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