Author Topic: Boys' Brigade - Birmingham Companies  (Read 21045 times)

Peg Monkey

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Re: Boys' Brigade - Birmingham Companies
« Reply #22 on: October 15, 2018, 09:10:52 PM »
It was a Friday Night Drill Parade and I was working towards completing the DofE (Duke of Edinburgh) Gold Award when a young officer approached me and asked "Col Sar'n't Monkey, got a job for you, I can't make parade next Friday can you take the DofE training class?" I agreed and the day after the class the officer asked: "How did it go?" "Ok, I think." I replied.
The conversation continued and it was obvious something had gone badly wrong, apparently I had worked to the wrong topic - I was supposed to deliver a lecture on expedition meal planning - no more complicated than throwing a few baked beans into a saucepan but instead I took the wrong class handout from the filing cabinet and I delivered a talk on advanced compass bearings, the officer asked with a smile: "The class consisted of rookies doing their bronze level, most of 'em can't hold a map the right way up, didn't their blank looks give you a clue!?" "No, I thought they were concentrating!" I replied. :-[
Ah Well! that's life!.
Peg.
P.S. Apparently I should have worked to the light brown paper hand-out, not the white - I don't remember him saying that.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Boys' Brigade - Birmingham Companies
« Reply #23 on: October 16, 2018, 02:17:45 PM »
Of all the activities I undertook whilst in the BB the one that stands out is playing the drum - I adored it, particularly when I was part of the Battallion Band on the city parades, The 3rd Sutton band was also asked to lead the Litchfield Carnival c1963, it poured with rain, we had the old style drums at that time and had to stop playing, the drum skins got so wet. Even now if I get half a chance and there is a drum in sight off I go.
A while ago I worked evenings in my local school and I was the only one in, I used to take a drum from the music room and go to the main hall and give an impromptu concert to the ghosts of pupils past - on one occasion I invited my wife to a performance - she was well impressed.
Ah! The magic's still there!
Peg. 
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Boys' Brigade - Birmingham Companies
« Reply #24 on: October 19, 2018, 08:51:46 PM »
During my time with the BB (1960-67, I doubt it's changed much) new recruits were required to undertake a 6-week induction after which  they were expected to recite where and when the BB movement was formed and by whom, together with The Object and The Motto (see anchor emblem) before being accepted as a full member. The Object on the attachment is a blown up section of the bottom of the Knight on horseback poster posted earlier.



It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Boys' Brigade - Birmingham Companies
« Reply #25 on: October 19, 2018, 09:06:05 PM »
Do you know why this poster was produced? There is a clear Birmingham connection, the date on the banner, 1883, is the year the BB was founded and there is a church lower right I recognise but I can't name, I can only date the poster to pre-1986, and what is the horse trampling on? - The forces of evil perhaps?
You might just be able to read The BB's Object at the bottom. Over to you.
Peg.
Here's my theory about this poster - why would you put two 1883s? Someone looks like they've tried to manualy edit the date on the right without understanding its significance, is it 1983? If so it's part of the BB's Centennial Celebrations. I still can't throw any light on the Birmingham connection.
Peg.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Boys' Brigade - Birmingham Companies
« Reply #26 on: October 21, 2018, 05:04:59 AM »
The perfect expedition breakfast? - Baked beans a sausages in a tin - tasty, filling, nutricious, easy to carry, easy to cook.
Peg.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Boys' Brigade - Birmingham Companies
« Reply #27 on: October 22, 2018, 12:24:34 PM »
Salford Bridge Sports Stadium 1965 - I remember being tested for the fitness section of the DofE Silver Award for the right and wrong reasons - I'd been a member of the 3rd Sutton Coldfield Company football team from day 1 and taking the gym class so I was pretty fit, I'm sure this helped me to exceed all the targets for track and field events at the first attempt and my Record Book was signed off accordingly by an observing AAA official. The wrong reason? - I returned to the dressing room (completely open to the public) to find my money had been stolen from my trouser pockets (everyone who had used the dressing room had suffered the same fate) thankfully it was only a minor amount, but the sense of violation stayed with me for sometime. Fortunately a BB Officer had given me a lift to and from the venue otherwise it would have meant walking home to The Lyndhurst Estate, Erdington. (I know what you are thinking - No problem for someone claiming to be that fit!)
A valuable lesson on life's highway.
Peg.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Boys' Brigade - Birmingham Companies
« Reply #28 on: October 22, 2018, 12:31:15 PM »
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award - Silver, a milestone.
Peg.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Boys' Brigade - Birmingham Companies
« Reply #29 on: October 23, 2018, 04:31:16 PM »
As soon has I had completed the DofE Silver it was on to the Gold - for the Pursuits & Projects Section I decided to build a model glider - it was an impressive craft with a wingspan approaching 6ft, finished in Royal Blue and white livery it looked stunning, I kept a log of my progress, a requirement of that section of the Award.
Peg.

It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Boys' Brigade - Birmingham Companies
« Reply #30 on: October 24, 2018, 07:33:08 AM »
Englamd's World Cup Year 1966 - That's when my DofE Gold Expedition took place (May). I had a troubled start when the BB Officer's van broke down on our way to the meeting point, where I was due to team up with a lad from the 2nd Sutton Coldfield and 2 lads from the 62nd Birmingham Companies. I'd bought new boots for the occasion but for some unknown reason they were industrial instead of walking boots and they were too big - I suffered with blisters the whole time, anyway the 56 mile expedition over 3 days was successfully completed. O0
Peg.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Boys' Brigade - Birmingham Companies
« Reply #31 on: October 25, 2018, 09:58:29 PM »
Drill Competition - During my time (1960-67) with The 3rd Sutton we took part in the Annual Inter-company Drill Competition, which took place on a Friday evening at Kings Rise School, Kingstanding. It was quite a walk from The Company's base at Chester Rd Baptist Church, but walk we did, we didn't march in a column - traffic hazard. The whole company took part, in uniform, and the standard was extremely high; although I thought we were good we were never placed. I think it must have been a Divisional Competition because the number involved in a Battallion could not have been accommodated at the school in one evening, (or it could have been a heat in a big competition and we didn't progress  beyond the first round). Our band was never entered into the Band Competition - don't know why, again I thought we were pretty good.
Peg. :-\ 
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Boys' Brigade - Birmingham Companies
« Reply #32 on: October 26, 2018, 09:42:56 AM »
Fireman's Badge - I attended 2 nightclass courses at Sutton Coldfield Fire Station in 1965 for fire fighting, these qualified me for the Fireman's Badge and also helped me to complete the Rescue and Public Service Training Section of the Silver and Gold DofE Awards.
Peg.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.


 

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