Mass drill at SGSS

WE practised almost every day. The performance wasn't called "mass drill" for nothing and involved massive number of students from various classes. Each class practised individually and then on certain days, all the classes together -- in the PE field.

The big performance was for Youth Day celebrations held at the stadium at Jalan Besar in the 1960s. Each of us (in white SGSS t-shirts and blue PE shorts) would hold a red plastic ball to perform calisthenics in time to recorded piano music blaring from loudspeakers. It was a sight to behold -- if done in perfect unison.

Each form teacher was responsible for the performance of his class. Our form teacher had a brainwave. He said we were all taking cues from each other, hence our timing was all out. So he told us to close our eyes and to do the steps from our own memory.

The results were worse.

"Alamak! Aiyo! Open your eyes... Open your eyes..." I can remember him saying, his tone a combination of desperation and despair.

However on the real day, we did a good job :)