All About Active Community Leaders

[hquek]

hi citygal,


I’m not exactly clear about the various postings etc, but have heard of an active gr leader (over 10 years…he’s volunteering for the love of it) getting his kids into elite schools thanks to Phase 2B.

What I can say is, go check with the leaders in that precinct, no need to be shy about your motive. As long as you are able to and do really contribute, I don’t think they will deny your efforts just cos your motive is to get your kids in good schools.

[puzzle]

Hi,

may i know what is the actual procedures like?

What will happen after the submission of application through PA online?
Are we expecting any prove of document that is required by school during 2B registration?

[b2b3m4]

puzzle:

Hi,

may i know what is the actual procedures like?

What will happen after the submission of application through PA online?
Are we expecting any prove of document that is required by school during 2B registration?

Which application are u refering to? Application for Phase 2B or application to join RC? For phase 2B, you should have receive the letter to confirm your eligibility for the school in your constituency. For joining RC, the chairperson of your zone will call u when to join their meetings.

Citygal,
From what i understand, PA is phrasing out AM. And there's a limit to the number of AM in the committee. Usually AM are for members whom have volunteered in the committee for a while and has moved out of the zone and not the other way round. But like what hquek mentioned, u should give that RC a call. Their AM position may already been filled up or no longer available.

[citygirl]

Thanks all for your replies! I called PA and got a definitive answer to my questions:


Can you volunteer in a constituency that you do not live in?
Sure, but you will not be made EM. And thus will not get the privilege of being able to register your kids under Phase 2B.
PA says that as the Residents' Committee (RC) and Neighbourhood Committee (NC)'s activities impact that constituency, it's only right that you need to be a resident, or live in that neighbourhood to volunteer, and gain the EM position.

Can you volunteer where you work, or say that your parents live there?
Again, you're welcome to volunteer anywhere, but as long as you do not reside in that constituency, you will not be made EM.

Can you \"transfer\" your time served in one RC/NC to another if you ultimately move, eg. serve as an EM at Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, then buy a house in Tanjong Pagar GRC and seek to transfer your service at the RC/NC there?
No. Say you served a year as EM at Holland-BT and then move to TP GRC. PA says that they cannot \"sack\" someone at TP GRC just to make room for you. And even if there was an EM opportunity, you would not have served one year there, despite you having put in one year as EM at Holland-BT. Cannot do a 6-mth here + 6-mth there and combine. It needs to be one full year served in the GRC that the school is in.

What about opportunities within the CDC, CCC or CCMC?
PA says that these positions are usually very high-level and reserved for veteran volunteers who have put in many years. It will not be easy for a newbie to assume such positions.

Are any other community service work recognised?
PA says that it is MOE who has defined the criteria, so unfortunately, you can serve a lot in other committees or groups but as long as it is not within MOE's defined criteria, there will be no Phase 2b privilege.

There, all the answers! And just for everyone to be absolutely sure, here is MOE's definition again:

37.How do I qualify as an active community leader for registration at Phase 2B?
Current serving executive committee members of the Residents’ Committee (RC), Neighbourhood Committee (NC), Citizen’s Consultative Committee (CCC), Community Club Management Committee (CCMC) and the Community Development Council (CDC) are eligible to register their children under Phase 2B.

Now to decide what to do next! Any ideas? :?:

[citygirl]

hquek:

hi citygal,


What I can say is, go check with the leaders in that precinct, no need to be shy about your motive. As long as you are able to and do really contribute, I don't think they will deny your efforts just cos your motive is to get your kids in good schools.

Hi hquek,
Thanks for your encouragement. I am afraid that I might volunteer and then not get it ultimately, which would be very disappointing. Read in the forum of others who were promised but ultimatelyleft disappointed.
However, I've thought about it and told PA that I would volunteer at my own constituency anyway, as my secondary motive was really to volunteer. Will then have to strategise another way to get my son into ACS!

[Jav]

Hi citygirl,


Thanks v. much for sharing with us about your findings. I am also in the Holland - Bt Timah GRC. Where did you call up and if I would like to volunteer too, where should I go and submit the form? My son (Y2005) will be registering for Primary next year and my girl (Y2007), will be registering in Y2013. Am aiming for MGS for my girl, I guess it would be late for my son, right as I can’t be straight away become EM.

[citygirl]

Jav:

Hi citygirl,


Thanks v. much for sharing with us about your findings. I am also in the Holland - Bt Timah GRC. Where did you call up and if I would like to volunteer too, where should I go and submit the form? My son (Y2005) will be registering for Primary next year and my girl (Y2007), will be registering in Y2013. Am aiming for MGS for my girl, I guess it would be late for my son, right as I can't be straight away become EM.

Hi Jav,

No prob, we're all in the same boat, right?

To volunteer, all you need to do is to go to the PA web site and complete an online form. Here's the URL link: http://volunteer.pa.gov.sg/Community.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=_signup#wlp__signup

Once the form is submitted, your details go into PA's system and they will pass your contact on to the nearest RC/NC, who will then call you up and get you to go down to complete another form, a paper one.

After that, you will get called up to attend a meeting as an observer, and your journey as a volunteer begins. Thereafter, how quickly you make EM depends on your contributions and how supportive your constituency manager is.

I suggest you complete the online form immediately and start cracking. If you're lucky, there might be an EM opportunity in your RC/NC and if you show yourself to be very enthusiastic, committed or have the right skills, you might be able to make EM in time for your son. Stories abound in the Forum of some who made EM within a few months so there's always hope.

And if you're upfront about your objective (and put in your fair share of volunteer work), sympathetic constituency managers might try to get you to EM status quickly.

So, fill in the form quickly, as the process between PA and RC/NC can take some time. Good luck!

[Jav]

Thank you very much, Citygirl. This is really helpful. Maybe, we will bounce with each other during volunteer Good luck to you too!!

[citygirl]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that you could also walk straight in to the nearest RC/NC to your home and fill in the paper form immediately. Or speak to the constituency manager. Think that might work and be better in your case. But fill in the online form at PA too just so they have your record. Must be kiasu, right?


To find the nearest RC/NC, go to the Northwest CDC page (in our case, or any other CDC sites for others): http://www.northwestcdc.org.sg/ and there's a \"District Detector\". Type in your postal code and pronto, all the RCs/NCs in your zone are listed.

But take heed of what many others have warned in this Forum - electoral boundaries might change!

[titank]

That is the disadvantage of joining Active Community Leaders for getting in Phase 2B. The election boundary may change & you may not be able to get into the prefered school.


Seem like no matter what most important is to get EM.Only EM then can have Phase 2B entiltlement.