The Boys' Brigade Mountaineering Club

While we recognised that we had found working solutions to our problems, the situation in other BB Companies was worrying. There were clearly many BB Companies and Battalions where no leaders existed who were ready for our radical approach. It became clear that the opposition we had felt at the Council in Cambridge must have come mainly from Officers in Companies who perhaps felt they would be forced into activities which they did not favour, or were just unable to take on. It also became clear that there were others in the BB who were doing just what we were doing. Why not get these people together and help one another, and eventually help those who would not otherwise have access to adventure activities. So was born the idea of a National Club for BB members, meeting several times per year in the more accessible mountain areas of UK. The famous “Stedfast Magazine”, run with great dedication by E R Staniford and his staff, was invaluable. It published our invitation to BB Members to come to an Easter Camp in Wales in 1965, to which over forty Officers and Boys responded. The weather that weekend was not brilliant, but the fellowship was good, we did some good walking and climbing. And the BB Mountaineering Club was “up and running”. Membership expanded, and we were able to welcome members from both Scotland and Ireland to major Meets. We carefully monitored the skills and abilities of members, and suitable members were invited to join the Instructors’ List. In this way, we maintained good and safe techniques which were taught to all who joined. From the start, I and my family members spent many weekends in favourite camp Sites. We repeated the Cornwall Climbing Fortnight for the Club members, and ventured into Skiing Holidays, including using mountain huts in Scotland. We were occasionally visited by BBHQ staff. I think that they were well satisfied with what they saw, although the appearance of tents with heating and carpeted floors at Club meets was greeted with some scepticism by the Club! We in BBMC took every opportunity to feed our expertise into the BB, and those associated, for instance, with Cleveland Hike, will recall regular help and incidents provided by the Club Members and Instructors. There were several incidents where the Club provided the main manpower for Mountain Rescue operations, and dealing with a road accident. Ten years of operation were celebrated in 1975 with another Easter Camp jointly with Edinburgh BB Ski Club. We camped in a foot of snow, and spent our time skiing, struggling through deep snow on the hills, and we managed some snowand- ice climbing.

During that first ten years, we had successfully brought together a great BB resource, and some great characters who shared the common aim of introducing BB Members to the mountains, and of teaching sound mountaineering skills to all who joined us. Fortunately, we found them to be people of sound Christian background as well, so that evening prayers in the Club Tent would be simple, but always moving. As Club Leaders met annually to plan each following years programme, we could feel that a group was established which was dedicated to the needs of the BB. Needless to say, we found great comradeship among ourselves, and found friendships which continue.