Recalling Brigade Jubilee of 1933

Recalling the 1933 BB Jubilee

The company was established in 1887 a few years after the 1st Glasgow Company the high number (76) indicating the meteoric rise in popularity of the BB at that time! The company right through enjoyed large numbers and latterly had a very successful band under the leadership of Robert Rae whose son, Hugh Crawford Rae, is Jim’s late colleague. He was a very successful author later in life writing under the pen name of ‘Jessica Stirling’ as his novels appealed more to women.

One of the documents which surfaced is a commemorative BB Jubilee Bulletin from September 1933 produced in 28 pages by ‘The Glasgow Bulletin’ a newspaper of the day.

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Two of the many celebrations covered were the ‘Conventicle’ at Hampden Park in Glasgow and the Jubilee Camp held on Dechmont Hill at Cambuslang. At the former, on September 10, 100,000 BB members from all over the world attended a service led by the Right Rev. Dr Lauchlan MacLean Watt, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, to honour the movement which had for 50 years done so much for the youth of Scotland and of the world.

At Dechmont on September 8, almost by magic, a sea of canvas had appeared to house 3000 boys from across the globe; the largest youth camp ever held in Scotland.

The story of one boy telling a chaplain that it seemed impossible that anyone could be unaffected by the assembly and that the effect of Jesus in all their lives had been made so clear should still echo over the years and be worthy to be in our minds as this battalion prepares to celebrate its centenary.

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