Turning point...

One year ago.

One year ago, I sat at the left corner of the Old Auditorium, watching a group of students on the stage sustaining their right hand up and chanting a mysterious code the meaning I was unaware of. I watched as those students became part of the Prefectorial Board, and I told God and myself;

"Sheesh, I'll never go up there. I'm too shy to end up there and I doubt anyone would listen to me."

One semester ago.

One semester ago, I was moderately well addapted to the class. To the school. TO my new friends, teachers and so on. But that Monday. That Monday, Mrs. Sharon Woon wrote on the board a few names. She then turned around and explained that she felt that the people on the board were suitable for being prefects and that she strongly encourages those students to try the Board out.

I was part of that list.

She then told those on the board to stand if they felt that they would like to give their shot. Some stayed seated, fearing on what was yet to come. Others stood on, in their bravery and willingness to help out in the school society. I stood on. I do not blame either sides for backing out or staying on - I respect any decision made. But I just state, I stood on. Voted by majority in my class, the class was used as a testimony for me to join the Board.

One term ago.

One term ago, actually before that term even started, I was standing with other Year 1 Nominees on the Astro Turf, all sweating, hurting, screaming. We had been cheering for the past 4 hours straight, trying to perfect our skills shout after shout after shout. The pain lingered in our lungs and throats, and we all desperatly wanted a break. But the camp commanders were still 'angry' and dissapointed at our cheering status, insisting that we'd do more training. We held each other with encouragements, reminding each other that we were suffering as a team. As a Probation Board. We had to persist - there was no other way through or out.

One holiday ago.

One holiday ago, I was enjoying the luxuries of the End-Of-Year Prefectorial Camp, and all of us were having the time of our lives! I made it through the Selection Camp, the Interview and my Probation Duties, and now I've got a sterdy place in the Board! The BBQ session was delicious, the games were well-entertaining, sleeping conditions and mates were great, and worship sessions to God were at standard inrtervals! I truly enjoyed being a prefect at this end of the line, and I had yet to know I was about to recieve my badge and collar pin to officially join the Board.

One week ago.

One week ago, I was sitting at the New Auditorium waiting for the Dedication rehersals to start. Bored, I played around on the stage with other fellow classmates/prefects and did a few cheap-trill things like pretending to be the Pastor, Dr. Ong and Mrs. Fanny Tan. Interesting that my time of power is just so close. Only one more week and I get the permanant chance of staying in the Board! Let's see how things turn out...

On this day.

On this day, I stood on the stage, doing something I never thought I'd do a year ago. I was saying the Prefect Dedication Pledge! And wearing the Prefect Ceremonials! And tie! God has proven me wrong that I'd never end up here, and I guess I have no choice but rejoice for his blessings! Blessings and honour and glory and power shall be with my God forever and ever and evAH!

I ever knew I'd end up in this situation: Becoming a prefect. In fact, I always rejected such powers through most of Lower Primary. Then Upper Primary came, and God started blessing me as a Group Leader, then a Class Vice-Representitive, and then a Dicipline Monitor. Then in Secondary, I was stripped of my records and had to work from the bottom all over again. I still had my faith on God that He'd be with me throughout my work, and soon enough, I was the Earth Science Representative of my class. A good-enough start, I must say. Then I was introduced into the Board, and became a Prefect Nominee. And the next year, I was quickly appointed as Language Arts Representitive, a powerful place since it's directly under the Form Teacher.

And now this - A comfirmed place in the Board and the title of Assistant Prefect.

And as I wear this Cerems like as if I was singing SexyBack,...

I'm bringing Sexy'Fect
Them other bad boys don't know how to act
So we just tell them, "What's behind your back?"
So turn around and I'll check for a flack.

(Take 'em to the bridge)

H-TWO-O.
The regulations
State that they can't go
Out of the SAC's exterio.
It's just that I don't want to take the blow.

(Take 'em to the chorus)

Come here boy
Go ahead, be booked with it
Come to the back
Go ahead, be booked with it
C.I.P.
Go ahead, be booked with it
Clean the SAC
Go ahead, be booked with it
Let me hear what the students mock
Go ahead, be booked with it
Look at those socks
Go ahead, be booked with it
You run, we fly
Go ahead, be booked with it
Pull up your tie
Go ahead, be booked with it
And get your blazers on

x7
Go ahead, be booked with it
Get your blazers on

I'm one of the prefects
Them class offenders don't know how to act
Come let me tell you what're the things you lack
Cause Mr. Bongard's burning up quite fast

(Take 'em to the bridge)

Dirty dude
Your tie's unproper
Baby, that's so rude
The badge's ripped off and shirt's untuked so crude
And your berm's are covered in Chinese food

(Take 'em to the chorus)

Come here boy
Go ahead, be booked with it
Come to the back
Go ahead, be booked with it
C.I.P.
Go ahead, be booked with it
Clean the SAC
Go ahead, be booked with it
Let me see what the students mock
Go ahead, be booked with it
Look at those socks
Go ahead, be booked with it
You run, we fly
Go ahead, be booked with it
Pull up your tie
Go ahead, be booked with it
And get your blazer on

x7
Go ahead, be booked with it
Get your blazer on

Being such a Prefect
Them other rebels wait till they attack
Mr. Bongard does a classroom check
So soon they'll all get thier bottoms all wacked

(Take 'em to the chorus)

Come here boy
Go ahead, be booked with it
Come to the back
Go ahead, be booked with it
C.I.P.
Go ahead, be booked with it
Clean the SAC
Go ahead, be booked with it
Let me see what the students mock
Go ahead, be booked with it
Look at those socks
Go ahead, be booked with it
You run, we fly
Go ahead, be booked with it
Pull up your tie
Go ahead, be booked with it
And get your blazer on

x7
Go ahead, be booked with it
Get your blazer on

(The real thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFMvNtuZceI&mode=related&search=)

...Where was I? Oh, right. As I wear this blazer, I'm proud that the Lord allowed this to happen, as the Bible did say that all things can only happen if God himself allows it, and I can now put more faith on Him as my Saviour. I pray the same prayer that my Mom would pray; that when people see me, they do not see 'me', but instead see Jesus instead. I'd like to thank God for all He's done to prepare me for this, and for paving the way for me to walk on blindly but faithfully.

But that's enough of the dedications. Looking at it from time's prespective;

The night before, I had to wear my cerems just to make sure that it wasn't so obvious that I would be wearing my PE kit inside the suit. After being contented with a good configuration, I went to sleep, having to toss and turn for a few minutes in excitement before actually knocking off.

The next day, I woke up as early as I could, ate a quick breakfast, packed into my bag the final things I need to add, put on my different 'costumes' layer by layer and rushing into my Dad's car to zoom off for the school. Assuming at first that the Prefect Council was joking when they said to meet at 6.30, I arrived at the school at 6.50, quickly placed my bags into the classroom while greeting JK and Tim, and ran off like the symbol of The Apprentice to the New Auditorium. I quickly sat into my seat and awaited for the next order, which apparently due to the fact that not 100% of us were present, was to be dismissed till 7.10. I quickly went down to the SAC with some fellow prefects and bought myself a bottle of Ice Mountain, finishing it off as fast as I could after practicing with the SAC piano. I then rushed my way back to the New Audi before the rest of the student cohord and the invited schools did. And boy, were they in for a little 'sumthin'.

The order of the whole thing was this;
-Prelude
~They play a relaxing score on the piano. Possibly to calm us all down for what's about to happen.
-Arrival of Guest-of-Honour, Dr. Tan See Seng, and Senior Administration
-Call to Worship
-Opening Hymn 'We Gather Together'
-Opening Prayer
~By Rev. Kenneth Huang
-Scripture Lesson
~By Vice-Head Prefect Peter Wang
-Guest-of-Honour's Address
~By now, the full bottle of water I drank was starting to kick in, and a mild but obvious urge to 'empty' nwas about to arise...
-Prefect's Dedication
~This was the part where we go to the stage and say our oath with our right hand raised. I was at the back row, 7th from the right.
-Prayer
~Rev. prays for us.
-Hymn 'Pass It On'
~Personally, a touching song from my past.
-Presentation of Token of Appreciation
~Dr. Ong gives Dr. Tan token(s).
-Head Prefect's Address
~As secretly planned, all the prefects stood up and applauded/cheered once Henry was finished with his speech. He deserves the encouragements, truthfully.
-Video Presentation
~Augh! Don't remind me! There was a particular scene where they were doing an interview in Dr. Ong's office. The thing was that there's a fountain in the room, and the fountain wasn't shown in the video. Thus, the footage appeared and sounded as if they were interviewing Dr. Ong while he was peeing! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! And the interview lasted a minute or two! Imagine someone who had such a bladder! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and there was also the scene at the back of the show where all the prefects would pat their chest twice before pointing to the camera, a 'chim' version of showing "Chill!'. It took us five takes just to get a perfect coordinating shot.
-Hymn of Dedication 'O Jesus I Have Promised'
-Benediction
-School Anthem
-Reseption
~We prefects, the school staff and the other invited schools were invited to go downstairs next to the Artificial Turf for the buffet they laid out for us! The thing was that we prefects had to serve the others first before we ourselves could eat. Figures, but still fun! And the food was awesome! Michael kept on coming back to the serving table for more and more chicken drumsticks!

Once the meals were all eaten, the Prefect Councilors, Senior Prefects and Prefects went to tour the visiting school representatives around ACS(Indep.), while the Assistant Prefects were left behind to clean up the buffet area and the New Audi, before returning back to class. Once in the classroom, the class applauded for our 'comfirmation': a pleasurable thing to be welcomed by. We then resumed our studies until 12, when we had to go off to meet at the Round-a-bout for our photo taking. After an hour's worth of arranging the prefects, deciding the location of shot(s), taking the candid photos and waiting for Dr. ong to start the formal picture, we were hurriedly dismissed for our exams, mine being Language Arts (B).

The paper, while praying to God through the process, was quite standard and, possibly speaking, 'fun'. I praise the Lord that He allowed me to make it through and that I did all that I could, trusting that He could ensure that more was done. The ironic part of the paper was that the prefects had to wear their cerems through the thing. Ah, well. Once I finished the paper, I did my ussual stunt of drinking a full Ice Mountain bottle's worth of water in one go without stopping. And for the fist time in a year, someone noticed me doing the stunt. Kirby told me his ussual ammusing "Good job!" phrase once the papers were collected.

After the test, I went to the Bus Bay and stripped off my cerems to reveil my PEness, as rehearsed last night. Canoeing went as Status Quo, just that I had to wear my slippers instead of my present shoes (Would you expect someone to do sports in leather shoes?). But we were being told about our standards in dicipline and it's shocking shortage compared to the time when the club started. Mr. See has a point, but not sure if this went through the Juniors' heads.