Rise, Build and Work for the Kingdom of God

Oct 07, 2016

KOTA KINABALU (Herald Malaysia): The Boys’ Brigade (BB) Kota Kinabalu Division successfully organised the 2016 Founder’s Day. This year, it was hosted by the Third Kota Kinabalu Company at All Saints Cathedral.

This joyous annual celebration, steeped in BB Heritage, was attended by approximately 350 Members and Officers from the KK Division, comprising 2nd KK, 3rd KK, 4th KK, 10th KK, 11th KK and 12th KK Companies.

The Boys’ Brigade Founder’s Day is celebrated annually to commemorate the life and work of the founder, William Alexander Smith who was born in October 1854 on the stormy north-east coast of Scotland. He was a Sunday School teacher at his local Presbyterian Church, near Glasgow, who was inspired to combine discipline with Christian religious instructions to the teenagers during his time of the Industrial Revolution. He was knighted by His Majesty, King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace in July 1909.

The guest of honour for this year’s BB KK Division Founder’s Day event was Reverend David Wong who represented the Anglican Bishop of Sabah. Rev Wong gave an inspiring sharing to BB Members based on the 2016 BB Sabah theme Building Up (Neh 2: 18). He reminded BB Members: “that we need to Rise Up, Build Up and Work Up for the BB Ministry and for the Kingdom of God”.

As guest of honour, Rev David Wong received the general salute and inspected the Guard of Honour comprising 43 BB Members and 3 Officers from Kota Kinabalu Division of the Boys’ Brigade in Malaysia (BBM).

The 11th KK is not the only Catholic Boys’ Brigade Company in Sabah. The 4th Kota Kinabalu Company, sponsored under the Sacred Heart Cathedral was started in April 1982. Its founding Chaplain was the then rector, the late Fr Tobias Chi. 4th KK’s illustrious past BB Members include Fr Ernesto Lagan, Fr Samuel Lim (Singapore Archdiocese) and Fr Francisco Jude Basnayake, OFM whose sacerdotal ordination was in January this year at Stella Maris Church, Tanjung Aru.

Dr Chong Siaw Fung, the Organising Chairman of the BB Sabah 50th Anniversary Camp promoted it during Founder’s Day. He said that some 600 local and overseas BB Campers are expected at the Camp next year. He appealed to everyone to pray hard for God’s blessings and intervention upon this special Golden Anniversary Camp. He reminded everyone that “this is a once in a lifetime experience, so make sure you are there next year”.

At this Founder’s Day, there were three special BB Award recipients. Private Athanasius Lin of 3rd KK was awarded the Junior Gold Award. Corporal Wong Yi Heng and Staff Sergeant Nixon Chong, both from the 3rd KK Company were the recipients of the President’s badge, the second highest award for the Senior Section in the BBM. They were elated and were proud to be awarded these badges. The other BB Members were full of admiration for these three boys’ achievements.

If any reader would like to find out more about The Boys’ Brigade, please contact Mr Neil Mah, who is also the BB KK Division Chairman at 013-879 8415.

Testimonies from those in the Boys’ Brigade

During his testimony, 12-year old Athanasius Lin Zhan Mao, a Senior from the 3rd Kota Kinabalu Company, shared about his passion in joining the Boys’ Brigade. “I have joined the BB for 5 years now. At first I did not want to join the BB — my father forced me to. Anyway, through the BB, I have learnt new things, especially good virtues like teamwork and punctuality. I really want to gain lots of badges and, of course, new skills and knowledge too!”

Junior Boy Sean Ho, from 2nd KK, shared during his testimony that what he loves about the BB is the discipline and smartness. This pupil of Chung Hwa Likas revealed that he “also learnt to read musical notes and play songs on the flute. My favourite is when we get to play Captain Ball, go camping and have fun outings during school holiday.”

Neil Mah, Captain of the one-year old 11th Kota Kinabalu Company sponsored under the Stella Maris Church, Tanjung Aru, shared that the Object of the Boys’ Brigade has always been “The Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom amongst Boys, and the promotion of habits of Obedience, Reverence, Discipline, Self-Respect and all that tends towards a true Christian Manliness. So it’s no surprise that BB Members, past and present, speak of military values and manly Christian virtues openly with no qualms. Such ‘steadfast’-ness is hard to come by in this age of secularism, subjectivism and relativism.”