SJI NPCC Newsletter 2012

Contents
1) Foreword by OC Unit 2) Change is the only constant by CI Sim Guo Chen 3) Accomplishments for 2012 4) 160th SJI Annual Parade by Lucas Wong 5) The NPCC Experience by Parth Mehta 6) Adventure Training Camp by Lee Yi 7) NPCC Annual Parade by Kenneth Ng 8) Water Assault Competition by Ajay Pillay

Foreword
2012 has been yet another eventful and successful year for the SJI NPCC Unit and to a great extent, it has also been a very fulfilling experience for all the officers and cadets. First of all, the unit welcomes aboard Insp (NPCC) Lynette Lin who completed the Officer's Basic Training Course conducted by NPCC HQ in November 2011 as well as Cadet Inspectors Ian Tjahjono and Wong Jianzhi, cadet leaders from the 38th Batch. On a sad note, the unit bids farewell to ASP (NPCC) Tang Woh Un, Mr Ng Yew Hong and CI Tan Ci Kang. ASP (NPCC) Tang who will be joining the SJI Senior School, has been deeply involved in the SJI NPCC Unit despite his busy schedule, and we will miss his active involvement in the unit. Mr Ng Yew Hong has been the TO for 3 successive batches of Sec 1 cadets and has been instrumental in inducting them into the unit. Mr Ng has been a pillar of strength for the unit and has helped in the introduction of a structured method of selection for Cadet Leaders, he will be sorely missed by one and all. CI Tan Ci Kang who was SI Unit from Batch 37 has played a critical role in the unit since his days as a Cadet and has always been a source of inspiration and leadership for the unit, he has mentored many cadets and will be fondly remembered as a caring and dedicated leader. It has been a successful year insofar as competitions have been concerned, this year our campcraft teams both saw improvements of more than 20 places in the inter-unit campcraft competition, finishing in 16th and 31st respectively as compared to 36th and 51st in 2010. In addition, for the first time in many years, SJI NPCC registered a top 5 finish for the Inter-Unit Shooting Competition, normally a competition dominated by a few schools such as HCI, Bartley Secondary and Dunman High. SJI NPCC Team 1 put up a good fight by qualifying in 10th place and during the finals, we set the pace early on with 492 and this was good enough for 5th place. These remarkable improvements would not have been possible without the hard work of all the cadets, CLs, CIs and officers and we hope to see more such improvements in future. On the individual level, our cadets have also performed well, with four SPF-NPCC awardees as well as a good representation of our cadets in the NPAP and SYF opening ceremony parades. At the unit level, we have implemented a number of important changes, with a change in our fall in procedures in order to further recognise the leadership and authority of the cadet leaders and to build a greater affinity to the NPCC by getting cadets to recite the NPCC pledge at the beginning of every training. We have also created more leadership opportunities for cadets by creating the Head Training Development and the Head Publicity and Publications posts which recognise the importance of these areas to the unit.

As the year draws to a close, we can look back on a year of change and improvement and take with us many positives into 2013 as we seek to consolidate our improvements and to ensure SJI NPCC's place as a premier uniformed group in SJI. Ora Et Labora A/ASP Daryl Tan OC SJI NPCC Unit

Change is the only constant

by CI Sim Guo Chen Change is the only constant. The unexamined life is not worth living. Theres always room for improvement. These just sum up the need for constant scrutiny, and changes in the form of improvement, not just on a personal level, but also on an organisational level. SJI NPCC is certainly no exception. Since I joined SJI NPCC as a Cadet Inspector in 2010, unit processes have changed significantly. Such changes were made upon long and serious consideration by various parties within the Unit and only after rigorous discussions among various stakeholders, including the Teacher Officers, Cadet Inspectors, Cadet Leaders, and certainly keeping the views and interests of the cadets in mind. SJI NPCC is proud to have seen rapid improvements across various key performance indicators across these years. On a holistic level, we have achieved Gold awards for the Unit Overall Proficiency Award for 3 consecutive years since 2010, after losing it in 2009. On a more micro level, the number of SPF-NPCC awardees has also increased markedly and consistently over the years, reaching a peak of 4 in 2012, doubling the next best record that we had over the past 6 years! Such achievements would have amounted to nothing if they were achieved by mere serendipity. However, it must be recognised that it was the combined and sustained effort of the entire Unit that made such improvements attainable. It is always easier to remain status quo, as that is already our comfort zone, but the Unit has decided to move beyond that, and we are glad that the entire Unit has been able to collaborate to achieve such changes. Since 2010, the Unit has tightened various admin procedures. For example, we started experimenting with new online platforms for our archiving system. Despite some difficulties adapting to new online platforms, and having to switch between platforms to ensure maximum suitability, we now have a stable online archiving system. Such a

system has allowed our Cadet Leaders to refer to the documents created by their predecessors so as to ensure that there is continuity in the administrative procedures, and for the successors to learn from the past mistakes of their predecessors. Along the same vein, Batch 38 (graduating batch of 2011) also successfully compiled a series of CL Manuals to ensure quick and easy reference for their successors. Certainly, administrative procedures are merely an aspect of organisational excellence. As a uniformed group unit with educational objectives, it is our training programme which defines who we are. The training programme was revamped in 2010, and documented to ensure a systematic coverage of the NPCC training syllabus. A whole series of documents (training syllabus, training standard instructional objectives, objective checklists, training plans) are constantly reviewed and referred to by the training department to ensure maximum utilisation of training time to achieve training objectives. This has also ensured that an appropriate time is allocated to the various aspects of the NPCC training syllabus, particularly the Campcraft component, which was oft-forgotten during the pre-2010 period. This re-adjustment of the training time allocation has proven to be worthwhile when SJI NPCC attained 16th and 30th in the 2012 Campcraft Competition, the best results we have achieved since the competition format was changed in 2004. Beyond the basic skills and knowledge, it is ultimately the heartware of a Unit that truly determines the purest and truest form of organisational excellence. As opposed to the more paternalistic system in place in SJI NPCC in the previous decade, we have grown to become a Unit which truly cares for one another, not just within each batch, but also across batches. Seniors try to understand their juniors better, know one another on a personal level, and understand each and every single cadet holistically, because that is when true education can begin. It was through such relationships forged that SJI NPCC produced batches of outstanding young gentlemen. This has allowed our cadets to do well not only within the CCA, but also socially and academically, with the 38th Batch of Cadet Leaders achieving stellar results in their Olevels, with 2 top Indian students across the nation, and many others scoring well enough to enter the most competitive junior colleges in Singapore. As a further extension, a mentorship programme is in the pipeline to allow seniors to understand their juniors better, and to ensure that there will always be a pillar of strength to which anyone of us can turn to when we are down. Indeed, the Unit has seen many changes over the past few years, and these changes could only have proven to be improvements through the sheer grit and hard work put in by the entire Unit over these years. I definitely look forward to further suggestions for improvements put forward by the juniors, and have full confidence that SJI NPCC will continue to improve, and further achieve its ultimate aim of being a critical part of the allround character development of our cadets.

Accomplishments for 2012

Unit Overall Proficiency Award (Gold) for 2011 4 SPF-NPCC Badge Awardees: SI Nathaniel Too Sheng Hua (432) SI Toby Seah Jia Xu (421) SI Mak Wen Feng Ron (433) SSGT Kevin Chee Wei Jie (431) Teams 1 and 2 receive 16th and 31st place in the 2012 NPCC Inter-Unit Campcraft Competition respectively Best Unit Cadet (BUC) awarded to SSGT Kevin Chee Wei Jie (431) SJI NPCC Team 1 attains national 5th in the Inter-Unit 0.22 Revolver Shooting Competition Outstanding Cadets: Secondary 1: LCP Muhammad Riaz bin Jamallulah Secondary 2: CPL Chia Kai Tiak Secondary 3: SGT Ethan Lim Kay Jae Secondary 4: SSGT Ryan Lai Chi Ming Lasallian Cadets: Secondary 1: LCP Se Sean (103) Secondary 2: CPL Ryan Tan Hong Liang (208) Secondary 3: SGT Wong Jun Hao, Lucas (301) Best Skills: Secondary 1: LCP Na Byung Hee (108) Secondary 2: CPL Chauhan Yuvraj (212) Secondary 3: SGT Kwok Yi Xian, Norman (301) Best Fitness: Secondary 1: CGT David Goh Zheng Wei (108) Secondary 2: CPL S K Haridharan (204) Secondary 3: SGT Tay Kiat Hong (301)

SPF-NPCC Badge Awardees 0.22 Revolver Shooting Competition Team 1

160th SJI Annual Parade

by Lucas Wong The heavens opened as the rain got heavier as time went by, the grey clouds casting a shadow over the sun. It was a cold, dark evening on the 7th of July 2012 as the 5 uniformed groups of St Josephs Institution (SJI), together with the schools military band, marched out onto the damp and muddy field to mark the beginning of SJIs 160th Annual Parade. For the first time in a long while, it rained during the parade itself, throwing the events future into uncertainty. After a few moments of discussions, though, it was clear that the parade had to go on it would have been exceedingly awkward Bird's-eye view of the whole parade to disrupt the parade and resume in another part of the school. In addition, this parade was no small affair not only was this to mark the stepping down of the Secondary 4 Cadet Leaders and the formal ascension of the Secondary 3s to leadership, gracing the occasion was also old boy and Deputy Prime Minister Mr Teo Chee Hean, there as the guest-of-honour. Therefore, with Station Inspector Nathaniel Too Sheng Hua as the Parade RSM for the day, the parade commenced. As he began to call in the supporting contingents, which consisted of selected Secondary 2, 3 and 4 cadets from the 5 uniformed groups, we I was placed in charge of the supporting contingent for NPCC, so I was present on the field as well braved the torrential rain beating down on us like millions of needles. Enduring the weather for what seemed like an eternity, the cold and bitter winds did little to ease our suffering, yet none of us were willing to relent and yield to the challenge that the heavens had presented us with. Instead, this only inspired and motivated us to bear with it even longer. This was especially true, since even without the harsh weather, simply to remain at one position for thirty minutes straight and not fidget was a major challenge for most of us. Indeed, most of us saw this as the final opportunity to prove ourselves to our outgoing Secondary 4 leaders that they had done a magnificent job in guiding us throughout the past year, bringing us to where we were today, that they had succeeded in their aims of nurturing and developing us to make us better persons for the future. As a result, instead of sighing and complaining about the terrible conditions

during the parade, we embraced the challenge, and the parade was a massive success. This years parade was a shift away from the conventional timeline of previous parades, even though it was unintentional. The march past took place first, followed by the prize-giving ceremony, during which awards were presented to outstanding cadets of each level from each uniformed group (UG), as well as to teachers who had served in the uniformed groups for a period of time and had NPCC Supporting Contingent marching past the audience remained committed to their assigned UG. Also, the various awards achieved by each of the uniformed groups were presented to the school. As such, due to the immense number of awards to be given out, the prize-giving ceremony easily took up another thirty minutes, during which the rest of us could only watch in envy as they marched up to receive their prizes while we struggled to remain still throughout the ceremony. However, all our hearts shone with pride as we witnessed our own squadmates step up to receive their accolades, each one dreaming of receiving his own the following year even as we cheered them on in our hearts. Even as the ceremony played out, the raindrops continued to fall from the grey skies. Following that, we witnessed the climax and most solemn part of the parade the Change of Command Ceremony, during which articles symbolising the leadership posts of the various uniformed groups, as well as the military band, were handed over from the Secondary 4s to the incoming Secondary 3 leaders. The significance of this event is

The various contingents in SJI's 160th Annual Parade

immeasurable as it marks the leadership transition and handing over of the reins to a new generation of Cadet Leaders indeed, though it was the end of one cohorts journey, this only indicated the beginning of anothers. Even though no tears were shed, and no cries heard, the feelings of melancholy and sadness were always present, as it would most likely be the last time we would see our seniors. They are the ones who had poured out all their time and effort in numerous attempts to hasten our progress and guide us onto our road to success. Once they handed over command of their respective uniformed groups, the main leaders of the UGs marched off the field as strains of music echoed throughout the school compound, marking the end of their journey here at SJI. It seemed almost even the heavens agreed that this event was so powerful, so important, so crucial in the events which would follow in the next 12 months that the rain ceased the moment the music began to play. As they slowly marched off the field in perfect timing, the clouds cleared as colour was returned to the sky, paving the way for the sun to turn the sky into a fiery expanse of crimson and magenta as it hastened for slumber under the distant horizon, while a faint rainbow appeared in the sky, as if to add the finishing touches to the parade. Now, as the Secondary 4s depart the school, it is time for us, the Secondary 3s, to mature and lead the uniformed group to greater successes. Though time is in short supply, we will strive to make as great an impact as possible and to do NPCC proud. Even though all these seem like a tall order and may cause some skeptics to cast doubts over the possibility of us realizing this dream, I implore all of you to throw your support behind our current batch of leaders and aid them in their journey and maturity. After all, as Benjamin Franklin once said, Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.

The NPCC Experience

by Parth Mehta Many a time it takes one a lifetime to understand or appreciate the value of something intangible. Such occurred to me too. I was an ignorant and overweight (still am) chap in Secondary 1 and before joining NPCC. I did not hold discipline and punctuality in high regard. However, all of that changed after I was being sworn in as an NPCC cadet in 2010... for the better. In Secondary 1, I remember coming down for trainings and standing at attention when our attendance was taken. I was always fearful of our Cadet Inspectors (CIs) who would grill us when we make a mistake, whether it be while doing drills or when we fooled

around during training instead of taking things seriously. Nonetheless, the most notable memory that I can never forget is when we first received our NPCC uniform. That feeling was one absolutely worth having as we finally received what was rightfully ours as NPCC cadets. In Secondary 2, even though we have not stepped up as Cadet Leaders (CLs) yet, a high standard of discipline was expected from us. In that year, we went for the Unit Training Camp (UTC) during the June break. It was my first physically-strenuous experience, and yet I savoured it as it allowed me to forge stronger bonds with my squadmates which are ever-present even today. In Secondary 2, I had the privilege to participate in SJIs 159th Annual Parade. The feeling of euphoria that passed through me as I gallantly marched on the field amidst the sea of navy blue is one that is indescribable. Another key milestone in Secondary 2 was attending the Adventure Training Camp in Pulau Ubin - which is comparable to attending National Service as it did allow me to befriend cadets from other schools through a shared experience (as well as lose some weight). In Secondary 3, my batch is leading the unit as the current CLs. The feeling is Cadets hard at work tying lashings, a part of the great, but a great deal of campcraft curriculum responsibility is on our shoulders. We face challenges and issues every day, be it logistically or in terms of administration. However complex those problems may be, NPCC has taught me to put forth a never say die attitude and to always keep enduring, no matter the how hard the situation is. This experience, I believe, will stick with me throughout my life.

Adventure Training Camp

by Lee Yi Truth be told, I dreaded the arrival of ATC. We were gathered at the Changi Jetty early in the morning. Soon after, we were on a bumboat headed to the offshore island of

Pulau Ubin. Upon arrival, we trudged through narrow, hilly, rocky roads and after an hours walk, with shirts plastered to our backs, we were outside the gates of the sprawling NPCC Camp Resilience. I somehow thought this camp would be a bad and horrible camp. I was proven wrong. Our campsite was fairly simple a lush green field for tents to be pitched, a canteen block, a restroom block and dormitories. This campsite was packed with cadets strangers from the various schools in Area 15. I then began a three-day camp which would present me with many valuable, treasured experiences. 1. Icebreakers Whacko. The name game. These activities tore down the barriers between the various campers from different schools. We began to talk to one another an open opportunity to make new friends. Mutual understanding was established within my group. 2. Lessons/Takeaways Conquering Phobias Being stuck in a pitch dark labyrinth or being suspended from a rope element is NOT fun. I am scared of heights. I also dislike total darkness. The ropes course and underground maze helped me to overcome my fears. Upon completion of the activities, all of us had a strong sense of accomplishment. Bonding We had to build a raft and take part in kayaking with cadets from the other schools, and this, I felt established a much better sense of communication and interaction within my group. Camp Life Living with one another under the same tents and having meals with other cadets made us open up to one another. We got to know one anothers personalities better, even though we were from different schools and racial backgrounds. 3. After the camp Even now, my groupmates and I still keep in close contact. I find it amazing how this three-day camp could The campfire, which marked the end of the strenuous 3day ATC

establish such strong bonds between us, considering how fast the three days passed. Shirts plastered to our backs yet again, we bade farewell to the gleaming grounds of Camp Resilience. Back down the roads of Pulau Ubin, we cheered as a unit, as an area. This camp had been a fruitful one. It unlocked new experiences and helped us forge strong friendships, opening up a new world. Thank you, ATC, thank you, Camp Resilience. We will be back soon, this time, for the STC next year.

NPCC Annual Parade

by Kenneth Ng I was chosen to participate in the 2012 NPAP in October 2011, just before the year-end holidays. I wanted to join it as my squadmates who had participated in it in 2011 recounted their fun experiences and this motivated me to strive to participate in it the following year. I was glad to be given the prestiguous opportunity to join it since I was very interested in drills - and still am - and this parade would improve my standards in executing drills with precision and swiftness. During the course of the 2011 year-end holidays, I had numerous trainings with some of my fellow squadmates as well as a few juniors. The trainings were very demanding, both physically as well as mentally, especially under the hands of my seniors, who punished us for almost every mistake we made. However, I do not blame them because I knew that they were just doing their best to improve our drill standards so that when we went for the actual NPAP trainings during the 2012 March holidays, we would not make a fool out of ourselves in front of all the other cadets from the plethora of other schools. The holiday trainings were long and strenuous, Satisfied after the successful 2012 NPAP but was especially tiring for me as I was chosen to be a flag bearer along with one of my juniors who was to be my reserve. Being a flag bearer meant that I had to hold up the flag with just my hand and a sash as a support.

After each and every training, my shoulder would feel so sore that I can barely elevate it on my own. Regardless of that fact, I was still extremely glad and satisfied that I went through these trainings as it trained my arm to have enough endurance to hold it up during the real parade. When the March holidays began, I realised that I had only 1 day of break the whole week. The entire week was filled with NPAP trainings at the Home Team Academy (HTA). The only day of break I had was on a Sunday, but that day was spent doing all the outstanding homework I had not done during the week due to my lack of time. I still remember waking up at 6am on a holiday just to travel to HTA. The trainings usually started at around 8am and we would train until about 12pm or 1pm. We would then be given time off to eat lunch which was provided by HTA. This was when we usually make friends with cadets from the different schools as we bond and socialise over the meals. As I was a flag bearer, I trained with the Gold Unit Flag Party (GUFP), which was a separate contingent from my other friends, who trained in the Guard of Honour (GOH) contingent. Thus, I trained with people whom I did not know personally, except for my junior, who was also separated from me as he trained with the other reserve flag bearers. The other cadets in the GUFP were all rather friendly and thus, I did not take very long to make a few friends. Although the trainings ended rather late, at around 7pm to 8pm, I still found them fun as I got to interact with new people during that time. After the 6 consecutive trainings during the holidays, my legs and especially my arms were sore from both the marching and holding up the flag. Furthermore, during this period of 6 days, I did not have time to give my No. 3 uniform pants a thorough wash as I had to use it every single day. By the end of the 6 days, it was already quite smelly and soggy as it rained during one of the trainings. When school reopened, there were only trainings on Wednesdays and Saturdays for the first 2 weeks as the parade was on the Saturday of the second week of school. By the end of the last training before the actual parade, everyone, including myself, was already very excited. We had all trained very hard for this, enduring through the rigourous trainings, and we were ready to put whatever we had practised to good use. On that Saturday, we were still expected to report at 8am for a training before the actual parade which started at around 5.30pm later that day. After lunch, we were brought to the auditorium where we changed into our No. 1 uniforms. The uniform is a very prestigious one, and a sense of pride and

The flag bearers representing their respective schools, standing tall and proud

dignity dawned upon us as we adorned the uniform. After changing, we took quite a number of photos and prepared ourselves, mentally, for the parade. When the time finally came, our Cadet Inspectors (CIs) who had trained and prepared us long and hard for the past few weeks gave us a motivational talk before we took our flags and marched to the drill shed, which was located behind the parade square. When the music, which was the cue for us to march, finally played, we marched in with our heads held up high, a sense of pride flowing through us. When we marched into the parade square, I was shocked by the sheer number of people present. However, I did not let fear overcome me. The great number of people spectating just made me feel even prouder to be a part of this parade. Cadets representing SJI in the 2012 NPAP, jovial about the great turnout When the parade ended, I felt as though the weeks of trainings and the hard work we had put in were well worth it and really did pay off. I wish that I could join NPAP again in 2013 but I know that other cadets have to be given a chance. However, this does not signify the end of my involvement with the NPAP. I will be training the cadets who are going for the parade next year just like my seniors trained me, to prepare the cadets well for the parade, and ensure that the legacy is carried forth.

Water Assault Competition (Inter-unit Games 2012)

by Ajay Pillay The SJI NPCC Unit organised a Water Assault Competition in November 2012 for other schools to attend, from different areas. In total, 4 schools attended the competition and it turned out to be a very enjoyable and worthwhile competition. Organising this competition was certainly a logistical nightmare. We required lots of cardboard to construct armour and plastic curry bags to fill up to use as water bombs.

Many hours were spent traversing the school in search of spare cardboard and constructing the armour. Even more hours had to be spent filling up the plastic curry bags with water. Sweat certainly was pouring down our faces as we transported chairs and tables to the parade square, which formed the playing field - chairs as obstacles, and tables denoting the base of each team. The goal of the game was to snatch ping-pong balls and bowling pins from the playing field and bring it back to the base without being hit by any water bomb on the armour. When the day arrived for the competition to take place, the referees for the game had to be extremely familiar with all the rules, as the playing field was set to be very chaotic.

The battle continues!

Many of us did not expect the playing field to be as chaotic as we had imagined. We had to be extremely vigilant as many, many things were happening all at once, and that is the reason there had to be 3 referees per game. We had to ensure that no rough play was tolerated, as well as ensure that the competitors were compliant with the more minor rules such as not holding two water bombs at once or throwing water bombs from within their base. Maris Stella High School attained the 1st placing in this competition, with Bukit Panjang Government High School in 2nd place, and Hwa Chong Institution in 3rd place. I think that there are a few valuable lessons which can be taken away from both the organisation and execution of the competition, from the start through to the

Maris Stella's team, crowned victors of the Water Assault Competition

finish. Cooperation and communication with one another were some very essential aspects which resulted in the competition being such a success. On the field itself, I believe that initiative and assertiveness were also extremely essential to ensure that the game is played properly, and also for the safety of everyone there. When carrying out mammoth tasks like these, the sheer camaraderie within our batch certainly did emerge and present itself very clearly. We put aside any differences or disagreements we had to ensure that the task at hand was completed in a smooth and professional fashion.