The Target Badge

Guess you may be wondering what EPPOP stands for?

Well, it is the acronym for Enrollment Cum Passing Out Parade.

This was a parade that was one of a kind! During this parade, the sec 1's (Boys Brigade) would receive their first badge... the target badge. Moreover, it would be pinned on by their very own parents! Well, the only disadvantage was that we had to stand in our full uniform for 40 straight minutes, without resting!

This is my experience...

On Friday, a day before the main event, we had our preparation. We practiced our drills until near perfection, and until we were united as a single unit, synchronized, and fully coordinated. At first, our drills were 'unacceptable'(as the sir called it). A supposed single, solid stamp sounded like a machine gun. However, fortunately, after hours and hours of practice, we managed to 'perfect' it(the sec 1 contingent still had difficult being synchronized when we marched).

Anyway, we rose early the following day. Adrenaline surged through me. My heart palpitated at a ferocious intensity. Thoughts raced through my mind as a weighed the possibilities of me making a mistake. As we walked past the seats where our parents would be seated, I cast a furtive glance at the shiny metallic target badges that would be pinned upon our right sleeve. I had a cocktail of emotions, that of excitement, anxiety, nervousness, and pride.

As the saying goes, time flies. Before I knew it, the entire company was formed up, and the least anticipated part of the parade was about to start, the waiting.

I don't think I'll need to specify on the waiting. There's only a word for it, tiring. By the end of the day, I was aching all over, as I am even as I am typing this post. Still, when I look at the target badge... well, the wait certainly paid off!

The 'Pinning' ceremony...

As soon as the command was given, our parents strode up to us, a sparkling metal object in the palm of their hand. Slowly and carefully, they pinned the badge onto our right sleeve, and stepped back to admire their 'handiwork'. I beamed with pride as I received the badge. This definitely is an experience that I would never forget.

My first March training camp (Boys Brigade)

The event that I least anticipated has arrived, the March training camp. Hearing rumours(probably exaggerated) from my seniors about B.B boys sobbing, going missing during the camp, and that the minimum number of push ups that they had owed their officers during the camp was 300 push-ups was enough to make time fly past faster than I had wanted it to.

On the first day, I began to have a taste of how tough march camp could be...

• we had to run around Swiss Cottage Secondary School and St Anthony's Primary School with our full uniform on, and with our bags.
• Push ups, push ups, and more push ups.
• Drills Drills and more drills(actually, I did like it, especially if we were coordinated)
• Changing parade- we had to change from PT kit to full uniform within a certain amount of time. Because we could not do it within the time limit, we had to repeat the same process over and over again until we could make it.

... Of course there were several things I enjoyed during the camp. We had to pitch a make shift tent, using a pair of bamboo sticks, cotton twine, a pair of ponchos, a jack-knife, pegs, and a mallet.

Later during the camp, I also was introduced to setting up a barbecue pit. Firstly, we were split up into our squads( I was in squad A). Secondly, each squad was given charcoal, fire-starters, and matches. Adrenaline rushed through me as my eyes glanced off the equipment. Someone in a squad, being a bit more advanced and modernized, fished out a lighter from his pocket. Before long, three fire-starters, were blazing with flames inside the pit(the pit was actually an aluminium tin). Next, we were taught to pile up the charcoal. First, we had to take the thicker chunks of charcoal, and pile them at the sides of each of the fire-starters. Secondly, we had to put the thinner pieces of charcoal on top of them. This way, the scorching hot fire-starters would not be smoldered. Once we saw that the pieces of charcoal glowed red with heat, we immediately, spread out the charcoal to even out the heat, put the metal grill on top of the pit, and began our barbecue.

During the whole session, our squad made one small mistake- putting too much charcoal. Probably due to our enthusiasm, we had tossed in too much charcoal. columns of smoke billowed furiously out of the pit. Before long, a blanket of smoke had covered the entire canteen. Our teacher's in charge(sirs) were fanning the air, tears streaking down their cheeks, like us. Realizing our mistake, we quickly took out several chunks of charcoal with thongs provided, and the amount of air pollution in the air immediately began subsiding.

Well, after several minutes, our hard work finally paid off. We barbecued spicy otta, sausages, satay, 'sotong', and chicken wings. We had a scrumptious, delectable meal, the best I had during the whole march camp! Needless to say, our Sir's 'stole' food from us, probably as compensation for the smoke. Well, there was more then enough! At the end of dinner, we were all clutching our stomachs, sighing in content, as though we were in paradise...

" Right! Everyone! Time for area cleaning!" Just as I was enjoying myself, our I.C. just had to break the moment. As though on cue, all of our seniors immediately began picking up the litter around them. Not wanting to be left out, the sec 1's(inclusive of me) was no exception.

These are the highlights and the activities I found the least enticing during the camp. Fortunately for us, this years march camp was nothing compared to last year. Well, being born one year later is something we should be thankful about!