A Brief History of 4th Miri

Many may not know that BB is the oldest uniformed youth organisation in the world, founded in Glasgow, Scotland on 4th October 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith. Today, BB has a presence in over 60 countries around the world, providing balanced and quality programmes with the prime objective of leading and supporting youths into a growing and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Object of BB is the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom among members and the promotion of habits of Obedience, Reverence, Discipline, Self-Respect and all that tends towards a true Christian Character.
Brother Frederick Wong (picture, left) caught the vision and under his tireless efforts and working with a few other church members, the 4th Miri Company Boys Brigade was formed in GMC in the early 2002. There were 20 boys (all of whom in Junior Section) and 9 officers in total. Brother Frederick was duly elected as the Captain of this young ministry. Other officers and helpers were Brother Edward Woodford, Sister Flor Woodford, Brother Ting Tung Yiw, Brother Anthony Ho, Brother Tan Teck Choon, Brother Moses Goh, Sister Margaret Lee and Brother Vincent Kueh.

By the grace of God, 4th Miri Company has grown steadily over the years. In 2005, Brother Frederick was promoted as the Honorary Captain, and Brother Clement Chin (picture, right) was elected as the new Captain of the Company.

The Principle of our Activities is seeking to win youths to the service of Jesus Christ and to develop in them the desirable qualities of Christian character. Our activities include Christian education, marching drill, camping, sports & physical training, arts & crafts, expeditions, brass band, community service, etc.

Our Motto is: SURE & STEDFAST, which is taken from Hebrews 6:19. The original Old English (King James Version) spelling of "Stedfast" has been retained. Our emblem is an anchor, which also stems from the verse "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, both sure and stedfast" (Hebrews 6:19).

Acknowledging its positive impact and influence on youths, BB is recognised by the Kementerian Belia dan Sukan Malaysia as a youth body and by Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia as a school's extra co-curricular activity. BB is also an affiliated member of Majlis Belia Malaysia and Council of Churches of Malaysia. In recent years BB has in partnership with the National Kidney Foundation to raise funds for the Foundation, and with Malaysia Aids Council to promote Aids/HIV awareness amongst youths.

Currently, 4th Miri Company has over 40 Boys with a regular attendance around 35. Brother Andy Chew took over as the Captain from Brother Clement Chin in 2008. The current serving officers and helpers are:-
Chaplain Rev. Law Hui Seng
Honorary Captain Frederick Wong
Captain Andy Chew
Lieutenant Ling Yong Hui
Lieutenant Margaret Lee
Lieutenant Roseline Lee
Lieutenant Edward Woodford
Warrant Officer George Ong
Instructor Simon Lee
Instructor Charles Ling
Instructor Chung Sheah Yih
Instructor Allan Ang

Our Weekly Parade is divided into 3 sections, namely the Senior Section (for Boys above 12), Junior Section (for Boys between 9 and 12), and the Pre Junior Section (for Boys below 9). Boys are eligible to gain many Badges of Awards based on achievements and attendance. There are 36 different awards in total. The highest honour a Boy can gain in the Brigade is a promotion to be a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO). There are 4 ranks as an NCO, i.e. Lance Corporal (minimum BB age 14), Corporal (minimum BB age 15), Sergeant (minimum BB age 16) and Staff Sergeant (minimum BB age 18).

Towards the end of 2008, we launched our recruitment campaign “Vision 100+”, aiming to expand this ministry to have over 100 Boys by 2010. We commit this vision into the Hands of our Lord as we humbly offer ourselves for His service. We encourage parents to send their sons to BB, and if possible also come to help in this ministry.

To God be the Glory.