Members of the Scottish Parliament debated The Boys’ Brigade’s ‘Juniors 100’ in the chamber on Tuesday 5th December, the first ‘members debate’ since the summer recess.

MSPs from three political participated parties in the debate, which was called following a parliamentary motion welcoming the milestone marking 100 years of The BB working with the Junior section age group. Until 1917, The Boys’ Brigade only catered for boys aged 12 and over, but the introduction of the Boy Reserves in 1917 allowed The BB to offer a programme of activities to a younger age group.

The motion was brought forward by Alexander Stewart MSP, who is also BB Battalion President of Stirling & District.

During the debate, he said:

“I am proud of the organisation and what it stands for. It has unlocked and continues to unlock the potential of youngsters and I wish it continued success.”

A number of BB alumni are also members of the Scottish Parliament, including MSPs Fulton MacGregor, Stuart McMillan and Iain Gray, all of whom spoke in the debate.

Stuart McMillan MSP, the Parliamentary Piper, learned to play the pipes in The Boys’ Brigade. In his contribution to the debate, he said:

“Whether through team building, sport, charity activity, helping people to become good citizens or the many other activities that it does, The Boys Brigade delivers in every constituency in the country, throughout the UK and globally. It has been a force for good and it is a huge cause for celebration that the junior section is now 100 years old.”

You can view a video of the debate here. A full transcript of the debate is also available.

Tags: Juniors 100