Opss Npcc Newsletter (0608)

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Orchid Park Secondary School – National Police Cadet Corps

Bi-Annual Newsletter

Contents

Volume 1, June 2008

Message from OC Dear all,

Message from ---------------------- 1

Last year had been a fruitful and

OC

memorable year for our unit. We managed

by A/ASP Toh Wee Teck

to obtain our very first UOPA Gold award. This would not be possible if not for the

My First Ever Adventure Training Camp --------------------------------------- 2 by CPL Ng Jun Han Gavin

dedication and commitment from each and everyone from our unit (cadets, NCOs,

CIs

and

officers),

and

not

forgetting the strong support from our

Reflections on My Sec 3 ATC ------- 5 by SGT Chia Pei Ting

school (the school management, staff and students). On behalf of our unit, “Thank you, everyone!” For the first half of this year, our unit has also done well. Our

Hong Kong Visit ------- 7

Educational

by SGT Gernette Loh Hui Yi

campcraft girl’s and boy’s teams managed to get 9th and 22nd positions respectively in the Inter-Unit Biennial Campcraft Competition. In addition, our girl’s and boy’s .22” revolver shooting teams attained 11th and 18th positions respectively in the Inter-Unit Annual .22” Revolver

Experience

Shooting Competition. A job well done to all those who have contributed

by SSG Mohammad Irfan Bin Osman, SSG Ang Say Lee & SSG Ong Sze Li

I would also like to welcome our Sec 1 cadets into our family.

Our HRC ---------------- 10

Lessons Learnt from Our NCO Camp ------------------------------------- 11 by SGT Tang Mei Yin

to our success in one way or another! Hope you all will have a rewarding and meaningful experience with us. I would also like to extend my congratulations to our newly-promoted Station Inspectors (SI Chia Pei Ting & SI Ku Nurizwanshah), our Best Unit Cadet recipients for this year (SI Chia Pei Ting & SSG Matthias Goh) and our SPF-NPCC Badge recipients (SI Chia Pei Ting, SI Toh Zheng Yan, SSG Ang Say Lee, SSG Clifford Tan, SSG Gernette Loh, SSG Matthias Goh, SSG Ong Sze Li & SSG Ronald Ho). You all are an

Past Events of 2008 (January ~ June) --------------------------------------------- 14

inspiration and great role models for your juniors! All in all, it has been a wonderful start for our unit this year. Hopefully, we will be able to attain our second UOPA Gold award this year. I believe that “DREAM is the seedling of REALITY!” Let us all work hard to grow and nurture this little “seedling” of ours!

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Orchid Park Secondary School – National Police Cadet Corps

My First Ever Adventure Training Camp On the night of 8th November 2007, I was still busy packing my bag for my very first 3-day-2-night Adventure Training Camp (ATC – Sec 2) the next day. I was so excited that I could not get any sleep that night.

Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

Once we arrived, we quickly alighted from our bumboats and set off towards our campsite. The walk was easier than I anticipated. It was quite a pleasant walk as we get to see some beautiful scenery, some that we cannot find on the mainland. On reaching our campsite, we were split into various groups as we waited for the other units to arrive. I was in Alpha group, along with 2 of my squadmates (Jolyn and Ke Rong). After our camp opening, the first activity that we had to do was to pitch our tents. We were to share our tents in groups of

Day 1 We all reached our school very early that morning. We took our attendance and did our last minute check before leaving our school for Changi Jetty. On the bus trip, I can tell that most of us, including our seniors, were looking forward to this camping experience, especially me and my fellow Sec 2 squadmates. This is because this is our first ATC, and for some of us, it may even be their first time going to Pulau Ubin.

6. As we were busy pitching away, I realized that there were quite a number of cadets from the other units that do not know how to pitch a tent. So, we ended up having to help some of them. It was quite an experience. We were glad and grateful that our NCOs and CIs had taught us the proper way to pitch a tent before this ATC. It was only then that we really appreciated all those tent-pitching trainings.

When we reached Changi Jetty, we were allocated onto different bumboats as each bumboat could only take 12 passengers. The ride to Pulau Ubin was bumpy but windy. For some of my squadmates, it was their first time on a bumboat. As we got nearer to Pulau Ubin, we started to have mixed feelings. We were excited about the camp but also scared at the same time as we did not know how the camp will turn out, especially when we will be there with other cadets from the other Area 2 units.

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Orchid Park Secondary School – National Police Cadet Corps

Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

The next program was lunch. It was only then that we realized that we had to cook our meals ourselves for all the meals throughout the ATC. And, to make it worse, we were to eat outfield rations, consisting of instant noodles, canned food and biscuits.

Then, we had ice-breaker and team-building games in the afternoon, under the hot blazing sun. Through these games, we managed to get to know our group members better. After our dinner, we had a mock campfire to prepare us for the big event the next day. The last activity for the day was treasure hunt. My group emerged first in that game. I think we won mainly because we bonded better than the other groups. After our debrief and washup, it was time to sleep. By the time we went back to our respective tens, we were all exhausted. Though it was the first time that most of us sleep out in a tent, we soon fell asleep due to fatigue. In the middle of the night, it started to rain. By the next morning, our tents were wet and filled with water. It was not a good first night for us. Day 2 Due to the wet weather, we only had a light physical training (PT). Then, we had our breakfast, our third meal in ATC. After our breakfast, the various groups went on to do our respective activities. For my group, it was the land expedition. We had to travel to different parts of Pulau Ubin to find checkpoints and to complete various tasks at these checkpoints. In the process, we have gotten to know Pulau Ubin better. I have also learnt some simple navigational skills during the land expedition. We had our second activity, kayaking, after our lunch. We were all looking forward for it. I can see that every one of us was filled with anticipation. I was paired up with Ke Rong for the kayaking. It was fun but tiring.

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Orchid Park Secondary School – National Police Cadet Corps

Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

Day 3 We woke up early in the morning as usual and had our morning PT. Then, we had our last meal at ATC. During our breakfast, our group instructor, CI Mike from Northbrooks told us that this was his last ATC as he was going to serve his National Service soon. I will always remember what he told us: “No matter where you go, you will never walk alone.” I believe this is true, especially in NPCC as NPCC is all about teamwork and team spirit. After our breakfast, we unpitched our tents and proceeded to do our area cleaning. After everything was done, we went to join the Sec 3s for the camp closing. It was a sad time for all of us as we had to bid farewell to each other. Though we came to the camp as strangers After the activity, we cleaned up, changed out of our wet

but we left as friends. We were looking forward to meeting again

clothes and proceeded to our next activity, the Low Rope

at the other area activities and next year’s ATC. Just before we left

Challenge (LRC). This was another activity that we were all eager

the campsite, we managed to take some group photos. I was glad

to try. We had rock-climbing and tunneling. During the rock-

that I had come for this camp. It was indeed a memorable first

climbing, I was really surprised at myself as I managed to

ATC for most of us.

complete the rock-climbing. Initially, I thought that I would not be successful but I was wrong. I felt proud of myself for being able to reach to the top. The tunneling was another interesting activity as

CPL Ng Jun Han Gavin

we were to go through a very dark tunnel. It was so dark inside that we could not even see our hands. The tunnel was like a maze, filled with dead ends. We had to feel our way out. It was very challenging and a good chance for us to put our team spirit and teamwork to the test. In order to get out of the tunnel, we even had to go on all fours at some part. However, due to time constraint, we were not able to do the low elements. After our dinner, it was time for the highlight of ATC, the campfire. We were to join the Sec 3s for the campfire. When we arrived at the campfire site, we saw our seniors, Trina and Gernette, as part of the cheer leaders. We sang, cheered and watched the performances by the various Sec 3 groups and the CIs. We had a lot of fun during the campfire. It was a spectacular experience for all of us. When the campfire came to an end, we were all sad. After that, we headed back to our tents to rest for the night. Thinking back, the campfire was really memorable and a terrific experience. That night, we were allowed to sleep in the canteen as someone had reported seeing a snake near our tent area.

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Orchid Park Secondary School – National Police Cadet Corps

Reflections on My Sec 3 ATC I have been looking forward to the Sec 3 Adventure Training Camp (ATC) since the Sec 2 ATC the year before. Finally, my long-awaited day arrived. As I was walking to school on 9th November 2007, I could still recall vividly some of the scenes from my Sec 2 ATC. After we met up in school, my squad and I boarded the bus with our Sec 2 juniors, CIs and officers and began our journey towards Pulau Ubin.

Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

dry leaves. For the other units, it was new to them but not for me and my squad as we had done this before during our NCO Camp earlier this year. At night, we had a mock campfire with our Sec 2 juniors. Then, we had a night-walk which was also not new to us as we had experienced this before at other camps. However, this night-walk was different from the others that we had attended. We were actually required to go into the nearby forest. It was nerve-racking experience for most of us. It was very dark, except for the little amount of light from the reflection by the moon and the light sticks placed in the bushes to lead our way. It was really a scary and yet memorable moment for us. After all the activities, we could finally get to sleep. However, not all things went as smoothly as expected. The dark clouds above us seemed to forecast an impending heavy downpour. I was sleeping in my tent when suddenly I heard a whistle signaling us to gather in the foyer. The rain was so heavy that even though I was wearing my poncho, I was still

When we reached Pulau Ubin, everyone in my squad was very excited and full of energy. Along the way to the NPCC campsite, Camp Resilience, we sang songs to keep up our high spirits. We were also greeted by the beautiful scenery of nature. After awhile, everyone was perspiring and panting. When the campsite was finally in view, miraculously we suddenly felt recharged. At last, I am back at the Noordin Campsite, a place where there were numerous fond memories for me and my squad. This year, the Sec 3 ATC was organized by our unit’s CIs. The Camp Coordinator is CI Lau Sheng Xiang and the Assistant Camp Coordinator is CI Ronald Er Shi Tao. Attending a camp organized by our own CIs inevitably added pressure on me and my squadmates as we were expected to behave and performed better than others (which we did eventually). I was placed in Delta group and my group instructor was CI Vincent. We quickly pitched up our tents and proceeded to the day’s activities. The activities for the first day were mostly ice-breaker and team-building games. Through these games, I got to know quite a number of new friends from the other units in Area 2, especially those in my Visit us at :

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drenched. To make matters worse, the strong wind made me shiver through the night. That night, we slept in the canteen and foyer but our belongings were still in our tents, under the mercy of the rain. Our only wish at that moment was that our tents were durable enough to withstand the heavy downpour. Sadly, we were wrong. Though our tents remained standing the next morning, our most of our belongings were wet and soaked. The second day was much more tiring but more fun than the first day. My group started with orienteering in the morning. We were required to find our way to the various checkpoints on our own using the clues, maps and compasses given to us. These checkpoints were all located outside the NPCC campsite, around Pulau Ubin. Although we met with some difficulties, my group cooperated well together and eventually found our way to the checkpoints. Our next activity was rafting. For this activity, we had to go over to the beach at Bahru Campsite. We were asked to make a raft on our own using large barrels, long spars and rope. After some time, with everyone helping out, we finally completed our raft. Then, we took our raft out into the sea. We even had a mini-race with another 2 groups. We

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Orchid Park Secondary School – National Police Cadet Corps

all had fun and enjoyed ourselves tremendously.

Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

closing ceremony. All the sec 2 and sec 3 campers, CIs and officers gather in the field, in front of the flag poles at Noordin campsite. We stood in a big circle for the camp closing speech. After that all the CIs went inside the circle and shook hands with every camper. Just as I was shaking hands with one of the CIs, he passed me something. I looked down and saw a “Monkey Fist”. After that, we were told that the “Monkey Fist” was an award that each CI would give to their “Best Camper”. At that moment, I felt honoured and proud of myself. Afterwards, I realized that quite a number of my squadmates also received a “Monkey Fist”; in fact most of the “Best Campers” recipients were actually from my squad. Well done OPSS NPCC Sec 3 Squad! After this Sec 3 ATC, I made a lot of new friends

In the afternoon, we get to try out the High Ropes

from the other Area 2 units and most importantly, I have

Challenge (HRC). We had to overcome our fear in order to

learnt many qualities; self-discipline, punctuality, endurance,

complete it. I was one of the first few to try. It was very

teamwork, communication, cooperation and confidence. But

exciting for all of us. Everything went quite smoothly. Most

what really helped me through this camp was the care and

of us managed to complete it. After that, I was one of the

concern from my friends. Without it, I would never have

lucky few that chosen to try out the “Tunnel”. We were

survived through the camp.

supposed to go through the tunnel in groups of 5. We had to overcome our fear of darkness as it was pitch dark inside the tunnel. We could not even see our team-mates. We also needed to cooperate with each other and help one and another to find our way out of the tunnel. We had to hold each other’s hands and move together slowly. After some struggle, all of us finally made it. Hooray! At night, we had our campfire, the highlight of the camp – one that every camper was looking forward to. Our Sec 2 juniors came over to the Noordin Campsite to join us for this activity. It was a combined campfire. For this campfire, all the sec 3 groups were required to put up a performance. We all had fun. We sang and cheered our hearts out that night. We were all so “high” and energized. The best performance was the one put up by all the Area 2 CIs. They were the shining stars for the night. Their performance was so creative and hilarious. Their performance brought the campfire to a climax. With the conclusion of the campfire, we also ended our 2nd day of ATC. The next morning, we had area cleaning in the morning after breakfast. Following that, we had the camp

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My “Monkey Fist”

SGT Chia Pei Ting Page 6 of 16

Orchid Park Secondary School – National Police Cadet Corps

Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

Hong Kong Educational Visit On 21st November 2007, I woke up early to do my last minute check on my luggage before heading to the airport. One of my squadmate (SGT Joel Chan) and I were selected to represent our area for a 7-Day Overseas Educational Visit to Hong Kong with other NPCC cadets from various units. I was all excited about the trip. When I reached Changi Airport Terminal 1, everyone was already there with their families and friends. We were all quiet at first as we do not know each other but gradually we started to open up and started to make friends. Afterall, we were to stay with each other for the next few days in a foreign country. Once we arrived at Hong Kong, we checked-in into our hotel. We went to our allocated rooms to put our luggage before we headed to the restaurant for our dinner. Our first meal in Hong Kong was nice. It was a sumptuous 10-course dinner! After dinner, we returned to our hotel to prepare and rehearse for our up-coming performance on the fourth day. By the time, we hit the hay, we were all tired but at the same time, looking forward to the next day. On the 2nd day, we visited the Hong Kong Police Headquarters in Mong Kok District. We had a talk where we learnt that Hong Kong Police also has a student system similar to that of NPCC in Singapore. This student group is known as Junior Police Call (JPC). After the talk, we had refreshments and were given the opportunity to mingle with the JPC members. Then, we went to the souvenir shop located there. Most of us bought gifts for our officers, squadmates, family and friends. We were also given a tour around the Central Police Station. After our lunch, we proceeded to the Police College where the Hong Kong Police trained. Their training area left a deep impression on me. It is a 3-storey building, where the first floor was duplicated to look like the streets of Hong Kong. Time really flies when we were touring the Police College. It was a fascinating visit for most of us.

In the evening, we were treated to a spectacle view of “A Symphony of Lights” at the Avenue of Stars, which combines interactive lights from 44 buildings on both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon with musical effects to showcase the vibrancy and glamorous night view of Victoria Harbour. All of us were mesmerized by it.

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Orchid Park Secondary School – National Police Cadet Corps

Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

“A Symphony of Lights” is the world’s largest permanent light and sound show as recorded in the Guinness World Records. After the brilliant lights display, we went over to the Ladies Market (also known as Women’s Street), where a variety of merchandise (e.g. clothes, accessories, toys, bags, etc…) was on sale there. We shopped around for about an hour before heading back to our hotel. On Day 3, we visited the Hong Kong Police Dog Unit together with the JPC members. Over there, we were introduced to their system and the different breeds of dogs that they have. The dogs were categorized according to their ages and usages. We also learnt that the dogs in the Hong Kong police force play an important role, which includes explosive and drug detection, guard duties and providing assistance in anti-crime operations. In order to better equip the dogs for these tasks, they have to undergo numerous trainings. One that I found rather interesting was the environment adjustment program, where the dogs are exposed to different settings (e.g. wet, dry, hot, cold, bright, dark, etc…) and sounds (e.g. baby’s cries, sound from a running airplane engine, doorbell, etc…). The objective of this program is to allow the dogs to get accustom to the different environments that they would encounter in their line of duty.

Then, we went for a tour of the Police Marine Port Base. We learnt about their duties and their equipments. We even took a ride on their boats to Cheung Chau Island to visit their police station over there and their JPC Clubhouse. Cheung Chau is a small island of Hong Kong. It is not as developed as the rest of Hong Kong but the air there is definitely fresher. After dinner, we headed back to our hotel to prepare for our visit to Macau the next day. On the fourth day, we left for Macau right after our breakfast. We were given a warm reception by the Macau Flying Eagle Association when we reached Macau. We then proceeded to the Macau Police and Fire Station and Fire Service Museum.

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Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

We were fortunate enough to witness a real emergency. We saw the firemen rushing off to the fire scene. It really set my adrenaline pumping. Next, we headed to the Fisherman’s Wharf at Macau. There, we had our buffet lunch. We also went on a siteseeing tour. We saw a man-made volcano at the sea’s edge, which was the most eye-catching icon of Macau’s Fisherman’s Wharf. Next, there was a Tug-of-War competition between the 3 student groups; the Flying Eagle Association, JPC and NPCC. In the end, we only got a miserable 3rd place. We even participated in the Flying Eagle Association’s Oath-Taking Ceremony and Orientation Party. In exchange, we did our fancy drill performance, the one that we had been preparing since the first day of this trip. After the whole activity, we headed off to the Flying Eagle Association’s campsite to rest for the night. Day 5 was another day full of fun-filled activities. After breakfast, we had a Paintball Competition with the Flying Eagle Association and JPC. However, we emerged third again. It was embarrassing for us but we all enjoyed ourselves. We also had a singalong session with the JPC members. We taught them a few of our campfire songs and the Friendship Dance. After all the actives, we went for lunch together. It was one of the best meals we had in Hong Kong. We had abalone and shark’s fins. During lunch, the JPC members did a performance for us. Halfway into their performance, we even joined them to stage and sang with them hand in hand. After lunch, we exchanged our souvenirs and had gone back to Hong Kong. One scene which I remembered vividly from our siteseeing tour of Macau was the ruins of Cathedral of St Paul. The church was destroyed in a fire during a typhoon in 1835, leaving behind only one of its building face.

The next day, we went shopping before heading over to Ocean Park. As we had very little time there, all of us wasted no time and quickly went about our activities. Everyone enjoyed ourselves with the rides and carnival games there. Before we knew it, we had to meet at the entrance and head for dinner. When we went back to our hotel, we had a little birthday celebration for CI Nazrulla. Then we went back to our respective rooms to pack our luggage and to do some reflection on our trip. In the blink of an eye, before we know it, it was already the last day of our NPCC Overseas Education Visit. We were sad that our trip had come to an end and we had to fly back to Singapore. Most of us had wanted the trip to be longer. This trip had been an once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I really enjoyed myself there and I am glad and honoured to have been a part of this exchange program.

SGT Gernette Loh Hui Yi Visit us at :

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Orchid Park Secondary School – National Police Cadet Corps

Bi-Annual Newsletter

Our HRC Experience

Volume 1, June 2008

On 23rd February this year, our Sec 4 & 5 cadets went to NPCC campsite in Pulau Ubin for their High Ropes Challenge (HRC). It is a 1-day activity whereby all graduating cadets get an opportunity to experience the high elements facilities.

Flying Fox “The first obstacle for us was the 7-storey high Flying Fox. This was the moment that I had been waiting for. Although I do not have a fear of heights, it was still quite scary for me when I climbed up the tall structure. My heart was pounding at a very fast pace. It was as if my heart will pop out any moment. When I finally reached the top, the instructor helped me to secure safety ropes to my harness. I was then instructed to sit on a wooden ledge and get ready for my descend down. Not long after, I was told to jump off from the ledge. As I glided down, I could feel a gust of wind blowing strongly at me. The view from up there was breath-taking and picturesque. It was an incredible experience for me, one that I will forever remember. When I finally landed, how I wish I could go for another round.”

SSG Mohammad Irfan Bin Osman Double Decker “Our second obstacle is known as the “Double Decker”. This is an obstacle course where 5 ~ 6 logs are dangled horizontally in mid-air and 2 people have to help each other climb from one log to the next. The catch: the higher we climb, the further away the log is from the next log. We need to work together and help each other in order to complete the whole course. We also need to use all our strength and muscle and be as agile as monkeys. I partnered with Sze Li for this obstacle. We only managed to climb to the 3 rd log in the end. The 4th log was too far for us to reach. We had one of the best records. Hooray! We had so much fun together.”

SSG Ang Say Lee

.

Tunnel “The next obstacle was the Tunnel. It is an underground maze. We were supposed to go in, in groups of 3 ~ 5. I went into the tunnel with Say Lee and Emmelline. I went in first, followed by Say Lee and Emmelline was last. As the leader, I had to lead the rest out of the tunnel. This also meant that I would be the first one to face with whatever comes our way. To make matters worse, it was pitch dark inside the tunnel. We could only depend on our sense of touch to guide us out of the tunnel. The tunnel was also very small in size, which meant that we could only crawl on all fours. At one point, I even slide down a slope into a pool of “something”. As I did not know what that “something” was, I screamed out loud. Out of fear for my safety, Say Lee and Emmelline started screaming too. From my touch, that “something” felt like slimy frogs! It was only after some time that I realized they were only ………………… (drum rolls) ……………… … soft and slippery ………………… (drum rolls) ………………… BALLS! It was so hilarious!”

SSG Ong Sze Li

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Bi-Annual Newsletter

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Lessons Learnt from Our NCO Camp Our unit organized a NCO Camp for my squad during the March holidays (8th ~ 10th March) this year. This camp is meant to equip us with the necessary and relevant skills and knowledge on how to be a NCO and a leader in my unit. More importantly, upon completion of this camp, all of us will pass out as full-fledged NCOs and get our Sergeant ranks. 1st Day We reached school very early that day and fall in at the parade square in full uniform. We had a camp opening speech by our OC. Then, we had a bag inspection and went to put our bags in our respective bunks before we started out on our activities.

Another meaningful lesson for us was when CI Lokman gave us 6 green beans each. We were told that the beans represent our cadets and we were to take care of them for the rest of the camp. However, before the end of the 1st day, most of us had The first day was full of lectures. We had lectures on the

already lost our beans. We lost them during our evening PT

roles and responsibilities of a NCO, uniform etiquette, lesson plan,

session. As we were not allowed to put our “cadets” in our pockets

method of instruction (MOI), physical training (PT), debrief, fire

for the run around the school compound, most of us decided to

lighting and lifeskills. It was mentally tiring for all of us. Luckily,

leave them with our water bottles and writing materials, outside

all our lecturers were very understanding and cracked some jokes

NPCC room. When we came back from our run, we realised that

to lighten the mood and to keep us awake. Among all the lectures,

our “cadets” were missing! We searched frantically for them.

I enjoyed the lifeskills lessons, taken by CI Ben, the most. It was interesting and the activities were fun. We all learnt a lot during that lesson which is applicable to our lives. I remembered the phrase, “Focus on giving solutions, not the problems!”, which I totally agreed with. Instead of pointing fingers and blaming each other, we should look for solutions to the problem. I felt that this was one lesson that is most apt for my squad, something that we should always remember.

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Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

We were told to write a missing “person” report for each of our missing “cadets” and to submit to the CIs by the end of the day. We all learnt a valuable lesson from that incident. We also learnt more about the roles and responsibilities of a NCO. This is one lesson that will forever be etched in our minds, one that none of us will ever forget.

At night, though all lessons were over, we were able to rest too. This is because all of us had to prepare our MOIs and lesson plans for the next day, where each of us will have to take turns to “teach” our squad a particular drill (foot, baton or arms) and campcraft skill (knots, lashings, tent pitching or flagstaff). 2nd Day In the morning, we had our PT and breakfast. Then, we had our campcraft MOI. We took turns to become the instructor to “teach” our fellow squadmates on knots, lashings, tent pitching and flagstaff.

Next, we had a bunk inspection. This was the most memorable part of the camp. The whole inspection took a shocking 2 hours! We even had a change parade! Initially everything started out smoothly and peacefully, but as time went by, we all became very frustrated, angry and emotionally upset. Some of the female campers even broke down in tears. This was because we were reprimanded time and time again. The boys and girls failed to standardize our bunks. Though it was not a pleasant experience for us, we learnt some important lessons in the process. We learnt to be cooperative, to take initiative, the importance of punctuality, communication and teamwork, to persevere in times of difficulties and to remain

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Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

calm and composed in times of frustration. It was only then that

our OC during the parade. We were all so elated. Finally, we have

we realized that being a good NCO is not just about having the

passed out from the camp and we are now officially a NCO. After

knowledge and the skills, but also the correct attitude, behaviour

the parade, we had a camp debrief and a photo-taking session.

and qualities. It was a priceless lesson for my squad. After the long bunk inspection, we had our drills MOI. We had to execute our lesson plans for drills and applied what we have learnt in the lectures the day before. We learnt a lot from each other as we took turns to play the role as instructors. The CIs and SNCOs gave us their comments and also pointed to us our areas for improvement.

This has been a fruitful and meaningful camp for all of us. The sufferings that we had gone through were all worth it. We have learnt a lot of invaluable lessons; lessons that will benefit us and guide us in future. This is one experience that my squad would never ever forget.

SGT Tang Mei Yin

In the night, we had a lesson on night sentry. CI Lokman brought us on the sentry trail and explained to us the purpose and the importance of sentry. We were also told of what to look out for and what to do in various situations. It was an enriching lesson for us. 3rd Day On the last day, we did our area-cleaning after breakfast and got ready for our long-awaited parade. This is the parade that we had been looking forward to since the beginning of the camp. We received our Sergeant ranks from

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Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

Past Events of 2008 (January ~ June) Event / Activity Standard First-Aid Course CCA Orientation Nee Soon South Edusave Award Presentation (CIP) Ling Kwang Youth Centre Flag Day (CIP) Singapore Children’s Society Fund-Raising Bazaar (CIP) Shooting Course .22” Revolver Dry Practice High Ropes Challenge Inter-Unit Campcraft Competition Preliminary (Boys) Shooting Course NCO Camp Police Knowledge Course Home Front Security Course Singapore Cancer Society Flag Day (CIP) Inter-Unit Campcraft Competition Preliminary (Girls) Police K-9 Unit Visit .22” Revolver Classification Shoot Speech Day Inter-Unit Campcraft Competition Finals (Girls) NPCC Annual Parade Police Land Division Visit SPF-NPCC Badge Award Presentation NPCC Day Swearing-In & Passing-Out Parade Area 2 Games Day Nee Soon South Community Day (CIP) Inter-Unit .22” Revolver Shooting Competition Preliminary (Girls & Boys) Leadership & Mentoring Skills Course Malaysia Educational Visit Outward Bound Singapore Civil Defence Course Road Safety Training Course New Hope Community Services Walkathon (CIP) Adventure Training Camp Survival Camp Road Safety Park Marshal Duty (CIP) Singapore Youth Festival Opening Ceremony Parade

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http://orchidparknpcc.blogspot.com

Date 05, 12 & 19/01/08 09/01/08 13/01/08 02/02/08 11 ~ 15/02/08 13/02/08 20/02/08 23/02/08 23/02/08 05/03/08 08 ~ 10/03/08 12 ~ 13/03/08 13/03/08 22/03/08 22/03/08 24/03/08 28/03/08 05/04/08 05/04/08 12/04/08 16/04/08 18/04/08 15/05/08 17/05/08 17/05/08 18/05/08 28/05/08 29 ~ 30/05/08 02 ~ 06/06/08 09 ~ 13/06/08 10/06/08 12/06/08 14/06/08 19 ~ 21/06/08 19 ~ 21/06/08 25/06/08 27/06/08

Participant Selected Sec 3 ~ 5 All Selected Sec 4 Sec 2 ~ 5 All Sec 2 & 3 Sec 3 Sec 4 & 5 Selected Sec 3 & 4 Sec 1 Sec 3 Sec 3 Sec 3 Sec 3 ~ 5 Selected Sec 3 & 4 Sec 1 Sec 3 Sec 2 ~ 5 Selected Sec 3 & 4 Selected Sec 2 & 3 Sec 3 Selected Sec 4 & 5 All Sec 1 & 4 Sec 1 Sec 2 Selected Sec 3 Sec 3 Selected Sec 2 Selected Sec 3 Sec 2 Sec 1 All Sec 2 Sec 3 Sec 2 Selected Sec 3

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Orchid Park Secondary School – National Police Cadet Corps

Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

Our Achievements for 2008 (January ~ June) Activity / Competition

Date / Period

Inter-Unit 3-T Counter Strike Competition 2008

01/02/08

23/03/08

Inter-Unit Campcraft Competition 2008

22/03/08 & 05/04/08

Inter-Unit Video/Photo Montage Competition 2008

31/03/08

NPCC Annual Parade 2008

12/04/08

SPF-NPCC Badge

18/04/08

Inter-Unit National Education Jigsaw Puzzle Competition 2008

16/05/08

Inter-Unit .22” Revolver Shooting Competition 2008

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28/05/08

Participant CPL Edwin Tan (Captain) CPL Lim Chin Tian CPL Yim Shao Wei SSG Lim Huai Zhi (Captain) SSG Ronald Ho (Vice-Captain) SSG Chong Kai Wen SSG Lee Wei Jian SSG Lee Sai Mun SSG Matthias Goh SSG Ng Zheng Xiang SGT Ong Kong Ming SGT Edwin Tan SGT Tan Kim Chye SGT Gavin Ng SSG Chia Pei Ting (Captain) SSG Ang Say Lee (Vice-Captain) SSG Emmelline Lim SSG Gernette Loh SSG Ong Sze Li SSG Trina Lim SGT Jolyn Tey SGT Tan Shi Qi SGT Tang Mei Yin SGT Josephine Yeo SGT Sin Yee Suan SGT Lim Xing Xia SGT Jolyn Tey SGT Sin Yee Suan SGT Gavin Ng SGT Daniel Lee LCP Alan Pea LCP Benny Chia LCP Jonathan Lim LCP Shunsuke Okada SI Toh Zheng Yan SI Chia Pei Ting SSG Ang Say Lee SSG Clifford Tan SSG Gernette Loh SSG Matthias Goh SSG Ong Sze Li SSG Ronald Ho SGT Gavin Ng SGT Ko Kai Sheng SGT Josephine Yeo SGT Tang Mei Yin SGT Jolyn Tey SGT Gavin Ng (Captain) SGT Edwin Tan SGT Daniel Lee SGT Ko Kai Sheng SGT Ong Kong Ming SGT Lim Xing Xia (Captain) SGT Jolyn Tey SGT Josephine Yeo SGT Michelle Lim SGT Tan Shi Qi

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Achievement / Award

Organizer

1st Position

Fuchun Secondary School NPCC Unit

22nd Position (out of 154 teams)

NPCC HQ

9th Position (out of 132 teams)

Certificate of Participation

Dunman Secondary School NPCC Unit

Guard-of-Honour Flag Party Guard-of-Honour Marching Contingent

NPCC HQ

Recipients

NPCC HQ

1st Position

Evergreen Secondary School NPCC Unit

18th Position (out of 151 teams) (Score: 469 / 800) NPCC HQ 11th Position (out of 132 teams) (Score: 401 / 800)

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Orchid Park Secondary School – National Police Cadet Corps

Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

Our Achievements for 2008 (January ~ June)

Activity / Competition Malaysia Educational Visit 2008 Outward Bound Singapore (Local) Singapore Youth Festival Opening Ceremony Parade 2008

Date / Period

Participant LCP Siti Fateha LCP Siti Amirah

Achievement / Award

Organizer

NA

NPCC HQ

09 ~ 13/06/08

SGT Ong Kong Ming

NA

NPCC HQ

27/06/08

SGT Lim Xing Xia SGT Jolyn Tey

NA

NPCC HQ

02 ~ 06/06/08

Life’s Little Struggle One day, a student found a cocoon in the garden and brought it to his Biology class to show his teacher. The teacher put the cocoon into an unused aquarium in the Biology Lab. She also placed a small lamp in the aquarium to keep it warm. A week later, a small opening began to appear on the underside of the cocoon. The students watched as it began to shake. Suddenly, tiny antennae emerged, followed by the head and tiny front feet. The students were all excited and deeply fascinated by what they saw. They would run back to the Biology Lab in between classes to check on the progress of the cocoon. By lunchtime, it had struggled to free its listless wings. The colours on the wings revealed that it was a Monarch Butterfly. It wriggled, shook and struggled, but it seemed to be stuck. Try as it might, the butterfly could not seem to force its body through the small opening in the cocoon. Finally, one helpful and kind-hearted student could not bear to see the little butterfly in this predicament and decided to help it out of its difficulty. He took a pair of scissors and made the opening on the cocoon bigger. As soon as he did that, out plopped an insect-like thing. The top half looked like a butterfly with droopy wings and the bottom half was large and swollen. The 'butter-pillar' or 'cater-fly' never flew with its stunted wings. It just crawled around the bottom of the aquarium, dragging its wings and swollen body with it. Shortly after, it died. The Biology teacher explained that the butterfly's struggle to get through the tiny opening was necessary in order to force the fluid from the swollen body into the wings. Without the struggle, the wings never developed and the butterfly could not fly. Eventually, the butterfly will die without fulfilling its destiny – to fly high and bring beauty to the world.

The Weight of a Snowflake Not long ago, in a place not too far away, a field mouse asked a wise old owl what is the weight of a snowflake. “Why nothing more than nothing,” answered the owl. The mouse went on to tell the owl about the time he was resting underneath a branch of a fir tree, counting each snowflake that lands on the branch. He counted to exactly 3,471,952 when he heard a 'crack' sound and the branch broke. The branch had suddenly snapped, and the snow accumulated on it fell right on top of the mouse, burying it in a pile of snow. “Hmm... Such was the weight of nothing,” said the mouse. So the next time you think your contributions, your acts of charity, your works for justice, your gifts of love and your talents are nothing, or that they are small in comparison to those of others, remember that when one is added to another, and then to another and so forth, great things can happen from nothing. In the same way, what seems to be ordinary can be transformed into something extraordinary with just a little extra nothing. Don’t underestimate the little things that we do.

A/ASP Toh Wee Teck [ For more inspiring stories, please visit our official blog and website and look for “The Sower’s Seed” series.]

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