The following is a personal recount by 1SG K. Goutham, one of the participants and Specialists who participated in the Challenge Quest.
During October 2008, 4 NCC (Air) cadets (Balaji, Jit Ray, Goutham and Nicholas) participated in the annual Challenge Quest organised by MCC HQ. It is a fitness competition in which NCC units compete against each other in a fitness test comprising of push ups, sit ups, a run and an obstacle course.
All participating cadets were required to be dressed in their full No.4 (army fatigues) attire. After waiting about an hour for our turn, we finally got a chance to participate in our first event - push ups. Doing push ups in our uniform was harder than doing it in the PE attire though. We had to do as many push-ups as we could in a minute. Right after that,we had to try and do 50 sit-ups in a minute. Then we had to go for a run which i guess was about 1.6km. Most of us found running after the two strenous exercises really tough.
We encouraged each other to keep up and we did complete the run without stopping. Then came the most fun part of the test-the obstacle course. All of us managed to finish the course. Finally we waited for other teams to finish the course and for the results. We were provided with refreshments in the meantime. Though we were disappointed that we had not finished in the top 3, we knew we had all tried our best. It was a very meaningful activity which taught us the values of teamwork and encouragement, pardon the cliche.
I would like to congratulate, on behalf of SJI NCC (Air) Company, our 3 new C/OFFRs Jian Pheng , Lee Xun and Marvin for successfully completing their CLT course. Together with your experience and guidance, I’m positive that we would be able to soar to greater heights as one unit. Round of applause (Clap clap!)
The following is a brief journal as 1SG Ryan Lee gives a short description of what it was like to work on the NCC Pamphlet, an initiative newly introduced this year as part of our ongoing efforts to further educate parents and students about our CCA.
Doing this pamphlet was a great experience for me because it was my first time doing one. With much help from Mr Mok, I’ve finally produced a pamphlet for SJI NCC (Air). It was a challenging task because there are many points and information that have to be written in the pamphlet but there was not enough space to fit so many things into the pamphlet. Besides, the pamphlet would have looked too wordy for a pamphlet. I spent a quite a lot of time on the pamphlet, editing and asking opinions from both Mr Mok and Kok Keat. It was a great exposure for me as I learnt much more about SJI NCC (Air), not just within my Part, but also the Part As and Bs. I’m glad to have this opportunity to do the pamphlet for my CCA.
Written by 1SG Ryan Lee
NB: Anyone who wishes to view the pamphlet may send their request to "sjinccair06@gmail.com " with the subject header "PAMPHLET" in the subject field. Any other email will be ignored. Thank you.
The SJI NCC (Air) unit would also like to acknowledge the participation of one of our cadets in a certain proficiency course. 1SG Ryan Lee attended the Fitness Programme conducted by PTIs from SAF on 26 & 27 Nov. After passing the course, Ryan is a certified fitness instructor of NCC.
The SJI NCC (Air) Unit would like to acknowledge the following cadets for their participation in the Shooting Competition held from 18-20 November 2008. We would like to applaud their efforts and their willingness to sacrifice their time dfor the competition.
Part C : Nicholas,Kok Keat, Lingges, Akid [Reserve: Frederick] Part B : Kevin, Ryan, Sean, Andre [Reserve: Nikolas] Part A : Isaac Francis, Alexander Soo, Anchelski Teo, Elton Lim [Reserve: Dominic, Gerald, Roy]
The 1-Star Kayaking Course is a course which aims to provide cadets with a basic understanding as well as techniques of kayaking, so as to enable them to survive even in marine conditions. Several NCC (Air) cadets participated in the course, and a personalised report follows.
Day 1
On the first day, all of us were excited to start kayaking; have fun and all that, but to our dismay, the fun could only be had later. We were taught the structure of the kayak, the anatomy of the paddles, and also the buoyancy vest. We were also told what to take note of; like the brief checks on our equipment, or if there was a hole in the kayak, if the buoyancy vest was safe for usage etc. But all that stuff was boring me.
Finally, the fun part arrived. We were told to gather in a circle and proceed into the cold seawater; this was the buoyancy vest test. Most people would have been familiar with this as this was what we had done during canoeing contact time in secondary one. Then we were taught the procedure of launching and also CAPSIZING! This was what I had dreaded at first, but when it was my turn and all had been done, I actually found it quite fun, you know, when water go into your ears and then you shout for help and stuff like that.
Then we had our lunch at the hawker centre. That was one of the times where we bonded not only with our part but also with the Part Bs (next year); although there were only two of them. Later, we kayaked in a small area, more like a canal, where Kevin was the first one to capsize, it may seem easy to maneuver it, but it actually takes a lot of skill; at the beginning, I too also almost capsized. Then were taught the different strokes which really helped during the period.
Day 2
When we reached Changi, we retrieved our equipment, carried the kayaks to the beach and waited for further instructions. Then we were taught the deep water TX rescue, it a kind of recue whereby if one guy capsized in the deep water, this would be really useful. Then, were we told to break into groups to carry out our own practice. In my group was Kevin, John and myself. It’s kind of scary as you could not feel the ground beneath your feet, and your life now depends on the rescuer and the assistant. It was really fun though. After our practice, we were told to gather, and we were taught more strokes to aid in our controlling of the kayak.
Sadly, right after we were told to break raft, I CAPSIZED! The worst was yet to come; less than 5 minutes after I had been rescued, I capsized (yet) again. How sad can that be? I was trying out the J draw, but I was too slow, causing me to capsize. So that was the third time I capsized that day. Then we also began riding the waves as there were many boats passing by, causing waves.
On that day, it was really choppy, so my cockpit was flooded. Notwithstanding, we had a present for NCC land; we were to capsize and they would save us. Haha [sic] , that was really fun.
By the time we reached the shore however, our legs were aching, but there was no time to rest, as we had to return all our kayaks. Then the instructor showed us the Eskimo roll and some other complex moves. So we brought the kayak back to the club, and had it washed before storing it. After washing up, we had our certificate presentation, and we were really proud of it, and I received the altogether unglamourous moniker, the “capsizer” (having capsized the most number of times).
25th November - the first day of the Part B leadership training camp at Pulau Ubin. Everyone had such different feelings about it; excitement, trepidation. Some were excited to be able to camp in the great outdoors with their friends, while others were reluctant and upset about losing two days of their holidays. The purpose of the camp was to not only learn about leadership but also to be able to practice it. As a stimulating aid, CPT Mok Hsu Pan gave the cadets a talk about leadership, thus exemplifying the ideals of leading by example. Through the talk, the cadets learnt the vital qualities a leader should possess and what made a leader different from the rest.
Upon reaching Pulau Ubin, we proceeded to our campsite, pitched our tents and had lunch. Each group then revealed their amusing group names and performed their cheers before going on to their first activity: Formula R. This was similar to “The Amazing Race” where everyone was required to clear checkpoints situated around the island in the space of a certain allotted time. The prize? A 500ml bottle of Coke! This spurred us to do our very best. Through the whole activity, my group went through thick and thin, and was able to bond and strengthen our team spirit. Eventually we were able to achieve our goal and get the prize, after suffering through both hardships and savouring victories.
By nighttime, all of us had eaten our dinner and were ready to set out for the night activities, which consisted of the obstacle course, night walk, and isolation. These activities were the most hair-raising and exciting ones as they were carried out in the dark! We were most fearful, especially when 2SG Derek Tay bluffed us about Julian being bitten by a spider as big as his palm. We took on several roles of leadership throughout the night activities, and this helped us to be confident and overcome our fears, while learning to apply the previously learnt lessons about leadership in a simulated, practical environ.
26th November - it was the second and last day of the camp. Quite a number of us were relieved as the activities were not as taxing as those of the first day. We had breakfast (MARSHMALLOWS!) and dismantled the tents, followed by games session at the concrete courtyard. Grins stretching from ear-to-ear were evident everyone’s face J as it was finally time to have some fun! I could see that everyone really enjoyed themselves, laughing and joking around.It was then time to say goodbye to Pulau Ubin as we headed back to school in Singapore.
At SJI, we ate our lunch (more food!) before having a lecture session conducted by CPT Teresa Lim. The talk was very helpful and it revealed to us the common problems leaders face with their followers, and consequently, how these problems could be handled proficiently and effectively. This was of especial importance for us as we would be taking over the SJI NCC Air Unit as NCOs in the near future.
We then had our promotion parade where we were finally able to be promoted from Lance Corporals (LCP) to Corporals (CPL)! The promotion was successful, with the identification of 7 cadets who had participated enthusiastically in the camp and actively taken on roles of leadership. Congratulations to the 7 cadets and to all newly-promoted Corporals. May we perform up to standard as corporals and exceed our expectations in serving our NCC Air unit! So help us, God!
I would also like to thank the Teacher Officers and Specialists who had kindly taken the trouble and to sacrifice their time to aid in the running of the camp, and making it a successful endeavour. They are CPT Mok Hsu Pan, CPT Teresa Lim, CSM Jeremy Chitty, SSG Kenneth Goh and SSG Muhd Akid, 1SG Eugene Lim, 2SG Derek Tay and 3SG Timothy Lee.
