The Life Boys (Junior Reserve Boys Brigade Mid Surrey Area)
16mm film Black & White Silent c.1949 19:23
Summary: The activities of The Life Boys (the Junior Reserve of The Boys' Brigade) in the Mid-Surrey Area.
Title number: 925
LSA ID: LSA/1234
Description: The film features text titles introducing each section. 'The Life Boys (Junior Reserve of The Boy's Brigade) Mid-Surrey Area' ... '1st. Mid-Surrey Team Going Into Sunday School'; Young boys in school uniforms with shorts carrying bibles are followed by their teacher into a brick building. 'Area Quarter Deck Parade at Sutton Baptist Church': A parade of uniformed boys, some carrying life buoys with writing on, legible are ones marked for 'The Life Buoys 9th Mid-Surrey', 'The Life Buoys 17th Mid-Surrey' and 'The Life Buoys 15th Mid-Surrey'. The parade of boys marches into Sutton Baptist Church. 'Every Team Meeting is Opened with a Short Service. Opening Service of 2nd. Mid-Surrey (Bookham Team)': Some boys read from prayer books in a wood lined room. 'Games Form Large Part of Winter Programme 9th Mid-Surrey (St. Helier) Enjoying Games': A teacher swings a rope about low in a room and a circle of boys leaps to avoid it. 'Handicrafts. 17th Mid-Surrey (Ashtead) Fretwork and Raffia': Boys are shown using fret saws and being led in the construction of simple coasters in raffia. 'Elementary P.T. 10th Mid-Surrey (Worcester Park)': Shirtless boys are shown performing formation callisthenics in a parquet floored room. 'Handball A Great Favourite Inter Team Match 5th. Mid-Surrey (Epsom) versus 6th Mid-Surrey (Carshalton)': The teams are shown playing handball inside a room (the footage is quite dark). 'A High Spot of Winter Session The Team Display'. 'Display By 7th Mid-Surrey (Morden) Team On The Voyage in Ship Named "The Seventh" Arrive At South Sea Island and Meet the Chief and his Boys': A group of boys are filmed saluting with hats raised off their heads and sat more conventionally as if for a group photograph. Then some of the boys and their Brigade leader appear blacked up and dressed as stereotypical indigenous peoples, including a Zulu type shield, a spear and a drum. 'Life Boys Give Display of Tumbling and Pyramids The Leader in Charge Hands Over His Uniform to the Chief': Boys form a human pyramid and do jumping exercises. Then boys dressed in their gym whites feign meeting the blacked up boys and present uniform items to their 'chief'. 'The Seventh crosses the Line. Father Neptune Selects Victim Who is Dosed, Shaved and Douched According to Tradition': A man dressed as Neptune, in a robe and fake beard, carrying a trident selects a boy dressed only in trunks who is brought struggling by two other boys. He is placed on a chair and has water poured over him, shaving foam plastered over his face, is 'shaved' with a large joke cutthroat razor, has a bucket of water thrown over him, is carried into a tin bath and has another bucket of water thrown over him. 'Nature Study. 19th. Mid-Surrey (Walton-on-The-Hill) Interested in the Swans on their Village Pond': Uniformed boys by the pond at Walton on the Hill where they feed the swans with bread. 'At Close Quarters Natures Wonders Revealed by Microscope': Boys use a stereo microscope to examine specimens. 'Much Time And Preparation is Needed By Team Leaders. The Mid-Surrey Area Council Meets Regularly to Discuss Area Events': A group of adults are shown sat in a meeting. 'The Display Convener Introduces His Subject And Causes Careful Thought'. 'Battalion Secretary, Area Supervisor And Secretary'. 'Refreshments Are Served And Leaders Help in Preparation And Service': Tea and biscuits. 'Football - The General Favourite. The League Champions 8th Mid-Surrey (St. Helier) play "The Rest" Result "The Rest" 3 Champions 1': The two soccer teams are shown on screen. 'Play Begins, Then Half Time and Lemons'. 'Slovely!': A boy is filmed eating a slice of lemon. '8th Goaly Saves repeatedly But Ball Gets Past From Penalty Kick': The film ends with action shots from the described match, including the goal delivered via penalty kick.
Credits: Bawtree, Ivan (Filmmaker)
Further information: The scenes of boys costumed as 'South Sea Islanders' would not be deemed appropriate to current sensibilities, although they are of interesting social and historical value in understanding the social mores of the time surrounding race and ethnicity. The odd ritual with Neptune shown in the film is an imitation of an initiation ceremony (known as 'Crossing the Line') traditionally performed when a sailor crosses the equator for the first time in his career.
Locations: United Kingdom; England; London; Sutton; Surrey; Walton on the Hill
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