Brigades Enrolment 2011

The annual enrolment service of the 1st Kuching Company, the Boys’ Brigade and the Girls’ Brigade was held at the St. Thomas’ Cathedral on Sunday, 31 July 2011 at 8.15am service. The service was started by the marching in of the colours. The service was also held to coincide with the Youth Sunday of the Anglican Diocesan Youth Council (ADYC), which are organisations of all Anglican youths under the Diocesan of Sarawak and Brunei.

The Brigades’ Chaplain, Very Revd Michael Buma Galami, who is also the Dean of St. Thomas’ Cathedral, presided over the service. This service was witness by the Brigades members from other churches, members of Stedfast Association, parents, friends and church congregations.

The service was ended at 9.45am with the marching out of the colours and then follows by light refreshment. The 8.15am Choir Ministry members rendered the praise songs. The Brigades wish to thank all present to witness the enrolment service.

1st Kuching Boys' Brigade celebrated 50th anniversary

The 1st Kuching Boys’ Brigade celebrated its 50th anniversary on Saturday, 23 July 2011 in a grand reception dinner at Sarawak Club, Kuching.

The celebration brought together former officers and boys of the 1st Kuching Company who have served in the company over the past 50 years, some of whom came from as far as Australia, New Zealand, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

For many of the former officers, who were already in their 60s and early 70s, the occasion provided an excellent opportunity for a memorable trip down memory lane and a renewal of old ties.

Founded on 17 December 1961, the 1st Kuching Company was the pioneer of the BB movement in Borneo. It was the initiative of Charles Henry Ingka who, after spending years during the colonial era in Singapore, came back and introduced the idea of setting up the first BB Company at the St. Thomas’ Cathedral. (He has been with a BB company in Singapore for many years before coming back).

Months later, the 1st Kuching Company was established, with Ingka as its founding Captain. Joining Ingka were the Kedit brothers, Albert and Peter, who grew up in Singapore and served in a BB Company in the island republic.

The 50th Anniversary Celebration was also held to coincide with the 3rd Regional Games and Fellowship of the Stedfast Associations, which are associations of former officers and boys of the Boys Brigade in the region. Participating in the regional meet were delegates from the Stedfast Associations of Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Kuching. They were also guests at the dinner to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the 1st Kuching Company of the Boys’ Brigade.

In his address, the present Captain, Mr. Norman Ng paid tribute to past captains, officers and chaplains for their contributions in making the company strong and stable and for guiding the boys towards Christian manliness. He also called on present officers and boys of the company to take stock of the past, righting the wrong and overcoming the challenges, with the view to setting their sight on achieving higher goals and targets in the BB days ahead.

The highlight of the anniversary dinner was the cutting of the anniversary cake by past and present captains of the 1st Kuching Company along with chaplain the Very Revd Michael Buma Galami, followed by the launching of new 1st Kuching BB logo and band display by former officers of the company.

The Boys Brigade was founded by Sir William Alexander Smith in 1883 in Glasgow, Scotland. It has since spread its wing to almost all the Commonwealth countries and today the movement has about 500,000 members in 60 countries.

Adapted from the Borneo Post dated 31 July 2011