Thurso stages special event to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the Boys' Brigade
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A SPECIAL commemorative event took place in Thurso this week to mark the 140th anniversary of the Boys' Brigade.
The worldwide movement was founded in Glasgow in October 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith, who was born at the town's Pennyland House.
Two coachloads of young people aged 14 and over visited Thurso on Wednesday afternoon as part of the anniversary celebrations.
Members of 1st Thurso Boys’ Brigade welcomed them, along with brigade captain Johanna Geddes BEM and Caithness Lord Lieutenant, John Thurso.
The BB Tour Band made up of two marching bands – a bugle band and a pipe band – and comprising representatives from companies throughout England formed up in High Street and marched to the North Coast Visitor Centre where the Lord-Lieutenant took the salute.
The bands played a selection of tunes for around 15 minutes before marching through the precinct and up Olrig Street to Pennyland House where sisters Clara and Jessica Tickle of the 5th Croydon Company of the Boys Brigade laid a wreath on the memorial for Sir William. The final salute was taken by Captain Johanna Geddes.
The young musicians were on a whistle stop tour of Scotland and England to mark the 140th anniversary event.
The first Boys' Brigade company was set up by Sir William 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 UK leading to a movement comprising thousands of boys.
By the early 20th century there were about 2,200 companies connected with different churches throughout the world, with 10,000 officers and 160,000 boys.
Being the earliest of all youth organisations, a simple rosette was worn as an identifying uniform but shortly afterwards it was replaced by the simple use of a belt, haversack, and pillbox cap (a popular military cap of the day) worn over the boys' clothing. The pillbox cap was used until the 1960s when it was replaced with a field cap.
The movement also pioneered camping for leisure in Britain, previously rarely used outside the military.
The Boys' Brigade has around 750,000 members in 60 countries.
