Catalogue description Records of the Church Lads and Church Girls' Brigade

Council Minute Books, covering the executive decision making of the organisation from its foundation, including Executive & Incorporated Society volumes, 1891-2002 'Brigade' magazines, the official printed chronicle of the organisation. Issued monthly and bi-monthly, from issue 1, volume 1, they contain illustrated and detailed accounts of the activities of the organisation, 1894 - 1977

Incorporated Church Scout Patrols, 1909 - 1913; bound volumes of 'The Scout Message'

Indexed record cards, containing information on Companies (c3000), Officers (c5000), Other Formations (c000), their Church connections, dates of activity, ranks, addresses, official numbers, c 1920-2002

Lads Magazines: Vanguard (10 editions) 1970s and Drumbeat (6 editions) 1960s

Photographs of the Church Lads' Brigade, Church Girls' Brigade and the Church Lads' and Church Girls' Brigade, including glass slides of London Camps, 1900 - 1914

Collection of printed material issued by the CLB & CLCGB organisations 1891 - 2002

Handbooks and Guides relating to infantry training, rules and regulations

Collection of locally produced company histories, 20th century

The Bishop of Exeter's Report, 1966: questionnaires, findings and analysis, copies of report

Papers concerning the amalgamation of the Church Lads' and Church Girls' Brigades, 1976 - 1978

Royal Reviews of the Brigade: documents, reports, letters, photographs, parade orders, programmes, certificates

Annual reports of Church Lads' Brigade and the Church Lads' and Church Girls' Brigade, 1891 - 2002

Brigade Lists (Annual Directory) 1895 - 1918

Papers, correspondence and printed matter relating to training courses, KGIV and Junior Leaders, c 1966 - 1989

Headquarters Diaries, recording day-to day routine, 1930 - 1950

Papers relating to the CLB around the world: in particular material from Newfoundland (including Avalon Battalion 'Bugle' Magazine, 1971 - 2002) and South Africa

The Church Girls' Brigade, formerly The Church Nursing and Ambulance Brigade: correspondence, photographs, minutes, printed material 1923 - 1978

The London Diocesan Church Lads' Brigade, later London Division CLB: printed material, including a few editions of 'Gazette', 1900 - 1936

Walter M. Gee (founder): letters to/from W.A. Smith of the Boys' Brigade, copies of personal papers

Officer and Warrant Officer warrant certificates, 1900s - 1950s

Material relating to The Brigade 'International Association', 1968-1980, and the Brigade Association, 1980 - 2002; 'Link' magazines, 1979 - 2002

Correspondence to and from Sir Hamish Forbes, Baronet

Papers relating to the King's Royal Rifle Corps: cadet affiliation and 16th Battalion KRRC 1914 - 1916

Church Lads and Church Girls Brigade

• Church Nursing and Ambulance Brigade
• Gee, Walter M, fl 1891, founder of the Church Lads' Brigade
• Youth organizations

The Church Lads Brigade was founded in 1891. It became the first scout group incorporated in the world in 1909. Between 1911 and 1930 it was the largest force in the cadets in the country. More VCs were awarded to former members of the Church Lads Brigade than were awarded to former members of any other youth organisation.

The historical collections also include uniforms, badges and caps. The CLCGB Historical Group has produced a number of fact sheets on the organisation and its members. Larger regiments of the organisation, notably those in London, have their own satellite archives of their own.

Research can be undertaken by special appointment in conjunction with the CLCGB Historical Group which manages the archive on behalf of the Brigade.

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