Open Letter to Parish       (Boy’s Brigade Killeshandra Branch )

Boys’ Brigade began again on Monday, November 3rd, in the church hall in Killeshandra. Anchor Boys (Senior Infants to 5th class) runs from 7.00 to 8.00 p.m. and Junior Section runs from 7.45 to 9.00 p.m. each Monday evening through to Easter, 2009.

Due to the need to provide for the Company Section we still need an additional number of leaders (or helpers) to assist with each session. In particular I would like the assistance of the men in the parish.

The object of the BB is “the advancement of Christ's kingdom among boys and the promotion of habits of obedience, reverence, discipline, self-respect and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness.” To grow to meet this objective the boys require role models who understand and support Christian beliefs as well as the role of men in the Christian and wider communities.

Popular culture teaches our children that boys and girls are essentially the same, they have the exact same rights and can fill the same roles in society. There is even some debate on whether or not men have been made redundant by modern technology. As Christian parents we can accept that in some ways our sons and daughters are very much alike, however we also realise that in other ways they are very, very different. We also understand that our God created men and women for different purposes—one is not more important than the other, one is not better than the other and both are equal in the eyes of God, but we are created to be different. For this very reason boys need men as role models to teach them how to be men, to help them understand their role and to find that important place God has for them in their family and/or community.

The BB is very much in need of men who are willing help Anchor Boys and Junior Section on Monday evenings (or to work with the Company Section at whatever time they meet) in order to advance the object of the Boys’ Brigade and develop the boys in “all that tends toward true Christian manliness.” The activities are largely pre-planned and easy to lead and the sports are low intensity and quite easy to supervise. Helpers can be any age, married or single, a father. Grandfather or not a parent at all. To get involved please call Andrew Pierce, Captain, 1st Killeshandra Company at 049‑4339118 or 087-1705888.