News & Events 
11 September 2010, Orchid Bowl @ e!Hub (Pasir Ris)
DadsforLife supports the Fathers@Schools initiative. St Hilda's Secondary is one of the pioneer schools to build the support structures necessary for dads to widen their involvement in their children's school life and development.
The Parents Support Group in the mission school has been a strong component among its student welfare initiatives, so its unsurprising that Fathers@Schools has established itself well there.
On a classic scorching Singapore Saturday afternoon, 24 fathers of students from St Hilda's Secondary, paired up with their children, to participate in the first-of-its-kind father-and-child bowling session, sponsored and supported by Dads for Life and the Singapore Bowling Federation.
This story is photo intensive, so grab that coffee and take in the scenes of dads and 'kids' having a great time.
Bowling Introduction
Fathers and their children arrived early at the Orchid Bowl, and met with organizing teacher-in-charge Jenn Wong. Jenn played a big part in getting the message out to the dads about this exciting opportunity to enjoy an afternoon between dads and children, to learn and engage in a perenially popular pasttime for Singaporeans.
Prior to this event, St Hilda's had engaged dads in an exciting activities night at their own school, at an event where dads enjoyed a movie, barbeque and games like badminton and Captain's Ball, with their kids, of course.
The session started out with a boisterous crowd getting organized with their funky bowling shoes, picking out balls of all colours and weights, and some even doing what Singaporeans do best - browsing through the snack bar's goodies (nachos and cheese melt was a popular selection). This had to be sponsored by the good dads themselves - but it was worth seeing the joy on their teens' faces.
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The crowd looks in surprise, "The pins are the other way!"
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Jimmy Tan (spot his Dads for Life collar pin and wristband) with his daughter, Dorcas
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Quickly enough, Derek started the ball rolling (this was truly an unintended pun) by taking charge with his sharp, commanding voice. His was a skill rarely witnessed - that of yelling at people with all his lungs without ever getting them offended.
As his voice thundered across the 12 lanes that the Fathers@Schools group occupied, fathers and children were deftly paired together and the 48 participants split into 2 groups of 24 each.As the two coaches held the floor, each one took his share of the participants through the fundamentals of bowling. The session itself was impressively organized, and every individual had the opportunity to observe and understand each step being explained by the professional instructors, then try out the steps in distinct stages.
Lessons of the approach, balance, arm swing, and delivery were covered in an expert fashion. Explanations were accompanied by demonstrations, guided and unguided practice, so that each participant had a chance to absorb the lessons effectively.
During the sessions, dads and their kids had their chance to talk about the tips and even share their own interpretations to how best to deal with the throwing of the ball. Instructors also gave insight about how to aim using the 'dots' and 'arrows', and how to set their posture to keep the ball rolling down the middle of the lanes.
We got to know some of the participants and learned that a few of them had attending previous Fathers@Schools and Parent Support Group events at St Hilda's.
Lawrence Tan, Chairman of St Hilda's Parents' Support Group (PSG), spoke to us in between his turns on the (bowling) lanes. He shared that this was the second event involving fathers of St Hilda's students, the last one being in March 2010. Father to a daughter in JC1, and a secondary 3 son in St Hilda's, he shared some thoughts about the involvement of fathers during the teen years.
"Also, when your kids know that you are involved in the school, and the principal is just a phone call away for you, he is more likely to be careful and responsible in his behavior." Such accountability would be a good thing to learn from a young age, we would agree.
Besides the direct impact on children, Lawrence also spoke on the Fathers@Schools and parents' group desire to reach out to struggling fathers, exploring how a network of dads can help one another. Looking ahead, through events like this bowling session, he hopes that the parent support group will develop a closer partnership with the school staff to provide enhanced care. The children will certainly benefit.
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"Here's the STOP line... no, actually its called the foul line - you have to stop your slide here."
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Someday, we're going to get our synchronization perfect.
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In the background, the 'Macarena' was blaring over the speakers.
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Given enough time, this group might just slide into a great bowling career.
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As the event continued, another dad Frencis Foo, identifying himself as a Hainan Clan committee member, openly shared his positive feedback on the Saturday afternoon father and child bowling.
He felt that bowling was an activity which easily attracts fathers and children alike. He hinted that this particular activity would be perfect as an ongoing, regular feature for Fathers@Schools and even for a wider audience.
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Lawrence Tan (right, in dark blue) listens intently at the next stage of instruction.
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Notice the great balance on the part of the students, coaching can really pay off!
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"Now, lets reach over your opposite shoulder and s-t-r-e-t-c-h!"
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Let's hear it for the ball, and the falling pins...
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Finally, we spotted something familiar and shiny on another dad.
Jimmy Tan and his daughter Dorcas, were happy to entertain us when we asked about the DadsforLife collar pin* he wore on his navy blue polo shirt, and his familiar-looking white DadsforLife wristband* too.
He told us that they were having a great time at the session. His daughter proudly declared that she wasn't learning all that much from the coach, because she paid more attention to her dad's guidance on bowling. We're sure that she could still learn some useful tricks from the professionals, but her statement warmed our hearts and reminded us of just why the bond between a father and his child is so special and irreplaceable.
So, what are you waiting for? join a parents' support group in your child's school now, and you could make these wonderful events happen there. You might even end up establishing a Fathers@Schools group in your child's school. There are few better ways to get up close and personal with your own flesh and blood.
*Find out more about DadsforLife exclusive Toolkits (subject to availability).
For more photo coverage, click here to see our event album.
About the Author: The DadsforLife Resource Team comprises local content writers and experts, including psychologists, counsellors, educators and social service professionals, dedicated to developing useful resources for dads.
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