What is BB to Me: KL State Boys' Brigade

By Private Darren Tan of the 10th Kuala Lumpur Company

Published December 19th, 2014

What is Boys Brigade people always ask? They always say it is just another uniform body that has a cool uniform but requires you to polish your boots, belt and runners at night or early in the morning to make sure you don’t get push ups. They also say you need to wake up early in the morning just to go for band. Let me tell you something - The Boys Brigade is not what you think. It is a uniform body that teaches you how to be discipline, how to be a good leader , teaches you that when you are at BB it is "one down, all down" .. there is no "me" in the Company, and it can also help you to grow closer to Christ.

First I want to talk about discipline. In the BB we need to be discipline such as when we do footdrill, needing to remember that we cannot move at-will but maintain self-control, and we need to follow commands from the right person. We cannot fool around when it is time to be serious and we have to know what we have the right to do and not to do.

Next, BB teaches you how to be a leader. In BB we have NCOs. They are the ones who help out the captain and officers. To be a NCO, you need have good leadership skills so that you can help take care of some of the members in the Company. Besides that, you also need to show responsibility to become a NCO. You need to do your job assigned to you, finishing it in time, and when there is a problem don’t blame others for it, but instead to acknowledge and meet our legal-moral obligations. To be a leader you also need to do what you can to make things better and set a good example for the recruits or private to see and follow.

The Boys Brigade also teaches you that in BB it is one down all down. When we are a Company, we need to work together and take care of other members besides ourselves. When one person has done something wrong, the whole Company will bear the consequence. This may not seem fair, but it teaches us to take care of others so that they are considerate of others, making sure they minimise mistakes. The Boys Brigade is a Company, not a solo thing. A Company must be united among members so that it can succeed in everything the Company does.

Next, The Boys Brigade also helps us to grow closer to Christ. The Boys Brigade object is “ The Advancement of Christ Kingdom among Members and the promotion of habits of Obedience, Reverence, Discipline, Self-Respect and all that tends towards a true Christian Character. Boys Brigade is a Christian based uniform body. We can also lift up God’s name through The Boys Brigade because it teaches us Christian faith.

Through Boys Brigade, I learnt many new things and I have gained much experience. The truth is I failed my Target badge test twice because I didn’t study and I was childish so I intended to quit BB. But ultimately, I did not quit and I continued to stay on. To be honest, if I resigned, I would have never forgiven myself. To me Boys Brigade is a very good and meaningful uniformed organisation. I hope that many people will join, and stay, because The Boys Brigade really helps a person a lot in life.

Page Created: 19th December 2014
Last Updated: 19th December 2014