By Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter
Dr. Horace Betton (left), the immediate past president of the Boys' Brigade Jamaica, talks about the relaunch of the organisation yesterday in Kingston. With him is Elon Beckford, a vice-president. - JUNIOR DOWIE/Staff Photographer
THE BOYS' Brigade of Jamaica has planned a relaunch of its programme, with an aim to revitalise itself and increase its membership. The objective of the Christian organisation, which is this year celebrating its 110th year of existence in Jamaica, is to promote habits of obedience, reverence, discipline and self-respect among males aged eight to 18 years.
Dr. Horace Betton, immediate past president of the Boys' Brigade, said yesterday that the anniversary is the perfect opportunity to re-focus and replenish the organisation. He noted that the mandate of the Boys' Brigade holds tremendous potential to benefit the wider society.
"We work hard with youngsters with an aim of developing them into men of integrity and character," he said. This, he added, would present spin-off benefits for a society that has become increasingly violent.
ACTIVITIES PLANNED
The relaunch of the Boys' Brigade will officially take place during the weekend of October 2224, for which several activities are planned, which the organisers hope will publicise the work and value of the group.
Among the planned activities is a staged run from King's House to Brown's Town on the 22nd, that will culminate at the Brown's Town High School where the group of about 300 Boys' Brigade members will stay until Sunday evening. During their stay, the group will be involved in a number of activities, including talent shows and sporting activities, in keeping with the mandate of self-betterment held by the Boys' Brigade.
Dr. Betton said he hopes that the weekend will help to raise the number of brigade members from the current 1,300.
He took the opportunity to boast that the Boys' Brigade holds the distinction of being the uniformed group that displayed the national flag to chosen communities for the first time when the island gained independence in 1962.
