Continue to develop young men of good character, Minister says to Boys' Brigade

Mr Richard Seow
Chairman, Anglo-Chinese School Board of Governors

Dr Ho Yew Kee
Brigade President, The Boys' Brigade in Singapore

Mr Tye Yew Meng
Group Chairman, 12th Singapore Company Group

Officers, Primers , and Boys and Alumni of the 12th Singapore Company

Ladies and gentlemen

1. A very Good Morning to all of you and I am very happy to join you at this event. I think first of all let us give another big round of applause to all the boys, primers and officers who have worked very hard to put together a very impressive parade this morning. 

2. It was very encouraging to see such strong support from the parents as well. I particularly noted that the group that did not have the sharpest drill attracted the loudest cheers. So that is very encouraging to show support for all the boys regardless of what they do on the parade. Your show of support would be very welcome by all the boys here. 

3. I would say there is always something special about the Boys' Brigade. One of my best friends in Secondary School was a member of the Boys' Brigade. We did not have Boys' Brigade as a CCA in Tanjong Katong Technical. He was always away from school participating in Boys' Brigade activities. So we did not see so much of him, he had another group of friends elsewhere whom he was very close with outside of school, and we were always very envious of the kind of community he had with the Boys' Brigade. I saw that too this sense of camaraderie in the Boys' Brigade in my church in Bedok Methodist, where I was active in the youth service. The boys there were very active, very close together; they participated in the youth group activities. There was again a very special bond that held them together. Clearly, there is something the Boys' Brigade is doing well in -- in bringing people together, not just the boys, but the primers, the officers and encouraging old boys to participate as alumni. So well done again to all of you in the Boys' Brigade, so let us give another round of applause to everyone.

Building a trusty inner compass for the boys in uncertain times

4. The 12th Singapore Company started in 1954, so you are older than sovereign Singapore. For more than six decades, you have been dedicated to this mission of developing young men of good character.   

5. Today, our circumstances are different from what it was 50 years ago. Our society has progressed, our needs have changed, and the experiences of young people are different. But the challenges of developing our youths and building lives for the future are still the same.  It is an irony of modern living, that we have more material comforts in life, we have greater affluence today and yet strangely we feel a greater sense of anxiety, we feel greater stress, we feel more worries as well. Well it is ironical this is happening but I think many of us feel the same way. It used to be simpler in the days of the 60s and 70s, even though life then was not so comfortable materially. 

6. In this new uncertain environment, the Boys' Brigade can still play a very important and relevant role in our society. All of you help to uphold a proud tradition of being Sure and Steadfast, and I thank you for being faithful to this calling for so many years.

7. There are also many parents in our midst. I know all of you worry about the well-being of your children. Naturally, you are concerned about how they well they progress through our school system. You are concerned how they do academically. I wish to assure you that success in life is not just based on academic qualifications, it is not about how well you do in exams, it is not about how smart you are; these things matter to some extent but they are not the critical matters. I think the most important quality anyone can possess to ensure success in life is character. I think the best thing you have done as parents is to get your children enrolled in the Boys' Brigade. The next best thing you should do is to encourage their active participation in the Boys' Brigade. Encourage their active participation because it would put them in good stead in the future. Good character is about upholding the values you believe in, values like honesty, trustworthiness and responsibility. Good character is about having the resilience to overcome challenges, and having the will to do the best in every task we undertake, even though it is a small task, we strive to excel and do the best in everything we had. Above all, good character is developed through service, because when we serve, we meet people in different circumstances, we develop greater empathy, we learn what it means to walk in the shoes of another person, we develop a stronger sense of duty and responsibility for our fellow citizens. This is what binds us; this is what makes us a community.

Values of founding fathers and Singapore

8. These are the values that are upheld by our founding fathers as well. Last week, we just mourned the passing of our first Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew. We heard many stories of his life and legacy over the mainstream media. I think through that experience that brought the whole nation together, we now have a better appreciation of how our founding fathers, in particular our first Prime Minister Mr Lee led a life of discipline and total commitment for Singapore. 

9. I think you would have read how his average bed time is well past three o'clock in the morning. Deep into the night, when all of us were sleeping, it was common for him to continue in full working mode. We have read about his devotion and loyalty to his wife, and how after she suffered from a stroke, he would take care of her and read her favourite books every night, even when he was away on a work trip. And you would have read at the end of his life's work, and I quote: “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.”

10. Mr Lee was not a member of the Boys' Brigade. I think he epitomised the values of the Brigade, to be Sure and Steadfast, to lead and serve, to do everything we can to give back to the community, to serve a higher calling. These are values which you uphold, and these are also the founding values and ideals of Singapore. The events over the past weeks force us to reflect on these values, and the manner in which we lead our lives. We all know, our time on earth is finite, and in this fleeting time, what truly matters -- what our founding fathers have shown – what matters in life is not wealth or status, it is not fame or power, rather it is about living a life of meaning and purpose. It is about contributing to something greater than ourselves. It is about keeping the faith, it is about fighting the good fight. If that is our objective, our goal in life, then it should reflected in how we live our lives, it should reflected in our day to day affairs and how we prioritise our lives.

Conclusion

11. This year we celebrate our 50th anniversary of independence, Singapore's 50th birthday, I think it is a very timely occasion to renew our pledge and commitment to the values that have underpinned Singapore's success over the last 50 years. If we continue to uphold these same values, I am very sure we can build an even brighter future for Singapore. Likewise, I hope that the Boys' Brigade and all the boys and primers here stay true to your values and be a beacon of blessing for others.

12. As we walk our journey together, I think it is about having that shared responsibility from the Government, the people, the community. It is really about us upholding the values that have helped us to succeed and making sure that we stay true to these values and the younger generation, in particular, continue to uphold these values. As we walk this journey together, I am confident that we have a good partner in the Boys' Brigade. I encourage the 12th Singapore Company to continue to do its part to further its good mission of raising leaders who are Sure and Steadfast.

13. On this note, thank you for being here, have a very good morning, have a wonderful enrolment ceremony. Thank you.