I am pleased to officiate I am pleased to officiate This this afternoon, I am indeed very pleased to officiate the at this Ground Breaking ceremony of for the second phase of the development of the this CDANS Country Club here at Bukit Batok.

Costing about $5 million dollars, a 3-storey building will be built on this site as part of this sprawling within the existing country club complexcompound. It will house a 24-lane bowling alley and a 36-lane air rifle range, both meeting international sporting standards. This facility will be completed by August 2000. When ready, our 68,000 CDANS members will have access to more sporting and recreational facilities for their to enjoyment at this clubhouse. More members and their families will then spend their free time here. This will facilitate greater bonding amongst NSmen outside of their in-camp training.

The successful launch of this single project has sets three milestones for CDANS. Firstly, it was done in a very short span of time. Many of you would recall that this clubhouse was opened just 16 months ago. When we gathered here on 30^th March last year for its official opening, we were thrilled by the numerous sports and recreational facilities made available tofor our members. The construction of this main clubhouse was completed within 13 months. The commitment and support from the our government, which gave through their provision of more than $14 million, was also instrumental in making the first phase of this project possible. These past 16 months have seen this Clubhouse grow from strength to strength.

Secondly, our NSmen played a major role in this project. During the opening ceremony last year, the Minister for Home Affairs issued a challenge to the management committee to raise their own funds for the second phase of this project. The Aassociation ‘s Management Committee, formed by a group of dedicated national servicemen and regular officers, spurred on by the Minister’s call, has indeed risen rose to meet the challenge. Their tasks has been were made even more difficult as Singapore is still recovering from the economic recession. Our National Servicemen were involved atin every stage of this e development of this project. They injected into the project brought along with them their civilian expertise, contacts and business acumen. Many of them spent many nights discussing the details of the project, evaluating the tenders and even negotiatinged with the suppliers and contractors. The enthusiasm and commitment shown by these CDNSmen is indeed commendable. I would like to see more NSmen involved in organising activities and running our two clubhouses – here at Bukit Batok and the town clubhouse at Riverside Point.

Thirdly, we have also successfully brought onboard corporate citizens like the Shaw Foundation and Singapore Pools which have decided to expressed their recognisetion of to recognise the contributions of Civil Defence National Servicemen for Civil Defence in concrete terms. The two Both oOrganisations have each pledged to donate $1 million tofor this second phase of thise clubhouseproject. Through their sponsorships, our vision of providing wholesome sports and recreational facilities for our NSmen has become closer to reality.has speeded up. Our dreams of helping Singapore nurture and train world class sportsmen in air rifle shooting and bowling can nowalso be realised faster nowas well. . To Shaw Foundation and Singapore Pools,Also, let me on behalf of our members, express ourmy sincere appreciation to Shaw Foundation and Singapore Pools to you. And Tto reciprocate their goodwill shown, CDANS has decided to offer corporate memberships to both organisations.

Ladies & Gentlemen, I am pleased to inform that CDANS has also Oover the past years, CDANS has played its partrole in nurturinghelping to developing the potentialability and capability of ourthe CDNSmen. NSmen. Joining in Riding on the MHA ‘s drive to transform the Home Team into a learning organisation, CDANS has implemented several carried out several initiatives in this area. These include running tuition classes and providing educational awards for the members’ children, the s and the setting etting up of a Reading Room and a Centre for Lifelong Learning in this e clubhouse. More significantly, CDANS has also successfully secured sponsorships from established renowned educational institutions to offer enrichment and professional courses for our members. These institutions include the SIM, MDIS and just a short while ago, we have signed an MOU with the MIS as well. I thank To all the three organisations for their partnership in making Lifelong Learning not just a mere motto but a reality in the lives of CDNSmen., let me also thank you for helping CDANS to help our members. Together, we will help Singapore to move closer towards itsour vision of a thinking nation founded on a and to build a knowledge-based economy.

Let me conclude by reiterating that CDANS has come a long way over the past seven years. When the 2^nd phase is ready, CDANS’ mission of bonding CDNSmen will receive a great boost. will be able to contribute even more towards the betterment of our NSmen and our people. CDANS will also continue to work hand-in-hand with SPANS and SAFRA to promote the interests of NSmen as a whole. Just as what the Minister for Home Affairs did at the opening ceremony for the main clubhouse, Let me close by issuing I will now issue another challenge tfor CDANS MC members – make CDANS a household name in Singapore. … go for phase three. I will leave the Management Committee to define what phase three will be. Start planning for it now. You should actively seek feedback from our members on what they want for the next phase. To help achieve this, we are this afternoon also re-launching an improved magazine which will be sent to all our CDNSmen. The magazine, renamed "RES-Q" is more professionally done and will be published bi-monthly. The new format is livelier. Its pages will contain many topics of interest to all CDNSmen.

Just as the SCDF is known to Singaporeans as an effective and dependable rescuer and fire-fighting outfit that they can count on, CDANS must become known to all Singaporeans as an organisation that bonds all elements of the SCDF together, such as CD volunteers, CDNSmen, CDNSFs and SCDF regulars. Thank You.

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