In light of the rising concerns about youth crime across the nation, the Cook Islands Boys Brigade has been recognised as a beacon of hope and discipline for young boys in the country.

Marking its 90th anniversary on Saturday, the Brigade continues to be recognised not only for its longstanding commitment to faith and leadership, but for its increasingly vital role in helping steer Cook Islands youth away from trouble and crime.

Opposition Member of Parliament for Matavera, Vaitoti Tupa, says organisations like the Boys Brigade are proving to be one of the few structured avenues for youth to receive essential life training.

“For me, I'm really pleased with what's happening with the organisation of the Cook Islands Boys Brigade,” Tupa told Cook Islands News.

“They've done pretty well by encouraging something like this, holding the camp throughout the holiday period for our school here in the whole of the Cook Islands. So having something like this for quite some time, that's an eye opener for our young children.”

Tupa pointed to the increasingly isolating habits of youth who often spend time consumed by electronics and devices.

“Because if you look at our young children now, they have their own ways of doing things because they normally focus a lot on electronics and that's it. With this kind of teaching, training and so on, I believe that will help them. Like what happened to me when I was a young boy.”

Reflecting on his own experience, Tupa credited the Boy Scouts for teaching him discipline and leadership, helping shape the path that led to his current roles in Parliament and as secretary of the Cook Islands Christian Church.

“I grew up in the Boy Scouts and I became one of the commanders of the Boy Scouts. I learned from there and look where I am now.”

He emphasised the importance of continuity in youth education through churches and structured programs.

“I always encourage our parents to make sure that they bring their kids to Sunday school. It means encouraging the youth of our children in Matavera for them to learn these ways of how you're going to live your life when you grow up.”

Tupa added that even small skills taught at the Brigade camps—such as rope-tying, timeliness, and cultural knowledge through church visits—can have lasting impacts on a child’s development.

“These are the things that I believe they will do through the training program. And again, the visiting of the six churches within the Cook Islands Christian Church around Rarotonga and that's what they're going to do, is learn about it.”

Boys Brigade President Bob Williams echoed Tupa’s sentiments, stating that the organisation’s goals are rooted in prevention and positive development.

“Yeah, definitely, because the objective of the Boys Brigade is for that purpose, to ensure that the boys don't get into those activities. But at the same time, it's to train them to be a better person tomorrow, or even to be better parents in the future,” Williams told Cook Islands News.

With youth-related crime continuing to make headlines in the Cook Islands, both Tupa and Williams agree that the Boys Brigade stands as one of the few proactive solutions grounded in faith, mentorship, and character building.

Tupa said he would continue to support these programs “for our kids to learn more about” and urged other communities and churches to invest in youth development before it's too late.

“Because once you go up to the youth, that's when you're thinking about having families. But if you don't learn anything from a young child, then it's going to be difficult for you to learn about it,” he said.