Two years after its inception P. J. D. (Percy)  Stevens was appointed manager / secretary after the untimely death of Joseph Yeowart and the Brigade reported that "the up-lifting of the boys of Geelong is steadily being accomplished."  

In 1910 building operations blocked the entrance to the Brigade's building from Malop St. and it became necessary to move. Shannon came to the aid of the committee and bought an old hotel which had become a coffee house. He paid £575 ($1150) for Impey's Coffee Palace in Corio Street, opposite Kardinia Street, without telling the committee and later explained that it was "a rush job" as he would have lost the sale by the time he called the committee together! 

Everyone was delighted with the purchase and the committee agreed to pay £30 ($60) annual rent for the Brigade's second home. This was later rescinded when Brigade funds ran low and Shannon granted use of the building rent free.

This solid building, formerly the British Inn, was once a depot for Cobb and Co. coaches which plied between Geelong and Ballarat. Although in a state of disrepair these quarters were far superior to the old ones and ideal for the Brigade's needs. Tenders were called and Geelong building company, J. C. Taylor and Son, was awarded the job of building a gymnasium according to plans prepared by Messrs. Laird and Buchan at a cost of £125/10/- ($251).

Over the years classes were added and dropped as their popularity waxed and waned. The great variety of classes included boot repairing, raffia work, meccano, fretwork, woodcarving, carpentry, wax-inlaying, gymnastics and boy scouts. A few of the boys who were eager to further their education began attending the Gordon Technical College to learn shorthand.

The Imperial Boy Scouts movement steadily gained ground and camps were held at Torquay where the boys were taught to swim.

The Brigade's employment bureau was inundated with applications for more boys than it could supply. Many of the boys had kept the same job for eight years and some had gone into their own businesses.

An encouraging tribute came from Sir John Kirk, Superintendent of the Ragged School Union of the Shaftesbury Institute in London when he visited the Brigade in 1911 and spoke to the boys. He expressed delight with the work being done.

The 1914 annual report stated: 'There are few boys who actually want to go wrong but they do so because they have no guidance - it is to help these boys from becoming "wasters" that we ask for your support and sympathy. Public donations and the promise of bequests were requested from time to time when funds were short.

The following year saw the formation of a drum and fife band; the boy scouts doing excellent work in semaphore, morse signalling and first aid; and a request from the Boy Scouts' Association headquarters in Melbourne asking that particular attention be paid to these classes to ensure the boys were prepared for any emergency arising during the war.

The brigade committee was "greatly pleased with the noble response made by the Old Boys to the call for help from the Empire…"  It printed an honor roll listing old boys killed in action, wounded or serving the Empire. The list grew as the war dragged on. A total of 130 old boys enlisted and nineteen were killed.

Charles Shannon, founder and president for 25 years, died in 1922 and was buried in the Eastern cemetery. Known as the 'Grand Old Man' of Geelong his interest in the welfare of others was widespread. By his generous financial support the Brigade was in a sound position when Jas. McPhillimy took over as president.

The Brigade battles on

The Wall St. share market crash of 1929 heralded an era of world-wide depression and Australia was soon in the grip of hardship and misery. Our export income took a dive when wool prices fell on world markets and this reverberated in Geelong. A large part of the workforce was suddenly without jobs.

The Brigade battled on helping its young members and their families who were unemployed. When farm jobs were found the boys jumped at the chance to go to the country as there was increasingly less city work. 

A scout camp which had begun at Ocean Grove in 1924 proved extremely popular with many boys camping under canvas and digging wells for their water - on one occasion to a depth of eighteen feet!

Although Try activities were reduced limited classes continued throughout the war years, often being held before dark due to blackout restrictions.

In 1943 the St. John's Ambulance Cadet Corps held the first of its weekly meetings in the library at the Shannon Memorial building. Mr. C. C. Robinson was the first honorary instructor of these classes which continued for many years and saw many boys complete their examinations and gain certificates in First Aid. These boys gave valuable service to the community when they accompanied senior members on public duty. At the age of eighteen they transferred to the adult division of the Corps.

After 46 years as manager, Percy Stevens died in March, 1945. More than 5000 boys had come under his control during this period - and the 1st Geelong Shannon's Own Group of scouts had flourished.

After fifty years of operation, with an ever increasing variety of classes, some new sports became popular - wrestling, jujitsu and boxing. This brought an increase in the numbers of boys who attended each night.

In 1948 the boys proudly performed on the back of a truck. The brigade entered a float in the Geelong Hospital Gala Day procession and won first prize for the best display. A long tray truck, borrowed from W. Fry of Chilwell, was decorated with colored cloth and crepe paper on which slogans were printed. It was furnished with a carpenter's bench, basketry table, gymnastic equipment and first aid supplies - and the boys went about their tasks on this truck during the procession.

By the late 'forties the incumbent president, Percy J. Wilks, noted that because compulsory education in Victoria "did not go far enough" an increasing number of youth clubs  were springing up. He was justly proud that the Try Boys' Brigade was the first of these clubs. Wilks was the last direct link from the Brigade with Shannon. He had been a close neighbor and contemporary of the Shannon family from childhood.