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44th Aberdeen Boys' BrigadeCompany Section
1999 Open Night
A Night to Remember for Captain John Allan
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Friday 7th May 1999
Inspecting Officer - Lt. Col. A. M. Flett BSc PhD
Chaplain - Rev J.F. Anderson B.D. F.S.A (Scot)
Staff - Lt. D. Tait, Lt. T. Crichton, W.O. J. Bailey & M. Harbord
This was a very special night for us all at the 44th. As well as being our annual parents Open Night it was the last one for our Captain, John Allan, who retires at the end of the 1999 session after a lifetime of involvement in the Boys' Brigade. Many ex-members had come along as did quite a few specially invited ex-officers and they all managed to take part in the evening at some point. It turned out to be a great night as you can see in the picture diary below.
Fall in / Inspection / Hymn / Prayer
The usual opening ceremony with Lt. Tait falling the Company in, handing over to Capt. Allan who marched on the colour party. The Inspecting officer makes his inspection. We sang our usual BB Hymn 'Will Your Anchor Hold' and our Chaplian Rev John Anderson led us in prayer. |  |
 | Drill
This years drill squad were put through their paces as always by our drill instructor Lt. Crichton. The display was a set piece of several drill movements of varying difficulty. The picture here shows the drill squad at the end of their routine. |
Games
A series of races. The recruits take on some of their brothers and sisters in a number of special team races. The prizes were chocolate eggs and the recruits didn't realise that the equipment had been rigged to allow the other teams to win easliy. It took a couple of races before the figured it out. |  |
 | Parallel Bars
The usual parallel bars display involving various different routines by each Boy in the team. The Boys use various methods to move over, along and onto the bars. Here we are in the middle of a routine. |
Radio Ga Ga
This was a drama item based on the 'Listening to the Wireless' sketch downloaded from the UK BB website I added some extra dialogue and jokes of our own to lenghten it and introduced an announcer and 2 crew members. Its basically four radio shows in one with each character interupting the next to produce some funny lines. Here you see the 4 main characters, the cook, the gardener, the mechanic and the nurse sitting around the microphone in the middle of the table. |  |
Interval and Collection
 | Seniors Fun and Games
The senior Boys demonstrated a series of relay style races which involve the exchanging of tokens from one end of the hall to the other. Here we used several different tokens with the Boys having to move them round in a specific order and from different ends of the hall. Once done they must collect the winners token from a table in the middle of the hall. As you go on the exchanges become more and more complicated. Its a close thing - just missed grabbing the plastic bottle from the table to clinch victory. |
Tug-O-War
We had a series of tug-o-war contests. There were the current seniors v's the 'old' Boys. These were ex-members who had come along and were persuaded to for a team. In the event the 'old' Boys won.The next round was a contest between the current staff and some of the Boys. The staff won. Here you can see the 'old' Boys nearest winning over the seniors. Well done to the 'old' Boys and thanks for being such good sports. |  |
 | Horse
The horse team this year also showed off their expertise by created 2 pyramids. This years horse display was one of the best we have produced for years. They did a series of vaults and even fooled the audience into beleiving that the smallest team member, would do a leap frog over the tallest, in an arch position, on top of the horse. At the last second little he dived through the middle and was caught at the other side. The staff of course had a couple of jumps too as you can see on the right. Well done to the horse team Boys on the best display ever. |  |
 | Captains Report
This goes on while the Boys get changed back into their uniform for the closing ceremonies. Its a chance for the Captain to outline what the Company has acheived over the year, our plans for the summer, some stats and that kind of thing. This year again we have done well at the Battalion table tennis championships and have a busy summer program planned including abseiling, 10pin bowling a BBQ and our camp in Orkney. This of course was Capt. Allan's last address and so for him especially it was a poignant one. |
Presentation of Prizes
After we fall in again the Boys are presented with the credits, badges etc they have qualified for since January and are brought to the front in groups to receive their envelopes from Mrs A. Flett, wife of the Inspecting Officer. We also present the 5 annual Trophies, 100% attendance awards and discharge certificates.This year we also had a promotion to make with Cpl Ewan McDonald being made up to Sergeant .
100 % Attendance Awards
There were 2 boys with 100% attendance this year.
Discharge Certificates
Two senior boys, Cpl Chris Murray and Pte Neil Logan having served in the Company Section for 7 years and having reached 18 were formally discharged from the Company. Both are moving away from home after the summer to study at Universities in Glasgow and Edinburgh. We all wish them both the best of luck for the future and hope that with the help of the Internet that they will keep in touch with through our web site and by e-mail.
 | Presentation of Prizes
These pictures show Chris Murray and Neil Logan receiving their discharge certifictes from Mrs Flett and on the right presenting the Wallace Cup, our top trophy, for best allround Boy. Our warmest congratulations to all the prize winners. |  |
Inspecting Officers Report, Vote of Thanks and The Queen
Our Inspecting Officer Lt. Col. Flett made his comments on a brilliant display and noted the hard work which had gone into all the items. The vote of thanks was given by Bill Sutherland, a former Captain of the 44th, he also paid an emotional tribute to Capt. Allan. We all stood for The Queen and then some surprise events took over. As the music stopped 3 bagpipers started playing the well known BB tune "The Blue Bonnets" and marched in and around the hall. As Captain Allan stood amazed a stream of specially invited officers, past & present came out from the audience to form up ranks at the rear of the Company. |  |
 This is Your Life in the Boys' Brigade
Once the pipers stopped Lt. Tait appeared carrying the 'Red Book'. Over the next 10 minutes tribute was paid to a lifetime of devoted service to the 44th by Captain Allan. He has had an amazing 54 year history in the Boys' Brigade.It was destined to be, born on North Woodside Road, the same place in Glasgow Sir William Smith founded the BB, he moved to Aberdeen as a young Boy and joined the 44th Aberdeen Lifeboys here at Mannofield. He rose through the ranks of the Company Section to become a Lieutenant in 1959. He served alongside Captain Bill Sutherland for many years before becoming Captain himself in 1978. For the last 21 years he has seen the Company through thick & thin, good times and bad, through personal sickness and health. An amazing record by an standards. Included in the 'Book' is a 40 years service certificate from the Aberdeen and District Battalion President. Mention was also made of his love of Orkney, of fishing and of the parallel bars on which he excelled as a young man. It was a fitting tribute to a worthy Captain.
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Presentations
To finish the evening some special presentations were made to Capt. Allan and his wife Maureen. First Cpl. Bertram presented him with a signed photograph of this years Company Section. Next Lt. Crichton presented a special gift from his 2 longest seving Lt's. An antique map of Orkney. Then it was on to Pte Gavin Sutherland to present Maureen Allan with a crystal vase and a boquet of flowers and then to Lt. Tait to make the main presentation of a barometer complete with BB logo and plaque. Finially Doug Corbett presented a special BB ice-cream cake in which everyone in the audience was invited to share.
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Refreshments.
The evening finished with a chance to relax with a cup of tea or coffee, have a chat with the other officers, parents, friends and Boys. A hectic night was over but for those who were there, and especially for Captain John Allan, it was a night to remember
My special thanks to all the Company section Boys, the many past and present officers, members of staff, parents and friends of the Coy. who turned up and helped to make the evening such a sucess.To the 3 pipers, themselves ex-44th Boys and finaily to Alan Murray who spent a lot of the evening darting around with a camera. Thank you all very much indeed.
Lt. Dave Tait
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Open Night 1999 - Captain John Allan Retires
