The guiding force behind The Boys' Brigade at its beginning was the founder, Sir William Alexander Smith. His ideas and principles are a continuing inspiration of Officers and Boys alike.

When he was a young Sunday School teacher in Glasgow, William Smith used to worry that the Boys in his class were rowdy and he had difficulty keeping them quiet in order to teach them. but on Saturdays, as an Officer in the Volunteers (part of the army of that time) he could get many men to do exactly as he wanted when he drilled them. Why couldn't the Boys in his Sunday School be like the Volunteers?

Suddenly the idea came to him that if the Boys met together to do drill during the week, then perhaps they would be better behaved on Sundays. So The Boys Brigade was started. Very quickly it was clear that this was just what Boys were needing and soon other Companies were formed.

For thirty-one years Sir William Smith was Secretary of the Brigade, and Captain of the 1st Glasgow Company. He died suddenly in London on 10th May, 1914.

The Man
*Born 27 October 1854 at Pennyland House, Thurso, Scotland.
*Started The Boys' Brigade in Glasgow on Thursday, 4 October 1883.
*Became full-time Brigade Secretary in 1888
*Knighted, July 1909 by King Edward V11
*Died in London on 10th May 1914.

Founder's Day
The last Sunday of October each year is observed as Founder's Day.
(From BB Hand Book Malaysia, Third Edition)