BOYS’ BRIGADE NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23680, 13 September 1940, Page 12

BOYS’ BRIGADE NOTES

[By Chum.] Thought for the Week. “If we are to overcome difficulties, then we should face them.” In our company life as well as our everyday life we will come up against all manner of temptations, obstacles, and difficulties. No matter what we do they always seme to be there. _ It is no good trying to evade the reality of their existence. They won’t seem anything near so difficult if you face them. Battalion Notices. Annual meeting at Central Mission parlour on September 28. Football competition on October 5. Entries close with the secretary on September 30. Juniors, under 14; seniors, 14 and over. Annual church parade at Knox Church 'on October 20. Entries are called for the ambulance examination. South Sea Contrast. In a beautiful leafy grove not far from rlie shore of the island of Rarotonga there stands a great stone —a stone of .many memories. What a crowd there is.' Let us push forward and see what it is all about. It is a great Christian congregation, and in the centre are the familiar white haversacks of the Boys’ Brigade uniform. Here are the five llarotongan companies of the Boys’ Brigade. The 300 members, looking so smart, are singing from our Boys’ Brigade hymnal to music provided by their own band. This occasion is the dedication of the colours, and the preacher is using the text “ What mean ye by these stones? ’ And what is the meaning of this stone ? Come back to 1823. Once again the stone is surrounded by a great crowd, not an orderly parade of Boys’ Brigade boys and parents, but a jostling crowd of painted savages brandishing spears and clubs, and the atmosphere was unfriendly. There, standing on the stone, is the heroic Papeiha, and for the first time the great-grandfathers of our Bovs’ Brigade brothers were hearing the good news of Jesus Christ proclaimed by happy-faced visitors from a neighbouring island. The flame of love has shone across the arches of the years, and surely His spirit must have rejoiced at the scene enacted on the same shore so many years later.

Badges and Certificates. The arts and crafts badge is awarded to boys over 14 years of age who are members of classes held by the company for singing, instrumental music (other than bands), drawing, carpentering and woodworking, metal work, artistic designing, or other subjects, and who have attended regularly for two complete sessions of not fewer than 12 classes each, and have attained a satisfactory standard of merit in their work. Band, Bugler’s, Drummer’s and. Piper’s Badges.—For these badges boys must have served in the band with good conduct for two complete sessions, with an average attendance of 90 per cent, of band practices, the minimum number of which must be 25 per session. They must also fulfil the conditions given for the band and piper’s badge. (To be continued.)

Company Reports. 7th Dunedin. —At the conclusion of last Friday’s drill parade there was a short sing-song, followed by supper. This proved most enjoyable. At Bible class on Sunday Mr \V. H. Tubb told the story of Nansen, the great explorer and League of Nations worker. The annual Rugby game with 12th Dunediu is set down for Saturday, September 21. The 11th Dunedin (South Dunedin) .Company held its parade with 17 boys and officers present. In the absence of Captain Hislop, Lieutenant A. Downie was in charge. After inspection and devotions Staff-sergeant Panting put the company through its drill. Corporal Brighting tlicn took a squad for ambulance, and Lieutenant Downie a squad for bar and mat work. All were pleased to welcome back their old bugle band instructor, Mr Lee, A game of baseball concluded the parade.