USM LifeGuard Corps

THEBRICK · Senior Member

IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH USM LIFEGUARD CORPS?

THEBRICK · Senior Member

To kick things off, let me post a few questions and we'll roll on from there k?

1. DOES ANY OF THE USM LIFEGUARDS KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY ATTACH AND DETACH
THE LANE?
2. HOW RELEVANT IS THE FITNESS TEST TO BEING A USM LIFEGUARD?
3. WHO IS MORE IMPORTANT? EXCO? MEMBERS?

-- Edited by THEBRICK at 23:36, 2008-08-12

devlonair · Senior Member

Sad to say that there are still some members who cannot properly hook and unhook the lifesaving lane. By right, even Bronze Med students are able to do so. I can only blame this on their ignorance... One more thing, whenever whistle is blown to signal pool closure, automatically two people will have to go to both ends of the pool to remove the lifesaving lane. Instead, you see some LGs rushing to go bathe and being completely ignorant of their duty.

Also, instructors (some) now tend to leave behind their kickboards, bricks and such lying around waiting for them to fly back to where they belong.

As part of the corps, maintaining fitness is a top priority. How can you expect to save someone when you yourself swim 100 also can cramp d? Will be an embarrassment....

I'd say that both excos and members are important. Excos hold extra responsibility and they are the middlemen to the members and also Sports Unit. Of course, bear in mind that excos are derived from members in the first place.

Nobody is perfect and excos will definitely make mistakes. Whenever a member feels that the actions of any excos are not justified, they have a right to voice it out, I am sure all of us are matured enough to handle a civilised discussion and sort things out.

molt_ar3n · Veteran Member

devlonair wrote:

Sad to say that there are still some members who cannot properly hook and unhook the lifesaving lane. By right, even Bronze Med students are able to do so. I can only blame this on their ignorance... One more thing, whenever whistle is blown to signal pool closure, automatically two people will have to go to both ends of the pool to remove the lifesaving lane. Instead, you see some LGs rushing to go bathe and being completely ignorant of their duty.

Also, instructors (some) now tend to leave behind their kickboards, bricks and such lying around waiting for them to fly back to where they belong.

As part of the corps, maintaining fitness is a top priority. How can you expect to save someone when you yourself swim 100 also can cramp d? Will be an embarrassment....

I'd say that both excos and members are important. Excos hold extra responsibility and they are the middlemen to the members and also Sports Unit. Of course, bear in mind that excos are derived from members in the first place.

Nobody is perfect and excos will definitely make mistakes. Whenever a member feels that the actions of any excos are not justified, they have a right to voice it out, I am sure all of us are matured enough to handle a civilised discussion and sort things out.

yeah....the above matter was mentioned in the 2nd GM...hopefully all lgs will take serious note on dat la....coz ar....wah piang....who on earth need to special course to fix lane 1?...me also learn myself la....look, dun understand..ask....and learn lo....
simple logic.....and.....never ever ask...how to adjust the lane to be lose/tighter? this is seriously 1 tuuuuuuuuuuu.. question lo....of coz try turning it lo...already noe it is by turning....yet..still ask....clockwise or anticlock..aiyo..logic la..as though i memorize which way to turn...just put ur hand and try turn la...like dat u can feel whether by turning which way...it will be tighten or loosen lo....sigh~~~` kina nowadays..macam macam question also can ask......must process question b4 asking ma.....

some even say....never learn b4 ma....then start blaming seniors...we all never teach also..ignorant is one thing la..but..blaming other ppl?...so..those involved....u all noe urself lo....

anyway..i am not trying to say..it is wrong to ask...but....try be logical a bit la..just my opinion on this....feel free to comment....

regards
Kenneth

pizxebe · Senior Member

Have some tiny junior exco's point of view here...
I don't know much about corps' history, normally I will try to dig all the past just like what I did in secondary school, but since it does not look like a good past, I give up doing that..
However deep inside I know, the past is repeating, and never become better. This is just my feeling of course, but I think unless we change our attitude and the traditional mind set, Lg corps will not create another peak of the history.
I don't dare to comment anything about the LG corps' system, I just know Lg corps is like a plate of sand, the effort of S&R dept is not working. This is not S&R head's inability, but something else.
No offence, just my thoughts. cry

elaine · Veteran Member

1. DOES ANY OF THE USM LIFEGUARDS KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY ATTACH AND DETACH
THE LANE?
2. HOW RELEVANT IS THE FITNESS TEST TO BEING A USM LIFEGUARD?
3. WHO IS MORE IMPORTANT? EXCO? MEMBERS?

my replies are:

1. this question should stop here. Blaming is pointless(both parties), ignorant is one thing.

Those who don't know, try it b4 ask, if not ppl will get shock blankstare

ppl always like to ask (in words or in heart ashamed

):
how come you don't know?? <--this is actually means
perhaps you can try unhook it, try turn either way,
which is an even proper way to speak out)

Those who know, try to be patient. You might as well command, teach, show or try together.
(don't ask : how come you don't know,
and don't think : you all lifeguard should know.
Actions speak more than words biggrin

.
I personally dislike negative erotesis biggrin

)

2.Fitness test is a good START, for both replacement and work out.

Because we are more fit (although even more tired than last time being a life guard ashamed) that
that is not only prepare for 1 semester pool duty, but for the coming events...

3. Neither. The corps is most important.

whenever an announcement or a plan is made,
that should convinced your members, this is leader's responsibility.

Don't think :
why you keep opposing? why you still not understand? can you think a bit more flexible? what you not satisfied in? why you keep blaming others? it's your false ok, just admit it's your false so that we can proceed to solve problem (this is my personal feeling about the emotion comes together with words, but the ppl don't mean to hurt, it's the way of speaking that hurt)

If you do so, you are not giving the chance for ppl to voice out,
because you are not ready to listen to them.

The moment ppl response to voice out,
don't keep trying to explain youself than explain to the ppl's question.
(that's why i said ...bla bla bla..., justnow i've mention...bla bla bla...)
not only leaders do that, members make the same mistake too.
straight forward. "try to turn either way, hold this end and this end, and turn, yes, correct, and unhook it." Talk positively.

sy's "voice out" ("...they have a right to voice it out....") got a point.
Whether you,as a leader,could let you members feel dare and comfortable to voice out, is a point.
The attitude to listen, and when listening, draws your behavior.

Seniority is a boundary,
between senior LG and junior LG,
as well as btw exco and non-exco.

seniors (including me),always try to talk positively,
always remember :ppl ask you because they want to learn,they are learning, so be patient aww

it works better when talking as a friend.

juniors, don't scared,if you think you have a point, just do it.
like your friend, although your friend can't listen to you for the moment,
he/she will surely think about it after that.
It depends on you to decide your point is important to voice out or not.

lc, the forum keeps welcoming any positive suggestions,
so don't think you are tiny junior, you are part of us smile

all members in this family is important.

if the problem is obvious, the problem is to be fixed, not to be asked, nor discussing why it happen.
So, this topic is meant to get suggestion to interact, to fix problem and to get support. cheers.. biggrin

-- Edited by elaine at 19:14, 2008-08-18

elaine · Veteran Member

im posting as a third parties,
hoping that among the LG members,
we always help and support each other like brothers and sisters aww

to make this clear, i can confidently clarify that i know how to unhook the lane,haha biggrin

i'm just simply turning and very funny is that i even disconnect both ends,
nvm, just connect them back, haha biggrin

Airchek · Senior Member

1. I think most of the juniors who don't know how to do it should know right now, if dunno yet, go and learn la

2. Fitness test is a final exam for your fitness, but if u fail, u r not kick out from the corps, but replacements, replacements are like tutorials and lectures, just like work out... If you want, you can come for your own training, just like studying by yourself in your room late at night... then you pass... As a life guard, do you think fitness is not relevant? For me, yes... atleast must up to a standard la... dont be too weak...

3. Members and Excos are both important for me...
LGs are tough, but recently, espirit de corps hardly seen among us, sand members? why? Actually it is not S & R responsibility on these, S & R cant force members to stick together, but organize and give us chance to socialize with each other, at last, the efforts is on the members... some trying to close them up, so, we have to try open them up, initiative and proactive, it is not so easy to do, but easy to say la...

We exist because of the corps? or the corps exist because of us? [cit. Mun Pung Choy in last GM]

Just my 1cent as a lifeguard member...not 6sense...haha...

THEBRICK · Senior Member

1.
Attaching the lane is the easiest thing you could do perfectly as a Lifeguard. It is even easier than swimming breast stroke. Well, if you don't know how in the 1st 2 weeks as a new Lifeguard, nevermind. Any later than that, I could presume that either you are too ignorant/dumb, or you are too proud/full of yourself.

2.
Fitness test has always been taken as the revaluation event of a Lifeguard's fitness. Not being able to pass = not fit enough. Some Lifeguards I noticed are rather fit, but failed because of them having problems with their strokes. Some are just plain too full of themselves. As a Lifeguard, we at least gotta uphold the pride of being one. I wouldn't want to claim myself as a Lifeguard even if I am one, if I can't even complete 100M in one go. Fitness test is actually more of a 50-50 test. Half is on your physical fitness, half is on your mental resolve. Most of the time, Lifeguards in USM nowadays lacks the latter.
And by right, if one could not even complete compact jump, seriously, I would like to suggest to have your bronze medallion revoked. :)

3.
I was once told that the USM Lifeguard Corps can operate even if it has only a skeleton crew, i.e.: 15 members or so. Back in those days, the EXCOS can survive without any members and vice versa. Not today, so it makes all the more sense to stick together doesn't it? As far as I could see, as individuals, USM Lifeguard's nothing. Seniors as I observe has more to what you could see as a Lifeguard, today, it's the other way round, having less than one could imagine.
I always heard of Esprit de Corps by some of you, but personally, I think that's for decoration purposes.
Corps = SEAL team ---->Fook Seng's Days
Corps = Msian Parliament ----> Today.

Buck up

pizxebe · Senior Member

I have a very confusing question, and I believe some of us need the answer.

During our duties in pool we always face such situations, like people jump into pool without shower, some of them with undergarments, some swim underwater...
We do our job well, we definitely will tell them not to do that, but I realise sometimes when situations occur concurrently, we are unable to reach them in time and therefore, we cannot perform our duty well.
Use whistle, yes, but pool users are like immune to the beep beep sound, or may be they are not alert enough, or may be we blow it too softly.
I personally try another way to alert people during my associate duty..
A pool user was resting at the bank, and his friend tend to jump into the water(playing around), so I blew the whistle twice and they were not alert. Then I just shouted:"OOIII~, kasut!!"
His friend got the message, but the swimming guy got angry with my shout:"Cakap baik-baik lar, jangan mengamuk."
I should have explain my stand more to him, but I did not do that.
So basically after blowing whistle and give a shout is a good method, but is it okay to do that? Maybe my shout is a little harsh, but to perform my duty well, how can I be soft and smiling to the rule-breaking people? I don't think other lifeguards in other pools are soft...

Please correct me and guide our junior lifeguards.

MunPunG · Veteran Member

1.
I guess know-how is not the issue here...it's wanna-do...
it's just a matter of screwing...any human knows how to screw...it's in our instinct to screw...
first of all...i totally disagree if LGs are the ones to pull the lane after duty...
simple...who needed and used the lane?...definitely not the LGs on duty...
i think lifesaving instructors have the responsibility to ensure the lane is removed at the end of the training...
who do what and when?
i'm sure this can be settled over a short instructors' meeting...

2.
The other day i went to play badminton with my friends...
coincidentally i was wearing my red LG duty Tshirt...which i wore to bed the night before...
after about an hour of shuttle****-wacking...i was sprawling on the floor...gasping for breath...
my friend said..."hey...USM LG should be very fit wor...so fast pancit alredi"...

that's right...when people know you are a LG...naturally they would expect a certain level of fitness...

i replied..."i retired LG mar"...ahahaha...and we laughed it off...
that's right...i am a retired LG...i'm not obligated to be as fit anymore (which is a sad thing)...i'm not responsible for the pool's safety for 105 minutes every week...

how about the current LGs?
will you be able to laugh it off when people are teasing your fitness?
so how relevant is the fitness test?

3.
i think we debated this issue before...deja vu...?
the corps exist because of the members...and more importantly its purpose...

em...lets say we are a boat...wooden boat...and each of the members are planks that make up the boat...
and the EXCOs are the motor that propelled the boat...
without the planks...there will be no boat...
without the motor...the boat can exist...but float around with no direction...no goal...no purpose...

nexus · Senior Member

1. i sure they know, but never do hands so became dunno. u see knowing is one things and doing practically is the other. so......

2. fitness test is relevant.... u see it makes us be aware of ourself. our level of fitness. if u come swim everyday but never do proper training --- u will not get fit.... u get wat i mean. the test gives us the opportunity to let us show da best from wat we gain from exercising and training constantly. As u can see all have malaysian mentality, typical --- no test no study/training.......... so the workout is a good one..... training with a purpose.--> to maintain fit

3.yup this question -- helll a havoc, disaster. Both are equally important i qould say cos before u become exco u are member, so....... before there are members the one who founded the corps became the first excos. so who came first..... i dont give it a damn. The most important thing is every get together and wala we a big moving machine. Not a single person can be excluded if we want to move. U get wat i mean.....

Thats all..... enjoy

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