BB History

The Boys' Brigade was founded on the 4th October 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith when he formed a company of 35 Boys at Free Church Mission Hall, North Woodside Road, Glasgow.

William Smith, a Sunday School Teacher and an officer of the 1st Lanark Rifle Volunteers devised a unique system of giving Boys an organisation as part of the church based on religion and discipline, initially , 59 Boys joined, many out of curiosity but 25 of them stayed. Simple form of drill, gymnastics and games were introduced and these proved very popular. The uniform for the first year was a rosette; afterwards the forage cap, haversack and belt were introduces. Other activities were soon added and in 1886 the first BB camp was held in Tighnabruaich. It was, in fact, the start of camping for the young people.

The Boys' Brigade was the first uniformed youth organisation in the world. From one small company it has grown into a worldwide organisation with companies in over 60 countries.

Following the impact of the Boys' Brigade, other uniformed organisations were started - Church Lads' Brigade (1890), Girls' Brigade (1893), Boys' Life Brigade (1899), The Jewish Lads' Brigade (1900), Catholic Boys' Brigade (1900), Girls' Guildry (1900), Girls' Life Brigade (1902), the Boy Scouts (1908) and the Girl Guides (1910). All of these organisations can be trace the idea of uniformed youth back to 1883 and Sir William Alexander Smith.

BB Week was introduced in 1921. BB throughout the world celebrated the centenary of its founding in 1983.

BB Motto

Sure & Stedfast taken from Hebrew 6:19. The blibical spelling of stedfast has been retained as found in the King James Version.

BB Emblem

The emblem was originally an Anchor . Like the motto, it stems from the verse "which hope we have as an anchor of the soul..." (Hebrews 6:19). With the union of The Boys' Brigade and The Boys' Life Brigade in 1936, a red cross was added to the anchor thus...

"The object of The Boys' Brigade shall be 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."

The text of this BB object remained the same since the beginning, with the addition of the word obedience in 1893.

Clearly the Boys' Brigade seeks to win Boys to the service of Jesus Christ and to develop in them the desirable qualities of Christian character.

BB Method

The method of achieving the object of the Boys' Brigade is by providing a meaningful and enjoyable programme of educational, physical, social and spiritual interests, based on the "Twin Pillars" of Christian Faith and Discipline and guided by adult leaders as officers.
 
The Boys’ Brigade In Malaysia

The boys’ brigade did not appear on the Asian scene until 1915 when the first Company was founded in Swatow, China by Rev. Guthrie Gamble. The Company however had to fold-up when the communist took over China subsequently. The BB then spread to South-east Asia with the formation of the 1st Singapore Company 1930 by Mr. James Fraser.

BB was introduced to Malaya in 1946. Since then a sequence of events had taken place:
 

1946 British soldier, Mr. Robert Davis, founded the 1st Penang Company with Mr. Geh Hun Kheng, an educationalist, as the Company Captain. The Company was under the sponsorship of Madras Lane Chinese (English speaking section) Methodist Church.

1954 From Penang, the BB began to spread to other parts of Malaya beginning with 1st Kuala Lumpur Company, was formed under the sponsorship of Wesley Methodist Church, Kuala Lumpur. After which the movement began to spread rapidly to other town even small rural areas of Peninsular Malaya to meet the needs of Boys.

1957 The Federation of Malayan Council of the Boys’ Brigade was established under the chairmanship of Mr. Khoo Oon Soo. On 31st August, 1957 when Malaya gains her independence, the BB was honoured when it was invited to participate in the Merdeka Parade.

1959 First publication of Anchor Magazine and Mr. Ong Tit Hoe became its first editor.

1961 The movement spread its wings to East Malaysia with the formation of 1st Kuching Company by Mr. Charles H Ingka under the sponsorship of St Thomas Cathedral.

1962 BB Malaya and Singapore Battalion introduced the Founder’s Badge in place of the Queen’s Badge. Malaysia became a member of the Pacific Regional Fellowship which comprise of Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Samoa, Niue, Nauru, Gilbert Islands, Solomon Island, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

1963 First Pacific Camp was organized in Port Dickson with the co-operation of the Singapore Battalion.

1964  on 5 December, 1964 was the formation of Boys’ Brigade in Malaysia consisting the former Federation of Malaya Council of the Boys’ Brigade, Singapore Battalion and 1st Kuching Company.

1965 Due to political separation of Singapore from Malaysia, the BB in Singapore ceased to b a component district of the BB in Malaysia as of 19th August, 1965

1966 600 Officers and Boys participated in the first National Review and Display held in Kuala Lumpur. This event was held bi-annually and later known as `BB Pesta’.

1967 Under the sponsorship of YMCA, the 1st Kota Kinabalu in Sabah was initiated by Mr. Anthony Fong and Mr. Seah Yun Khong became its first Captain.

1976 East Asia Regional Fellowship (EARF) of the World Conference was formed comprising of Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

1981 The first Pan-Borneo Camp was held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

1982 Due to increasing expansion in East Malaysia, the Eastern District Council was dissolved to form the Sabah District and Sarawak District Council.

1983 BBM participated in BB Centenary Celebrations – International Camp in Britain. Malaysia organized the 3rd EARF Camp in Penang in conjunction with the BB Centenary.

1986 BBM celebrated its 40th Anniversary by organizing its 3rd Pan–Asia Camp in Port Dickson.

1989 BBM employed its first full-time staff and rented an office space in Wisma Methodist to house its National Secretariat.

Also for the first time, BBM 26th Annual General Meeting was held in Kota Kinabalu Park, Sabah (first time outside the peninsular) on 10th April,1989.

62 Boys and Officers from BBM participated in BB Hong Kong 30th Anniversary International Camp in Wu Kwai Sha village on 30th December 1989 – 2nd January 1990.

1990 On 3rd – 7th December, 1990 18 Boys and Officers represented BBM at the BB Singapore Diamond Jubilee International Camp Temasek.

1991 For the first time, a National Junior Section Officer Training and Conference was held on 13th – 16th April 1991 in Fraser’s Hill.

The 27th Annual General Meeting was held in Kuching, Sarawak on 24th May, 1991 (first time to be held in Sarawak).

1992 The Sabah District with the Kota Kinabalu Battalion hosted for the first time the 11th National Pesta and Convention held in Kota Kinabalu on 3rd – 8th June, 1992.
 

Throughout this time, the BB in Malaysia maintain Friendly ties its counterpart, BB Singapore through its annual BBM – BBS Officers Fellowship.

The Boys’ Brigade in Malaysia is also an affiliated member of Majlis Belia Malaysia and the Council of Churches of Malaysia.

The Boys’ Brigade in Malaysia has grown and is still growing. As at mid-1993, there are more than 65 companies with over 3000 members.
 
The Founder 

The guiding force behind The Boys’ Brigade at its beginning was the founder, SIR WILLIAM ALEXANDER SMITH. His ideas and principles are a continuing inspiration of Officers and Boys alike.

When he was a young Sunday School teacher in Glasgow, William Smith used to worry that the Boys were rowdy and he had difficulty keeping them quiet in order to teach them. But on Saturdays, as an Officer in the Volunteers (part of the army of that time) he can get many men to do exactly as he wanted when he drill them. Why couldn’t the Boys in his Sunday School be like the Volunteers?

Suddenly the idea came to him that the Boys get together to do drill during the week, then perhaps they would be better behaves on Sundays. So the Boys’ Brigade was started. Very quickly it was clear that this was just what Boys were needing and soon other Companies were formed.

For thirty-one years Sir William Alexander Smith was secretary of the Brigade, and Captain of the 1st Glasgow Company. He died suddenly in London on 10th may, 1914.
 

The Man

Born 27 October 1854 at Pennyland House, Thurso, Scotland
Started the Boys’ Brigade in Glasgow on Thursday, 4th October 1883
Became full-time Secretary in 1883
Knighted, July 1909 by King Edward VII
Died in London on 10th May, 1914
 
Founder’s Day

The last Sunday of October each year is observed as Founder’s Day.

What He Lived For

“ If I am to be remembered by posterity I should like it to be as the man who taught people to spell Boy with the capital `B’.“

A Royal Tribute

King George VI said of the Founder :

“Sir William Alexander Smith, builded better then he knew for he started not only a great movement but one form which all our present widespread youth training was destined to spring…”

The words of  Sir William Alexander Smith

“In every healthy Boy there is an inborn desire to be a brave, true man, and if he failed to attain to this, it is too often from a perverted notion of what true bravery and true manliness really are. What he had to do was to take the hold of this desire, and tun it into a right channel, through which it might frame to God’s glory and their own good.”

“What the Brigade seek to do is to train up good, true Boys, well prepared, physically and morally, for the battle of life, in what ever sphere they may choose.”

“It will thus be seen that the Brigade aims at taking up all the enters into healthy Boy-life, consecrating it to the service of God.”

The Awards 

 The Awards Schemes is used to encourage Boys’ interest in worth while activities and at the same time develop their all-round personality. It gives the company the opportunity of presenting an attractive and progressive programme of activities in order that Boys’ membership of the Brigade may be both enjoyable and beneficial.

 The scheme is part of the total programme that the Brigade offers Boys’ from their earliest days of their membership until their completion service. It is recognize that Boys’ are looking for an exciting and challenging programme.
 

Classification of Awards

1)  Service Awards

These awards indicate the length of service and loyalty to his company. Service awards are worn on the left shoulder when in full uniform  except for the Link badge, which is worn above the name tag.

Example of service Awards :

LINK BADGE
Awarded to the Boys who have served in the Junior Section and have completed the requirements for the award during their last session in the Junior Section.

ONE YEAR SERVICE BADGE

Awarded to the Boys who have served with good conduct and have a minimum of 90% attendance at the two principal weekly meetings of the company.

THREE YEAR SERVICE BADGE

Awarded to the Boys who have served for three consecutive sessions with good conduct and fulfilled all requirements of the One Year Service Badge. This badge is given only after the Boy completed the third session.

LONG SERVICE BADGE

This badge is awarded to Boys after having served for not less than five sessions with good conduct.

2) Target Badge

This bagde is the first award for any  Boys who join the company section.
This is the badge which covers the introductory programme like Boys' Brigade Knowledge, Citizenship, Christian Education, Outdoor Activities, Hygiene and Common Accidents and most of all Drill.

3) Proficiency Awards

Boys who have gained the Target Badge can participate in a variety of specialised activities, commencing at Stage one and progressing to Stage two and Stage three thereafter.

 
 

NCO Proficiency Star	Drill	Naturalist’s
Arts	Drummer’s	Physical Training
Athletics	Expedition	Piper’s
Bandsman’s	Fireman’s	Safety
Bugler’s	First Aid	Sailing
Camper’s	Gymnastics	Scholastic
Canoeing	Hobbies	Seamanship
Christian Education	International Relations	Sportsman’s
Computer Knowledge	Life-Saving	Swimming
Crafts	Martial Arts

  

4) Special Awards

President’s Badge and Founder’s Badge are the two highest awards that is awarded for all round proficiency, service and additional training, responsibility in leadership and social concern.

There is also an award for heroism called the Cross of Heroism.