August 2008

Dear Fellow Officers,

Our 40th anniversary celebrations are over and perhaps we are thinking of the saying 'life begins at 40'. While we can look back at successes in the past, now is an appropriate time to dedicate ourselves afresh to the work of our Battalion and Companies.

Your Executive has been debating how the Battalion can best help Captains and Officers to run their Companies more successfully. That was the main thrust of a questionnaire sent out at the beginning of June and followed up by a special meeting later that month to discuss the results.

It is very pleasing that out of 23 Companies twenty replies were received. Many ideas, some conflicting, came out of the subsequent meeting and your Executive will be discussing the suggestions made and putting into effect those which the majority feel will be of benefit to all our Companies. These will range from areas of training required for both Officers and Boys to the format of Battalion meetings and the necessary frequency of them.

The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church has this year taken as his theme 'Making a Difference.' As Boys' Brigade Officers the Lord wants us to make a difference in the lives of the boys in our charge. We hope that implementation of the results of the survey will go some way towards this but the main way is to commit all to the Lord in prayer and let Him guide us.

I would again commend to you the Battalion Prayer Diary which covers most aspects of our work and has an entry for each day of the month. It should be ready before the beginning of September and will be distributed to all Companies.

Please don't forget our Officers' Dedication Service to be held in Craigyhill Presbyterian Church, Larne on Sunday September 28. I look forward to seeing you there.

May God bless you in the new session. Go with Him and make a difference.

Yours sincerely,

Brian P. Smyth

Battalion President.