021: Operation 'blub blub' - Watersports!

Primers Parade: 20 August 2011

Today’s parade was special! Unlike normal parades which take place in the morning, today’s parade took place in the afternoon!

Meeting in school at 12.15, we took attendance before boarding the bus for Mana Mana Club at East Coast Park. In order to prepare ourselves for an afternoon of kayaking, stand-up padding (SUP) and beach volleyball ahead of us, most primers decided to conserve energy and take a short nap on the bus… Z_Z

Reaching ECP, it was a short walk to the club, where we laid down our bags, protected our oh-so sensitive skin with sun block, and split into groups.  While half the groups would play volleyball, the other half would take part in the water-based activities.

My group consisted of Noel, Daryl, Jian Rong, Joshua Chee, ADI and I and I am glad to say that we had excellent group dynamics, being retarded and all :D After wearing our life vests that would Save Our Souls should we drown, we headed out in two-man kayaks. Not having gone kayaking for a long time, it was amazing to see that a lot of the other primers learned the ropes/oars super fast and were paddling away like  ducks being chased by ̶s̶w̶a̶n̶s̶ sharks. It was fantastic too to see teamwork being put into practice as pairs worked together to go around big random floating coloured boxes/balls/containers in the ocean. Here are two highlights from the kayaking session:

1) I saw THREE primers in a kayak PURPOSELY capsize for fun. CHAMPS really. Whoever you are, I thank you for the laughs.

2) We were feeling quite creative (and lazy) so we decided to RAFT UP like real kayakists and let the people on the outside (Yong Jian, Leon, etc) paddle like real men while the people in the center (like Jian Rong) provided moral support and gave instructions like real bosses. 

Sandcastle building competition: The Guys vs The Girls

Following the Kayaking session, we had a stand-up paddling session! 12 Primers to 9 boards… and we ended up caring and sharing again! BB CARES really has instilled concern-to-others in the primers! It was a challenging but yet enriching experience, trying to balance on the boards and paddle at the same time. I fell into the water multiple times while trying to stand on the narrow white board but I’m glad that I stayed determined. I’m also sure that others too took this opportunity to challenge them and perhaps maybe some primers have discovered that they too possessed much willpower and perseverance in tacking this task!

After the water-based activities, we proceeded to the volley ball court for a game of volleyball. However, as the court was packed with people, some of us went to the beach and using our plastic cups meant for drinking water, BUILT SANDCASTLES!! YAY!! It was an intense guys vs. girls showdown to protect our cities before the tide came in. The girls built a nice little pretty city surrounded by a moat with a little bridge that was really ingenious and creative. The guys however, built a mega metropolis with TWO dams and moats in front of it, further expanding it when the girls ran off to look at a pink parrot O.o Like brothers, we worked together to build our fortification as the waves came closer and closer, providing enthusiastic encouragement and our voices rang out like happy children amid the sound of waves LOLOL

Don't you just love the beach?

Due to time constraints instead of having a kayaking rally, the last activity for the day was a one-V-one knock-out contest to survive on the SUP board and not get your head in the water. Primers pitched themselves against each other in order to claim dominion over the board. It was fun to see them the guys finally having a good, legal opportunity to get physical and thankfully, no bones were broken, no one was injured and everyone left feeling happier than they had before. I am also proud to say that playing Marvel vs. Capcom has finally paid off as I destroyed Lydia Chuah, the undefeated queen of the board, TWICE ^_^

Forging of closer friendships

(left) Deborah and Sophia

(right) Joshua Chee and Alex

Once this was over, we proceeded to shower and change into a set of more comfortable clothes and had SNACKS, which consisted of spaghetti and pizza. Us hungry people gobbled up the food like turkeys, but yet at the same time, there were many instances of Boys and Girls sharing food with those who had not eaten yet and overall, we had a great fellowship over lunch.

 

(Top) Primers relaxing at the beach after snacks

(Bottom left) Kenneth and Sophia

(Bottom right) David Teh and Joshua Ong

At the end of the day, we sang the vesper, did a weird bersurai in-front of everyone at the beach and everyone went home feeling exhausted but elated!

Thanks to:

·         Thaddaeus and Sophia for planning and organizing this outing. Thaddaeus for settling all the admin stuff and Sophia for settling the transport issues.

·         Whatshername Sam Tian for being the contact for the Club and being ever so helpful to teach us how to SUP and Kayak.

·         THE MAN. The BUFF kayaking master Spencer for being buff, helpful and a great teacher to us. One day, I shall be buff like him.

·         Our Year 5 teachers and officers for helping out in the admin stuff and planning process. Thanks to them too for being around to ensure our safety and for joining in the fun with us. They are: Mr Hong lee Kiat , Mrs Elain Lui, Ms Samantha Wong, Mr Lee Yi Wei, Mr Timothy Toh

Last but not least, thanks to GOD for giving us such fine weather, keeping us all safe and blessing the fellowship!

Fond memories, they shall forever stay with me. And perhaps we could have such an outing again in the future as a united Primers 1112 cohort…!

~ Written by:
Clt/5 Nicholas Lim

Psalms 107:1

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

020: Christian Citizenship Course (CCC)

CCC: 13 August 2011

On the 13th August, a number of the Primers from our company went for the Christian Citizenship Course, held at Boys Brigade Headquarters. When I arrived there for the course, I was pleasantly surprised to see that many of the Primers were already there, waiting for the course to begin. We were the only Primers there so early in the morning, which certainly spoke volumes about how enthusiastic we were about the course!

Shortly after, the course began, and all of us were divided into groups by name so that we would make new friends with the other Primers going for the course. However, there were only a few Primers from other companies, but they were all very friendly people and a joy to attend the course together with.

Presenting: The Rock Anthem Party!

The content of the course was extremely interesting, as it not only managed to teach us about the importance of having a government in our country, but it also did so through a Christian perspective, using Bible verses in order to explain this to us. It reminded us that governments were set in place by God in order to manage society justly and mitigate the effects of sin, thus we should respect them and pray for them, even if they’re not perfect. However, we should always place God first, as it was God who set these governments up in the first place.

See the brain juices flowing~

As the first part of the course was quite dry, the speaker then tried to make things livelier by introducing presentations into the program, making us represent a different style of government per group. This surely woke everyone up; as there were many memorable systems of government we won’t forget for a while! (Theocracy under Sophia and Monarchy under Brian…) The presentations were fairly effective, as through them we managed to relieve our boredom and understand the different styles of government at the same time. The course then started to focus on Singapore’s government specifically, challenging us to understand the Singapore’s government’s key concerns and our key concerns to see whether they align with each other. At this point, we realized that although we might not realize it, the government is always trying to meet the social needs of the people. At this point, it was already noon, so we decided to break for lunch and relax in each other’s company.

Our dear Sophia got bored...

After a delicious lunch, we reassembled for the remainder of the course, which focused specifically on what issues the government was facing today and what we can do to contribute to our government. We were shown videos, each one of which highlighted an issue facing Singapore today, ranging from foreigners in Singapore to the problem of an ageing population. Following that, we were assigned scenarios, and were told to focus on what it means to act Christianly with regards to each of these issues. I believe that this was the most meaningful part of the program, as it made us think about how to resolve these issues responsibly in a manner that would ensure maximum happiness for all parties involved. Every group presented a meaningful resolution that indicated that they had put in a lot of thought into it, showingthat they had indeed carefully deliberated their decisions, making informed decisions as Christians and Singapore citizens.

 "As you all can see, I should be joining the art club."

Finally, the course ended off by showing us a video of how a small group of activists managed to prevent Chek Jawa from being used for reclamation, illustrating how individuals, if they are truly willing, are able to make an impact on the government’s decision making. With that, the course ended off by telling us that we should try our best to engage and make a difference in our country by interacting with our government, in order to change the world for the better to the extent of our abilities. However, mostly importantly, we were reminded that we should always remember that as Christians, our final eternal kingdom is God’s kingdom, and that we should keep that in mind always.

All in all, I felt that course was extremely meaningful, helping us to better understand the function and difficulties of running a government, especially in the context of the Singapore government, as well as teaching us that we can make a difference in the decision making process of our governments if we’re willing to reach out and try.

~ Written by:
Clt/5 Chng Pheng Hwee

1 Timothy 4:12

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity"

019: Parade (Drill Day + Adventure Test)

Parade: 6 August 2011

Drill Day

“Up! 2,3 left. 2,3, right, 2,3, left. 2.3, right….”
 
“berhenti!”

It is fascinating how seemingly insignificant, unmemorable moments can last forever. I have been wondering why these commands that made us once exhausted insist on flooding my mind, even when the drill day was over. Perhaps, it is not because of the thrills and irrational enthrallments from the slow march down the ramp which almost got on my nerves, or from the chilling weather of last Saturday that excited me whenever I reminisced about Last Saturday’s Parade. In fact, it was my friends’ unwavering enthusiasm in completing the drill instructions, concealing their tiredness and cheering one another up that made me thankful for being a member of the Primers.

I could still remember myself lethargically going to the parade and wishing that everything would went smoothly and unscrupulously. Honestly, I was too tired after finishing all the homework and clearing the movie series CSI: NY the night before the drill day to anticipate the fun and fascination awaiting me. ( Thinking in retrospect, I regretted not being able to finish the entire season 7 of CSI:NY for I dozed off unconsciously. How embarrassing it would be to let my roommate tuck me into bed and turn off my laptop!)

In spite of this incident, the drill day turned out to be, well, excessively enjoyable. At 800 am, almost every Primer was happily socializing, sharing with one another about his or her daily routine and waiting for the parade to begin. Indeed, I found it hard to be distraught and disturbed while seeing all of them joyously saying “hi”, “good morning” and ready for an activity-packed day. It was just pure jubilation that brightened up the atmosphere miraculously.

After the flag-raising session, each cohort continued with its own activity. While the year 1 and year 2 boys despondently made their ways to the LT1 and respective stations for the drill examinations, we Primers jubilantly gathered together, preparing for the commence of the drill session. Needless to say, we all were amazingly energetic and effervescent; Gabriel, despite his initial concern about the procedure of the day, surprised us with his immeasurable excitement. Yong Jian, who was in charge of the drill execution, was seemingly ready to get the ball rolling whereas Kenneth, as usual, ran around and mingled with the rest of the Primers who were equally, if not more, thrilled to learn the new commands. On top of that, what was really encouraging was the girls’ palpable eagerness for the day itself, since I knew that drill was not one of their favorite sessions. All in all, realizing every one prepared to make the day remarkable made me feel energized.

For some reasons, I always have a preoccupation that drill is physically exhausting and equally challenging for me who have no background knowledge about such matter. That is why I was subtly taken aback when knowing that we had to practice the drill commands for 2 hours! However, in recognition of such concern, the Drill and Discipline Committee members meticulously and carefully planned the parade in an amusing manner.
To start off the session, Yong Jian and Gabriel whole-heartedly welcomed us and gave a brief introduction about the day’s agenda. Afterwards, we were split up into 3 small groups for revision and teaching new drill command: the slow march. Indeed, as the name suggests, the march focuses on the body position which I found tough, for it was difficult to maintain the balance while slowly dragging my feet along. Nonetheless, it was an interesting experiment for me, especially when my group had to execute the slow march down the ramp, thanks to Kenneth’s undivided enthusiasm! Compounded with the pungent smell from the nearby dustbin and the blisteringly hot weather, the session was, in a sense, unique and memorable.

After the strenuous drill session, we then moved on to the game Capture the flag! Although Pheng Hwee carefully explained the rules to us, somehow, we ended up either breaking the rules or worse still, came up with some changes for our own sakes. Despite these surprising elements from being tagged, chased after or attacked, I totally enjoyed myself. Indeed, had we not carried out this game, I would not have experienced joyfulness and pain at the same time. Admittedly, it was purely intoxicating.

As always, the parade ended in the devotion time. Unlike the previous Christian education sessions that were held in the LT4, this time round it was organized in the LT 1. In spite of the change in location, the singing of the hymns, the inspiring speech from madam Petrina preserved their charms. Nevertheless, recognizing the Primers’ enervation after the drill session, Mr Caleb generously treated us with biscuits and snacks as tokens of appreciation for putting in our best. Indeed, these little, insignificant acts simply dawned on me the beauty of caring and consideration and transmit the love of God to each and every one of us. No matter how physically exhausted and mentally distraught we are, we will always stay strong, walk side by side and as long as there is love, we will stand!

~Written by:
Clt/5 Huynh Tan Duc

Adventure Test

While half the Primers were occupied with Drill Day and games, the other half of the Primers were busy executing the Adventure test for the Year 1s and 2s. After a theory test, the Boys proceeded for the practical test. Led by the SPA Committee under Clt/5 Alex Goh, stations were set-up around the koi pond and skate park. Groups had to visit all stations, taking part in numerous adventure related tests such as knot-tying, map reading, bearing navigation and MGR/map plotting. Primers played the role of station masters and thank God that everything went smoothly and there were no major problems problems.

Sitting and chatting... like real men.

Primers had to come up with various creative and innovative ways to manage their stations, due to the expected influx of Boys once the adventure test started. I am proud to say that we were all blue ocean in coming up with interesting ways to handle the crowds and test all the Boys. It also felt great when the Boys, especially our own juniors the Year 2s, knew their stuff well and could pass almost all the stations.

Primers at work.

Awww so cute!!! :D

The SPA committee aside, I feel that the Adventure Committee has also put in a lot of effort into the exam. Kudos to Clt/5 Lydia Chuah for that, sacrificing much time and effort for the Year 2s, giving them countless revision lessons after parades and after school. Well done lady, well done! :D

~Written by:
Clt/5 Nicholas Lim

Matthew 5:48
"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

018: Parade (Adventure Revision)

Parade: 30 July 2011

It was another day for parade on Saturday morning. It was the first day that the new admin lead the fall in and it certainly reminded me how fast it has been since we took over in 2009 and handover in 2010. The parade started with committee time. Being in the SR committee who just completed BB Cares, one of our major events, we certainly had a lot of things to discuss and wrap up.

Even though the meeting was rather short, we certainly managed to cover a lot of things (hehe maybe because SR is the busiest committee =P). Following that was SJI which was sort of an adventure revision/game. The primers were mostly following the Year 2 groups with a small number being station masters which serves as revision station for the adventure test that our junior will be having next week. The clues given to the groups in my honest opinion were kind of lame but what do you expect, it was written by our dear junior, Tan Zi An haha!

Sniping from an upstairs window....

Hsu Ying pauses to strike a pose... (o.o)"

Joseph! I told you to pretend to be engrossed in the map!

Following which was a farewell speech by Reverend Paul Nga (not sure about spelling here) and it was certainly a blessing for the company to have a dedicated chaplain attached to the company. He ended off with a prayer for the whole company.

After the short farewell speech the primers and the Year 2s went to LT4 to have a time of briefing and feedback. There were a lot of feedbacks given out to improve the programme but we have to give a round of applause for the Year 2s who planned the programme, considering it was only the 3rd programme which they planned.

This was followed by CE time. Ms Petrina Liam led the girls while Mr Caleb Lin led the guys, posing us questions to think about over the week and share our views when we meet again in a week's time .

~Written by:
Clt/5 Hermawan Adi

Romans 8:28
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”