XN000022-1992-11-15 — Page 6

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1992

MEET THE CHALLENGE, JOIN THE CADET CORPS

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WHILE FEISTY TEENAGERS ARE BUSY LOCKING THEMSELVES IN VIDEO GAMES OR CRAZY AFTER SHOW BIZ IDOLS, LUKEY LEE BOLDLY TAKES UP A CHALLENGE THAT SHE WILL TREASURE FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE.

CORPS.

IT ALSO SETS HER IN MOTION TOWARDS A MORE FORTHCOMING FUTURE.

THE CHALLENGE IS OFFERED BY THE CIVIL AID SERVICES (CAS) CADET

NOW, HER CADET LIFE IS ALMOST THROUGH, AFTER NEARING FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE, BUT SHE IS READY TO STAY ON, AND THIS TIME, IN THE CAS ADULT GROUP.

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD

LUKEY HAS NO HESITATION IN SHARING HER

CAS EXPERIENCE WITH HER FRIENDS.

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"IT IS A COMBINATION OF FUN AND DISCIPLINE, SHE SAID, SPORTING HER UNIFORM WHICH SHE SPENDS TWO TO THREE HOURS TO MAKE GOOD EVERY TIME SHE WEARS IT.

то HER, TIDYING UP HER UNIFORM AND SCOURING HER SHOES ARE A PART OF DISCIPLINARY TRAINING. AND SHE CONFESSED THAT IT WAS NOT AN EASY JOB.

"THE UNIFORM IS THE SYMBOL OF SELF-DISCIPLINE. I FEEL PROUD WHEN I HAVE IT ON," LUKEY SAID.

BEFORE SHE JOINED THE CADET CORPS, LUKEY WAS A SHY AND TIMID OF A GIRL. NOW, SHE SAYS SHE IS MORE STEADY AND PATIENT IN HANDLING SITUATIONS.

KIND

THE CORPS IS A TOOL THAT BRINGS UP THE CONFIDENCE IN HER.

"I CAN BRAVE THE WEATHER AND BRAVE THE CROWDS. I AM ALSO CONFIDENT IN COPING WITH MY STUDIES AND INTERPERSONAL TIES, SHE SAID.

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THE CADETS HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC FUNCTIONS SUCH AS CROWD CONTROL IN "WALK FOR THE MILLION" AND "CITY FORUM". THEY ALSO HAVE TO BE ON "BEAT DUTY" IN COUNTRY PARKS REMINDING PICNICKERS TO PITCH IN AND WATCH OUT FOR FIRE.

"THIS TYPE OF WORK CAN AROUSE OUR SOCIAL AWARENESS AND CIVIC- MINDEDNESS, SHE SAID.

WHEN LUKEY WAS 13 YEARS OLD, HER FATHER LEE KAM-WAH, HIMSELF A CAS MAN FOR 13 YEARS, TRIED TO CONVINCE HER HOW INTERESTING THE LIFE IN THE CORPS IS.

SHE CONFIDED THAT SHE JOINED IN LARGELY OUT OF CURIOSITY AND INTEREST. LATER SHE FOUND IT A "GOLD MINE".

"I ENCOURAGE LUKEY TO JOIN AS THE TRAINING THERE CAN SUPPLEMENT HER SCHOOL STUDIES, MR LEE SAID, "AND SHE ENJOYS A FULLER LIFE NOW.

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/LUKEY'S TWO