Award
The "Pioneer 8" after receiving the President's Award at the Istana. From left, Marcus, Joseph, Zai Yong, Gordon, Yi Cheng, Alex, Danny and Sunil. -- The Boys' Brigade picture.
| The first
8 BB Boys to receive the President's Award |
The "Pioneer 8" after receiving the President's Award at the Istana. From left, Marcus, Joseph, Zai Yong, Gordon, Yi Cheng, Alex, Danny and Sunil. -- The Boys' Brigade picture. |
By DANIEL CHONG
PRESIDENT S. R. Nathan presented
-- for the first time -- the President's Award to eight members
of The Boys' Brigade (BB) at the Istana on July 12, 2005.
The highest award in the BB Programme, the President's Award represents
the epitome of the Primers' training in the BB. It supersedes
the Founder's Badge as the highest award.
This is the first time that the President's Award has been given
out and the eight boys represent the very best that the BB has
produced through their years in the Brigade.
The award is given only to BB Primers who have completed the demanding
requirements in leadership and service in the community, which
would have spanned an average of six years.
The eight are Joseph Ang Chong Wee, Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP)
Primers Singapore Company; Chen Yi Cheng, HQ Primers Singapore
Company; Alex Lee Ming Xiong, HQ Primers Singapore Company; Lee
Zai Yong, Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) Primers Singapore Company;
Gordon Oei Kian Tiong, HQ Primers Singapore Company; Danny Poh
Han Wei, NYP Primers Singapore Company; Marcus Seng Ren Fu, HQ
Primers Singapore Company; and Sunil Ebenezer Sutherson, HQ Primers
Singapore Company.
BB Boys will no longer have to be "aimless" after they
leave secondary school. Joining the Primers programme affiliated
to polytechnics, junior colleges or the HQ Primers is an avenue
for them to continue their life-long relationship with the BB.
The President's badge is their perfect target as they volunteer
their time either to mentor those Boys who are younger or to lend
their experience to organising Brigade events.
The stories of how these BB Boys were chosen are inspirational.
The story about Joseph Ang, for
example, highlights the quality of a President's Award recipient.
Joseph is now studying multimedia information communications at
Nanyang Polytechnic. He initially did not qualify for studies
at a polytechnic and went to Dover ITE. He retook his "O"
level results whilst studying at the same time in ITE. He managed
to achieve his ambition at the second bite and made it to the
polytechnic of his choice.
He was one of the co-founders and a Vice-President (2003-2004)
of the NYP Primers Singapore Company. He founded the Primers when
he felt lonely initially upon enrolling at the polytechnic. His
peers were all ahead of him and he felt out of place at the polytechnic.
His fellow Primers regard him as a leader who is always around
when they need help.
Joseph's initiatives so impressed the NYP Students Affairs Office
that he was one of four selected to represent NYP at a 25-day
Outward Bound Australia Camp in Tharwa, Australian Capital Territory,
in November 2004.
Daniel Chong is the Executive, Corporate Communications and Special Projects, of The Boys' Brigade in Singapore.