On going through some old album recently I found
some photos that brought memories flooding back to my mind. It was really nice
to see all those photo of the past, some taken in Black and White, an era
before the advancement of colour photography. Above is a photograph taken in
the early sixties when I attended the
Outward Bound School course at the school in
Lumut, Perak. I was just in my early twenties and apply for the scholarship to
attend the course there. I was told by friends that it provides good leadership
program but it tough. One had to go through endurance programs that lasted for
almost a month, living in camp, excursion into the tropical jungle, boating,
canoeing on the high sea around the island of Pangkor. Since l love
adventure and had been in the Scout Movement from my primary school days I love
to go to such training and meet others of the same mind-set. I was awarded the
scholarship and went all the way to Lumut in the state of Perak to attend the
month long program; the 50th course. We went through a tough and challenging programs on various
aspect of leadership as well program on civic. We were not spare the task of
keeping the pit toilet crawling with maggots clean every day and had to sleep in the jungle
where at time it rain and rain. Even having our meals was never at the same place, from the hall to the beach or in the middle of the jungle. We were told to go on a jungle expedition to nowhere
and expect to survive the track on our own. It was tough sleeping in the middle
of the jungle among leeches and wild animals but we endure and manage to get
through it all. We had to canoe into the open sea the whole day. I did get
seasick and vomited when reaching the shore. We had to scrap boat and paint it
underside, thus we learn the skill doing painting works. We had to keep our
sleeping quarters spot clean all the time. Everything went like clock works from
breakfast time till bed time. Because we were all dead tired it was easy to
sleep.
The whole programs toughen us all and did teach us all various
leadership skills that we could use in any endeavour we took. As for me the
training did help in my career in the government agency that I was working.
Until this day I still could remember vividly the time we had spent in the
school. It turns out to be the best leadership training that I had ever
had in my whole life. The Outward Bound School did made what I am
today.
Have a nice day.
