Shannon convened a meeting at his house on May 8th , 1897, with the purpose of forming a "poor boys' club" which would provide boys who usually spent their evenings on the streets with something to do. He wanted disadvantaged boys to benefit from the same opportunities his own sons enjoyed. He told the meeting the club would have to find a suitable building and provide activities which would entice boys to come in off the streets and suggested that games, gymnastics and illustrated papers would be a start.

He told them he had seen at first hand the excellent work being done by William Mark Forster, a businessman who had founded the Try Boys' Society in Melbourne thirteen years earlier. This organisation was going from strength to strength and the successful merging of  destitute youths with those from better off families saw no sign of class barrier. A common interest in games, gymnastics, singing, reading and friendship drew the boys together. He told them Forster constantly reassured the boys they could achieve a great deal if they were only prepared to try. This gave rise to the organisation's name.

Shannon told the men at this meeting that while he was in Melbourne he had visited the Gordon Institute, the News Boys' Club and the Try-Excelsior Club in Toorak. He had studied their methods, rules and annual reports and realised what "good and useful work was being done." The leaders of these clubs had provided him with detailed information regarding their management methods.

He told the meeting he was especially impressed with the Gordon Institute which Forster had begun after setting up the Try Boys. Assisted by a Melbourne hatter named William Groom, Forster had expanded the activities to the stage where the Institute had become the centre of youth welfare services in Victoria. Shannon felt he could emulate this work in Geelong.

The men present at this historic meeting at Shannon's house - George Hitchcock, A. Sayers, N. Robertson, J. H. McPhillimy, M. Conran and W. Freeman (who attended for his father B. Freeman) - agreed there was need for such work in Geelong and resolved to investigate suitable premises, the cost of furniture and equipment, and a person to take on the job as leader / manager of the new club.

This same group, joined by Dr Kennedy, held its first regular meeting the following month in the Mechanics' Institute classroom - a galvanised iron shed in Malop St. at the back of the old Chamber of Commerce building. At this meeting Shannon introduced the committee members to Joseph Yeowart, manager of the Melbourne Try Boys' Society, who had agreed to become leader and manager of their new club on an annual salary of £120 ($240). Shannon generously guaranteed a sum of £200 ($400) to fund the club for its first year.

On a motion of Dr Kennedy it was agreed that "for the present" the club should be called The Geelong Try Boys' Brigade - the name it proudly carries a century later.

Although he could not attend the first meeting, Mr James Wighton joined the new committee soon after and was appointed the first honorary secretary. His legal firm, which became Wighton and McDonald, continued to do the legal work for the brigade until the early 'seventies when Geelong solicitor, Peter Bain, joined the committee and has since looked after the Brigade's legal business. 

Soon after the meeting Shannon bought the Hodges Brothers' brewery on the corner of Malop and Corio Sts. next to the London Bank. This was a former site of the Geelong Advertiser with frontages to Corio and Malop streets. Today it is the carpark and bottle shop of the Carlton Hotel.

It was here, in the brigade's first home, that its constitution was adopted on July 28, 1897. The entrance fee was set at one shilling (10 cents) for boys over twelve and sixpence (5 cents) for boys under twelve. Minutes record that "the fee should be paid either at entrance or by installments extending over three months or should be remitted altogether at the option of the Leader. Upon payment of the full amount…each member to be entitled to his badge of membership."

Members agreed on a design for the badges at this meeting and the manager was directed to obtain a price. Soon after this meeting 250 badges were ordered for nine shillings (55 cents) per dozen. The brigade's first major purchase of a piano "cost not to exceed £15" was also agreed to along with "gymnastic appliances, parallel bars, quoits and gas burners."

It was also decided to engage an assistant to the Leader provided "they could arrange for the amount required for the purpose - £50".

When the club first opened its doors more than 150 boys descended on Joseph Yeowart who was both thrilled and amazed at the number. Sadly he did not live to see the benefits of his excellent work as he died two years later. 

Carefully written ledgers reveal the achievements of this quietly performing club which has survived both prosperity and depression and succeeded in helping many thousands of boys who have filed through its doors to take part in a wide variety of classes.

Against the names of some of the boys who attended in the early days are notes like: "Mother does not want him to come home." Another asks whether a boy who had obviously misbehaved badly could be "allowed back in". It would appear from these minutes that boys were always given another chance and usually responded positively.

In its early days the Brigade printed and distributed two thousand circulars which   set out its aims. This resulted in more than 300 boys attending each week. The Chief Secretary's Department gave permission for the manager to receive children under the Neglected Children's Act.

Records show there were almost 15,000 attendances during this first year which obviously confirmed the need for such an institution. Classes were held in gymnastics, drill, Indian clubs, wands, dumb  bells, roman rings, horizontal and parallel bars, singing, and woodcarving. Many of the boys were not able to read or write so they were encouraged to join the night school and shorthand class.

From its inception the committee sought jobs in both town and  country for some of the boys. Victorian farmers were quick to respond to the brigade's offer of boys who were eager to work on the land. They signed an agreement to properly feed, house and attend to the morals of the boy sent. Arrangements were made for the boys' wages to be sent to the Brigade manager and held in trust for them.