Double National Competition Success

Friday 21st April 2017

A team from 1^st Bearsden Company has won the BB National Masterteam Final 2017 – following up from their recent success in the Chess finals.

Six BB teams made up of members from 1^st Bearsden, 1^st Polmont, 1^st Guildford, 1^st Cheslyn Hay, 1^st Ardstraw and 4^th Newtownabbey won through to the final, held in Belfast last week.

It was John McEwan, Greg Wood, Ross Brown and Fergus Hempel from 1^st Bearsden who scooped this year’s championship in a quiz tournament which included rounds on general and biblical knowledge, famous landmarks, history and famous faces.

The team from 1st Ardstraw Company was pipped at the post to come in as runner up at the BB National Masterteam Final 2017.

Adam Mcfarland, Andrew Dunbar, Peter Reid and Henry Dunbar were strong contenders in the final but lost out to the team from 1^st Bearsden from Scotland.

The National Masterteam competition is one of a series of competitions in which BB members from across the British Isles take part.

The win by 1^st Bearsden has provided double success for the company this year as its team clinched the national chess title last month.  Two of the Masterteam team members – John McEwan and Fergus Hemmel – were also part of the winning chess team.

Bill Stevenson, CEO, The Boys’ Brigade UK & RoI, said:

“Congratulations go to all the teams who reached the final in Belfast, but a special mention should go to this year’s champions from 1^st Bearsden.  All the finalists showed great concentration, calmness and trust in one another.

“The final was a first-class event and underlined the time and dedication our volunteers commit to supporting BB members.

“Competitive events such as the Masterteam not only challenge our members, but they give a real sense to young people that they are part of a much larger organisation.”

The competitions have proved popular and provide an opportunity for young people to develop and enjoy a wider BB experience.  Each competition operates initially on a regional basis and then the top team from each region meets for the final.

Member of the winning 1^st Bearsden team, Greg Wood, commented:

“I had a wonderful experience of the competition. All Companies that took part created a tense final which made it enjoyable to those who participated. Hopefully this will encourage others to take part in future competitions”.

Graham Sharp, captain of 1^st Bearsden, added:

“The 1st Bearsden has been a regular participant in national competitions for decades but only this year have we found ourselves in the final of one.

“I’m delighted for John, Greg, Fergus and Ross following all the hard work and revision that they have put in throughout the year. We would never have anticipated winning one let alone two competitions, so it’s fair to say 2017 will be a very memorable year in the Company”.

You can learn more about the Brigade-wide competitions here.

Tags: masterteam, national competitions