Illustation of Dr. J. E. Chapin talking to the first members of the Neenah-Menasha Boys' Brigade
How the Boys' Brigade started in Neenah, Wisconsin
In Neenah, Wisconsin, on a crisp, Autumn night in 1899, six boys sat on the steps of Mickelson Hall after the nine o'clock curfew had already rung. Dr. J. E. Chapin, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Neenah, saw the boys and stopped to question them on why they were out past curfew. After talking for a few minutes he realized that these six boys had something on their minds. They wanted an "army" of sorts where they could see their friends and have military drills. Dr. Chapin said to the boys, "Boys, we'll see what can be done." This conversation is what produced the idea of the Boys' Brigade in Neenah, which officially started on January 22, 1900.
For more information on the beginning of the Brigade in Neenah - check out the presentation from the Neenah Historical Society from 2017 at the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXdpxghngUw&t=49s
In Neenah, Wisconsin, on a crisp, Autumn night in 1899, six boys sat on the steps of Mickelson Hall after the nine o'clock curfew had already rung. Dr. J. E. Chapin, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Neenah, saw the boys and stopped to question them on why they were out past curfew. After talking for a few minutes he realized that these six boys had something on their minds. They wanted an "army" of sorts where they could see their friends and have military drills. Dr. Chapin said to the boys, "Boys, we'll see what can be done." This conversation is what produced the idea of the Boys' Brigade in Neenah, which officially started on January 22, 1900.
For more information on the beginning of the Brigade in Neenah - check out the presentation from the Neenah Historical Society from 2017 at the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXdpxghngUw&t=49s
Works Cited:
Angermeyer, Howard, Jack Casper, James Keating, Jr., William Mattes, Jack Neubauer, Nate Wauda, and Don Weber. The First 100 Years... Boys' & Girls' Brigade of Neenah-Menasha. Neenah, Wisconsin: n.p., 1999. Print.
* Picture is from the book
Angermeyer, Howard, Jack Casper, James Keating, Jr., William Mattes, Jack Neubauer, Nate Wauda, and Don Weber. The First 100 Years... Boys' & Girls' Brigade of Neenah-Menasha. Neenah, Wisconsin: n.p., 1999. Print.
* Picture is from the book