1st Fraserburgh Boys BrigadeThe #140baton was received earlier this evening from 4th Peterhead at the top of Kinnaird Head Lighthouse to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the Boys Brigade. Where the Lighthouse was lit in Boys Brigade blue for 140 minutes to celebrate the occasion.
The baton will be with us for the next week as it continues its travels around Scotland.
Many boys and officers from all sections met to celebrate this momentous occasion. 
Anchors & Juniors Enrolment: Tuesday 29th August 6:30-7:30pm
First Night back: Tuesday 5th September
Company Section Joint Enrolment & First Night Back: Friday 1st September
If you would like to find out more information about joining, please drop us an email on 1stfraserburgh@thebb.onmicrosoft.com
It is with great sadness that we heard that Lieut. Andrew West, officer in Company Section for over 35 years and former Queen’s Badge Advisor to Buchan Battalion, passed away on Thursday this week. Andrew was an active officer right up to the end of last session when he took the photographs at our parent evening presentations.
Andrew was well liked and respected by all officers and boys and he will be a great miss on Company Section evenings. His expertise and knowledge was passed on over the years through our badgework programme and this will be sorely missed as we all liked hearing his stories and seeing his photographs of Fraserburgh in the past and hearing about his adventures on his travels.
Our condolences go to his sons Malcolm and David and the wider family at this sad time. Funeral arrangements will be announced in the Press and Journal and Buchan’s Facebook page tomorrow.
The family have intimated that they would appreciate all Boys’ Brigade boys and officers past and present, who plan to attend the funeral, wear their uniform or tie if possible.
Thank you.
It is with great sadness that we let our Auld Kirk friends know that Andrew passed peacefully this week to be with the Lord. He was a faithful Elder for 46 years and was our official photographer for all our church events and activities. He was a great BB officer and was the Queen’s Badge adviser for over twenty years. He was always kindly, always with a smile on his lips and he enjoyed life with his late wife Chris and his sons Malcolm and David. Our sympathy goes out to them and their families on their sad loss. ( Funeral arrangements later from Buchan’s for a thanksgiving for Andrew’s life )
New session enrolment and start back dates and times.
Anchors and Juniors enrol on Tuesday 30th August 6.30pm – 7.30pm and new session starts on Tuesday 6th September:
Anchors 6.30pm – 7.45pm
Juniors 6.30pm – 8.00pm
Company Section enrols Friday 26th August 7.00pm – 8.00pm
and starts on Friday 2nd September 7.00pm – 9.30pm
We look forward to seeing you all again!
It was with a deep sense of shock and sadness that many of us heard of the sudden passing of Duncan Leel Jnr, aged only 40 years.
Duncan was a long-time member of the 1st Fraserburgh Company after briefly starting his BB journey in the 1st New Pitsligo Anchors. In 1992/93, when the 1st Fraserburgh Company Band was reformed, Duncan was quick to sign up. Learning the snare drum under Alastair Sinclair, he would go on to become senior drummer to the band. In 2002 he was appointed Bandmaster of the Company Band and served in that post for the next 20 years. Under his tenure the band had a number of successes at the BB Scottish Band Contests.
Followers from further afield will remember Duncan from the many Scottish Band competitions he attended as a boy, officer and bandmaster. In many respects many of his old boys will remember him most fondly for the same thing, from the days when the pilgrimage to the contest was an annual event. His band was also the Band for the Buchan Battalion, being called upon to cover our parades.
Between 2016-20, Duncan served as Officer-in-Charge of the 1st Fraserburgh Junior Section. It was something of a return, being a long-standing senior officer of the section for the decade between 2000-10. A popular officer in Juniors, he won the Officer of the Year award on a number of occasions. In total, Duncan gave upwards of 20 years service to the Boys’ Brigade as a staff member and Lieutenant in his company.
Away from BB he is perhaps best known for managing and then owned the Dick’s Sports business. Many an officer will know of his kindness in business, as there was always a wee BB discount of some description added to the final bill. This was a kindness and helpfulness he had in all spheres of life and something that will be missed by his many friends. Very recently Duncan had embarked on a new career as a bus driver, something he loved and was proud of, which makes his untimely passing all the more cruel.
The only son of Jessie and Duncan Snr, lately Battalion President, the thoughts of all in Buchan are with them both at this incredibly sad and difficult time. Their family within this Brigade will be there to support them, always.
This evening Lt Sheila Watt, Officer-in-Charge of the 1st Fraserburgh Anchor Boys, retired in her 47th Year in post. Sheila was the first and, until tonight, only OIC of the section which she formed in 1976 with other BB wives under the slogan “if you can’t beat them, join them”! Hundreds of upon hundreds of Fraserburgh’s young (to middle aged) men have passed through her section and many into the wider BB as officers.
As fate would have it our new Battalion President, Lt Marc Thomson, made his first public appearance in his new role to witness Sheila’s final night in charge of her section. The President was one of Sheila’s loons 1994-97, an association which he will always be proud of. The President handed Mrs Watt a private letter to mark the occasion. He was accompanied by Queen’s Badge Advisor and former Battalion President Michael Strachan, one of Mrs Watt’s old boys 1992-95, who was very keen to remind everyone he was Best Boy of 1995!
Duncan Leel Snr, Captain of the 1st Fraserburgh and another former President of the Battalion, paid touching tribute to Sheila’s many years of dedicated service to the Anchor Boys and the wider Company. It was his privilege, he said, to count her among his friends and to have the benefit of her experience over a 20 year friendship. Mr Leel presented Mrs Watt with a beautiful wristwatch with an engraving on behalf of the Company to mark her many years of dedicated service. Mrs Watt will be succeeded in post by her daughter, Tracy.
The Battalion President wishes to add his congratulations to Sheila on this outstanding achievement and to thank her for all that she has contributed to the Boys’ Brigade in Buchan.
Photograph (l-r): Capt. Michael Strachan (Best Boy, 1995), Lt. Sheila Watt OIC (1st Fraserburgh Anchors Boys), Capt. Duncan Leel Snr (Captain, 1st Fraserburgh), Lt Marc Thomson (President, Buchan Battalion).
The 1st Fraserburgh Company would love for you to come and join us! – We do lot’s of fun activities and games weekly.
All the Boys have a great time whilst working towards their awards and developing skills including Teamwork, Problem Solving & Physical Skills – all in a fun, safe environment!!
⚫ Anchor Boys (P1-3)- Tuesday 18:30 – 19:45
⚫ Junior Section (P4-6) – Tuesday 18:30 – 20:00
⚫ Company Section / Seniors (P7 – 19 Years) – Friday 19:00 – 21:30
All sections meet at the Fraserburgh Old Parish Church Centre.
To get it touch with them please email 1stfraserburgh@buchanbb.org.uk or visit https://1fraserburgh.boys-brigade.org.uk
We look forward to seeing you all their!!
Anchor Boy Section will enrol on Tuesday 31st August at 6.00pm. Forms and information can be collected from the Church Centre Door. Please adhere to social distancing requirement (1 metre) while waiting to collect you enrolment information.
Anchor boys will start back on Tuesday 7th September 6.30pm – 7.45pm in the church centre hall.
Junior Section will enrol on Tuesday 31st August at 6.30pm. Forms and information can be collected from the Church Centre Door. Please adhere to social distancing requirement (1 metre) while waiting to collect you enrolment information.
Junior section will start back on Tuesday 7th September 6.30pm – 8.00pm in the upstairs conference room.
Company section will enrol on Friday 3rd September at 7.00pm. Forms and information can be collected from the church centre door by parents who should adhere to social distancing requirement (1 metre) or by boys who are welcome to come into the church hall for a catch up session with officers.
Company section will start back officially on Friday 10th September 7.00pm – 9.30pm in the church centre hall.
We looks forward to seeing you all again. 😀⚓⚓
The exhibition marking 100 years of the BB in Fraserburgh is set to open on the 1st July 2021 with Fraserburgh Heritage Centre.
The exhibition was originally scheduled to open in April 2020 but was delayed due to COVID-19.
It features photographs and artefacts pertinent to the beginning and early development of the organisation in Fraserburgh. This includes the four big shields of their day which are all in Fraserburgh together for the first time since the 1960s.
