INSPIRATION, PERSPIRATION AND DETERMINATION:

The formation of 2^nd Canberra Boys' Brigade Company. 

Phil Mills talks about the work that went into the establishment of the 2^nd Boys' Brigade Company at Canberra Baptist during the first few years in which the Company was set up in the 1950s. In his article Phil mentions the history of the Boys' Brigade in Australia 1882-1976 ("Boys, Urchins, Men" by 
Dr Michael Hoare). We have a copy of the history in our archives. It was kindly donated by Grant Taylor. The official history mentions the work of Phil and 
Betty Mills, Grant Taylor, John Knight, Rev. F. P. McMaster and 
Derek Butterfield. 

Early in his Canberra ministry the Rev. F. P. McMaster was looking for ways to expand the youth work among the "Baby Boomers" generation. Many of these youngsters attended Sunday School, with the assistance of a pick-up service provided by the young men of the church. This service operated on the south side of the Molonglo River (there was no lake until 1964). The area was fragmented. The western end (around the Brickworks area of Yarralumla) and the eastern end (Narrabundah pre-fabs - 1^st to 21^st streets - now Kiera Street to Nimbin Street) were separated from the rest of southside housing by empty space. 

John Knight and myself were asked by Rev. McMaster to form and run a Brigade group. Once we had studied the available Boys' Brigade manuals, it was clear that we would need at least 30 boys who were 13 years or older to form a Company (as required by the Boys' Brigade). We simply did not have those numbers. At that time the Boys' Brigade did not consist of a Number 1 and a Number 2 Section. It only catered for boys over 12 years of age. Life Boys existed for boys less than 13 years of age. 

As a result we decided to start a Life Boy Team of 8 - 12 year olds. The population of the ACT at the time was 10,000. Eventually a Life Boy Team of 16 boys was registered by London on 25 May 1955. (An Australian HQ had not been established at that time). The Company, 2nd Canberra, was later registered (in 1959) with the newly established Australian HQ. About 12 boys were moved up

Boys' Brigade on parade

from the Life Boy Team to No. 2 Section with John Knight as Captain. I remained leader in charge of the Life Boy Team. 

In 1952 one of the eight hostels on the south side of Canberra had been offered for sale. Our church bought one of the units for 120 pounds ($240). The Eastlake Hostel unit, which the church bought, had been located near the Railway Station, and had been brought to Canberra in the early 1940s to be used as Defence Force Barracks. After the war the units were divided up into eight rooms, with a passage down the centre, and used as living quarters for construction workers. These workers were subsequently moved into purpose built Government Hostels, making the old units redundant. 

Initially the Kindergarten Section of the Sunday School moved from cramped quarters at the back of the church into the newly purchased building. When the youth work got under way, however, the premises were taken over for youth work and converted into a youth centre. (The building is still on the premises and is currently rented out to "Fusion"). 

Once the premises became available, the task of selling the Boys' Brigade to parents and boys began. Door to door personal contact was made with families. Despite the work put into recruitment, only one boy turned up at first. The two leaders outnumbered him. The team grew from there on, with transport being arranged in much the same way as had been done for Sunday School.

Team BBQs were popular. At one of these a boy, with a sausage in hand, asked what to do with it. He was told: "Eat it!" only to reply: "I can't fit it in, sir, I have had seven". There was never a dull moment. 

For older boys some activities closer to company program were introduced. One was a camp in Mrs Armstrong's Murrumbateman shearers' quarters. At one of these camps the boys went exploring after dark and one boy walked into a sheep dip. We "fished" him out, washed him thoroughly, put him to bed and he was sound asleep before we could say "Goodnight!" 

From this situation, and following growth in our youth activities, Mrs Armstrong kindly donated land for use as a church youth camp. As the fledgling company grew men with Boys' Brigade experience joined the church and gave invaluable assistance to the company.

The Boys' Brigade and Girls' Brigade used the youth centre until Waldock Hall was completed. 

The late Dr M. E. Hoare entitled his history of the Boys' Brigade in Australia, 1882 - 1976, very aptly - "Boys, Urchins, Men".

P.V. Mills

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