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Boys Brigade, 1955/6

A brief history of the Boys' Brigade

The following is taken from the web site: http://www.igg.org.uk/gansg/00-app1/civ-uni.htm (June 2012)

In 1883 Lieutenant William Alexander Smith, a businessman, a volunteer Sunday School teacher and an officer in the Lanarkshire Volunteer Rifle Regiment formed the first Boys' Brigade in Glasgow. At first the boys wore a rosette to indicate their membership, but a uniform was soon devised. The uniform consisted of a small number of items worn with normal clothing, the idea being that even poor children would be able to participate. A full uniform like the Scouts was not adopted until the 1960s.

Boys joined in their thousands, creating a national movement in a very short time, Smith received a knighthood in recognition of his work. Normally operating from church halls, they offered military style drill and training with drum and bugle bands. Initially the uniform consisted of a pill-box hat, belt, drum sash and leather gaiters. The belts and drum sash could be white or black, everyone in a unit would have the same but it would seem different units opted for different colours.

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Published October 2011; updated November 2014