TTC CAMP REUNION 31/10/08...more Nostalgia!

The two sea activity that was included in the 1968 August TTC YLTC was Canoeing and Sailing.
The photo showed Barracuda Group in one of their basic sailing session at Tekong. I am at extreme right of picture, with folded arms.

Edward Tan, standing right in front in this photo has the honour of being featured in my very 1st blogpost when I started this blogsite in Sept last year (2007). You can see that post under the Archives section. We travelled together to Thailand.

The Leader of the Pack with Koh Boon Long.

The Leader of the Pack and "Grandfather of PE" with me.

The LEADER of The BAND ! ...ttc Reunion.

In those early pioneering years of the YLTC and our response to the call for a more " RUGGED SOCIETY "by the government of the day, many of Dr Lau Teng Chuan's old faithfuls were in the forefront of all manner of adventurous outdoor pursuits and activities. Those were the days BEFORE even the old ECAC ( today CCAB) even had an outdoor education section formed. The old faithfuls and those spurred on by the training they had in the YLTC began to translate the vision of a "Rugged Society" first to the schools they were teaching in and later elsewhere.

And who planted those early seeds of outdoor education and leadership training?

As Dr Lau said here when he was invited to give his opening address...

" We have planted the first seeds ( referring to the early days of TTC YLTC ) and it is for you the present generation to carry on the good work.."
Dr Lau was instrumental in leading and crafting the PE curriculum for schools which included a strong dose of YLTC type activiteis.

Truly and rightly, he has often been called the "Grandfather of S'pore PE".

Today, I dedicate this special post to this special "Leader of the Pack ". All of us from those early TTC days, as the song says.....

" We are your LIVING LEGACIES !"

Hope you like this song...one of my favourites.

LEADER OF THE BAND(Dan Fogelberg)


An only child alone and wild, a cabinet maker's son
His hands were meant for different work And his heart was known to none
He left his home and went his lone and solitary way
And he gave to me a gift I know I never can repay

A quiet man of music denied a simpler fate
He tried to be a soldier once, but his music wouldn't wait
He earned his love through discipline, a thundering velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls took me years to understand
The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band

My brother's lives were different for they heard another call
One went to Chicago and the other to St Paul
And I'm in Colorado when I'm not in some hotel
Living out this life I've chose and come to know so well

I thank you for the music and your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom when it came my time to go
I thank you for the kindness and the times when you got tough
And papa, I don't think I said I love you near enough
The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band
I am a living legacy to the leader of the band

TTC CAMP REUNION...we remember those who had left us.

This was the TTC Youth Leadership Training Camp (YLTC ) held in August 1968, at Pulau Tekong. The group picture in the previous post is different. That YLTC was held that same year but in November.
Most of the people in this photograph have retired from service today.
Camp staff seated in front row, from left to right:-

Sivalingam, Gerry deSouza, Clarence Lim, Tan Eng Huat( the late ), Lam Chee Cheong, Hoon Soon Kuan, Wilfred James, ____?, Syon, Mr Chang Fook Tin, Mr Yap Boon Chuan ( Camp Commandant ), Robert Tan (C I ), Nyuk, Ms Vinnoite, Twang Peck Ee, Rodney Tan, Tan Buan Lim, Jimmy Chua, Lock Hong Kit, Tan Tee Suan and Balbir Singh, standing extreme right.
I was standing behind the seated ones, 4th from left.

Back to the Re-union gathering.
Before anything else began, Rodney our perennial emcee for such functions signalled for all to quieten down. In a gist, this was what he said...that we are all much blessed to be able to gather together for this reunion despite the years that have flown by, and we ought to be greatly Thankful to God...for this. But since those Ubin and Tekong days, some of our fellow old faithfuls have unfortunately left us and can never be with us again at such gatherings. Rodney asked that we all keep a minute's silence and reflect on the 3 who have departed the scene.
The three were:-
1. Tan Eng Huat( seated 4th from left, front row) was in a training plane that disappeared
somewhere over the deep Johore jungle in 1976. Many searches were conducted by M'sian
search and rescue personnel but neither he nor the plane was ever found. Eng Huat was a
SEA Games Gold medallist in Sailing in early 70's.
2. Ms Ong Siong Ngo was a dedicated and passionate TTC PE lecturer.
3. Mr Patrick John was also one of the very popular TTC PE lecturer.

All three had been closely associated with the YLTC and other such activities.

ps: Missing name of camp staff, pl update me. Thanks.
ps: More posts and pics to come!

TTC YLTC chaps......A 40 Year Juxtaposition !

This 40 year old photo came from my camera. It showed my TTC YLTC camp group...the Barracudas led by Ang ( on extreme right )and me. This YLTC was held in August 1968 also at Pulau Tekong. Just 11 of us in the group, only 2 ladies..Maria Ng( next to Ang) and Phua Siem Choo. 3 notable chaps here. I was crouched behind Ong Yew Ghee ( who also has an interesting blog titled YG blog ). Next to YG in dark glasses was Lee Kim Hoe, who later left the service to be a bigtime executive in an airline. Next to LKH was Tan Choon Bee who composed our Barracuda Group song...even the lyrics. He was musically trained. Till today, I still can sing the entire song by heart!

Faceless? Listless? Anonymous? Not the people at the TTC Reunion. On the left is Mr Tan Hwee Hock a legend of Singapore Waterpolo. Go Google and check out 1951 and 1954 ASIAN Games. Next to him is the one and only C Kunalan...a Legend in Singapore Athletics. And on my left is dear Yew Ghee ( photo above) my fellow Barracuda camp mate.

Extreme right is Eric Song.

From L to R:

Khor Chek Leong, Tang Wing Kee, Tan Pang Lim, Saifudin, Tan Hwee Hock, Dick Yip, Ong Yew Ghee, Hoon Soon Kuan, Goh Ek Piang

This is a memorable photo. Me, Hoon Soon Kuan and his wife and Clarence Lim. Soon Kuan used to be very good in Canoeing and we did the Round Island Canoe Expedition in 1968 together. Clarence was very good in many skills and was very approachable as an instructor.

TTC CAMP REUNION..31st Oct 2008

Sometime back in the 60's, I recall our then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew describing teachers in that period as" faceless, listless and anonymous !" ( in a speech he gave ).
PM Lee wasn't wrong as he was describing the perception of teachers in the teaching profession as a whole and in general terms at that. But had he taken a closer look or had he been better informed, he would have discovered that there was a passionate and thriving bunch of teachers who were the total opposite to what he had described of them. Just who were these people?
The leader of the pack was Mr Lau Teng Chuan ( now Dr Lau! ) who headed the PE section of the TTC. He was assisted by several other able PE lecturers. And his faithful followers and disiples were this bunch of deeply passionate teachers who had a great love for all things connected to the pursuit of the outdoors....rowing, sailing,canoeing, swimming,trekking,orienteering, fishing, camping,mountain climbing and the YLTC. The TTC Youth Leadership Training Camps was to me, and I suspect to most others, THE single most important extra-curricular activity that had a MAJOR IMPACT on their teaching life and even long after that.

The yellowed photograph above was dated November 1968. Today is November 2008....exactly 40 years ago! That YLTC was held on Pulau Tekong Besar. The TTC Camp Instructors are seated in the front row. Yours truly is 3rd from the left sandwiched between SIVA and CHEE CHEONG. Mr LAWRENCE HOH was the Camp Commandant ( centre ).

Last night, at the CCAB Lounge at Evans Road, Friday 31 Oct 08, the Leader of the Band Dr Lau Teng Chuan was happily reunited with his old faithfuls...of which I'm one. His able assistants were also there...men such as Mr Yap Boon Chuan, Mr Tan Hwee Hock, Mr Tan Eng Yoon..and many others, Ms Irene Seah...etc. Many of us have not seen one another for donkey years! Thus, it wasn't surprising to see old friends hugging, clasping and ....kissing? Haha! Kissing not allowed yet even among we oldies!
This group picture was taken just before we called it a night, close to midnight.
I have many more pics of even more old faithfuls in more upcoming posts.
On behalf of everyone, I must THANK Robert Tan the perennial head honcho of YLTC and
Goh Ek Piang the Big Boss of CCAB for co-ordinating this Re-union bash.