29/08/2026
THE VOICE OF THE PARADE GROUND
The morning rain had turned the Boysâ Brigade Nigeria camp ground into a muddy field, but nobody was ready to give up.
From a distance came the sound of boots hitting the wet ground.
âLEFT! LEFT! LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT!â
The boys marched in formation, their uniforms already carrying the evidence of the morningâs hard work. Some were tired. Some were wet. But everyone was determined.
At the centre of it all stood the camp instructor, microphone in hand.
He raised his voice above the noise.
âBRIGADE! ARE YOU READY?â
âYES, SIR!â came the thunderous response.
âI CAN'T HEAR YOU!â
âYES, SIRRRR!â
He pointed toward the parade formation.
âDiscipline is not about shouting. It is about doing the right thingâeven when nobody is watching!â
The boys straightened their backs.
One young boy at the back had been struggling all morning. His boots were heavy with mud, his legs were tired, and he was beginning to lose confidence.
The instructor noticed him.
Instead of embarrassing him, he walked over and said quietly:
âDon't look at how tired you are. Look at how far you've come.â
The boy nodded.
The next command came.
âSQUAD⌠ATTENTION!â
Every boy stood firm.
The rain continued to fall, but something had changed. They were no longer simply learning drill movements. They were learning discipline, courage, teamwork and leadership.
By the end of the session, everyone was exhausted.
But as they stood together on that muddy parade ground, one thing was clear:
They had come to camp as boys.
They were beginning to leave as leaders.
And years later, whenever those boys heard the familiar sound of marching boots, they would remember that rainy camp morningâthe day they discovered that true strength is not found in an easy journey, but in the courage to keep marching when the journey becomes difficult.
âBe brave. Be true. Be Christlike.â
Boysâ Brigade Nigeria â Training boys, building leaders, serving Christ.