A Tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew (1923 – 2015) – Lessons on a Scout’s Honour

Scouts in Singapore mourn the loss of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew.  Mr Lee was a Scout in the 32nd Singapore Scout Troop, which later became the 01 Raffles Scout Group.  He was Singapore’s first Prime Minister, serving from 1959 to 1990 and continued contributing to Singapore in various official capacities until he passed away on 23 March 2015.

As a Scouting tribute, here are some lessons we can learn from how he embodied the Scouting Spirit through his leadership and his life.

A Tribute to Lee Kuan Yew – Lessons on a Scout’s Honour

1. A Scout is to be trusted

Following the Bukit Ho Swee fire in 1961, 16,000 were made homeless and more than 2,200 attap houses were destroyed.  Mr Lee Kuan Yew promised that in nine months the displaced residents would all have new flats to live in.  And he delivered.  This led people to say “at least this Government can keep its promise.”

Mr Lee also epitomised incorruptibility and spent his lifetime building a clean and corruption-free government which is looked upon by many other countries today. Integrity was made one of the core values of the Civil Service and this generated trust between the people of Singapore and their government.

2. A Scout is loyal

To see the extent of his loyalty, one need not look far.  To his beloved wife after a stroke, he said: ‘We have been together for most of our lives. You cannot leave me alone now. I will make your life worth living in spite of your physical handicap.’

She said: ‘That is a big promise.’

He replied: ‘Have I ever let you down?

Later, when she could no longer communicate, through all that time,

Mr Lee took care of her. As a young lawyer with a bright future, Mr Lee could have chosen a very different career path. However, his loyalty to his country and calling to duty prompted him to take on the arduous and momentous task of fighting for Singapore’s independence and survival in our early years of nationhood.

3. A Scout makes friends, establishes and maintains harmonious relations

In 1967, Mr Lee began a friendship with Dr Henry Kissinger, who later became the US Secretary of State.  This was the beginning of one of the world’s most high powered and enduring friendships.  Said Dr Kissinger, “He was not a man of many sentimental words. And he nearly always spoke of substantive matters. But one could sense his attachment. A conversation with Lee, whose life was devoted to service and who spent so much of his time on joint explorations, was a vote of confidence that sustained one’s sense of purpose.

In addition, Mr Lee was a mentor and friend to numerous statesmen and leaders from all around the world and was deeply respected beyond the shores of Singapore.

4. A Scout is disciplined and considerate

Mr Lee led a life of discipline.  To see this one need only examine the tributes written by Mr Heng Swee Keat, now Minister for Education, who was Mr Lee’s Principal Private Secretary earlier in his life, and Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, who served as Speaker of Parliament.

“In his days as PM, Mr Lee’s average bedtime was three-thirty in the morning.   As Senior Minister and Minister Mentor, he went to sleep after two in the morning. Deep into the night, while the rest of Singapore slept, it was common for Mr Lee to be in full work mode.” – Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Education

“Lee Kuan Yew was someone who even if he didn’t come for one afternoon, he would write me a note. In fact, he was the only one who did that. To his credit, he made sure he followed the rules, you couldn’t fault him.” – Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, former Speaker of Parliament

5. A Scout has courage in all difficulties

“Even from my sick bed, even if you are going to lower me into the grave and I feel something is going wrong, I will get up.” – National Day Rally 1988

Mr Lee made the above declaration in his National Day Rally Speech in 1988.

He had a never-say-die attitude and showed courage throughout all the difficult and challenging times over his many years as PM.  In fact, it could have been this never-say-die spirit that led us to hope beyond hope that he could join us at SG50 NDP.

Scout Motto – Be Prepared…

Mr Lee showed tremendous foresight and vision in predicting and preparing for the numerous challenges that Singapore faced in her journey to nationhood. Singapore, under his leadership, was prepared for all conceivable hurdles and always in anticipation of future probabilities. Issues like water supply, education, defence and economic development were addressed and showed the far-sightedness of our pioneer leaders.  Mr Lee had long prepared Singapore for a future when he would no longer be around.  Today we reap the benefits of what was sowed.

Scout Promise – On my honour, I promise that I will do my best…

He lived his life by the Scout Promise, and after a life’s work he commented, “All I can say is, I did my best. This was the job I undertook, I did my best and I could not have done more in the circumstances. What people think of it, I have to leave to them.  It is of no great consequence. What is of consequence is, I did my best.”

Leaving the world a little better…

And at the end of the day, you could undoubtedly say that he lived up to the exhortations in BP’s last message, having left Singapore better than when he found it.

Scouts in Singapore mourn your death, and aspire to live by the values that you have exemplified in your life.

Rest in Peace Sir.  At the end of your life’s journey,  along your chosen way, in all you did, you have indeed shown us true courage in being the best that you can be. Photo Credits:

National Archives Singapore

Today Online (23/3/2015)

Symbolism of Advancement Ceremonies

This is one of my favourite advancement ceremony structures due to depth of the symbolism and its reminders that we carry what adorns our uniform, and not the other way around.  Have a read.

Climbing the Mountain by Ernest Thompson Seton

Afar in our dry Southwestern country is an Indian village, and in the offing is a high mountain towering up out of the desert. It was considered a great feat to climb this mountain, so that all the boys of the village were eager to attempt it. One day the Chief said, “Now, boys, you may all go to-day and try to climb the mountain. Start right after breakfast and go each of you as far as you can. Then when you are tired, come back, but let each one bring me a twig from the place where he turned.”

Away they went, full of hope, each feeling that he surely could reach the top.

But soon a fat, pudgy boy came slowly back and in his hand he held out to the Chief a leaf of cactus.

The Chief smiled and said, “My boy, you did not reach the foot of the mountain; you did not even get across the desert.”

Later a second boy returned. He carried a twig of sagebrush.

“Well,” said the Chief, “you reached the mountain’s foot, but you did not climb upwards.”

The next had a cottonwood spray.

“Good,” said the Chief, “you got up as far as the springs.”

Another came later with some buckthorn. The Chief smiled when he saw it, and spoke: “You were climbing; you were up to the first slide rock.”

Later in the afternoon one arrived with a cedar spray, and the old man said, “Well done. You went half-way up.”

An hour afterwards, one came with a sprig of pine. To him the Chief said, “Good; you went to the third belt, you made three-quarters of the climb.”

The sun was low when the last returned. He was a tall, splendid boy of noble character. His hand was empty as he approached the Chief, but his countenance was radiant, and he said, “My father, there were no trees where I got to–I saw no twigs, but I saw the Shining Sea.”

Now the old man’s face glowed, too, as he said aloud and almost sang.

“I knew it! When I looked at your face, I knew it. You have been to the top. You need no twigs for token. It is written in your eyes, and rings in your voice. My boy, you have felt the uplift, you have seen the glory of the mountain.”

Oh, ye Woodcrafters, keep this in mind, then–the badges (the coups and degrees) we offer for attainment are not “prizes“–they are merely tokens of what you have done, of where you have been. They are mere twigs from the trail to show how far you got in climbing up the mountain.

What is Youth Programme?

“Youth Programme is the totality of what young people do in Scouting (the activities), how it is done (the Scout method) and the reason why it is done (the purpose). It is the principal means of achieving the purpose of Scouting and is the key to attracting and retaining members. Youth Programme is implemented through a partnership between young people and adult leaders, taking into account the participants’ interests, needs and abilities.” (WOSM 2013)

In essence, Youth Programme is

–      What young people do in Scouting, primarily driven by activities encapsulated in the progressive scheme and organised by other structures (such as Districts and Areas),

–      How the activities are organised and delivered, supported by Adult Leaders through the Scout method, and

–      Why the activities are done, driven by larger educational objectives, possibly derived from the SPICES (Social, Physical, Intellectual, Character, Emotional, Spiritual) framework, 21^st Century Competencies, Socio-Emotional (SE) Competencies, etc.

In summary, the elements of what, how and why should be clearly articulated in order to provide for a consistent and feasible youth programme.  Scouting activities and Scouting skills learnt are important, but not as important as broader personal growth aspired for or achieved by young people.  Therefore, youth programme also requires a consistent method of delivery and a clear purpose and motivation.

Two Years On – A Beading Ceremony

This post is overdue.

27 Oct 2012 marked a significant milestone in the Scouting lives of two people from my unit, as it marked their formal welcome into the select group of Woodbadgers world wide.

The day’s activity ended quite normally, though there was an air of anticipation, as it is not every day the number of rows of Ventures, Rovers and Leaders almost equals the number of patrols.  This was a special occasion, and many had gathered to witness it.

Our District Commissioner, Rhino presided over the ceremony, while Mr Teo, our former GSL, and myself made up the rest of the award team.

Mr Teo started the ball rolling by first awarding their Gilwell Scarves, which mark them as members of the 1st Gilwell Scout Group.

When Wood Badge started in 1919, Mr. William F. MacLaren, a district commissioner in Scotland, purchased Gilwell Park near London, England, and presented it to the Scouting Association as a training center. We honor him by wearing a patch of the MacLaren hunting tartan upon the neckerchief.  Wood Badge Scouters the world over are also recognized by a two-strand leather woggle.

Next, it was my honour to award them their two beads.  Necklaces which I had personally worn on a number of occasions before, as a symbolic passing of the beads from one Scouter to another.

Wood Badge is named for the badge given those who successfully complete the entire experience. The badge now consists of two wooden beads, worn on a leather thong around the neck. These are replicas of a bead necklace obtained in 1888 by Baden-Powell while he was serving in the military in Africa. In looking for a suitable recognition for the Scouters who completed the first course in 1919, Baden-Powell remembered the necklace and decided to give a bead to each of the participants. At this time the name Wood Badge became attached to the course.

Congratulations, Ruiyang and Weixuan.  You have come a long way since October 2010 when you were first invested as leaders.

We Need To Stand For Something As a Community/Movement

This is an invitation for all Scouters to stand up and declare to the community at large what they believe in, and a reminder to all of us of the privileged position we are in.  Access to students is a privilege.  Scouters who support this are invited to share this, and are encouraged to make this their facebook profile pic.

Please note, this is not intended to pass pre-emptive judgement on the actions of any particular individual.  Neither is it intended as an offensive personal attack on any particular individual, however, inevitably it may raise some eyebrows but there will be no apologies if it does.

Educational Purpose of a Scout Hike

During Unit Leader Woodbadge Course (ULTWBC) Intake II – 2011, leaders shared their personal views and reflections on the purpose of a Scout hike as part of the programme for Scouts across all ages and sections.  This sharing is captured in the photo and the summarised points below.

Educational Purpose: – a)    Learn life skills as maps and navigation are useful in lifeb)   Learn to encourage one another, resilience and determination c)    Learn to manage emotions d)   Learn to love nature and the outdoors through exposure to nature e)    Learn to manage uncertainty and ambiguity f)     Learn problem solving skills g)    Experience getting lost h)   Learn to plan an adventure i)     Learn when to lead and when to follow j)     Improve Visual Spatial intelligence k)    Pick up life skills through a journey symbolic of a journey through life

Each of these educational purposes may be associated with a particular learning experience embedded in the Scout Hike.  In order to understand these further, the pertinent learning experiences have been described in the table below, and an attempt has been made to draw linkages between these experiences and the various Scouting frameworks as well as MOE Singapore’s Social Emotional Learning Framework, which is also connected to the 21^st Century Competencies.

 

Learning Experience	SPIES Area	Scouting Principles/ Method	Connection to SEL Framework
Picking up the basic navigational skills and sharing preparation work for the hike, in consultation with adults.   For first time hikers, this may cause anxiety in anticipation of the unknown.   It also requires physical preparations such as getting sufficient rest and hydrating well.	Physical Intellectual Emotional	Be Prepared (Motto)   Adult Support (M) Patrol System (M)   Duty to Self (P) Duty to Others (P)	Identifying and recognising emotions (Self Awareness)   Goal setting and organisational skills (Self Management)   Recognising strengths, needs and values (Self Awareness)
Planning routes from checkpoint to checkpoint using a map and compass.	Intellectual	Patrol System (M)	Self efficacy (Self Awareness)
Coming to an agreement on which route to actually take between checkpoints.   This requires analysing which route is more suitable using navigational concepts, it also requires social skills of managing disagreement, conflict and emotions in a team.   Scouts will need to learn when to lead, and when to follow.	Intellectual Social	Patrol System (M)   Duty to Self (P) Duty to Others(P)	Empathy, Appreciating Diversity (Social Awareness)   Perspective Taking, Working Cooperatively, Negotiation, refusal and conflict management (Relationship Management)   Problem identification and situation analysis, Problem Solving, Personal, Moral and Ethical Responsibility (Responsible Decision Making)
Setting out on the journey between checkpoints.   This may be physically and emotionally draining, as it takes physical fitness, mental determination and resilience to journey.	Physical Emotional	Duty to Self (P) Duty to Others (P)	Impulse Control and Stress Management, Self Motivation and Discipline (Self Management)
Journeying as a team through unfamiliar territory requires managing the emotions of being in an unfamiliar environment, and the uncertainty of whether the route taken will lead to the intended destination.   It also bonds the team through stronger/elder members helping the weaker/younger members by encouraging them, and journeying together.	Emotional Social	Duty to Self (P) Duty to Others (P)	Identifying and recognising emotions (Self Awareness)   Impulse Control and Self Management (Self Management)   Communication, social engagement, and building, Seeking and Providing Help (Relationship Management)
Journeying through rural terrain and the great outdoors.   The difficult terrain requires physical ruggedness to manage, as well as decision making on the ground to determine the shortest/most expedient route.	Physical Intellectual	Nature (M)	Self Motivation and Discipline (Self Management)
Getting disoriented between checkpoints will produce strong emotions of uncertainty, anxiety and possibly anger.   At the same time, the team will need to re-orientate itself to the ground.	Intellectual Emotional Social	Duty to Others (P)	Identifying and recognising emotions (Self Awareness)   Respect for Others (Social Awareness)   Working Cooperatively, Negotiation, Refusal and Conflict Management (Relationship Management)
Experiencing physical tiredness and difficulties may produce emotions of wanting to give up, fear and lack of confidence.	Physical Emotional Social	Duty to Self (P) Duty to Others (P)	Identifying and recognising emotions (Self Awareness)   Self Motivation and Discipline (Self Management)

Reflection

Scout Leaders and Adults who are keenly attuned to the possible educational opportunities in each part of an activity, are more likely to be able to pick up on learning moments and intentionally bring about the learning outcomes and achieve the educational purpose of an activity.  While it may not be possible, nor necessary to arrive at a perfect breakdown of each and every Scout activity in the above fashion, I feel that it is useful as an exercise to agree upon the possible outcomes and purpose of each activity in each of the spheres (SPIES), so that the richness of each activity can be fully tapped.  Through regular sharings and discussions, Scout leaders will become more aware and be able to make more conscious efforts to deliver the outcomes associated with each activity, instead of only focusing on the hard skill outcomes, which can often be the most tangible, but are not always the most valuable.

References: –

• Press Release – MOE to Enhance Learning of 21st Century Competencies and Strengthen Art, Music and Physical Education (2010) http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2010/03/moe-to-enhance-learning-of-21s.php
• Social and Emotional Learning Framework, MOE (2010) http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/programmes/social-emotional-learning/

Leadership Lessons from a Dancing Idiot(Man)

This video captures multiple key principles of leadership in a short snippet.

1) Institutional change begins with convincing and influencing your core group, who has the pull to influence others for you.

2) Sometimges you have to be patient, very patient, and while waiting you will feel like an idiot

3) Without a follower, a leader is nothing but a lone idiot

Dunman High Scout Group 55th Anniversary Campfire

30th July 2011 marked a significant milestone in the history of Dunman High Scout Group as we had our 55th Anniversary Campfire.

That, however, only skims the surface of it, as it was a night of many firsts, some more significant than others.

It was the first campfire organised in 10 years, as the last campfire, the 45th anniversary, was in 2001.

It was also the first campfire organised in the years after Mr Teo’s retirement.  To those in the know, Mr Teo Tiong Hin was the GSL of DHS Scout Group, and an active Scout Leader for many years.

To finish off the list, it was also the first campfire organised at the spanking new school premises at Tanjong Rhu.

But, on many other levels, it was pretty much business as usual in a DHS campfire.

A bom chika bom yell, from our own Binghong.

A customary Lion Dance Performance from our own Lion Dance Troupe.

Chek Chek Kolek, from our own Mr Joe Wong (a former Chief Commissioner no less)

And on the whole, a night of revelry, camaraderie and memories to last a lifetime.

Good job to the organisers Weixuan, Ruiyang and team.

As We Approach 7th May 2011, Polling Day in Singapore 2011

This is not a post about who to vote for on that date.  This is neither the forum, nor do I consider myself a sufficient authority on those matters, but a simple exhortation inspired by a comment made by a senior on facebook.

As Rovers/Scout Leaders, as we aspire to use our vote to seek better lives for ourselves, for better governance and a better government, as we aspire to be listened to and to be understood… let us not forget our promise to help others, and to leave this world a better place than we found it.

Let us not, in our frenzy to be listened to and to be understood, forget to listen to and understand others.  If we cannot first listen to and understand other Singaporeans around us, then perhaps we deserve a government that does the same. 

I am neither qualified, noble enough, or enjoy sufficient stature to exhort people to vote for the common good of society (I leave that to the ArchBishop who has done that, he has the necessary clout.)  My request is more simple.  

As nomination day has come and gone, and polling day will come and go, and the dust will surely settle… no matter who you voted for on that day, do continue to live your promise, continue to help other people, even as others do not, continue to listen to and understand other people, even as others do not.

Polling Day is once in 5 years, but we live our promise every day.

The Paradoxical Commandments

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway