The New Paper article on 1 Nov 06

[art60214]

From: Tan Sheau Gang (Original Message) Sent: 07/11/2006 11:19

The New Paper has a feature article on the inauguration of the
President's Scout Guild Chapter at the Istana on 31 Oct 06:

SCOUT HONOURED
'I'm still a penguin'

Mr Foo Seck Tong, 77, was among some distinguished scouts honoured at
the Istana yesterday when President S R Nathan inaugurated the
President's Scout Chapter

By Ng Tze Yong

OOPS. Wrong hand.

Don't extend your right hand when you meet Mr Foo Seck Tong.

Use your left instead.

And remember to twist your little pinkie around his.

It's the Scout Handshake.

'This is something like our little secret code,' said Mr Foo, somewhat
mischievously.

Mr Foo, wrinkled and slightly hard of hearing, is 77-years-old.

But the retiree is still as much a scout today as when he was a feisty
teenager.

At his Amber Road semi-detached house, the ex-teacher pricked up his
ears.

'That's a woodpecker. And that - it's a kingfisher.'

He pointed out his tattered 2nd Class badge on his faded uniform to
show where he learnt that from, almost six decades ago.

At night, Mr Foo sometimes searches the galaxy for the Southern Cross
and other constellations.

BADGES

He learnt that to earn his Astronomy badge.

And he still remembers how to take apart a radio and fix the wiring in
his house, courtesy of the Science and Handyman badges.

But the badge that takes pride of place on his sleeve is the coveted
King's Scout badge.

It's a top honour for scouts, who have to get a number of public
service and proficiency badges to get to this level.

Yesterday, together with 80 other distinguished scouts, Mr Foo was
honoured at a ceremony at the Istana.

President S R Nathan, who is also the Chief Scout of Singapore,
inaugurated the President's Scout Chapter (PSC).

The PSC brings together President's Scouts, Queen's Scouts and King's
Scouts.

These are equivalent awards given out at different times in
Singapore's history.

The Singapore chapter is affiliated to similar ones around the world.
The audience, made up of about 100 people, looked like a potpourri of
colourful badges and scarves.

There were scouts young and old. There were even scouts from the
Maldives, South Korea and Japan.

Like every one of them, Mr Foo has scouting in his blood.

'I'm still a penguin,' he said.

Scouts are encouraged to give themselves animal nicknames like Lone
Wolf, Kangaroo or Brown Owl.

When he became a scout as a 17-year-old, Mr Foo chose a penguin
because 'they live and work together, just like scouts'.

During those post-war days, scouting was a big thing for boys.

'There was no television or cinema then,' said Mr Foo.

'We swam in streams, we tied knots and we went on adventures.'

He fondly remembered the friendships forged at bonfires.

'We sang and laughed. We didn't care if we spoke different languages
or had different skin colours. We were just scouts,' said Mr Foo.

Scouting started here in 1910.

Today, there are more than 10,000 scouts in Singapore.

Scouting remains relevant because it teaches time-honoured values of
service to God, country and community.

That's the view of Mr Nicholas Tang, the chief commissioner of the
Singapore Scout Association.

GOOD TURN

'Scouting helps to build a strong sense of adventure. It taught us to
venture into the unknown,' said Prof Lui Pao Chuen, 64, chief defence
scientist at Mindef and a Queen's Scout himself.

Dr Ngiam Tong Tau, also a Queen's Scout, welcomed the formation of the
PSC.

'It is a way for us to give back to the Scouting movement, after all
that it has given us,' said the executive vice-president of United
Engineers Limited.

Even today, Mr Foo still does 'a good turn a day', as a true-blue
scout would.

Yesterday, clad in his faded uniform, he helped someone with a heavy
bag at the Istana.

'I try to teach my grandchildren what it means to be a scout.

'But they seem more interested in computer games,' he laughed.

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,116640-1162504740,00.html?