History | Boys Brigade Bahamas

Boys' Brigade in the Bahamas

In 1909, the Rev. H. R. Brown a Scotsman and pastor of St. Andrews Presbyterian Kirk of Scotland; formed a Company of the Boys’ Brigade at the Church (photrographed below). This Company was shortlived and for quite a long time it seemed like the idea of the Boys’ Brigade in the Bahamas had died.

In 1943 the Rev. William T. Makepeace the Pastor of Wesley Methodist Church, saw the need to form a company for the boys of the Grant’s Town area; as well as the boys from other areas. The Company of the Boys Brigade was now formed and Mr. Harry Davidson served as Captain for a short time, followed by Mr. Durward Archer.

The late Captain Simpson C. Penn (photographed below) took over as Captain in 1946 and held office until his demise in 1990. For nine years, the Boys’ Brigade Company at Wesley Methodist stood alone and was hardly recognized outside the Church of which it was a part.

In 1953 another Company was formed in Bimini and another in Inagua. By the end of 1955; the number of Boys’ Brigade Companies in the Bahamas stood at nine. After the Companies began to increase; it became very important that each company be given a number like the companies of Great Britain. Therefore the company at Wesley, became the 1st. Bahamas Company; Bimini the 2nd. Bahamas Company, Inagua the 3rd. Bahamas Company and St. Agnes the 4th. Bahamas Company.

Grants Town Wesley Methodist Church (present day)

The Story of the Boys' Brigade

The Boys' Brigade is the oldest uniformed voluntary youth organization in the world.

It was founded by Sir William Alexander Smith on October 4th, 1883 at Free College Church Mission, Glasgow, Scotland with three (3) officers and twenty (28) boys. The founder, a Sunday School Teacher, had trouble with his Sunday School class. The boys were unruly, and talkative and would not listen during his lectures. He got the idea of having the boys on a weeknight to instill discipline and train them to become responsible citizens.

All this was during the era of World War I as boys desired to be enlisted in the army one day. Discipline was effective through drill and wearing a uniform. This improved their self-respect through tidiness and cleanliness as they were watched by their peers.

The Boys' Brigade is essentially a religious movement, and a local unit or company could only be enrolled in a church or Christian body, The movement as a whole is interdenominational and any training with religion is incomplete, lopsided, and inadequate.

The Boys' Brigade provides an avenue for Christian churches in its outreach to boys. It is not only provided useful training and healthy interest for boys who are already within the family of the church but also gives the means to carry out the church's missionary task of recruiting the boy "from outside". It brings him and quite often his family too in contact with the church and all it stands for. Therefore, the church must play its part in the Christian development of the company.