8th Penang Enrolment Service 2013

My second day in Penang, having spent the night at Chinese Methodist Church Air Itam. It was a pleasant Sunday morning on the streets with an old rustic scene, as though looking through a window to the past. Motorcycles, cars and people cramming unto the streets for morning shopping in the markets and breakfast, buzzing away in the Hokkien dialect, it was truly another world from KL. It was quite an interesting set up to what was to come later that morning.

CMC Air Itam is the sponsoring authority of the 8th Penang Company Boys' Brigade and the 4th Penang Company Girls' Brigade, which so happen to be having their Enrolment Service. 

It was a packed church compound with Boys getting last minute uniform parts from their NCOs and practices for Guard of Honour were under away. All familiar scenes in any BB company. 

Warrant Officer Lim Chong Kiat, the Parade Commander for the Guard of Honour

It was a joint Guard of Honour, one of the first complete ones I've seen. Normally a BB-GB Enrolment will have an equal mix from both forming 1 GOH, but in 8th Penang BB and 4th Penang GB's case, they had enough members to form two complete GOHs. The rest of their members falled-in for review at the rear of the GOH. 

8th Penang is one of (or probably is) the biggest BB companies in Peninsula Malaysia. With 270 Boys and Officers present for Enrolment Service and a recorded membership of 350 spread out among their three schools - SMJK Chung Ling Penang, SMK Air Itam and SMK Sacred Heart. The 4th Penang Girls' Brigade, at one point was the biggest Girls' Brigade company in Malaysia.

Impressive membership at 8th Penang BB and 4th Penang GB

Marching in of the Colours

Awesome praise and worship 

The chaplain giving away promotions and appointments

Mr Teh Gim Beng, Captain of the 8th Penang Company

It was a typical Enrolment Service, but come to think about it, it was probably the first Chinese-language Enrolment I've ever attended. The message of the day was delivered in Mandarin. Fortunately, my good friend Mr Teh Gim Beng was doing direct translations alongside the pastor. Unfortunately.. he translated to Hokkien.

The enrolment ceremony took place after the promotions of NCOs and appointment of officers. This was one thing they did different from most companies, which do their enrolment parts in one go. This company promoted NCOs and straight away enrolled them, followed by the officers in the same manner. Still, it all works out the same.

Since it was rare for all the BB and GB members from all the schools to come together, a "fun day" was organised after the Enrolment Service, with members staying on until 5pm when Enrolment ended at 1pm. It was a great honour to be present with them this day. Cheers 8th Penang!