1921 – BB week

BB week originated in the aftermath of the First World War, when The Boys’ Brigade was in financial difficulty, with donations and subscriptions drying up. The idea was first raised in 1920, but the Brigade was hard pressed to make ends meet so it was received without enthusiasm. It was passed by the Executive in face of opposition but following vigorous challenges against at Brigade Council it was rejected. However, the Southern Committee decided to test the scheme in November 1920, with £2,855 being raised in England and Wales alone.

The generous response of the family and friends who had contributed, and the total raised prompted the Brigade to reconsider, and in 1921, the entire country took part in the scheme.

By the start of the Second World War the annual income was in excess of £21,500, and in the centenary year of the birth of Sir William A Smith in 1954, the sum of £102,535 was collected.

The amounts collected by individual Companies were published in league tables in the BB Gazette annually, with some Companies recording impressive amounts.

Initially BB Week funds were divided 50-50 between the individual BB Company and Brigade Headquarters, with all the promotional material and collecting cards being provided by HQ. Later the split was changed to one-third Brigade Headquarters and two-thirds the individual BB Company.

By the end of the scheme, there were caps on the contribution to Brigade Headquarters, and shares were being distributed amongst Battalions and Districts.

The contributions of BB Companies to the work of Brigade Headquarters have now been replaced by a system of capitation which is calculated on actual membership figures as shown in the annual statistical returns.