Claudius Gumbs (second from right) in 2000, leading the First Company's marching band.
the boys are back
A
THE BOYS’ BRIGADES OF ANGUILLA ARE MAKING A COMEBACK AFTER A BRIEF PERIOD OF INACTIVITY.
A
fter being dormant for a few years, the Boys’ Brigade of Anguilla have recently been making a comeback. As one of the oldest and most respected of the uniformed youth organizations, the Boys’ Brigade was founded in 1883 by William Alexander Scott in Glasgow, Scotland. With its roots in the church, the BB was developed on the twin tenets of religion and discipline, to help boys in their educational, physical, social and spiritual development. Open to boys from 5 years of age, the organization allows them the opportunity to complete tasks and earn badges in a range of disciplines such as community service or drumming. The local Boys’ Brigade band has, for years along with other uniformed groups, Second Company of taken part in official Anguilla Boys' Brigade doing drills at Ebeneezer Methodist Church ceremonies such as the Anguilla Day parade. During summer holidays, it is common for each company to organize a camp for its members. Among other customs borrowed from the military, the Boys’ Brigade has ranks starting at Private, all the way up to Captain. Claudius Gumbs, who started as a boy, is the highest ranked active member of the local organization as a lieutenant, one rank shy of captain. He’s also in charge of the First Company of Anguilla Boys’ Brigade at Bethel Methodist. He pointed out that the boys currently have no uniforms, nor are there many active officers (adult members). He’s eager to return the group to its former glory. “There’s a lot of work to be done to get back to that level, but it will happen,” he says. With current numbers at around 50 boys and growing, between two companies—the other is at the Ebeneezer Methodist Church— he has good reason to be optimistic.