Within a year the Boys' Brigade of the 1st Glasgow were in uniform. Although the leaders might have liked to see the Boys as smartly turned out as their Volunteers on parade, William Smith wisely set his face against full uniform clothing.It would be too expensive for one thing, whereas cap, belt and haversack cost only eighteen pence (about 7.5p. in modern money).

It is interesting to guess where Smith got his ideas for the'accoutrements', as he would call them. There was an organization in Glasgow as early as 1865 which began in a dingy, deserted, singing-saloon in the overcrowded Cowcaddens district of the city to provide a meeting place and Christian instruction for boys who began work at the age of 10 or 12 in the Iron Foundries which clanged and steamed along the banks of the Fourth and Clyde Canal. It was known as the Glasgow Foundry Boys' Religious Society, several of the early leaders were Officers in the Volunteers. They held meetings on Sunday afternoons for Christian instruction and classes on weekday evenings to teach boys to read and write. Those were the days before compulsory schooling.The boys had already had a long grimy day at the foundry. They had a quick wash and a bite to eat and then sat themselves down at desks with pen and jotters for reading and spelling on Monday and Tuesday and arithmetic on Wednesday evenings.

On Thursday nights they 'fell in' for drill under the command of a drill instructor. The Foundry Boys who were for the most part barefoot and ragged, were provided with uniforms by the Society, consisting of tunic, cap, and belt. There is a picture showing a smartly turned out Foundry Boy in cap, belt and haversack.

William Smith certainly knew of the Foundry Boys' Religeous Society from his Volunteer friends. He must have seen the boys parading through the suburbs on a route march with a flute band at their head. But he also had his experience with the 1st Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers to draw upon.One could not expect the Boys' Brigade to turn out in smart waisted grey tunics, leggings and light grey helmets, spiked, which gave the Volunteers their proud name 'The Greys'. But much could be done with such accoutrements as forage caps, linen haversacks and a good leather waist belt with well polished B.B. crest on the buckle. William Smith only insisted that the Boys be clean and tidy on parade.

It was suprising to see how effective the simple uniform of cap and belt, with the broad white straps of the haversacks gave the Company, when drawn up in line, quite a smart and uniform appearance.

1st Glasgow Company Brass Band.

The range of uniforms worn today. 

The first 'pill box' forage cap was quite plain, with no braid or chin strap. But within a year or two it was smartened by the addition of two rings of white braid and the number of the Company on the front. Later still came the chin strap and a white button on top. The pill box was, in fact, the undress uniform of the soldier of the day. Boys of the Boys' Brigade might well fancy themselves in the the Brigade Guards as they formed up on parade, all caps at the same jaunty angle.

The haversack was large enough to carry 'a modest ration' for expeditions or sports or field manoeuvres, as many early photographs of the B.B. show. No doubt a ration carried by a hungry Boy could mean quite a bulging bag of food. A memo from those early days says:

'A plentiful supply of drinking water should, if practical, be provided for the Boys, but in any case they should be instructed to include a bottle of milk or water in in the rations which they carry in their haversacks'

Later the haversack was worn neatly folded and became partly decorative.

The first leaders set themselves against a complete promotion of exalted military-sounding ranks. Captain and Lieutenant have always been the only two commissioned ranks of the B.B Office. Officers began with dark suits and bowler hats, the daily wear of the well-dressed city business man which many of them were. They soon adopted the beribboned glengarry with the B.B. badge, the dark suit , stiff white collar, black tie, tan gloves and short brown military cane.

That is a picture of The Boys' Brigade on parade as many people still remember them. In recent years there have been a number of changes to fit modern times. Even among the military the pill box vanished under the influence of two world wars. The up to date B.B. boy wears a 'Field Service' cap of blue terylene and cotton with B.B. badge set on a red surround for Company Sections and a blue surround for the Senior Section. There are many variations in accoutrements for promoted posts such as Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Lance Corporal and Corporal---not to mention the Colour Sergeant and the full glory of a kitted B.B. pipe band led by a Drum Major. And he would be a skilled observer indeed who could instantly recognize and name the badges for service, knowledge, skills and proficiency with which the Boys may bedeck the saluting arm. When not in uniform you should always be able to tell a B.B. boy by his buttonhole badge- the anchor crest and Sure and Stedfast motto.

William Smith took very great care before any boy was promoted to the rank of non-commissioned officer. A likely candidate had to promise:

For the 1st Glasgow Company Boys of the second session there was a membership card with clear Company rules: