HISTORY OF BOYS' BRIGADE

History of Boys' Brigade

The Boys' Brigade was founded on October 4th 1883 by William A, Smith in the North Woodside Mission Hall Glasgow. The First Glasgow, the original Company was based in the North Woodside Mission Hall, later known as the Reith Halls for over 90 years until 1972 when the building was sold. The Company then moved to Kelvin Stevenson Memorial Church where they continue to meet on Friday evenings, the traditional parade night.

The First Glasgow Boys' Brigade was the first of all the voluntary uniformed youth organisations, represented in 60 countries worldwide. For the first year of the Company's formation it was the only one however shortly thereafter this new organisation for boys began to spread and by 1886 the movement numbered 2,000 mostly in Scotland although centered around Glasgow, companies had been formed from Ayr in the southwest to Inverness in the north. From then on the movement filtered southward to England soon reaching as far south as London.

In 1887 the BB had spread to all points in the British Isles crossing the English Channel to the Channel Isles where the 1st Jersey was formed and then across the Irish Sea where the 1st Belfast was formed in 1888 and the 1st Dublin in 1890. The First overseas company was formed in St. Louis, Missouri USA in 1887.

The Boys' Brigade movement continued to advance overseas where missionary companies soon developed usually in isolated stations and outposts, the most notable growth being in Nigeria, Africa. The organisation also spread across the Atlantic, to Canada and the USA encouraged no doubt by the founders promotional visits there first in 1895 and then again in 1907.

In the Brigades early years the leaders of the companies joined together to form the Council of the Boys' Brigade which provided the administration for the movement. William Smith, whilst remaining Captain of the First, was appointed the first full-time Brigade Secretary in 1887 and dedicated much of his time to the Brigade by bringing in many influential people to strengthen the advancement of the organisation, including the Duke of York, who as both prince and later King was the Boy's Brigade Patron for forty years.

Sir William Smith

The Original Boys Brigade Badge

May every member and every old member be determined by God's help, to make his life such that his Company will always have good reason to be proud of him. Wm. A. Smith

The Founder (Sir William Smith).

William Alexander Smith was born on the 27th October 1854 at Pennyland House, Thurso, Scotland. His father was Major David Smith and his Mother Harriet was the daughter of Alexander Fraser a merchant in Glasgow. The Smiths were a military family and David Smith had served as an ensign of the 7th Dragoon Guards during the Kaffir War in 1849 - 1850. After his marriage to Harriet he joined the Caithness Volunteer Artillery Corps in which he rose to the rank of Major.

Young William was brought up in a Christian atmosphere both in his own home and his uncle's home at 28 Hamilton Park Avenue Glasgow, where he had moved at the age of 15 to work in his uncle's business. In Thurso William Smith attended the local Parish Church and in Glasgow he accompanied his uncle to the Free College Church where he was a teacher in the Sunday School. At this time, having just moved to Glasgow, he joined the 1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers and by 1883 aged 29 he had become a Lieutenant.

Whilst continuing his duties at the Sunday School he also became involved with the Young Men's Society, as an assistant, in the Mission, North Woodside. In this area of Glasgow many new houses had recently been built to accommodate the large numbers of skilled workers who had moved there from the Highlands and Islands and Ireland. Glasgow was a thriving city at this time and was the Second City in The British Empire after London. Not far away from North Woodside Road where the Mission Halls were located was Great Western Road were great mansions stood built by the wealthy city merchants involved with tobacco and cotton trade in the New World.

The workers and their families living in the area attended the Mission, as did many of the young boys who joined the Sunday School. William Smith sometimes found it a challenge to cope with the older boys who could at times be wild and unruly teenagers and thought these boys needed other activities to take up their time and interest. Comparing this to his time with the Volunteers where he had no difficulty making the men obey his every command at drill on the parade ground, Smith thought it would be good for these young lads to experience some drill and discipline.

Therefore he concluded that he would turn the Sabbath School boys into a volunteer band or brigade with the same military order, obedience, discipline and self-respect. Combining this with other activities such as games, gymnastics and sport as well as bible studies, hymns and prayers. Having discussed his planned programme with two friends brothers J.R. and J.B. Hill also Sabbath School teachers, for this new organisation for boys, he obtained the authority of the Minister and the Kirk session to proceed. The three leaders invited the young men from the Sabbath School to join The Boys' Brigade on the 4th October 1883 where some twenty-eight boys turned up on parade for the first time in the North Woodside Mission Hall to form The First Glasgow Boys' Brigade.

List of Captains

Captains of the First Glasgow Company

1883 - 1914 Sir William A. Smith
1914 - 1930 G. Stanley Smith
1917 - 1919 Peter Stewart (acting)
1930 - 1946 D. Pearson Smith
1946 - 1959 Hugh S. McCallum
1959 - 1968 J. Fordyce Guy
1968 - 1971 John Peebles
1971 - 2003 Douglas G. H. Rolland
2003 - John Stuart

The Boys' Brigade Movement

Smith the leader of this new boys organisation was the first captain of the First Glasgow. Whilst taking a leading role in this new organisation he accepted the full-time position as Brigade Secretary and continued with great effort to work in the Boys' Brigade movement. Throughout he remained captain of the 1st Glasgow and rarely missed a parade night.

In 1903 the annual BB display held in the Royal Albert Hall London was of special significance as from it can be traced the beginnings of the Boy Scout movement.

General Baden-Powell recently back from his exploits in Mafeking, agreed to be the presiding officer at the BB display, became a very good friend of the Founder. At first hand he saw the development of the BB and soon realised the possibility of teaching boys the art of scouting thus the seeds of the Boy Scout Movement were sown and soon grew spreading throughout the World, as had the Boys' Brigade.

In 1909 William Alexander Smith was knighted by King Edward VII for his services to the Boys' Brigade. Maintaining his commitment to the Brigade, in 1909 it was proposed that a union with the Boys Life Brigade should be considered and although discussed it was many years before this union proceeded successfully. On the 8th of May 1914 at a meeting of the Brigade Executive in London the Founder took ill and died two days later on the 10th of May. He was buried in Glasgow.

From the inaugural meeting of some 28 boys in October 1883 who joined together to form the Boys' Brigade at the time of the Founders death in 1914 the movement had grown to 60,000 members.

This brief review of the history of The First Glasgow Company Boy's Brigade is not an attempt to provide a biography of it's Founder but rather illustrate the enormous debt the Brigade owes to William Smith's wisdom and foresight together with his enthusiasm and thoroughness of a man with divine inspiration to begin this great movement. Being at it's helm for thirty years he saw the BB grow from a small Company to the strength of an army through which millions of boys have passed through it's ranks.