The Boys’ Brigade Northern Ireland District

Our HeritageSince 1883

Free Church Mission Hall, North Woodside Road, GLasgow

Pic of WA Smith and B into boys quote.

Sir William Alexander Smith established the first

Boys’ Brigade unit in 1883 as a way of making

Sabbath School both more attractive to Boys and

Young Men and to give structure to the work. His

model of Bible Teaching amidst physical activity,

camp, and drill to reach Boys for Christ has stood the

test of time.

William Smyth

William Smyth is heading to Boys’ Brigade

William is heading to Boys’ BrigadeWilliam’s wife is making badges

.

William is now friends with Robert Baden-Powell

Yesterday

William Alexander Smyth founded The Boys’ Brigade on 4 October 1883 at Free Church Mission Hall, North Woodside Road, Glasgow.

William likes Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers

2 days ago

William likes Free Church Sunday School

2 days ago

BB was formed 121 years before Facebook!

BB was formed 111 years before Playstation!

Period One: 1883 - 1910

The ‘Pillbox’ was a

common cap in the

British Army at the time

Early uniforms were worn over ordinary clothes.

The first uniform was introduced in 1885

It consisted of: • A pillbox cap• A leather belt • A white haversack

Timeline: 1883 - 1909

1883

BB Started

BB uniform introduced

1st BB Company in Belfast opened

1889

Eiffel Tower opened

1st BBconferencein Ireland

held

Henry Ford made the 1st useful petrol

engine

1st BB camp in Ireland

No internet! No cinema! No TV!

1st flight by Wright Brothers

1888 1890

1892

1893

1903

a big adventure for city boys to visit the seaside

of Co.Down

1885

How BB used to look

1st Larne Company

Activities

Bible Class

Route Marches

DrillGymnastics

Ping Pong

Darts

Draughts

Comics

BB formed IN Ireland - 1888Belfast man, William McVicker, read about William Smith’s work in Glasgow & went to meet him to find out more about BB.

William McVicker formed the first Irish Company at

St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church, Belfast in 1888

Royal Avenue Belfast in

1888

1st Belfast BB Company during their first year in 1888-1898

Scouting started in 1907/8

and some scouting activities were

brought into BB. In 1909 a special

uniform for Boys’ Brigade Scouts

was introduced and it was used

up to 1927.

BB ScoutsThe BB Scout uniform

Timeline: 1909 - 1926

1909

William Alexander Smith was knighted

1926

Sir William Alexander Smith spoke at Belfast

Battalion conference

RMS Titanic sank

1914

Sir William Alexander Smith died

1st Kings Badge

awarded in Ireland

Armistice Day

11 Nov

First World War began

1st BB Week held

1912

1915

1918

1921

Later became the

Junior Section

1917

Boy Reserves started

BB merged with

The Boys’ Life Brigade

1911

Popular toys

around after the

outbreak of war

1910-1929

This was a time of

major upheaval and

change with the

outbreak of WWI

BB continued to grow

after the war. A section

for younger boys was

started called

The Boy Reserves

1917

1914

Boys’ Brigade merged with the

Boys’ Life Brigade.

1926

Camp at Castlerock in 1910

Camp Inspection

Day

Castlerock 1910 Camp Guard!

Picture taken at Massereene School with 12th Viscount of Massereene (centre)1st Antrim Company in 1912

The King’s Badge Great Grand

father of Queen

Elizabeth II

Now called the Queen’s Badge

King George V approved the introduction of The King’s Badge into the BB programme in 1913.

The very first Kings’ Badge awarded in Ireland went to Sgt Charles Shannon from 39th Belfast company in 1915.

1917: The Boy Reserves

A new section for younger boys aged 9 – 12 started in 1917

The name changed to

The Life Boys & later

changed again to

become the

Junior Section

The Life Boys in 1940

1933: 50 years of BB

It is thought that this photo may

have been taken in Glasgow at the 50th Jubilee of

the Boys' Brigade in 1933.

King George VI

and Queen Elizabeth

60 years of BB Celebrated in 1943

1943 Inspection at Windsor Castle by King George VI, accompanied by the Princess Elizabeth

and Queen Elizabeth.

BB had grown to 100,00 members

This was the winning

design for a membership

card, designed by a

member in England

BB Camp 1940s style 3rd Ballymena at summer camp in Carnlough, July 1946

Timeline: 1950- 1962

Stedfast Magazine Launched

Coronation of Queen

Elizabeth 11

First International Camp at Eton

BB Celebrates 75th anniversary

BB Athletic Meeting at Thiepval

Barracks, Lisburn

1962First flight in space1954 19581953 1955

BB take part in

pilot DofE Award

1961

Rathmore House in

Larne purchased

First section of M1 motor-way opened

in NI

1959

Sell out toy in 1957 cost £6

1958

1958 – reception at Balmoral Castle by HM the Queen and HRH Prince Phillip marking 75th Anniversary of BB

1961Magazine from 1961 announces new comic

for Life Boys called

Life Boy Link

The ‘Robins’ for

6 - 8 yr olds

officially recognised

in NI

1964

Timeline: 1963- 1969

Robins Section officially

recognisedin NI

First Match of the Day aired

on BB2

Restructuring of BB ‘The

Haynes Report’

England win Football

World Cup

19661964 1968

World Conference of BB holds first meeting in

Rathmore House, Larne.

Series 2 Badge Programme introduced

The President’s Badge launched.

1969

American Civil rights

movement formed

1967

BB World Conference

founded.

Optional BB uniform

introduced.

1963

Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin land on the

moon

Started

in 1963

BB in the 50s and 60s

1st Antrim BB Bugle Band 1956 34th Belfast BB Football Team 1961

1965

2nd Greenisland Company

at theirenrolment service

Rathmore House, Larne

Rathmore House in Larne was purchased

as the District’s Training Centre in

1962 and later became the home of NIHQ. Thousands of

leaders & young people have fond

memories of attending Rathmore

for leadership training, Queen’s Badge

courses & residential weekends.

1972 Basic Officer Training at Rathmore

1970-1989New hats were brought in as uniform in 1970

Junior Stedfast Magazinefrom 1974

Timeline: 1970-1979

Decimal coinage

introduced in UK

Stormont parliament

suspended; UK Direct Rule

1977

Pre-Junior BB section (The

Robins) adopted across Brigade UK

Silver Jubilee of Brigade Patron

Queen Elizabeth II

1971 1972 1974

Ulster Workers’

Council Strike

1975

Birth of David

Beckham

1978

Last VW Beetle car made in

Germany

Lego won ‘toy of the year’ 3 times

in the 1970s.

A Raleigh Chopper was the "must have" bike of the 70s.

Centenary

Celebrations

took place in

1983

Ballymoney Show Grounds Centenary Celebration 1983

1988: Northern Ireland CentenaryNorthern Ireland

celebrated the Irish

Centenary in 1988.

The Centenary logo

was based on

designs submitted in

a competition by the

Boys. The winning

design selected was

drawn by Geoffrey

Brown from 1st

Larne.

1988: Northern Ireland CentenaryTo mark the 1988 Centenary of

The Boys’ Brigade in Ireland a

plaque was unveiled in

Belfast’s St Anne’s Cathedral to

commemorate William

McVicker who founded The

Boy’s Brigade in Ireland

1988: Northern Ireland Centenary

Northern Ireland District Centenary Parade

passing the City Hall, Belfast17 April 1988

Anchor Boy and Junior Section Fun Day for Irish Centenary 1988

Ballymena Show Grounds

Timeline: 1980-1989

Republican hunger strikes begin in Maze

Prison

BB Centenary YearSeries 3 ‘Get the Credit’

Badge Programme Introduced

The Simpson’s first broadcast

Irish BB Centenary

1985

1988

The Ford Escort was a top

selling car in the 1980s

1983

1985

Anglo-Irish Agreement signed.First broadcast of

Eastenders

1987

Nintendo first released

Super Mario Bros in 1985

100 years of uniforms of BB

The Anchor Badge Through the ages

Timeline: 1990-2002

1993

Junior Section 75th Anniversary celebrated

Joint Anglo-Irish peace declaration

for NI

Channel Tunnel opened

New BB uniform approved at

Brigade Council

2002

The Tamagotchi was one of

the biggest toy fads of

the 1990s.

9/11 Attacks in America

1994

1999

1998

NI GoodFriday

Agreement signed

2001BB World

Conference renamed Global

Fellowship

Golden Jubilee of Brigade Patron

Queen Elizabeth II

Nokia mobile phone 1996

Timeline: 2003 - 2013

YouTubelaunched

Discover Badge Programme introduced

125th Anniversary of camping in BB

125th Anniversary of BB Northern Ireland District

Derry/LondonderryCity of Culture

2008 2011

2013

2007

2005 2012125th

Anniversary of BB

Diamond Jubilee of Brigade Patron

Queen Elizabeth II

London Olympic & Paralympic Games

150th Anniversary of

Sir William Alexander

Smith’s birth

2004

1999New uniforms were agreed in 1999

BB Badges Pre 1968

Proficiency badges were introduced almost from the start of BB for a wide range of activities

1893 – 1968: Ambulance Badge / First Aid Badge 1902 – 1927: Sergeant's/NCO's Proficiency Star1909 – 1968: Buglers’ Badge1909 – 1927: Scouts’ Badge1911 – 1968: Signaller's Badge 1914 – 1968: Band Badge1914 – 1968: Life Saving Badge1917 – 1968: Gymnastic/Physical Training Badge1921 – 1968: Drummer’s Badge1921 – 1968: Piper's Badge1927 – 1968: Arts and Crafts Badge1927 – 1968: Athletics Badge1927 – 1968: Camper's Badge 1927 – 1968: Education/Citizenship Badge 1927 – 1968: Fireman's Badge1927 – 1968: Swimming Badge1927 – 1968: Wayfarer's Badge1946 – 1968: Seamanship Badge1959 – 1968: Scripture Knowledge Badge1964 – 1968: Expedition Badge

BB Badges

The first proficiency badge in BB was a woven cloth Ambulance Badge dating between

1891 and 1893, replaced by this nickel version as early as 1893

Ambulance Certificate awarded to S Hale of 15th Belfast in 12 Mar 1940

Series 2: 1968 - 198424 badges available in total

24 badges were reduced to 5 with progression to a red surround then a blue surround.

Series 3: 1983 - 2007

Adventure Leadership Community Interests Physical

Target Badges

Badges 2007 onwardsDiscover Programme for Company Section Boys aged 11-15

Community Recreation Skills

Badges 2007 onwardsChallenge Plus Programme for Senior Section Boys aged 15 - 18

3 zones:Community, Leisure & Recreation, Lifeskills

Bronze

Silver

Gold

Opening New Doors: The Next 100 yrs…

BB Headquarters, Newport

BB Headquarters, Newport

Modern facilities enabling new activities

New Programmes

Code Academy is aimed at getting young people into ICT training through an Introduction to a Web Development Course.

Disability App launched 2015 to enable youth leaders to include children of all abilities in activities.

your ideas for the next 100 years…

Created to complement The Boys’ Brigade Northern Ireland District ‘Our Heritage since 1883’ Programme Book

for Company Section Boys aged 11 -1 5.

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T: 028 9268 8444 | www.bbni.org.uk