Now, here are the announcements:

1) Year 2s, please note that your trip to the neighbourhood police post has been scheduled to be on the 5 September 2011, Monday, so please keep that day free! More details will be released closer to the dates.

Some amendments to the previous announcements and new announcements here!

1) Please note that IDP tomorrow will be for the year 1s until 25 August (: not the year 2s! Sorry for the mistake made in the earlier announcement ><

2) For the year 1s: Remember the total defence lesson which you have gone through with Miss Loh before the June holidays? It's time to revise what you have learnt! You will have a total defence test on 23 August so do study for it! Those who did not pass will have to retake the test so do try to make sure you pass the test the first time. (:

Regards

Xue Hui

Though I’m not exactly in your shoes, I wish to voice out my sentiments….

Echoing Wei Xuan’s thoughts, I find it a pain in the neck to think that a pint of us do not give a damn and do not appreciate others hard work and let loose the minds and wander off somewhere and not putting in your heart and soul in the session. It is insulting, really disappointing and really, sinks my heart. I feel the ache of those who really put in their best. Of course, this is just my feelings as a bystander. I am not pinpointing anyone, however the true ones will know deep in your heart. Even the smallest hindsight reflects upon the entire condition. It’s just the littlest thing that makes a whole lot of differences. I dare to say the success of this depends on each and every single one of you. Imagine we are all standing on driftwood on the surface of the ocean. A little twitch, a little impatience, a little down guard may just as well capsize the whole team. We are a team. Get out of your individualistic mindset. Open your eyes wide and look around you. You are not doing this alone. Remember, there is a whole group of girls, your sister guides doing it with you. Give it your all, pump in 200% & do it well, do it good. It’s an honor to be in this parade, and this chance is hard to come by.

I do not wish for us to continue on with our current standards. Remember what I said? The senior are very disappointed and disheartened. I could hear it in their voices. It hurts you know. Put yourselves in their shoes, thinking that their uphill struggle to maintain guides at the standard dropped. How would you have felt?

Some pointers:

Let’s work to keep a consistent spacing between each guide and align properly to the person in front and beside you so that we would look neat as a contingent. It shows how bonded and united we are if we stand together yea? This also helps during kekanang lurus as we cannot raise our arms to check accurately so the only way is to adjust when marching. Also execute your steps in confidence. Do not be afraid to showcase your marching. It’s important to align but do not look down on the floor at all times especially during pandaung kekiri pandung as it would look quite unsightly.

Always remember to wiggle your toes! We do not want any of us to feel unwell and rest adequately before the big day. Also in the event of anyone feeling unwell, please fall out immediately, we do not want anybody hurt as a result!! Health is always our first priority!

Remember your arms swing too. Lock your arms at all time and align to the person next to you so that we will look smart and have the energy. When we turn on the spot it is important to lock the back of your legs to be more impactful and less sloppy.

Remember for the bello to walk smaller steps to help one another to catch up. Don’t panic and worry, we can catch up to other contingents later on when marching.

Let’s stand proud with our chest puffed out at all times and sing out loud the songs and recite the pledge and recollections with pride.

Also, do approach and voice out any queries and thoughts to us. It could be in private but we really want to know how you guys feel so that we can work together, hand in hand to up the standard of guides.

I have to acknowledge the mistake on my part as I can only speak through others’ opinion and observations and give my two cents worth… We tend to overlook things and see from a bigger point of view and often lack details in regards to the matter; thus it’s like trying to paint a realistic model of a human but ended up drawing a stick man.

Nobody’s perfect. However, I personally feel that giving in your best, 200% is way better than perfection without soul and substance. Let’s push beyond the horizons and achieve the best we can be.

Do not let yourself down, do not let your fellow sister guides down and do not let our seniors down. Do not let yourself to have the chance to regret your performance. Let us live up to the expectations and prove to the rest that we are not the “slack” and mindless cca they thought of.

Let strive hard together. Jiayou! Jiayou! Jiayou!

Kai Xin

:)

Okay have this sudden urge to voice out my feelings though i know i may not be in the position.

Yes firstly, it’s about the doing your best thing. I mean it’s only because there are people out there who aren’t doing their best, thus making the contigent look ugly. This irritates me much because from what I saw, from my side of the contigent, some were putting in their upmost effort, while some basically don’t give a damn. Seriously, it irks me so much. And for like the singing of national anthem or the My People, My Home song. I don’t know about the rest of you all, but beside me, Yu Jia, Li Ting and Nicole were singing so loudly. What about the rest of you? They have to sing their lungs out, so as to make up for those of YOU who were not singing. But then again, how can these few people, who put in their heart and soul, be louder than the contigent of other Ugs, whereby all of them did their part. It’s not just about singing you know. My main point here is about putting in effort. Aren’t we sisters? Then why are there only some people doing their best, and even doing more to make up for those who don’t even bother trying? But guess what, no matter how hard these people try, they WON’T be able to cover up for those who aren’t trying cos we are still a contigent as one. Everyone of you matters and no matter how well some perform, those who aren’t trying will just be the black sheeps and stick out like a sore thumb, thereby making the whole contigent look untidy.

Wake up please. One mistake and disconcern by you will actually affect the overall performance of the contigent. And not only that, it’ll affect how others view of guides. This NDP parade is the only platform whereby the Ugs can show their talent. Furthermore, guides don’t have any other competitions to prove ourselves to the school. So this is the one and only time of the year when we can prove to those who look down on us, that we are girls with substance and not just a bunch of slackers who have nothing better to do than selling cookies. Therefore the importance of our performance is not only to show what we’re made of but also uphold the guides reputation. Imagine, with this kind of lousy standard, we aren’t just letting ourselves down. But also our seniors, who had worked hard, batches by batches, building up our guides reputation, with years of hard work. And now just within a NDP, we’ll destroy everything, waste their sweat and tears, just because of our lousy and heck-care attitude. YEARS of hardwork just gone to the drain caused by a DAY of lousy performance. I don’t even dare facing them now.

Remember when Jia Qi took time off and specially came down to guide us. What did we give her in return? Do you know how much it hurts, seeing her beloved guides in such poor shape? After years of hardwork, seeing guides fall so much below standard, yet she can’t do much about it? Seeing the intense disappointment in her eyes, I was instantly crushed with guilt. Imagine after retiring, coming back to see your juniors being worse off than before? ‘What happened to guides? Why like that?’ And then, ‘It wasn’t like this in the past.’

So i seriously hope you all can do some reflection. I can’t admit that I’m all perfect but I’m willing to do my best, not only for myself, but for guides and for not letting the years of hardwork put in by our seniors go to waste.

Be proud to be a guide, and uphold the guides reputation with pride.

Jiayou WE CAN DO IT!

:), Wei Xuan