The Boys’ Brigade (BB) has a rich history of service to youth across
the world for 130 years.
It all started back in 1883 and is still as relevant today as it was when William Smith
started the first group in his church in Glasgow, Scotland.
The BB Founder - Sir William Smith
Birth Place: Thurso , Scotland in 1845.
Knighted: July 1909.
Died: May 1914, London .
William Smith was born and lived in Thurso, a small country town, until his father died when he was thirteen.
Being the eldest, William was shipped to Glasgow to work with his uncle as a whole sale merchant.
With a military heritage from his father and grandfather, it was only natural that William would soon join the
Volunteers, similar to today’s Army Reserves. During this time he was also an active
member at the Free College Church in Glasgow.
He married his first wife Amelia in 1884 who was a great support and contributor towards William’s work with BB.
She died in 1898 leaving him to raise their two sons Stanley and Douglas. In 1906 he remarried, however his second wife died a year later.
William was knighted in 1909 for his work for the welfare of youth.
Humble but visionary, William worked tirelessly to grow BB until his death in 1914.
His vision had already spread to many countries including Australia and has endured
through the many societal and technological changes that have occurred across the past century.
That same vision endures in the hearts of many thousands of current leaders in the Movement across the globe.
Many millions of men across the generations attribute their life and their character to
he formative development they received in their time in BB.
In 1883 in Glasgow, Scotland, a young Sunday School teacher, whose name was William Alexander Smith, W
as very worried that the Boys in his Sunday School class couldn’t seem to settle down enough for him to teach
them about Jesus and how to be better people. They were bored and thought they were too old for Sunday School.
On Saturdays William Smith was an Officer in the Volunteers (like our Army Reserves today) and could get
many men to do exactly as he wanted when he drilled them, but on Sundays he struggled to get the Boys in
his class to settle down and work together. Then one day he had an idea. If the Boys in the Sunday School could
be as well trained and behaved as his Volunteers through doing drill and other things, then he would be able
to teach them how to get more out of life.
So The Boys’ Brigade was started and the first meeting was held on the 4th October, 1883. Boys enjoyed it so much,
that soon other Companies were formed in Scotland and then spread to the rest of the world. But this movement
was for Boys who were between 12 and 17, mainly because it was the age group that Mr Smith had in his Sunday School class.
When Mr. Smith, who was later knighted and became Sir William Smith, started the Boys? Brigade he chose as its
emblem an Anchor and for its motto the words "Sure and Steadfast."
A few years later another organisation was begun in England and it was called "The Boys’ Life Brigade,
" which had as its emblem a Red Cross.
In 1926 both these organisations joined together and in addition they joined their emblems.
Younger Boys of course wanted to be part of BB also and do similar exciting activities. In September, 1917,
a man called Carey Longmore, who was the Captain of the 1st Warley (Essex, England) B.B. Company,
started a junior branch of his Company and these young Boys were called "The Boy Reserves.
" The Boys’ Life Brigade also had a junior branch called "The Lifeboys".
When the B.B. and the B.L.B. joined together as one organisation in 1926 it was decided to keep the name
"The Boys’ Brigade," and it was also agreed that the name of the junior branch should be
"The Life Boys" spelt in three words. From 1926 to 1966 that was how the names remained,
but it was then agreed that the whole of the movement should be known as
The Boys’ Brigade and the name "The Life Boys" was dropped.
The B.B. has gone on expanding and growing and now there are nearly 5,000 Companies throughout the world.
It all started back in 1883 and is still as relevant today as it was when William Smith
started the first group in his church in Glasgow, Scotland.
The BB Founder - Sir William Smith
Birth Place: Thurso , Scotland in 1845.
Knighted: July 1909.
Died: May 1914, London .
William Smith was born and lived in Thurso, a small country town, until his father died when he was thirteen.
Being the eldest, William was shipped to Glasgow to work with his uncle as a whole sale merchant.
With a military heritage from his father and grandfather, it was only natural that William would soon join the
Volunteers, similar to today’s Army Reserves. During this time he was also an active
member at the Free College Church in Glasgow.
He married his first wife Amelia in 1884 who was a great support and contributor towards William’s work with BB.
She died in 1898 leaving him to raise their two sons Stanley and Douglas. In 1906 he remarried, however his second wife died a year later.
William was knighted in 1909 for his work for the welfare of youth.
Humble but visionary, William worked tirelessly to grow BB until his death in 1914.
His vision had already spread to many countries including Australia and has endured
through the many societal and technological changes that have occurred across the past century.
That same vision endures in the hearts of many thousands of current leaders in the Movement across the globe.
Many millions of men across the generations attribute their life and their character to
he formative development they received in their time in BB.
How it all Began
In 1883 in Glasgow, Scotland, a young Sunday School teacher, whose name was William Alexander Smith, W
as very worried that the Boys in his Sunday School class couldn’t seem to settle down enough for him to teach
them about Jesus and how to be better people. They were bored and thought they were too old for Sunday School.
On Saturdays William Smith was an Officer in the Volunteers (like our Army Reserves today) and could get
many men to do exactly as he wanted when he drilled them, but on Sundays he struggled to get the Boys in
his class to settle down and work together. Then one day he had an idea. If the Boys in the Sunday School could
be as well trained and behaved as his Volunteers through doing drill and other things, then he would be able
to teach them how to get more out of life.
So The Boys’ Brigade was started and the first meeting was held on the 4th October, 1883. Boys enjoyed it so much,
that soon other Companies were formed in Scotland and then spread to the rest of the world. But this movement
was for Boys who were between 12 and 17, mainly because it was the age group that Mr Smith had in his Sunday School class.
When Mr. Smith, who was later knighted and became Sir William Smith, started the Boys? Brigade he chose as its
emblem an Anchor and for its motto the words "Sure and Steadfast."
A few years later another organisation was begun in England and it was called "The Boys’ Life Brigade,
" which had as its emblem a Red Cross.
In 1926 both these organisations joined together and in addition they joined their emblems.
Younger Boys of course wanted to be part of BB also and do similar exciting activities. In September, 1917,
a man called Carey Longmore, who was the Captain of the 1st Warley (Essex, England) B.B. Company,
started a junior branch of his Company and these young Boys were called "The Boy Reserves.
" The Boys’ Life Brigade also had a junior branch called "The Lifeboys".
When the B.B. and the B.L.B. joined together as one organisation in 1926 it was decided to keep the name
"The Boys’ Brigade," and it was also agreed that the name of the junior branch should be
"The Life Boys" spelt in three words. From 1926 to 1966 that was how the names remained,
but it was then agreed that the whole of the movement should be known as
The Boys’ Brigade and the name "The Life Boys" was dropped.
The B.B. has gone on expanding and growing and now there are nearly 5,000 Companies throughout the world.
