The Boys' Brigade History

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.

Early Years of the BB

For the first year, the 1st Glasgow Company was alone, but shortly afterwards this new method of dealing with boys began to spread. By the end of the third year the movement numbered 2,000 boys, mostly in Scotland, centered around Glasgow, with companies ranged from Ayr to Inverness.

Shortly afterwards the movement filtered southward into England, all the way to London itself. In 1887 the BB's advance crossed the sea, with the formation of the 1st Jersey, and then across the Irish sea, when the 1st Belfast was formed in 1888 and the 1st Dublin formed in 1890.

The movement's great advance continued, with missionary companies soon developed overseas, usually at isolated stations and outposts. Perhaps the most notable was the growth in Nigeria. The Organisation also spread across the Atlantic, to Canada and the U.S.A., encouraged by the founder's visits there in 1895 and 1907.

It was not all plain sailing though. There was often opposition and criticism, and many Boys were rough and unruly and not as civilised as those today. The Glengarry cap would sometimes attract the scornful cry of "Scotchie! Scotchie!", and in the worst cases drill parades were conducted under a fusillade of stones and bricks thrown upon roofs and through windows!

From the early years, the leaders of the companies had come together to form the Council of the Boys' Brigade, providing the machinery for the administration of the movement. In 1887 William Smith was appointed as the first full-time Brigade Secretary, and he dedicated his time to the Organisation. He brought many influential people into the Organisation to strengthen its advance, including the Duke of York, who filled the position of Patron as prince and King for forty years.

One early innovation was to hold a camp - at the time, public opinion was aghast at the idea of Boys camping out in the "wilds"! The first camp by the 1st Glasgow Company was held in a building at Tighnabruach on the Kyles of Bute in 1886. William Smith was an experienced yachtsman, and each squad had its own craft - it was a sight indeed to see the boats in nautical array on the placid waters of Bute. Camping spread rapidly and camping under canvas soon became the normal order of the day. Often camping became looked to as the crowning of the company's year.

In 1903 the annual display at the Royal Albert Hall was of special significance - from it can be traced the very start of the Boy Scout movement! General Baden-Powell, back from his exploits in Mafeking, agreed to preside over the forthcoming display and began a sincere friendship with the founder. Baden-Powell saw the possibility of teaching the Boys the art of Scouting. The seeds of the Scout movement had been sown and were soon to spread like a prairie fire.

In 1909 William Smith was knighted for his services to Boys. He continued his work within the Organisation throughout. During 1913 the question of union with the Boys Life Brigade was discussed

- but a dozen years were to pass before this effort would be successful. On May 8th 1914, the founder fell ill during a meeting of the Brigade Executive in London, and two days later he passed to rest.