We do not return to you, Victoria; because we never really left

Today, VS Junior Leaders and Senior Leaders return from our 3rd Veloci-T Camp.
With the completion of this year's Veloci-T Camp, I have come full circle in VS and this marks the culmination of my service to Victoria School.
I have spent 7 1/2 years here and these have been the best years of my life.

In this time, I have taught them lessons in theory indoors and camped with them to experience life's lessons outdoors.

We have trained together, hiked together, sung together, kayaked from East Coast to Changi, cooked dinner together over open fires, shot each other during Night Missions and even drummed together during the YOG.

Having spent the past years in VS is the best thing that has happened to me and choosing to leave was the hardest decision that I've made in my life.

This last Veloci-T camp has been a great way to say good bye to all students and colleagues. I was pleasantly surprise when some of the boys from our Emperor Tribe wrote a farewell song for me during campfire. Luckily, you all never make me cry :P

Next year, I will take on my new post heading the National Education Branch in MOE HQ.

It is a new post with new challenges but I know that the years spent in VS have given me the strength to forge ahead. It is a new experience with completely new challenges and a new environment but in the words of Robert Frost:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

and sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

and looked down one as far as I could

to where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

and having perhaps the better claim

because it was grassy and wanted wear;

though as for that, the passing there

had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

in leaves no feet had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --

I took the one less travelled by,

and that has made all the difference

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To all Victorians: past, present and future, take care
Always remember that even when we leave Victoria,
Victoria lives in us.

Nil Sine Labore

Prelude to Veloci-T

Tomorrow we begin Veloci-T 2010 "Legacy"
Veloci-T stands for Victoria Enhanced Leadership and Outdoor Camp Instructors Training.
It's the fusion of the Camp Instructors Course conducted by the PE Dept and the Student Leadership Course conducted by the Pupil Development Dept.

Through the year's, we've constantly sought to refine the camp and with Veloci-T in its third year as a unified training program, we've incorporated several changes. Last year, we introduced the Kouze and Posner, Leadership Challenge as a framework on which to base our training activities.
This year we have further refined the modules to bring out these themes.

We also brought back the coastal navigation element where the boys kayaked and rafted from East Coast to Changi Coast Adventure Campsite.

Today, we prepped for the camp by begining the intial phase by transporting the kayaks and rafts to VS to prepare for tomorrows event.

Many thanks to our partners and stakeholders from Griffin Kinetic Logistcs who generously supported us with their transport services to enable us to achieve this massive endeavour of 30 double kayaks, 2 dinghys, as well as the paddles and life vests.

Thanks to Mr Salleh from Griffin Kinetic for his patience and help.

Here's how we got it done:


This being my last year with VS, I'm sure the next few days will be a time to cherish and remember.