Water Planet

Monday, April 23, 2007

NPCC Annual Parade 2007

Last Saturday was the NPCC Annual Parade.

The National Police Cadet Corps celebrated 48 years of success at Unity Square in the Home Team Academy. Besides being the most established uniformed group in Singapore, the NPCC also boasts of the highest membership among Singapore youth organisation with a combined manpower of more than 20, 000 members, spanning over 158 schools and 4 open units.

Saw a lot of familiar faces at HTA. There were the officers from last year's OBTC, especially HO Swee Ho. Saw Ms Fauziah's best friend, AC of Area 9 Ms Lee. Met the old bird CIs, the usual HQ FIs, and some other course mates from J06 like Hwee Boon, Yi Cheng and another guy...

Was a really significant day.

Took a lot of pictures on Saturday and a couple of videos as well.

I shall let the pictures do the talking.

The Parade with representatives from the 158 units.

The Guard-of-Honour Contingent made up by the Gold Units

Colours Party from the Gold Units and the Flag Party with the State, Police and NPCC flag.

The flag bearers getting ready.

There were two fancy drill performances. The dummy rifle drill display by Dunearn High School wasn't too fantastic. Several of them dropped the rifle. But must say there was good effort put in la.

The second baton fancy drill was put up by combined units. The were holding silver batons(hmm..good idea). The display was choreographed by the SPF Chief Drill Instructor SSG Firdous (tadah...) and some cadets I think. Overall not bad lah. Their precision and coordination were pretty not bad. But in the middle got two monkeys gabra... look damn funny and was really embarrassing lah. Still let me catch on video somemore...Haha.

I think my favourite part is the march in and march past. The next highlight would probably be the pledge-taking. So damn SONG! When the officer led the pledge at the grandstand, the contingents were basically shouting the pledge with echo somemore sia. Their voice even louder than the mic leh! can imagine not... At that moment arh, any cadet would feel proud to be a member of the NPCC.

"We, the members of the National Police Cadet Corps.

Do here and now, solemnly and sincerely pledge that:

We will always, bear true faith and allegiance to the President and our Republic of Singapore.

We will always, be loyal and true to our country, our people, and the Government.

We will always, be prepared to serve our country, and the community.

We will always, preserve the peace and uphold the law."

Saw the post parade scene at the drill shed. The various drill instuctors and Cadet Inspectors were basically cheering with the cadets. When FI Firdous spoke to his baton team, some girls eve cried. The Marist NP people were as usual hobbling in their corner, while the GOH were marching and shouting the timing ever so loudly. Area 3 or 9 was gathering their cadets for a photo shoot, while the colours party were busy taking down their flag. The parade was a success man.

Thinking back then, I should have treasured those times at cadets while training at PA sia. Like it was such a memorable and unique experience but I didn't realise at that time. Still remember that time always niam with Shone, Melvin, and Osborne. Didn't even understand the honour of marching in the parade at that time. But lucky that time we pon sia....then never kena food-poisoning by their fried rice.haha Really miss those days.

I think HTA looks kinda nice at night.

After the parade, i wandered around in the compounds of HQ. Looked at the words at Unity Square - "Honour and Unity". Suddenly thought of the CIBTC last year. Learnt so much then. went through so much. Then I started to remember what was it about NP that kept me going. I thought about what was my motivation in NP.

The answer became clearer when I was in the Harmony Hall.

It was the very hall I was sworn in and passed out as a Cadet Inspector last June, before the Commandant, other officers, including Ms Fauziah, fellow trainees, Honourary Officers, Cadet Inspectors. Yaoxian, Jessica and May Lwin were there too. Along with Shone, we formally Cadet Inspectors.

Realised that those things that Yaoxian said to me last year about NP, changed alot of my opinion and became a source of my motivation for J06. So thanks there! Wasted sia...he never be CI.haha

I was the valedictorian then at the Passing-out Ceremony last year. I remembered clearly my last line in the speech.

"Our course Coordinator, WCI Yanru once said to us: There are many Cadet Inspectors out there. What kind of a Cadet Inspector do you want to be?"

That hallowed hall was so memorable lah... NP is more than a uniformed group. Being a CI is more than what it seems.

Serve with passion, lead with pride.

I can't say for the other CIs, but I definitely know what my purpose is.

mE posted at 3:37 PM