MESScall
Quarterly Newsletter Issue 1 • Year 2011
SPF Leadership Horizon Talk Series - President SR Nathan
Active SPOM - Sports & Fun!
Contents
Editorial Committee
Advisor
SAC T. Raja Kumar
President
Mess Commitee
Editor
DAC Melvin Yong
Asst Editor
INSP McIntyre Rosie Ann
Reproduction in whole or in part is
prohibited without prior permission
from the Editor.
Please send comments and
contributions to
[email protected]
3
Yellow Ribbon Run 2010
4
SPF Horizon Leadership Talk – President SR Nathan
6 SPOM vs JOM
8
Fun On Wheels & SPOM’s Annual Year End
Children’s Party
10 - Revised Membership Subscription Fees
- Inter Forces Games
- SPOM Babies & Wedding Bells
11 Standard Chartered Run 2010
Internet Website
http://www.spf.gov.sg/sites/spom/
home/home.htm
Intranet Website
http://intranet.spf.gov.sg/institutions/
spom/home/home.htm
Contact Mess Sgt. @
Senior Police Officers’ Mess
153 Mount Pleasant Road
Singapore 298341
Tel: 6478 3040
Fax: 6254 9924
MESScall
1UARTERLY .EWSLETTER )SSUE s 9EAR 12 SPOM wins 7th place in the Standard Chartered
Marathon 2010 Corporate Distance Challenge
SPF Leadership Horizon Talk Series - President SR Nathan
Active SPOM - Sports & Fun!
“ MESS CALL is actually the signature Bugle Call to tell all Officers to head for the Mess (or in the field, the Mess Tent) during those days
when communication was either by Bugle Call or Semaphore Flags. Appropriately, our newsletter by way of its contents actually ‘invites’
all of you to the Mess and aims to invoke in members that ‘specialness’ for the Mess. The Editorial Team seeks to establish MESS CALL as a
bridge that connects all of us together in the SPOM family” ”
3
SPOM Supports
the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 2010
I
t was the first time SPOM registered itself as a corporate entity in
the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 2010. We had senior officers from
the various divisions and units participating in this meaningful
event. PMC SAC T. Raja Kumar and Vice PMC AC Loy Chye
Meng led the SPF Contingent.
The passion of the runners shone brightly in support of the Yellow
Ribbon cause, as everyone caught on to their contagious
enthusiasm. Not even the rain could dampen their spirits as they
pressed on! The Guest –of-Honour Mr. K Shanmugam Minister
of Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs also braved the
rain to grace the start for the run. The running route brought
us through several historical sites in the Changi area; including
Johore Battery, Changi Chapel Museum and Old Changi Prison
Wall and with the run concluding inside the new Changi Prison
Complex.
See you for the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 2011!
4
SPF Horizon Leadership Talk
President SR Nathan
The guest speaker needed no introduction. Regarded as one of our own, he is a presence familiar to
everyone. Not surprisingly, a record number of officers turned up at the event. SPOM was bursting with life
and energy. Commissioner of Police, Mr Ng Joo Hee had graced the event with an opening speech.
The talk was set without airs. The President was candid and witty in his comments. It was an honor to be
able to see and hear him in person. Indeed, it was a refreshing experience to have someone so highlyregarded to sit, reflect and laugh with us in the same room.
The Noble Leader
The modest one does not need to boast about being humble. He does not need to have his voice heard
loud. He leads from the rear but his presence is felt by those he guides. His indirect ways provide direction
without being overbearing.
5
The President highlighted the importance of having confidence in our men. His words are comforting to
officers who shoulder great responsibilities and with it great pressure. He stressed that we should do our
best and not to be discouraged when things go wrong especially in light of difficult circumstances. He
encouraged superiors to be appreciative and supportive of the men who may have to brave situations
where no precedent has been set.
Despite his outstanding achievements, the President underscored the fact that he does not work alone. He
emphasized that what is seemingly impossible to one may be possible through the cooperation of many.
Trust is the building block for cooperation. SPF is heading in the right direction through our partnerships
with various stakeholders.
Unruffled Leader
The President reminded officers to be
composed in tense situations, and not get
ourselves rattled needlessly. Undeniably,
he exuded a certain calmness that few
leaders possess. It was an honor to hear
him share insights on several crisis situations
that, if not managed wisely, would have
caused the nation unnecessary panic. He
stressed the importance of information and
being well equipped to better our decision
making during contingencies.
Listening to his reflections, one cannot help
but see how adaptable a leader is. He is a strategist who understands the fluidity of circumstances. He
reminded officers not to be rigid but to develop strategies as situations unfold, and to think out of the
box.
He is also a pragmatist who believes in no permanent solution. He rightly pointed out that solutions may
not work permanently and that we should always be ready for latent consequences brought about by
our seemingly sound solutions.
He is the people’s leader, and no amount of writing can recreate the atmosphere of the event graced
by his presence.
Written by: Insp Nur Juliana Johan
6
Annual Showdown between
T
he annual inter SPOM-JOM games were
100 officers participating in the various disciplines
held on 1 November 2010. The games were
such as Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Carrom,
played at various venues such as SPOM,
Soccer, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis, and Volleyball.
Old Police Academy, NPC, and the Home Team
The officers played hard and were determined to
National Service JOM Clubhouse.
The annual
win in the most spirited manner. After an intense
games are held to strengthen camaraderie within
afternoon, SPOM eventually emerged as the
the SPF, and also to promote healthy lifestyle.
overall winner. Guest of Honour, CP Ng Joo Hee,
It was heartening to see a huge turnout of over
gave away the prizes to the participants.
7
two Messes
8
Fun-filled School Holidays
The year-end school holidays
present parents with the
perfect opportunity to pursue
family-bonding activities with
their children. It was with this
in mind that the social subcommittee embarked on a
plan to organize two family
oriented activities during the
recently-concluded
school
holidays.
Fun-on-Wheels
I
n the morning of 20 November 2010, the volleyball
court at the Old Police Academy saw a crowd of SPOM
members and families in helmets and safety guards.
They had all gathered to learn new skating sports like
skateboarding, wave-boarding and inline roller-blading.
To many, it was their first time on these small wheels. All
were eager to get onto the skateboards, wave-boards
and skates, and blade professionally like the coaches
from Skate Sports Pte Ltd. By the second hour, most of
the participants had managed to pick up the basic skills
in wave-boarding and skateboarding, such as moving off
and stopping. They even learned some tricks, like flipping
the skateboards with the feet and picking up the boards
without bending the body. The children were quick to pick
up the sport and were able to maneuver around cones in
the wave-boards.
When everyone was ready to learn inline rollerblading, the rain started pouring. The coaches
were quick to react, and changed plans to
conduct indoor games instead. While some were
disappointed for missing the chance to learn the
third sport, everyone had lots of fun and bonding
from the games. Their spirits remained high even as
they bade farewell to one another at the end of the
session.
“It was great fun. The activities had not only created
a close bonding amongst SPF officers and families,
but also give an opportunity for members to take on
new sports to keep themselves fit… “, commented Mr
Ram Shanker, after the session. Ms Zeenat Yassin added,
“Though I was disappointed for not being able to pick
up inline skating, it was a fun experience.”
9
Year End Children’s Party
On a Saturday morning, just a week before
Christmas, SPOM members with their children
started streaming into the Senior Police Officers’
Mess. They were all here to have fun at the YearEnd Children’s Party, a signature and popular
event in SPOM’s social calendar organized for the
children of SPOM members.
Soon, the dining hall was filled with laughter as
Santeria got the children running and hopping
around. Thunderous claps followed on as Kiki Tay,
the magician, transformed one of the fathers
from a well dressed gentleman to a sexy lady in
bikini. Santeria further entertained the children
with her pet bird which could talk, and it even
sang a birthday song for one of the children.
Finally, Santa Claus appeared and played with
the children, getting them onto their feet in a mini
scavenger hunt. The stage activities ended with
Santa Claus giving away Christmas gifts to each
of the children.
The party did not end there. Members and their
children proceeded to the ante hall where there
was a sumptuous lunch spread with Christmas
log cakes, turkey, popcorn and ice cream. The
children were all eager to have their hands on
the Wii station and the foosball table. The younger
children also won lots of chocolates while they
played at the games stalls. Members and children
were also crowding at the photo badges station
to make badges for themselves.
When the party had come to an end around 2pm,
the children were reluctant to leave, and some
pestered their parents to stay on. As everyone
left the mess with bags of gifts, they also brought
home wonderful memories of the event.
“My family and I would like to thank you and the
organizers of the SPOM Children’s Party for doing
such a great job.” Mr Gerard Anthony
More activities to come
The SPOM management committee will be organizing even more exciting activities
and events in this year, so watch out for our BMS and emails and join in the fun
together with the rest of the SPOM members!
10
Revised Membership
Subscription Fees
A
t the last Annual General Meeting (AGM)
on 27 July 2010, the proposal to raise the
membership subscription fees for ordinary
and associate members was approved. The
increase was necessary to enhance SPOM’s
financial status as the last review of the Ordinary
Members’ subscriptions was done in 1983, i.e. 27
years ago. Since then, with the increased costs in all
areas as well as the significant decrease in jackpot
takings, SPOM’s financial status was heading into
the red. The revised subscription rates enable
SPOM to provide better services and organise
more activities to enhance the welfare and
interests of the senior officer corps and their families
in a sustainable way. The increases for ordinary
members were tiered based on the members’ rank
and implemented with effect from November 2010.
Since then, SPOM has introduced a host of new
programmes and activities. To kick off, SPOM
handed out dining, KTV and chalet vouchers
valued at $80 to all ordinary members last
September. SPOM will continue this popular
programme this year and hand out another set of
vouchers valued at $80 to all ordinary members
in recognition of their support and to encourage
members to patronise SPOM. Over the past year,
members might have participated in the inaugural
Fun-on-Wheels and in the highly successful SPOM
Inter-Mess Soccer League, where we organized
a tournament featuring the Messes across the
Home Team. Another new initiative has been our
SPOM Golfing Medal which will be held once
every 4 months for a start. Starting 1 June 2011,
SPOM will also be giving out shopping vouchers
worth $100 as gifts to the ordinary members
who celebrate the arrival of a newborn baby.
We are encouraged by your increased participation
in the new initiatives and programmes that we
have rolled out. The revised subscription fees allows
SPOM to have greater capacity to serve you better.
We will continue to do so as we aim to keep up the
tempo of activities moving forward.
Written by:
DSP Edwin Tan Cheng Siong
Inter-Forces
Games
This year’s Inter-Forces Games was hosted by the
Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) in Kuala Lumpur
from 14 to 17 Dec 2010. A contingent of 132
officers, led by CP Ng Joo Hee, represented the SPF
in 7 games. The games were Golf, Soccer (Open
and Senior Officers), Badminton, Volleyball, Netball
and Sepaktakraw.
During the inter-forces games, SPOM represented
the SPF in soccer (Senior Officers). The soccer match
between SPOM and PDRM Senior Officers has
always been competitive but friendly. The SPOMPDRM Senior Officers soccer match was the finale
for the Inter-Forces Games. The PDRM Senior Officers
were fast and had home ground advantage.
Despite us going into the IFG on a winning streak
during the pre-IFG warm up games, the PDRM
team was even more confident. The PDRM Senior
Officers’ team attacked right from the start. PDRM
scored two goals in quick succession and SPOM
could not find the equalizer despite our best efforts.
PDRM won the game with a scoreline of two goals
to one.
Insp Eric See
SPOM Babies &
Wedding Bells
ASP Audrey Ong &
DSP Joseph Teo
ROM: 10.10.10
Parents :
Insp Low Jing Haur
ASP Michelle Foo
Baby Name :
Ernst Low
Birth Date :
29 Dec 2010
Parents :
Supt Qu Wang Jze
Tan Swee Gek
Baby name :
Howard Qu Yi Ji
DSP Philip Ong &
Eunice Long
ROM: 08.10.10
11
SPOM at Standard Chartered Run
O
n Sunday 5 December 2010 at 3am,
SPOM runners who had signed up for the
“Corporate Distance Challenge” (CDC)
category got out of bed and made their way
down to an unprecedented 3 different locations
in Singapore for their respective events of 10, 21
and 42km in this annual Singapore Marathon.
SPOM had been supporting its members who run
this marathon since 2006 but this year was its debut
in the CDC under the “Non-Profit Organisation”
category.
Nonetheless, our SPOM runners who completed
their various chosen distances events can rest
assured that their efforts had not been in vain
especially with SPOM winning its first Corporate
Distance Challenge Award by clocking a total
distance of 1,385 kilometres!
As the races progressed, the weather became
bright and sunny, crossing from the East Coast Park
(30km mark) to Marina Bay Sands (40km mark),
the toughest part of the marathon along its 42km
route. This is where runners tend to encounter
both a physiological and psychological “wall”
in performance after the basic body stores of
energy are depleted. Runners had to navigate a
meandering route through the Marina Bay Golf
Course and the Marina Barrage while stocking up
on body reserves with bananas and energy gels
provided along the way. It was a visual treat plus
an uphill climb up the Benjamin Sheares Bridge
in the blazing sun which made it quite a vertical
challenge in the late morning.
Then runners from all 3 events
(42, 21 and 10km) converged
to a walking pace at the
Marina Bay area before
entering the F1 pit towards
the Padang for the finishing
point.
Name Distance (km)*
01. DSO 4130
02. Millennia Institute 3138
03. Temasek Polytechnic 2579
04. Nanyang Polytechnic 2165
05. Ministry of Home Affairs 1862
06. U Sports 1513
07. SPOM 1385
08. MND 1313
09. 41st JWOC / SAFWOS 1214
10. Singapore Sports Council 703
Written By: ASP Alan Lau Kai Mun
12
SPOM wins 7th place
in the Standard Chartered Marathon
2010 Corporate Distance Challenge!
SPOM came in 7th place for the non-profit organisations. We had 50
runners running for SPOM and to come in 7th was quite a remarkable
feat. For the record, a total of 70 organisations ran under this category.
The information was published in the Straits Times on Wed 8 Dec 2010
on page A7. Great job SPOM! Let’s do this again at the next Standard
Chartered Run!