Yeap (standing) speaking at the 59th Brigade Council Meeting.
OVER 200 volunteer officers and members of the Boys’ Brigade in Malaysia took part in the 59th Brigade Council Meeting at A’Famosa Resort in Alor Gajah, Melaka.
Founded in Glasgow, Scotland in 1883, the Boys’ Brigade (BB) is the first uniform youth organisation in the world.
Since then, it has expanded to more than 60 countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Its objective, based on the Christian value of loving others, is the promotion of good habits such as obedience, discipline, self-respect among young people and developing them into leaders of exemplary character.
Partnering with more than 200 schools, the BB in Malaysia operates over 130 brigade companies in various states, with 10,000 members between the ages of seven and 19.
At the meeting, Brigade president Nicholas Yeap shared the vision of “Boys’ Brigade in Every School”, and encouraged officers from all over Malaysia to partner with more schools to start Boys’ Brigade, to develop young people to become strong pillars of society and the nation.
The Melaka State Boys’ Brigade’s 61st anniversary was celebrated in an appreciation dinner.
A collection of songs was performed by the Melaka Muar Boys’ Brigade Band with the two highest awards in the Boys’ Brigade – the President’s Award and the Founder’s Award – given to four outstanding young persons.
At the same time, 17 BB officers were given the 10-year service award to commemorate their unwavering commitment to the Boys’ Brigade.
Two of them spoke about their experiences.
Sergeant Adam Pang, 18, shared that he started to become addicted to bad habits in his early teens.
After joining the Boys’ Brigade, the care from his BB peers and officers changed his perspective and eventually his character, which led him to become a self-motivated young person.
He was then promoted to a non-commissioned officer (NCO), leading and helping others like him.
Matthias Boh, 12, spoke of his joy in BB, learning musical instruments and going for expeditions, marching drill and doing activities with other members.
He hopes to become an NCO as well in the future.
The 59th Brigade Council Meeting concluded with a thanksgiving ceremony for the 61st anniversary of the Melaka State Boys’ Brigade.
