opss npcc newsletter (0608)

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Orchid Park Secondary School – National Police Cadet Corps Bi-Annual Newsletter

Volume 1, June 2008

Visit us at : http://orchidparknpcc.blogspot.com

Contents

Message from OC ---------------------- 1by A/ASP Toh Wee Teck

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

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

Hong Kong Educational Visit ------- 7by SGT Gernette Loh Hui Yi

Our HRC Experience ---------------- 10by SSG Mohammad Irfan Bin Osman, SSG Ang Say Lee & SSG Ong Sze Li

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

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

Our Achievements for 2008 (January ~ June)

Message from OCDear all,

Last year had been a fruitful and

memorable year for our unit. We managed

to obtain our very first UOPA Gold

award. This would not be possible if not

for the dedication and commitment from

each and everyone from our unit (cadets,

NCOs, CIs and officers), and not

forgetting the strong support from our

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

campcraft girl’s and boy’s teams managed to get 9 th and 22nd positions

respectively in the Inter-Unit Biennial Campcraft Competition. In

addition, our girl’s and boy’s .22” revolver shooting teams attained 11 th

and 18th positions respectively in the Inter-Unit Annual .22” Revolver

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

to our success in one way or another!

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

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

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!

A/ASP Toh Wee Teck

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My First Ever Adventure

Training CampOn 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.

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.

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.

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 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.



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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 out-field 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 wash-up, 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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After the activity, we cleaned up, changed out of our

wet clothes and proceeded to our next activity, the Low Rope

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

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

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

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 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.

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 but we left as friends. We were looking forward to

meeting again at the other area activities and next year’s ATC.

Just before we left the campsite, we managed to take some

group photos. I was glad that I had come for this camp. It was

indeed a memorable first ATC for most of us.

CPL Ng Jun Han Gavin



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Reflections on My Sec 3

ATCI 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.

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

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

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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all had fun and enjoyed ourselves tremendously.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

teamwork, communication, cooperation and confidence. But

what really helped me through this camp was the care and

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

survived through the camp.

SGT Chia Pei Ting



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My “Monkey Fist”



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Hong Kong Educational VisitOn 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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“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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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 site-

seeing 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 sing-

along 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 site-

seeing 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 .



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Our HRC ExperienceOn 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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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.

1 st 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.

The first day was full of lectures. We had lectures on

the roles and responsibilities of a NCO, uniform etiquette,

lesson plan, method of instruction (MOI), physical training

(PT), debrief, fire lighting and lifeskills. It was mentally tiring

for all of us. Luckily, all our lecturers were very understanding

and cracked some jokes to lighten the mood and to keep us

awake. Among all the lectures, 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.

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 already lost our beans. We lost them during our

evening PT session. As we were not allowed to put our

“cadets” in our pockets for the run around the school

compound, most of us decided to leave them with our water

bottles and writing materials, outside NPCC room. When we

came back from our run, we realised that our “cadets” were

missing! We searched frantically for them.



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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).

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

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

having the knowledge and the skills, but also the correct

attitude, behaviour 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.

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.

3 rd 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

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

have passed out from the camp and we are now officially a

NCO. After the parade, we had a camp debrief and a photo-

taking session.

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



Volume 1, June 2008




Volume 1, June 2008


Past Events of 2008 (January ~ June)

Event / Activity Date Participant

Standard First-Aid Course 05, 12 & 19/01/08 Selected Sec 3 ~ 5

CCA Orientation 09/01/08 All

Nee Soon South Edusave Award Presentation (CIP) 13/01/08 Selected Sec 4

Ling Kwang Youth Centre Flag Day (CIP) 02/02/08 Sec 2 ~ 5

Singapore Children’s Society Fund-Raising Bazaar (CIP) 11 ~ 15/02/08 All

Shooting Course 13/02/08 Sec 2 & 3

.22” Revolver Dry Practice 20/02/08 Sec 3

High Ropes Challenge 23/02/08 Sec 4 & 5

Inter-Unit Campcraft Competition Preliminary (Boys) 23/02/08 Selected Sec 3 & 4

Shooting Course 05/03/08 Sec 1

NCO Camp 08 ~ 10/03/08 Sec 3

Police Knowledge Course 12 ~ 13/03/08 Sec 3

Home Front Security Course 13/03/08 Sec 3

Singapore Cancer Society Flag Day (CIP) 22/03/08 Sec 3 ~ 5

Inter-Unit Campcraft Competition Preliminary (Girls) 22/03/08 Selected Sec 3 & 4

Police K-9 Unit Visit 24/03/08 Sec 1

.22” Revolver Classification Shoot 28/03/08 Sec 3

Speech Day 05/04/08 Sec 2 ~ 5

Inter-Unit Campcraft Competition Finals (Girls) 05/04/08 Selected Sec 3 & 4

NPCC Annual Parade 12/04/08 Selected Sec 2 & 3

Police Land Division Visit 16/04/08 Sec 3

SPF-NPCC Badge Award Presentation 18/04/08 Selected Sec 4 & 5

NPCC Day 15/05/08 All

Swearing-In & Passing-Out Parade 17/05/08 Sec 1 & 4

Area 2 Games Day 17/05/08 Sec 1

Nee Soon South Community Day (CIP) 18/05/08 Sec 2

Inter-Unit .22” Revolver Shooting Competition Preliminary (Girls & Boys) 28/05/08 Selected Sec 3

Leadership & Mentoring Skills Course 29 ~ 30/05/08 Sec 3

Malaysia Educational Visit 02 ~ 06/06/08 Selected Sec 2

Outward Bound Singapore 09 ~ 13/06/08 Selected Sec 3

Civil Defence Course 10/06/08 Sec 2

Road Safety Training Course 12/06/08 Sec 1

New Hope Community Services Walkathon (CIP) 14/06/08 All

Adventure Training Camp 19 ~ 21/06/08 Sec 2

Survival Camp 19 ~ 21/06/08 Sec 3

Road Safety Park Marshal Duty (CIP) 25/06/08 Sec 2

Singapore Youth Festival Opening Ceremony Parade 27/06/08 Selected Sec 3



Volume 1, June 2008



Activity / Competition Date / Period Participant Achievement / Award Organizer

Inter-Unit 3-T Counter Strike Competition 2008

01/02/08CPL Edwin Tan (Captain)

CPL Lim Chin TianCPL Yim Shao Wei

1st PositionFuchun Secondary School NPCC Unit

Inter-Unit Campcraft Competition 2008

23/03/08

SSG Lim Huai Zhi (Captain)SSG Ronald Ho (Vice-Captain)

SSG Chong Kai WenSSG Lee Wei JianSSG Lee Sai MunSSG Matthias Goh

SSG Ng Zheng XiangSGT Ong Kong Ming

SGT Edwin TanSGT Tan Kim Chye

SGT Gavin Ng

22nd Position(out of 154 teams)

NPCC HQ

22/03/08 & 05/04/08

SSG Chia Pei Ting (Captain)SSG Ang Say Lee (Vice-Captain)

SSG Emmelline LimSSG Gernette LohSSG Ong Sze LiSSG Trina LimSGT Jolyn TeySGT Tan Shi Qi

SGT Tang Mei YinSGT Josephine YeoSGT Sin Yee Suan

9th Position(out of 132 teams)

Inter-Unit Video/Photo Montage Competition 2008

31/03/08SGT Lim Xing Xia

SGT Jolyn TeySGT Sin Yee Suan

Certificate of Participation

Dunman Secondary School NPCC Unit

NPCC Annual Parade 2008 12/04/08

SGT Gavin NgSGT Daniel Lee

Guard-of-HonourFlag Party

NPCC HQLCP Alan PeaLCP Benny Chia

LCP Jonathan LimLCP Shunsuke Okada

Guard-of-Honour Marching Contingent

SPF-NPCC Badge 18/04/08

SI Toh Zheng YanSI Chia Pei Ting

SSG Ang Say LeeSSG Clifford Tan SSG Gernette LohSSG Matthias GohSSG Ong Sze LiSSG Ronald Ho

Recipients NPCC HQ

Inter-Unit National Education Jigsaw Puzzle

Competition 200816/05/08

SGT Gavin NgSGT Ko Kai ShengSGT Josephine YeoSGT Tang Mei Yin

SGT Jolyn Tey

1st PositionEvergreen

Secondary School NPCC Unit

Inter-Unit .22” Revolver Shooting Competition 2008

28/05/08

SGT Gavin Ng (Captain)SGT Edwin TanSGT Daniel Lee

SGT Ko Kai ShengSGT Ong Kong Ming

18th Position(out of 151 teams)(Score: 469 / 800)

NPCC HQSGT Lim Xing Xia (Captain)

SGT Jolyn TeySGT Josephine YeoSGT Michelle Lim

SGT Tan Shi Qi

11th Position(out of 132 teams)(Score: 401 / 800)



Volume 1, June 2008



Activity / Competition Date / Period Participant Achievement / Award OrganizerMalaysia Educational Visit

200802 ~ 06/06/08

LCP Siti FatehaLCP Siti Amirah

NA NPCC HQ

Outward Bound Singapore (Local)

09 ~ 13/06/08 SGT Ong Kong Ming NA NPCC HQ

Singapore Youth Festival Opening Ceremony Parade

200827/06/08

SGT Lim Xing XiaSGT Jolyn Tey

NA NPCC HQ

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 SnowflakeNot 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.]



Volume 1, June 2008



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