Day: 1 May 2020

Message from President Duncan LeelMessage from President Duncan Leel

Message from President Duncan Leel
First of all I sincerely hope this message finds you all in good health.

As you will all be aware this week should have seen our last Battalion meetings, Council & AGM,  for the session and I was looking forward to giving my President’s report on what was turning out to be a memorable year for the Battalion. Instead as I write we are all in lockdown mode eagerly awaiting for the world to return to normality. 
Our year set off to a good start as we eagerly set plans in motion for our 50th Anniversary Parade in March to be followed by a fun event at Strichen in June. Badges were duly ordered and polo shirts organised as the excitement mounted. Competitions got off to a good start and for the most were well attended. We have a good working, supportive Battalion in Buchan for which I personally wish to thank everyone for the part they play both in their companies and in the various sub groups and committees we are all in. We are well informed through BB HQ and along with Beth Dobson and Alan McIntosh we are kept up to date in all aspects that affect our life and work as BB officers. The icing on the cake came in the form of the Battalion winning the Press and Journal mini bus competition which will benefit all companies in many forms.
As we are all aware by early March all activities had to cease as COVID 19 became part of our daily lives affecting people the world over. My sympathies go out to all who have been ill with the virus or who may have lost a loved one, relative or friend. We have through the support of the Boys Brigade online materials https://boys-brigade.org.uk/bbathome/  been able to give the boys support and activities to try at home through our Battalion and company Facebook groups. It is good to see photographs being posted and hearing what they are doing. 
What has been cancelled can be rescheduled as soon as it is possible to do so and this will include the 50th anniversary parade, fun event, Battalion meetings and for most companies some form of award presentation evening. 
In the meantime we will continue to keep you posted of any future developments and current office bearers will remain in post until our next meeting is convened. Keep safe and well till we meet again and I will leave you with this short reflection.
Duncan

A sense of a goose

When you see geese heading for the Loch of Strathbeg, flying in a “V” formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily, because they are travelling on the thrust of one another.When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are heading the same way we are.When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying.Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What message can we give when we honk from behind?Finally – and this is important – when a goose gets sick or is wounded  and falls out of the formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies; and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their own group. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.PrayerHeavenly Father give us the sense of a goose so that in all that we do or say we are kind and considerate to others at all times. Let us trust one another and work as a team towards our goals.We ask all this in Your Son’s name

Amen

COVID-19 ALL BB EVENTS/MEETINGS SUSPENDEDCOVID-19 ALL BB EVENTS/MEETINGS SUSPENDED

***IMPORTANT UPDATE***
BB Companies, Battalions and Districts are advised to suspend all meetings and activities with immediate effect across the UK.
The Boys’ Brigade has been carefully monitoring the outbreak of the Coronavirus across the UK and keeping up to date with advice issued by UK Government and other relevant authorities.
Following new Government advice issued today that everyone should stop non-essential contact with others and stop all unnecessary travel, it has been concluded that all BB weekly meetings/activities, events and trips should be immediately suspended.
We are currently exploring how we continue to provide opportunities for young people in the BB family to learn, grow and discover over the challenging weeks and months ahead. We will continue to use this page and our social media channels to provide updates.
If you have any questions please email at info@buchanbb.org.uk
We wish every member of the Brigade family every blessing.
https://boys-brigade.org.uk/coronavirus-managing-the-risk/

JUNIOR SECTION CHAMPIONS 2020JUNIOR SECTION CHAMPIONS 2020

Congratulations to the 1st Strichen & 4th Fraserburgh Junior Sections who are joint winners of the Sid Newlands Memorial Trophy!
This means they have accumulated the most points through the year at Battalion competitions.
It was a very close run thing and we thank the other companies in the battalion for their sense of sportsmanship with the early closing of the competition season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Well done to all who took part in competitions this BB session!

Fraserburgh Heritage Centre BB Exhibition 2020Fraserburgh Heritage Centre BB Exhibition 2020

Fraserburgh Heritage Centre BB Exhibition – This coming season Fraserburgh Heritage Centre will host an exhibition focusing on the formation of the Fraserburgh District Boys’ Brigade.

It charts the first 50 years up to the establishment of the Buchan Battalion in 1970.

The exhibition features some familiar BB items and photographs but also personal artifacts from the founders of the Fraserburgh movement as well as some of the most coveted prizes in the old Fraserburgh District.

The exhibition runs April-October 2020.

WINNER – P & J Mini Bus CompetitionWINNER – P & J Mini Bus Competition

Great News Today, The Buchan Battalion Companies rallied to collect minibus tokens and enter the P & J minibus competition sponsored by CNOOC. We managed to collect 11000 tokens, it was announced in this morning’s P &J that we WON. Thanks to all friends and family that helped raise the tokens. The news is just sinking in, we are chuffed.
Click here to view the Post on the P & J Website

JOE WATT 1938-2019JOE WATT 1938-2019

All in the Battalion were saddened to learn of the passing of BB stalwart, Mr Joe Watt, at the age of 81.
Mr Watt’s service in the BB started on 1st October 1950 when, at the age of 12, he was enrolled in the 1st Fraserburgh Company. He served through the ranks until 1956 when, reaching the upper age limit, he was discharged having given ‘good service‘ to the company. A skilled gymnast he competed with the crack PT teams, winning the Town Council Shield in his final year.
After national service Joe returned to help his company, being officially enrolled as Lieutenant with the Company in 1964. This saw a tough time for the company, which fell into temporary abeyance in 1969. What followed afterwards was perhaps Mr Watt’s greatest accomplishment in the BB: a leading officer in the Company Joe worked hard to revive the 1st Fraserburgh from a Company in abeyance to one of the strongest companies in the area. During his stint as Officer-in-Charge of Company Section from the 1970s until 1989, the section regularly enrolled 40-50 boys.
In 1988 he became Captain of the 1st Fraserburgh, taking over as “Skipper” from his old friend Alastair Sinclair. Serving in that post for 4 years he was clear who the most important people in the company were: “the boys ‐ without you there would be no Boys’ Brigade”. He saw the BB as an important means of delivering new skills to boys and, most important of all, to deliver them to a personal relationship with Christ.
When he retired in 1992, he did so believing it was now the turn of the next generation to lead.
His retirement was, however, virtually non-existent as the next chapter of his BB career opened instantaneously as a bandsman. Between 1992 and 2001 he taught and led the buglers of the award winning 1st Fraserburgh Bugle Band. He briefly served as bandmaster 2001-02 following the death of his great friend Mr Sinclair.
Joe also carried out a great deal of work for our Battalion. While the posts of Battalion high office never appealed to him, Joe worked for many years behind the scenes on the training committee and also as a member of the Company Section committee. By doing so he again worked hardest for the most important people in the organisation: the boys.
Following his second retirement in 2002 Joe did take more of a back seat but remained a dedicated supporter of the BB. As a respected Elder of the Church and BB he was often called upon as Inspecting Officer and his wife Sheila always had a job for him at the Anchor Boys parents night. There are hundreds of young men ‐ and some not-so-young ‐ around our Battalion who owe a great deal to Joe Watt for the time he gave in the hope of improving their chances in life. He is responsible for equipping a generation with new skills which undoubtedly gave them greater opportunities in life.
Upon becoming Captain in 1988 he remarked: “When the Company was started again 18 years ago, we had only a handful of boys. Many a Friday night we went home thinking, is it worth carrying on?”. We are grateful that he persevered!
At this sad time all at the Buchan Battalion offer our sincere and heart felt condolences to Mrs Sheila Watt, Joe’s devoted wife of 55 years, and their children Tracy and Peter, and grandchildren.

Capt M. A. W. Strachan
1st Rosehearty Coy.