BB Bugle Communication
Kia ora
Easter Message
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
1 Peter 1:3
One of the most powerful things we can do as human beings, is to say we are going to do something and then do what we said we were going to do.
Jesus said He would rise from the dead – something no one had ever done before and since - and He did!
His Resurrection is essential because it shows that we can trust Him; He is who He says He is always and forever, and we can place our full hope in Him.
As we head toward the Easter break we are excited to announce a discount partnership between BB New Zealand and Torpedo 7 available to everyone in our movement.
Blessings to you all.
Mike Brewer - National Director
0274 967 537
Looking Forward Looking Back
“I look back on my time at BB and believe it was foundational for me as a man” - John Hooker
The above quote from John Hooker, an old friend from Taranaki, who I spoke to as I searched out information about the BB movement, inspired me to take on the role as National Director at the beginning of 2021.
Recently I had the pleasure to reconnect with John on a Teams call and delve a little more into his history and time with BB.
John’s experience began at 8 years of age with Team Section (Adventure) and later moved into Company Section (Delta) situated on the Taranaki coast in Okato.
John loved the PE and acrobatics that started their meetings and the hair-raising shimmy across the rafters of St Luke’s Hall, with the guys pushing a mat across the floor underneath in case someone fell the nearly 4 metres to the floor below. A regret from this time was never quite mastering the full forward flip or ”Wolf Drop” off the vault horse, but the challenge was the highlight of their warmup. John also loved drill each evening and the polishing preparation that went into the uniform. A great memory was Okato beating all the other Taranaki units in a drill competition.
Exciting times were numerous camping trips, hikes, and other expeditions like rafting on tractor tyres down the Stony River.
A camping trip from Stratford inland to Whangamomona was made even more exciting by not succumbing to the the petrol fumes and using the vomit bucket in the back of the old Bedford van.
A poignant lesson learned was being told to empty your pack before a day trip but deciding not to, and lugging tins of Irish Stew and Baked Beans around all day and back to the starting point that evening. A lesson learnt about native plants and especially Stinging Nettles, by putting his hand into one, on a hike. The boys reminded John for some time with the expression “My hand is on fire!”.
Fond memories certainly outweighed the occasional bullying experienced in those days. Hurricane Lamps and the hunting goats adding to the rich memory of those formative years. The underlying experience and relationship with a creator God who you knew was there. A God who spoke to you through those experiences and who cared deeply for you as a growing boy built a faith foundation that has lasted for a lifetime.
John’s reflection and learnings through BB has given him a philosophy for life, which made him appreciate doing what is right, doesn’t equate to doing what is easy. By taking on the hard tasks, he has appreciated the success he has achieved, whether it be in terms of relationships, family or work and career.
His parting advice for today’s BB movement is to respect yourself, know where you come from, what you value, and you will value others. The stated objective of BB "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." - still resounds clearly in John's mind today.
Looking Forward - Looking Back is a series of profile articles looking at men who have been involved in BB.
We have started a Linkedin page for BB Alumni. Click on the link to join us.
BB's new look Reminder
Leaders and Administrators please click on the official order form to order the specific sizes for boys and adults in your company/unit. In order for us to have accurate and timely information, close attention needs to be paid in filling out the form in it's entirety.
We have included four options on the form with regard to the appeal:
1. Click if you are unable to fund your company/unit shirts and require funding
2. Click if you can partially fund your company/unit shirts
3. Click if you can self fund your company/unit shirts
4. Click if you can contribute to the national uniform appeal
We recognise there are companies and units who can't afford to replace there current uniform and also recognise there are others who have funds that can partially or fully cover their boys and leaders. In addition there may be companies/units who would like to make a donation to the national uniform appeal.
Caps, jackets and other items for purchase will be available.
He has risen!
