Education | Preceptory

The rise of youth cadet movements

In the nineteenth century, young people in their teens were trained as junior soldiers. This practice is still continued in modern day military academies, such as in the United States.

In Tsarist Russia, under the model of the Knights of St John, a military tradition was developed with a military school program for the children of Knights of St John and other suitable candidates. This was called the “Corps of Pages” or “Page Corps”.

This had a direct impact on Russian society with numerous leaders having graduated there, including King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. The Russian Revolution saw the demise of the program in 1918. Although scattered, its influence was continued among various anti-Communistic Russian groups.

BELOW: Russian white maltese crosses and a Russian Corps des Pages badge.

The Boys Brigade

The Boys Brigade began in Scotland in 1883 as a Bible teaching program that included dummy rifle drill. It spread throughout Britain and America, and largely formed a basis for Baden-Powell’s Scout movement.

Scouts

Robert Baden-Powell, who had originally trained boys during the Boer War, combined the ideas of the Boys Brigade with those of the Legion of Frontiersmen in about 1906. In 1902, the American Ernest Thomas Selton had pioneered the Woodcraft Indians, a precursor to Scouts.

As the Scout Movement quickly flourished, various other components were developed, with Cubs, Rovers and Girl Guides. In time, Scouting had a huge impact on other movements, whether independent Scout groups, religious-based Scout groups (including the Calvinist Cadets, Royal Rangers, etc.) and other similar groups.

Scouting has had a widespread and enduring impact throughout the world, in helping develop young people with civic responsibilities. Scouting however has not focused on religious content, except in adapted Scout-like groups.

The Order of St John for Boys

The following is an example of using the idea of the Order as a youth outreach and training movement, which began in 1928. While there were several flaws in their approach, their desire and general design seems laudable.

A youth welfare organisation, called the Order of St John, was founded in Adelaide, South Australia. The first chapter of the Order of St John was formed for boys between the ages of 16 and 21 with the inaugural meeting of the first chapter taking place at an auspicious dinner, with speeches and a demonstration of the Order.

The events were presided over by Reverend H. Watt-Grimmett, who along with a number of other eminent community leaders, formed an advisory council for the movement.

E. A. McLean was the Knight Commander of the Order. He had experience in training boys both in Australia and in America, and first conceived the idea of establishing the movement whilst observing a similar group in the USA.

They met at the Congregational Hall, but had the objective of capturing young men of any denomination, and those of no denomination.

It was a secret society aiming to instil into young men the principles of clean living, clean thinking and clean speaking; to impress upon them their duty to the King, to God and to their parents; to build up their character; and to teach them the ideals of good citizenship.

This period of a young man’s life was critical, where their future made, and so they were in the greatest need of guidance. The leaders wanted to create opportunities, and they felt that friendship and fellowship were promoted by both social meals and formal meetings where they practiced the rites of the Order.

In modern living, they recognised that there were many temptations for pleasure and diversions, so there was a need to make good citizens out of these young men, rather than allow them to wind up in prison cells.

They believed that in time, their work would be justified. The material was present, the time was right, and if properly handled, this would contribute to something worthwhile for the community. Their mission was to train the lads to be straight and true, and that in the right atmosphere, they would be able to promote good values. Sadly, there were some young people who had never heard of anything clean or true, yet they were capable of impulses for good if only reached.

They also felt that if such young men were to come under the banner of the Order, and if they were arrayed in the proper manner, that this would help manifest the ideals of cleanness.

Parents would also be encouraged to be patrons, to watch over the young men. There were counsellors, but in the end, they knew that the boys themselves would be the most effective recruiting agents.

They then concluded by having prospective members sign an oath of allegiance, and to promise to not divulge what transpired. They then participated in the pageantry of the ritual of the lamps, which was a portion of the ritual of the Order.

That ritual, very likely, was that of forming a triangle of 12 lamps or candles, and referring the sides of the triangle to the Trinity, and then on removing one light, warning that one should not be like Judas who was one of the 12 Apostles.

St John’s Ambulance Cadets

The idea of training young people, has also been adapted by British Commonwealth nations’ portions of St Johns Ambulance, in the form of Juniors and Cadets, heavily influenced by the Scouts movement. These activities have an emphasis on First Aid, but also teach some para-military elements and chivalry. St Johns Ambulance Cadets has also been associated with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Army Cadets, Navy Cadets, Air Cadets

The Defence Force in Australia has conceived of a military-themed program, largely developed from the Scouts and aspects of basic military training to run Cadet programs in various communities around Australia.

Legion Cadets

The Legion of Frontiersmen, either independent to or in connection with Army Cadets (Infantry or Artillery), have attempted to run some small groups of Cadets. Small groups have been known to have existed in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria.

Learning about chivalry

In Medieval times, a young person could grow up and be trained for knighthood, if they happened to be born to a good family, maybe some nobleman. Or, else, a person of the gentry could become a knight under the authority of another. There are plenty of books and materials available about this, and about castles, warfare, the crusades and what life was like in the Middle Ages.

When a person wanted to join a religious order of knighthood, they would come to present themselves before the chaplain at a preceptory, and offer their sword.

Today, knighthoods are used as an honours system, which recognise important people and their acts, for example, giving to charity or some other actions of exceptional note. These are granted by governments or monarchies.

There are also different kinds of groups people can join which call themselves knights or base themselves of knighthoods for a variety of purposes. Some people like “role-playing” as old fashioned knights. Others are in secret societies who might use that terminology.

Learning about the flag and the importance of our nation should be a very high priority. Preceptory and the traditions it is based upon demand respect toward leaders and obedience of the laws. It is a good thing for young people to make a pledge before the flag and commit to honour their leaders.

The lowest level in a knighthood are the Pages. A Page is a young person, a child, who serves the ideas of the hospitaller order. As a Page grows up, a Page becomes an Squire. Pages and Squires today are generally called Cadets.

A person cannot become a Knight until they are 18 years old. A person at this age may be referred to as an Squire, and when a person is to become a Knight, they may be referred to as an aspirant or candidate.

When a person is going to become a Knight, a few things happen. First, someone would be sponsoring or vouching for that person. In the 1800s, for example, there was a lot of trouble between Jacobites and Loyalists, so naturally the Loyalists wanted to make sure that no Jacobites were joining their groups. They had secret meetings with a password so that new members had to be introduced, and no enemies would find out what they were planning.

An Aspirant needs to be investigated to make sure that they are sound, suitable and trustworthy. This is usual for joining all types of organisations. No one would want a not-for-profit association to be rocked by a scandal.

Another thing is that Aspirants have to make certain promises or oaths.

The most important step that takes place is the accolade. This includes having a garment put on a Aspirant and the dubbing. This is when authorised person touches a person on their shoulders with a sword and states, “By the power invested in me I dub thee Knight” (or Dame for females).

There are different Grades of Knights, such as, Knight, Knight Commander and Knight Grand Cross. People with knighthoods put letters behind their names, so for example, a person with a Knight Grand Cross can put letters behind their name, like GCSJ.

Further information

There are numerous books, movies and so forth which are relevant or useful. Several examples of online resources have been supplied (links offsite). These have been arranged in their suitability for particular age brackets (younger readers first).

The Boys’ Round Table by William B. Forbush

https://boysroundtablea00massgoog

https://boysroundtablea01massgoog

Pages, Esquires and Knights by Marion Florence Lansing

https://archive.org/details/pageesquireknigh00lans

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

Mystery Series by Enid Blyton (may need to purchase)

https://archive.org/details/EnidBlytonMystery

King Arthur, the Round Table and the Grail books by Howard Pyle

https://archive.org/details/storykingarthur01pylegoog

https://archive.org/details/storyofchampions00pyleuoft

https://archive.org/details/storygrailandpa00pylegoog