Two youth leaders earn MBE’s

Solicitor Don McClay, who has had a lifetime association with the Boys Brigade, said it was “a privilege” to have an association with the movement, and to have been nominated and receive an MBE as a result was “a bonus”.

“Over 50 years ago I joined a local company of the Boys’ Brigade as, basically, a private in that company and then would have worked my way up through all the various non-commissioned officers ranks, and I secured my first Queen’s Award in 1963 in the Waterside Company of the Boys Brigade.

“The Queen’s Award is the highest award that is available to any non-commissioned officer in the Boys Brigade, and then I would have progressed on to Company Captain until in 1974 I was then invited to become President of the Londonderry Battalion.

“I served as president of the Battalion for 36 years until 2010 and then, technically, I retired in 2010, but had also served as the District Vice-President for 15 years. The Boys’ Brigade is divided into an overall Northern Irish District and then five or six battalions within that district and I woud have served the Northern Irish District for 15 years from 1991 to 2006, and then they put you really out to graze. Now I act as an honorary District Vice-President, but at least in Boys’ Brigade terms it allows me to take life a little bit easier from the hands on experience,” he said of his BB career.

Mr McClay took over from the late J M Shearer who was the RM in the city years ago.

“For me it has been a lifetime association going back over 50 years, and you don’t need to be a forensic accountant to be able to analyse that I must be over 60. I am 66 and am the proud holder of a Senior Citizen’s bus pass,” he said self-effacingly.

“I was very privileged to be subject to the discipline of a very respected Company Captain, Charles McKay, this was in my early years,” he said, reflecting that: “The object of the Boys’ Brigade brings about the promotion of habits of obedience, of reverence, discipline and self-respect and, indeed, all that tends towards true Christian manliness. That in itself is as good an objective for life, in my opinion at any rate, as any young person could hope for, ie, strive towards those habits and you’ll not go far wrong. The world, in other words, will be your oyster.”

Paying tribute to his wife, Heather, for her unstinting support, he noted that he had got married in 1973, just before he became President. The couple had three children and are doting grandparents to four grandchildren.

Mr McClay went on to pay tribute to those he had worked with over the years: “I want this acknowledgement in my name to be a representative acknowledgement on behalf of the great number of officers in the local battalion who work unstintingly and without any highlights or without any media attention in advancing the Boys ‘Brigade movement and the promotion of those habits.”

Honour

The Leader in charge of Pennyburn Youth Club, Brendan Wilkinson, is the second of two local people to be honoured with an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List for their services to young people.

Accepting his ‘Gong’ he said the award had “come as a great surprise” to him, even though he has been serving the needs of young people in the city for four decades.

“This is something I felt only happens to other people whose good will and dedication is praised. I would never have expected that someone like me would receive such an honour. I was delighted when I received the notification of this honour and it came at a time in my life when I needed it most. This year has been very tough for me and his honour has lifted my spirits and built up my confidence again,” he said.

“The work that we as youth workers undertake with young people is carried out for the love of the job and nothing else,” he said, adding: “No wage would ever be enough if we were in this type of job for the money. The struggles young people face in today’s society is also experienced by us as youth workers. Our work is part of the socialisation process in young people’s lives.”

Noting that the youth service had many skilled and heavily qualified workers across the whole UK, Mr Wilkinson said he was only qualified to talk about the team in the Western Education and Library Board area and in his own team at Pennyburn Youth Club, whom he praised for their determination, time and commitment.

“Youth work is not about us as adults, it is about how young people can learn from us as good role models, share in our experience and learn new skills.

“Someone once said to me: ‘People may not always remember what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel’.

“I would like to thank the people who felt that I deserved this award and also to all those young people who made my job easier as a youth worker over the past 40 years.

“The youth service and us, as youth workers, have struggled to get to where we are today within society. I would like to urge patents to send their young people to youth clubs within this city as the good work and services offered in these buildings are the stepping stones to your child’s development. There is more to life than street corners and TV,” he said.

“Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have supported me in my role as community worker and youth worker for the past 40 years. It is difficult to thank everyone by name, and I hope that everyone will accept this as one big thank you.”