Welcome

Wednesday 2nd January 2019

Andy Warhol once said “The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting.” Well that certainly applies to the festive season and I am sure we can all remember children, just longing for Christmas Day to come along. I am not long back from a walk around town and already preparations for the festive season are in full swing. Lights are going up, glittering decorations are appearing in the shops and festive menus are being displayed in hotels and restaurants. By the time you read this, Advent will be upon us and the final countdown to Christmas will be well underway.

Hopefully, all your plans for Christmas will come to fruition, but remember it doesn’t always have to be like the John Lewis advert and never forget that for many people this is often a difficult time of the year. Anticipation is a great thing and there are many other events during the year that we enjoy looking forward to. As a youngster in the BB, camp and expeditions were great highlights and there was always a lot of speculation about which NCOs would be the tent commander and whose tent you would be in. Going around the Brigade I can still sense that sense of excitement as Leaders and young people look forward to BB events whether it is a weekend away, a sleepover or Battalion event.

All of us spend time a lot of time planning and preparing for different BB events or meetings but it is also imperative to occasionally stop and try to look beyond the immediate future. Our new Raise the Bar campaign highlights the need to do just that. The first Brigade Executive meeting of the new session took place in October. Eight new members were present and we deliberately took time out before the meeting to share everyone’s vision for the Brigade for the next few years. It was exciting to hear different thoughts and to share possible plans for the future. The trustees are now working to develop a new strategic plan and I know they are keen to engage more with the membership as we aim to grow and develop the Brigade.

Advent of course is not just a time for waiting it is also a time for hope. We know that God is with us and I am sure he will show us the way forward. As we prepare for Christmas we can also pray for the future of the Brigade and together remember that great advent hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”.

Bill Stevenson
Brigade Secretary & CEO