‘FAMOUS FOURTH’ CELEBRATES CENTENARY

OVER 60 former members of 4th Inverness Company of the Boys’ Brigade, aged from 19 to 90, took part in a special service commemorating the company’s centenary on Sunday morning (September 28) at the Old High Church.

They mustered at the Old High Church Hall in School Lane at 11am, before parading behind a pipe band along Academy Street and Church Street to the church, where the minister of Old High St Stephen's, the Rev Peter Nimmo conducted the service. You can read his sermon by clicking here .

Prior to that, the company held an exhibition in the church hall on Thursday and Friday evenings, of over 250 photographs, old badges, uniforms, football strips and even some ancient dummy drill rifles used by boys from the company’s early days,  when there was still a strong military connection, until 1925.

In addition those celebrating the centenary attended a dinner at the Lochardil Hotel, Inverness, on Saturday evening.

The youngest of the old boys taking part was local teenager Billy Pollock, a member until recently, and the oldest was retired plumber Willie Menzies, who served as an officer with the company in 1935-6.

Five of those attending now live in England, with two travelling from Exeter to attend the event

The celebrations actually kicked off quite literally the previous Saturday, at Milton Pitches, Inverness, with a football match between the old boys and the current company’s under-19s, won by the former on penalties, after a 3-3 draw.

The weekend’s events went very well and were a great success, said company captain Peter Home.

The present 4^th Inverness Company still meets in the Old High Church Hall, Academy Street, and is now part of Old High St Stephen's Church of Scotland. It was founded in September 1908 by the newly-inducted OldHighChurch minister the Rev Donald MacLeod, and officially registered at Brigade Headquarters in Glasgow on December 17.

The company’s first captain George MacKenzie, was also at that time a captain in the Seaforth Highlanders at Fort George, involved in rifle instruction. This must have been a great asset, as rifle drill with dummy rifles was an important part of early BB instuction.

The company joined with other companies in the burgh to take part in the first Inverness Battalion camp held at Rothiemurchus, near Aviemore, in 1910, and the second, the following year, at Muir of Ord.

During World War I, the Rev MacLeod served as a senior army chaplain, for which he was awarded the Military Cross.

by Willie Morrison