Boys' Brigade gets Singapore Youth Award for BB Sharity Gift Box project

Defence Minister Rear-Admiral Teo Chee Hean presenting the Singapore Youth Award to Mr Colin Chen, Chairman of the BBSGB Organising Committee 2002-2004. With Mr Chen is Sgt Eric Sor of the 39th Singapore Company. - The Boys' Brigade picture.

By CALVIN TAN

THE Boys' Brigade Sharity Gift Box (BBSGB) project has been awarded the Singapore Youth Award 2004, Community and Youth Services (Team).
The Singapore Youth Award [SYA] is the highest youth accolade in Singapore. It confers national honour upon youths and organisations in Singapore which have significantly achieved excellence and contributed to the community.


The SYA was presented to the BBSGB team by Defence Minister Rear-Admiral (NS) Teo Chee Hean on July 4, 2004 at the Istana.


For being bestowed such a high national honour this is certainly a momentous day for The Boys' Brigade.


And certainly this joy is shared among not only members of the BB but also all supporting churches and volunteers, for it is through team work that they have made the BBSGB the success it is today.


The Methodist Church in Singapore supports many ministries, including The Boys' Brigade (BB). And often, whenever the BB is mentioned, one single event will instantly come to mind - The Boys' Brigade Sharity Gift Box (BBSGB) held annually in December for the last 16 years.


Started in 1988, the BBSGB has been organising this project for the National Council of Social Service, bringing cheer to the needy and the less fortunate, as an expression of our Christian love.


Over the years, the BBSGB has developed both in size and in intricacy. Reaching more than 125 Voluntary Welfare Organisations, 3,000 Public Assistance scheme recipients and about 6,000 "individual wish" recipients in 2003, it has become one of the largest charity movements in Singapore.


Involving close to 7,000 Boys and volunteers annually, the BBSGB has evolved over the years to expand beyond mere collection of rudimentary food stuff for redistribution.


Conceptualising the idea of a Christmas wish tree, basically a tree tagged with specific needs of individual beneficiaries, the BBSGB has ventured from reallocation of donated items to meeting the specific needs of the individual beneficiaries.


Besides obtaining the Singapore Youth Award 2004, the BB has also won two other awards recently.


The BB News, a quarterly magazine of BB, won the PRISM (Public Relations in Service to Mankind) Award for excellence given by the Institute of Public Relations, and the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) Award.


As the time approaches towards this year's BBSGB, it is time we take a moment to thank God for providing all our needs, and perhaps it is time we pass on His goodness to others.


The Boys' Brigade invites churches, volunteers and donors to participate in the BB Sharity Gift Box project. If you wish to volunteer your time or make a donation in cash or kind, kindly contact the Brigade Office (Ms Wang Yen Peng at tel: 6737-0377or email: wang_yen_peng@bb.org.sg).

Calvin Tan is a member of The Boys' Brigade, 2nd Singapore Company, attached to Victoria School/Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.