1933 - Dechmont Camp - The Boys' Brigade Archive Trust Museum

1933 – Dechmont Camp

1933 Jubilee International Camp at Dechmont near Cambuslang.

8th – 11th September, 1933

Over 3,000 visitors were expected to arrive during the day on Friday 8^th September, but unexpectedly an advance of 400 Boys arrived on Thursday from Companies in Glasgow and the West of Scotland. There were two from each company who came to help with preparations. Each Boy was issued a small booklet which detailed the daily routine and agenda with general camp rules.

The official opening began at 12 noon on the Friday, with the unfurling of a special Boys’ Brigade Jubilee flag and a special welcome arch for camp entrance.

Described as a ‘white canvas township’ , there were 400 bell tents for sleeping and a 400ft by 30ft wide marquee for the concerts. There were 100 members of the catering staff in the kitchens who produced meals for the 3,000 visitors. They had 12 x 30-gallon tea boilers, 5 x 50-gallon soup and porridge boilers (to itemise only a few). As well as, provisions of 200 gallons of milk, thousands of eggs, 15 CWT of potatoes, and 1,200 2lb loaves per day.

The camp was split into sections, each had their own large dining tent with waitresses to serve and wash up. For those who were still hungry, could be fed at another large marquee set up for use as a camp canteen.

There was a daily routine at the camp, which followed:

Reveille wake-up call at 7am
Prayers at 7.45am
Breakfast at 8am (Officers had to wait until 8.30am)
Lunch at 12.30pm
Prayers and supper from 9.15pm
Lights out at 10.45pm

On Friday evening, representative Boys signed a message from the Boys’ of the Brigade in the Jubilee session to the Boys’ of the Centenary session. This document with copies of the Jubilee programme, the names of all the Visiting Officers and Boys alongside the official Jubilee Badge, were deposited in a special casket which was then sealed. On Saturday evening, this was presented at the Jubilee meeting at St Andrew’s Hall for safekeeping and was later opened at the Centenary meeting in 1983.

On the same day, the Boys went to Glasgow to take part in the Jubilee Royal Review at Queen’s Park Recreation Ground. In the evening there were concerts by the Vagabonds and the Sparklites. On Sunday, there was a morning camp Drumhead service which was followed by an afternoon Conventicle at Hampden Park.

After the weekend, there was an excursion on the Firth of Clyde. Visitors took the train to Wemyss Bay then steamers around the Kyles of Bute, passing Tighnabruaich where the first Boys’ Brigade camp took place. Some also went to an exhibition football match (Rangers vs Partick Thistle),