The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-11-11
. BRIGADE OF BOYS
A GREAT ORGANIZATION To TEACH
PATRIOTISM AND RELIGION.
The Military Drill Found 20 he the
Most Effective leans Of Discipline
"A Widespread Movement
". II. Edwards, in Blue and Gray.

W. H. Edwards. in Blue and Gray.
Teach our young people the laws OF
our country. Give them some oppor-
tunity, however limited, to learn the les
sons of order. obedience and duty by
some means. To do this military drill
ing has been found efficient from earli-
est times. and 1t is equally so now. Few
young men are so occupied but that
they can find time for some regular ex-
ercise. The State militia organizations
are excellent schools of patriotism MIL
itary academies. both public and pri-
vate, also serve TO help on the good
cause. and the youngest boys Of all have
their Boys Brigade. The result OF this
military education is most satisfactory.
True patriotism is kindled and kept
afane from boyhood. through the act
i've years OF life. and. contrary to an
idea prevalent in some quarters. the
mere desire for fighting never enters the
hearts of the members Of these compa-
MES to rob them OF the lessons OF dis
cipiine and self-respect.
1t is the purpose of this article TO de-
scribe but one OF the many excellent or
SdlllLdtlOAic uudhluS AOA tuCcC SnfAaDi0
objects. This one is designed to help
the youngest of our youth, and has met
with wonderful success.
The Boys Brigade Is the largest or
ganization in the world for boys. It
numbers now nearly $4,000 members, OF
which some $4,000 are in the United
States. The movement is international
and now exists in all English-speaking
countries. And while the movement Is
primarily a religious one, it Ii thorough
ly interdenominationa1. being connected
with all the various Protestant
churches.
TIL history of the brigade is soon told
1t was started in Great Britain by Mr..
William A. Smith, an officer In he First
Lanark Rifles. Glasgow, Scotland. Mr..
Smith was teaching a class In a Glas-
cow Sunday school. when the inspira-
ton came to him OF using his knowledge
of military matters to obtain better dis
cipline among his boy pupils. He felt
sure that by banding them into a mill
tary for weekday drill he
could teach them valuable lessons-obe-
dience, reverence, patience, manliness,
neatness, punctuality-without their be-
ing conscious of 1t. and, indeed. almost
in the form OF an amusement
With this object in view. Mr.. Smith
called his boys together and explained
the idea to them. Receiving enthusi-
astic support from the boys themselves
and their parents consent. he organized
a company On the 4th of October. 1888.
Drill-real drill. not merely playing at
soldiers. but regulation drill. in its most
thorough forms-was instituted and
kept up during a whole winter. At the
end of the experiment the result was
successful beyond expectation The
school was transformed from its old
condition. Discipline and good manners
were acquired. the physical bearing was
improved, the moral character was
strengthened and the foundations of re-
ligious principles laid. Other companies
were speedily formed in the neighbor-
hood on the mode OF the first, and the
movement soon spread to Edinburgh
and London. and thence throughout
Great Britain.
WHEN ORGANIZED.
The first organized in the
United States was the First San Fran
cisco Company, formed Aug. 10, 1889, in
the Westminster Presbyterian Church.
at San Francisco. This company adopt
ed the plan Of the parent brigade I'm all
essential features. Other companies
were formed in quick succession. until
the growth of the work demanded a
central and controlling headquarters.
This was urged by the parent organiza-
1 llOu, III Will COluldl dUUIOtal ~
permanent organization was effected
Dec. 9, 1890.
This was the beginning of the Boys
Brigade Council in the United States.
elected officers. n began the publica-
ton of needed literature. This is the
original and only national organization
of the Boys Brigade in the United
States. 1t has had from the first the
sympathy and help of the executive
Il cnIIncil in GIaSVnV and while IN has
made needed changes and additions to
the plans and methods of the parent
brigade, ii has retained the name, crest
and essential features Of the constitu-
ton.
The Boys Brigade is a religious move
ment, but is nonsectarian throughout.
while the religious teaching may not
always be brandished before the eyes
of the boys themselves. in so man
words" says a prominent officer of the
brigade, IAN 1t would not be wholly
true TO the type of boy religion to over
advertise it. the brigade is never afraid
to confess it," And on the first page of
the brigade's earliest m stand
these words:
The object Of the Boys Brigade is
the advancement of Christ's kin edom
among boys, and the promotion of hab-
its of reverence. discipline, se~lf-respect
and all that tends toward a true Chris
tian manliness."
The brigade aims to cultivate q
healthful, positive Christian sentiment
among the boys, and to make them feel
that to be a Christian is the manifest
thing possible for them to attain. In
the words of the general secretary, Mr..
w. A. Smith: 1--WE max a point OF ac-
knowledging God in everything: OF put
ting Christ at the head OF everything,
and of trying to do IL In such a way
that a boy will always feel that the re-
ligious element in the work is a pleas
ure and not a bore"
The brigade, however. is, to a great
extent, conducted on military princi-
pies. When fully organized it has four
divisions:
First-The company, which is connect
ed with some church or Sunday school.
It's members must belong to the Sunday
school and the company is under the
supervision of the church authorities.
Second-The battalion. which consists
of two or more companies in any town
or district.
Third-The State council. which i'm
cludes all battalion and off,
GERS In the State.
~Fourth-The national council. which
consists of representatives chosen from
each State in which companies are en-
rolled.
The companies are differed after the
manner of companies i'm the United
States army. The commissioned officers
are young men approved by the proper
church authorities. The n~oncommis-