25th Anniversary Celebrations

Dear (ex and current) Boys, friends and supporters of 45th Singapore Company,

It is about 1 more month to our celebration and this is the programme lineup on the day. The programme is designed to be family friendly so do bring the young ones along!:)

Current RSVP stands at 120 this morning! RSVP at http://bit.ly/BB45th if you have not done so.

Regards,
qinyao

Leadership.

First and foremost, this post will be about things that I have learned from BB.

  BB promises a fulfilling journey for all Boys, regardless of backgrounds. It provides a platform where Boys can strive to become something more, to become a better leader in many aspects, in however tiny way they can. I had been fortunate enough to be granted opportunities to lead the Company, and thus I have the responsibility to share with my peers and juniors(esp Plt2 and Plt3) on what i have achieved and learned being a leader.
1.  Leadership style differs from group to group
   Many groups have many different personalities. While it is important to be a firm, strict leader in BB, it does not cover all aspects of being a good leader. People's personalities varies from place to place, and from batch to batch. Being a leader means that one have to flexible, to accommodate for different oddities, and different occasions. And being able to learn from these experiences makes you a better leader every day.
2.Empathy
  While it is common to hear 'empathy', it proves to be a challenge for most people when it comes to the application. Empathy means the ability to understand and share a feeling with another person. Being a good leader requires one to be able to empathise with your peers and your juniors. It is important that a leader understand the feelings of those beneath him, and can thus change, adapt and accommodate for their followers.
3.Down to earth.
  One attribute many leaders lack, is the ability to apologise and learn from followers. While it is important for a leader to be confident, it is also equally vital that leaders learn from their peers and followers. Sometimes, groupmates or juniors may have a different perspective, which can help the group progress better as a whole. As such, do not let the pride of being a leader blind and hinder you from learning things from others. Do not be afraid of making mistakes, and subsequently, do not be afraid to apologise. 
4.Servant leadership
  This phrase is also extremely common. Servant leadership means the leader leads and guides his/her people by serving them. By serving their followers, leaders gain respect, gratitude, and loyalty from their subordinates; and by doing so allows the leader to gain a reliable following, and thus makes more progress as a group.
5.Never forget your roots
  By far the most important thing I have learned, is to never forget your roots. To me, this means a few things. First, it means to never forget the lessons you have learned, in every single place you have been, and where you come from. Every life lesson you learn will prove useful. Second, it means to possess and heart of kindness, of gratitude. Every tiny thing that someone has done for you: never forget those. Never forget those who brought you up, who taught you life lessons, who taught you how to survive, etc.. Ensure that you always have a heart for gratitude. By being grateful, it inspires others to follow, as they find joy and comfort in following grateful leaders, which results in a more effective group, and a more effective leader. I will end off with a quote from former Herman Miller CEO Max De Pree :"“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor.” 

  As De Pree later elaborated, to "define reality", also means to "accept gratefully the call to serve others.”

These are just fragments of what BB really taught me, and i am sure that many Boys will learn much much more than I have. I hope this will help you ( esp my juniors) to reflect, learn and thus evolve into better leaders.
- Chun Hei

BB News Aug 2018

Check out the lastest BB News Aug 2018

BB CARES 2018

Hi Boys,

We will be going out for BB CARES on the dates listed below:

Befriending Session 1
Date/Time: 1 Aug 2018 (Wed)/3 - 5pm
Venue: Saint Andrew's Nursing Home (Buangkok)

Befriending Session 2
Date/Time: 15 Aug 2018 (Wed)/3 - 5pm
Venue: Saint Andrew's Nursing Home (Buangkok)
Session ICs: Eldon, Yong Lin and Nigel

Outing to Changi Airport Terminals 3 and 4
Date/Time: 17 Aug 2018 (Fri)/1.30 - 4pm
Venue: Changi Airport
Session ICs: Lenox, Darius, Henry and Adam

For Befriending Session 1, we will be helping out with some packing at the nursing home. The staff will brief us on what to do when we get there.

Session ICs for the activities on 15 and 17 Aug are to finalize their plans and brief the teachers during/after parade on 21 July 2018 (Sat), and brief the whole Company during/after parade on 4 Aug 2018 (Sat).

Regards,
Mr Lim

Message to Platoon 4...

Dear Platoon 4,

You all are possibly my greatest achievement/ pain/ joy/ everything else that comes in-between, that has happened to me as a BB45^th Company Primer.

I have since become emotionally invested in each and every one of you all. When you all achieve success, I feel that I have succeeded too. Ever since day one as recruits, I have never settled for anything but the very best effort from all of you. Everything I do is for a reason, when I scold and punish, it’s all coming from me wanting the best for you all. Even after half of the platoon became members of the 2017/18 NCO Council, I still constantly challenged the platoon and NCO council in ways that pushed the boundaries of what you all are comfortable with, and to keep everyone on their feet as leaders of the Company. I would have never allowed you all to be simply be as good as me, because I want you all to be even better than I ever was. Looking at the platoon’s many accomplishments and how much each and every one of you have grown from childish and shy platoon 1 Boys to reliable and respectable seniors, I can proudly say that you all certainly did not disappoint and I couldn’t be happier to be your Platoon Commander.

However, being emotionally invested is also probably the worst thing that can happen. This means that it is harder for me say goodbye. Saying you all are just simply mentees of mine would be a major understatement. Over the last four years, you all have become friends and younger brothers that I never had. Every parade, every camp, memories and moments that we have built collectively over the last four years have become immensely valuable to me, and they will stay with me forever.

Upon graduation, you all will be moving to a next stage in life. The following are two points that I want to remind you as you leave the school and the Company.

Opportunities. Do not be shy and let them slip by. Be proactive, and if you feel something is right for you, don’t wait. The timing will never be just right. Instead of waiting for something to come to you, why not go towards it? I understand that not knowing what could happen next can be frightening at times. However, if you don’t take risks outside of your comfort zone and try, you simply will never know what could have happened if only you did. Never ever allow yourself to look back in regret thinking “if only I did that”, because no one but yourself can truly control how you lead your life.

Gratitude. Your family, your teachers, your friends. Always remember those who have supported you through your journey. And when you do succeed, let them know that you are grateful even through simple gestures such as a thank you. Also, give back to the causes you believe in. It is truly heart-warming to see shared values and knowledge being kept alive, and passed on to the next generation.

To conclude my thoughts, it would be the word 'experience'. Being in 45th is more than just drills, camps, and push-ups. It's the bond, the brotherhood and the values that has shaped you over the past 4 years that will hopefully serve you well in the future. I do believe that be it big or small, everyone has learnt something valuable and this experience that we have crafted as one will be something special that you will never forget.

Platoon 4, the past 4 years have truly been an honour of mine and I would gladly do it all over again with you all if I ever could. Thank you.

- Jia Liang

My experience in the boys’ brigade

I shall be talking specifically about my experiences in secondary one, more specifically ‘The Mount Stong Challenge’.

As a secondary one student, it was the first time I had ever gone overseas for a training camp. Prior to the trip, we had to undergo some ‘training’ aka pasar malam. Most of you all will understand how tough some part of the training can be. This is especially so when you are tired and the ‘usual’ Singapore weather makes you want to give up. However, I managed to pull through and finally the day the camp arrived and I went to school with my camp bag. I had thoughts about whether I would survive this camp or not.

When we reached Woodlands checkpoint, I’ve been told that we would be taking the sleeper train which would bring us to the base of Mt Stong. The ride would proceed to take us at least eight hours to reach there and being able to bond with my platoon mates while having fun is definitely one of the best things about BB that I will look back fondly on.

Once we alighted from the train we had lunch before doing stretches to warm up our muscles for the climb to base camp. Once we started the climb I can already feel that it will be a long ascend to base camp much less the summit. However, I have faith that I would be able to pull through and see it to the end.

The most satisfactory event was the climb to the summit. Being able to view the world from the top of a mountain is satisfactory for me as it is on my bucket list so lucky me. Other activities which were fun are the waterfall repelling and ice mountain pool swim. Also, after descending from the mountain, we went caving at a rather close by small cave system.

The trip is certainly a fond memory for me to look back on and reminisce about when times were simpler, fun and filled with the laughter of my brothers in arms aka my platoon mates. I do recommend going to the overseas CTC if you all have the opportunity!

CTC 2018 - Mount Ophir

I am proud of each and everyone of you. 20 Boys went for the camp and 20 Boys reached the summit. It speaks volumes of your strength and perseverance.

Have a well deserved rest.

Mr Bay

My experience in BB 45th

    My experience in the Boys’ Brigade

The most fruitful experience I had ever went through was when we went to Taman Negara during our
Secondary 3 overseas trip which was held in june 2016. It was the first ever overseas trip for me
and honestly, I felt more and more nervous as the day approaches. It being my first time, I honestly had
no idea what to expect from it.

During this trip, our teachers in charge of this trip had organised many memorable events which made
it even more meaningful. One such event would be rapid shooting. Basically, wooden boats are piloted
by professionals as they take us to our next destination. We had multiple boats travelling together.
During this period, we splashed the river’s water onto the other boats. The sense of excitement along
with those unforgettable reactions from the splashing made it even more satisfying to make our peers
soaked to their shoes.

Another activity we did there was abseiling. We had to scale down a cliff from above whereby one of
the people in charge of the facility would usher us down safely. It was my first time abseiling which
made me have butterflies in my stomach. The feeling of insecurity and worry was filling my mind at
the time. However, as another facilitator, along with my friends’ support, I gathered my courage to
challenge this obstacle. Though abseiling sounds terrifying and indeed it was when I was doing it, that
fear was short-lived as I see the ground so close to me . The activity had made me understand that
when one’s mind has conquered the fear of challenge, the body will perform.

During the camp, some of the days we had to sleep in tents under a natural cave. It was an unique experience as we slept so close to nature. As we were assigned a tent, the 4 of us started talking to one another, laughing at what we did earlier in the day and how fun this trip was. It had certainly made me closer to my CCA mates.

There were also talk sessions where we share our thoughts about the camp. This enriching session
has let us hear about how other people feel. It had allowed many of the boys to muster their courage to
voice their thoughts and to enable us to understand one another better.

Overall, the trip was not the best in terms of comfort, but It had definitely made me appreciate what I

have at home. During this overseas camp, we had done activities in Taman Negara that we could
never have done in Singapore. Such special experiences help cultivate us and help mature us to
be better people.

Itinerary for CTC 2018 (Tentative)

Hi Boys,

As promised, the tentative itinerary for the camp. Please look through and get your parents to see it if they would like to have a better idea of the camp.

CTC 2018 Itinerary

Regards,
Mr Liu

Stock Taking

STOCK TAKING

We started our Habitudies series with stock taking in the beginning of the year. 'Stock taking' is a process which we reflect on ourselves and glean from our encounters. It is also commonly known as 'lessons' learnt from self reflection. Leaders cannot perform well if they do not see the strength inside of them. Good leaders take a personal inventory of their God-given gifts. This impacts both their self-image and, consequently, their results.

Suppose you are the owner of a store on a street corner. Anyone who has worked in a retail store knows what the word “inventory” means. As an employee, when you take inventory it means you begin to list the products that are on the shelves. Most stores “take inventory” once or twice a year. Some do it every month! In fact, you can not really run a good business without knowing what you have got in your inventory.

Dr. Tim Elmore, who is the author of habitudes series, has a story when he was in high school. He had a friend named Rob, whose first job was to work as a stock clerk in a store. He remembers Rob got angry at being given such a small job as counting the products. Little did he know- that task would take him three months. Taking inventory is no small undertaking, and it pays great dividends. Similarly, taking stock of our life, strengths and weaknesses will help us to evaluate our opportunities when it presents itself. We learn by experiences and mistakes. But, unless we question ourselves about what our experiences mean and think actively about them, research has shown that we won’t make any changes. Self-reflection enables you to move from just experiencing, into understanding.

Case in point. There was a young basketball player who got cut from the varsity team during his tenth grade year his name is Michael Jordan. He took a hard look at his strengths and began to develop them. Many believe he is the best player ever. He had to take inventory. He had to see his skills and talents as the gold on the inside, despite what his coach thought.

You can not consistently perform in a manner that is inconsistent with the way you see yourself. You will usually perform at a level that reflects your perspective of yourself. If you think you are average, you will perform in an average way. Once in a while, you may have a really great day, and perform higher than normal. You will think: That was awesome. I really did out do myself! However, most people quickly retreat back to a lower level of living, because they do not think they deserve it. They do not see themselves that way. And they miss their potential.

Time flies and we are now marching into March. If you have not given much thought about your own 'stock taking', I encourage you to spend time to think about it this weekend.

Mr Bay