Boys' Life Brigade Displays & Competitions - The Boys' Brigade Archive Trust Museum

Boys’ Life Brigade Displays & Competitions

From the very beginning Companies were encourage to form themselves into Battalions, the purpose detailed in the constitution: The objects of a Battalion Council are to promote the formation of new Companies within its own district area;…. to arrange Battalion displays, drills and competitions;…. and generally to promote the cause of the BLB in the district.

The Life Brigade Chronicles are full of stories recounting the public Displays, Route Marches, Drills and Completions held at local Battalion and district level, as well as many Company displays. By 1903, the London Companies were hosting the Crystal Palace Display, and by the 1920’s two nation Competitions were being held for Swimming and Life-Saving, and National Efficiency.

Crystal Palace Displays

Public Displays were an import way of demonstrating the work of The Boys’ Life Brigade to the general public and the largest of these were the Crystal Palace Displays in London. As well as the customary Drill and Band displays, being held outdoors in the ground of Crystal Palace provided the opportunity to demonstrate rescue from fire and water. The boating lake at Crystal Palace providing the venue for the water based displays, and on many occasions a replica building was constructed and set alight, to demonstrate rescue from fire as well as first aid, stretcher drill and fire fighting displays. Often held jointly with the Girls’ Life Brigade, many notable guests included Princess Mary in May 1921.

Darnell Competition – Swimming and Life-Saving Competition

Held annually, the Darnell Challenge Cup swimming and life-saving competition required teams of four to perform a number of timed swimming and water based life-saving activities in a local swimming bath or still open water. The timekeeper and judge had to be appointed by the Royal Life-Saving Society, and the times submitted to Brigade Headquarters. The Cup was awarded in October each year, with each member of the winning team receiving a silver medal, and each member of the runners up a bronze medal.

Following the union with The Boys’ Brigade in 1926, the regulations for the Boys’ Brigade Roxburgh Shield Swimming and Lifesaving competition was revised, splitting the Swimming and Lifesaving into two separate competitions. In 1928 The Darnel Cup was awarded to the runner up in the Roxburgh Shield Swimming, and from 1929 onwards it was was known as the Darnell Life Saving Competition. Teams of 4 had to undertake a series of timed swimming tests, as well as carry out rescues from water according to the BB manual in use.

Wier Shield – National Efficiency

Donated by John Weir, Vice-President of the BLB, The Weir Shield was awarded annually for National efficiency in The Boys’ Life Brigade, to the Company which received the highest average marks in an examination. The Brigade Executive chose three subjects, issued in January, of which four questions were set for each subject. The examination required all entrants in a Company to sit the 2 and a half hour examination together, invigilated by an independent officer. Companies which entered were required to have at least 50% of their members sit the examination of which only 1 in 4 could be above the rank of Lance-corporal. Introduced in the years prior to the union with the Boys’ Brigade in 1926, this may have only been awarded twice. The whereabouts of the trophy is unknown.