The Boys’ Brigade Jubilee celebrations

8th – 11th September 1933, Glasgow

The Jubilee celebrations took place in a couple of locations over the weekend in Glasgow. Not just to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the first Boys’ Brigade Company by Sir William Alexander Smith but also to celebrate the successful approach adopted by the Founder. This approach kept the attention and enthusiasm of the Boys between leaving Sunday School and when re-joining the church congregation as adults. The Founder had established a way to maintain the interests of the Boys and keep a strong connection with the Church alive.

The 1st Glasgow Company in their first year had 30 Boys, and by 1898 the Brigade had grown to 468 companies. This was due to the number of the Boys from earlier Companies – who had been enthused by the movement and promoted it to Churches. Church denominations (Catholic, Jewish and Church of England), saw the advantages of adopting a youth movement to their own congregations, based on the non-denominational Boys’ Brigade ideals.

By 1932, there were 1518 Boys’ Brigade Companies throughout the world. totalling 85,033  members.

This milestone, and success of The Boys’ Brigade, led to organisation of the Jubilee Celebrations. The Glasgow Battalion Officers, current and retired, acted as hosts and assisted visitors.

At Officer level, there was a weekend gathering involving the Glasgow Authority’s participation in hosting events.

Friday

• A civic reception for visiting officers, including bus tours around the city of Glasgow.

Saturday

• Meeting of the Brigade Council.
• A review and Display at the Queen’s Park recreation field by H.R.H. Prince George, The March Past (of the massed pipe and brass bands) and seventeen Battalions’, and around 30,000 Officers and Boys strong – which took 45 minutes.
• A dinner and social gathering at the St Andrew’s Hall, Glasgow. At the gathering, a sealed casket containing a message from the Boys of 1933 to those of 1983 and mementos were presented to the gathering. These would be kept until the 1983 centenary to be opened.

Sunday

• A great Church Parade and open-air service or  ‘Conventicle’ of Thanksgiving.

Monday

• Excursions by special steamers for officers and Boys on the Firth of Clyde.

At Boys level 

• A large International Camp was organised at Dechmont near Cambuslang, with invites to two Boys to represent every Boys’ Brigade company in the United Kingdom.
• Boys took part in the Saturday review, Sunday Church Parade, and excursions to the Kyles of Bute passing Tighnabruaich where the first Boys’ Brigade camp took place.