Sabbath School boys into a volunteer band or brigade, with the same military order, obedience, discipline and self-respect as the volunteers? A programme combining games as well as discipline, gymnastics and sport as well as hymns and prayers would appeal to the boys. William Smith planned the programme for this new idea with two friends, and on the 4th October 1883 the three leaders invited the boys of North Woodside Mission Sabbath School to join The Boys’ Brigade.

The new organisation’s badge was an anchor, and the motto ‘Sure and Stedfast’. This was taken from the Authorised Version of the Bible, from the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 6, verse 19: ‘Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast’. The Object was also quite clear from the beginning:

“The advancement of Christ’s Kingdom among Boys and the promotion of habits of Reverence, Discipline, Self-Respect, and all that tends towards a true Christian Manliness.”
(The word Obedience was added some ten years later).

For the first year the Boys only wore a Rosette as a badge, and the officers wore the civilian bowler hat. The following year the Cap, Belt, and haversack were brought together as the first complete uniform. The Pill-box in common use during these days had no chin-strap and fitted close to the head, but it had two distinguished rows of white braid worn at a jaunty angle. Soon afterwards the proper pill-box was brought in and the officers turned to the Glengarry for their headgear.

THE FOUNDER
William Smith was born on 27th October 1854 at Pennyland House, Thurso, Scotland. At 15 he moved to Glasgow to work in his uncle’s business. While there, he joined the volunteers and by 19 he had become a Lance Corporal in the 1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers. The very same year he joined the church after hearing the evangelists Moody & Sankey.

By 1883 William Smith had become a Lieutenant and was teaching in the North Woodside Mission Sunday School. The boys in his Sunday School class were a challenge, and he was open to new ideas about how best to deal with them. Someone suggested that the methods used in the volunteers might be appropriate, and by this inspiration the Boys’ Brigade was created.

William Smith took a leading role in the new organisation, accepting a full-time post as the first Brigade Secretary in 1887. He worked non-stop for the movement, on two occasions even crossing the Atlantic to promote the Boys’ Brigade in Canada and the U.S.A. Throughout he remained Captain of the 1st Glasgow company, rarely missing a meeting.

In 1909 William Smith was knighted by King Edward VII for his service to boys.

Sir William Smith died on 10th May 1914 after being suddenly taken ill at a Boys’ Brigade meeting in London. He was buried in Glasgow.

Firm Foundations

Ever wpndered what Firm foundations is like? Heard people talking about it  but cannot visualise it?

have a look and listen to a 3 min snippet of Firm Foundations ‘07 – click view – needs a good connection, don’t try this on dial up!! ( Director and producer – Lee Collier)