Coming Together As One Family - 01 Jun 08

While most of the youths on this island were still under their blankets on Sunday 1 June, we were already up and enthusiastic about the day that laid ahead of us- our Chapter Induction Session with our parent and siblings of the SIP family.

It was the first time we came together at The Lab at *scape Youth Centre and we were both eager and excited to discover more about SIP, what we can do as a student chapter, and get to know new friends from the other student chapters- all these in the hope of achieving something for our society together.

Evelyn, Lifiah, and Yenni with their materials after registration

After an ice-breaking game was played to warm us up with each other, SIP Project Manager, Ms Sarina Koh, took over with an informative and enriching presentation of what SIP and being social entrepreneurs are all about.

As social entrepreneurs, we are powered by business minds, just like entrepreneurs. But we differ from entrepreneurs in that we create business plans and strategies with the needs of society in mind.

We derive our ideas from, and set our goals at helping people in the society that requires our help. We want to change their lives with our business minds.

SIP, then, is our platform to accomplish that mission. It is the objective of SIP to educate, empower, and enhance us. It is at SIP where we receive guidance and opportunity to take our first steps as a social entrepreneur and discover our own potentials to help others.

Project Manager Sarina's energy was so infectious we loved her it.

After the presentations, we spilt up into groups and brainstormed for ideas to help the vendors at PaTH. With the rule that "no idea is a stupid idea," we extended our antennas and suggestions came flooding in..!

Yenni and EuJean taking a smile break =)

Shh..Pearl's busy writing her ideas!

Final Product =)

Edmund's group presenting their ideas

Following the presentations was an informal chatterbox session with SIM Directors Ms Elim Chew and Mr Khong. They provided us with insights from their experiences and inspiring stories in which we can learn from.

It was motivating and reassuring to know that we are not alone trying to accomplish something impossible. We can always start from something small, learn, and press on. Even Elim's godson is doing something, he's playing his violin at PaTH! =)

The enriching session rounded off with a tour of PaTH market at Vivocity (for a quick recall of what PaTH is all about, go to our entry titled Art with a heART under the February entries). The tour gave us a clearer picture of the products our vendors are selling, which will help us to materialize our ideas for their businesses in time to come, when we officially adopt them.

The last Sunday was undoubtedly one that was special and well-spent. We are now driven with a new purpose, and we know we are not alone.

Some post-event thoughts of our members:

Lifiah:

I now get a better understanding about what SIP is all about:
The idea of Social Entrepreneurship is to help the society and make profit at the same time.
Take the micro-credit example in Bangladesh, it helped people by improving their living standard and getting them out of poverty.
I hope to receive more information about Social Entrepreneurship and grow stronger with SIP together.

Pearl:

I learnt that Social Entreprenuership is different from Entrepreneurship essentially because the intention is different. Social Entrepreneurship is about helping a group of people (for example: starting a dance school in order to teach youths-at-risk dance skills) whereas Entrepreneurship is about making money (for example: starting sinema to earn more money for local film makers who are perfectly abled-people).

Edumund:

I learnt that Social Entrepreneurship has no difference from Entrepreneurship, but extra responsibility- a responsibility towards society that is subjected to the decision maker. Common indicators would be contributed to the beneficiaries

EuJean:

The workshop was a session that members were awaiting, to be educated and exposed to experiences that founders and board members of SIP had.The session enriched our understanding on Social Entrepreneurship, it's intentions, the unconfined methods and the extent of it's influence, e.g. contribution to England's GDP by 8Billion Pounds!

On top of these, we should remember to:

Teach to fish and more importantly, Sell the fish!

"Ideas come upon Ideas", don't underestimate the little ideas!

- It will be enriching if we have overseas trips to learn more about Social Entrepreneurship and the movements around the world.

Poniman:

I’m very happy with the event where I can meet up with the other chapters but I really hope that there could more interactions between the chapters.

Ann:

I learnt that Social Entrepreneurship is unlike charity. Social Entrepreneurs should not feel embarrassed to be financially successful and it can be a career path for all of us. We shouldn't think what we are doing now to be just a student chapter. We should consider this interest to one of long term.

Yenni:

The meeting was wonderful. I learnt a lot of things. such as working in groups, networking. etc. Above all, I now understand what Social Entrepreneurship is all about. The most impactful part was the chatterbox session with Mr. Khong and Ms. Chew. It was very bonding for SIP members. It will be good to have more bonding activities (to increase our sense of belonging to SIP) and talks to enrich our knowledge about Social Entrepreneurship and networking.

Till the next time SIP meets!

We are not alone,

We are, the Global Movement.

Farewell BBQ - 26 Apr 08

Hello~!

Recently, our club's activity level has been rather low because we have been very occupied with examinations- yes, we are a responsible bunch who play hard and work hard at the same time! =P

We did, however, squeezed some time out to have a get together BBQ. The purpose of this BBQ, besides to foster closer relationships and better understanding of each other, was to bid farewell to three of our founders- Ben, Renhao, and Andrea.

Renhao, Ben, Edmund

Ben, Renhao, and Andrea (who, unfortunately, was overseas and could not be with us) are graduating from SIM and have thus handed the management of the club to a new committee.

As forefathers, they have done the best job in laying the foundations of this club, setting its aims and expectations, and in the process, displayed their leadership skills. Being responsible leaders as they are, the three of them have done the necessary arrangements to make sure that the club is ready to stand on its on own feet, with new capable leaders to bring the club to its next level before bidding goodbye.

That day was an emotional and fun filled day for all of us; here are some highlights of the gathering...

BBQ always means food...

And more food...check out what Eujean did!

The Barbeque People!

And then there's games...and of course...forfeit!!! Poor Citra....got to do the evil forfeit..."uncle, is my jacket nice?" hehe!

One SIP, One Family...


Ben, Renhao, and Andrea, we will miss you very much! Thank you for all your hard work and contributions. Do come back to visit us anytime! We wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

Here's the SIP shirt as a token of our appreciation...you guys are the Natives!

The Natives blesses the new President~?!



remember,
.SIP LOVES YOU.


Take care guys, so long!

VIP Talk - 19 Feb 08

Yes! After weeks of hard work, we were proud to present our very first event planned for the students of SIM!

Being a newly formed club, the objective of this talk was to create awareness of our club amongst SIM students and inform them about what Social Entrepreneurship is all about.

On top of that, the talk served to further motivate club members to be innovative, encourage them to be aware of the happenings around them, so as to identify problems in society and jump at opportunities to make things better.

Our VIPs:

We were honored to be able to invite Mr. Jack Sim and Mr. Kenny Low, both winners of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year award (2006 and 2007 respectively).

The talk commenced at about 7.30pm.

But even hours before that, our organizing team couldn't stop preparing for the big show. Here's a glimpse of what went on that afternoon:

Check out what everyone is doing! (left to right, top to bottom)
- Gu Cheng helping to arrange the refreshments
- Hosts Sunyani and Nazneen cross checking their que cards
- Smiles from the Registration booth
- Briefing: Program and seat allocation
- Pearl with our handmade cards for our VIPs
- Eujean and 'seemingly stressed' Sufri =P
- The venue of our talk- Lt 2.17
- Hosts Sunyani and Nazneen having their final rehearsal
- Door gifts for our student participants

Our VIPs and distinguished guests arrived between 6.45-7.15pm.

(Far left to right)
Ms. Sarina and Ms. Lena from our parent group SIP, Ms. Pamela from SCS (SIM), our VIPs Mr. Kenny Low and Mr. Jack Sim

The format of the talk was informal and interactive. Our hosts Sunyani and Nazneen opened the talk with introductions of Mr. Sim and Mr. Low's background and achievements. Our two VIPs were then invited to speak to the audience.

They shared their thoughts and experiences. We got to know how they started becoming a social entrepreneur, what inspired them, and what is leading them to continue on all these years.

No one could deny that Mr. Sim and Mr. Low were truly inspirational figures. Their attitudes, beliefs, and drive to strive in what they believe in were felt by every participant that evening.

Amongst the countless motivational phrases included:

" you are within you a lot of power and energy"

" are resources what you lack, or is it your imagination that is lacking- your brain is your best resource"

Inspirational figures, our role models

During the hour when Mr. Sim and Mr. Low spoke, there was not a moment of boredom felt in the theatre. Indeed, the two speakers had made the talk a refreshing one despite the time of the day.

The event rounded up at about 9.30pm, after the guests were offered refreshments and students were given chances to mingle around and chat with our VIPs and distinguished guests.

We left SIM feeling tired, but happy. Cheerios to our organizing team! The event was a huge success, leaving everyone wanting more from our VIPs.

Ending this on a personal touch, I would like to say that seeing and listening to Mr. Sim and Mr. Low that evening has sparked something in me, encouraging me to believe in myself and to use my abilities to help other people.

I hope you felt the same too. And if you weren't with us at this event, make sure you join us in the next! You wont regret it! =)

Upcoming Projects at SIP@SIM

Hi again!

As you know, we are always coming up with new (and creative!) ideas to keep SIP@SIM going. So we are currently looking for SIP@SIM members who are interested in joining the organizing committee for the following projects:

1) Games Cafe/Lending Service
The Games Cafe Project aims to offer the services of a typical board game cafe, such as Settler's or Mind's Cafe (add hyperlinks), in SIM. The profits generated by board game rentals, and possibly food and beverages sold in combination with the games, will be donated to an appropriate charity organization. We will be working with SIM Estate Management and SCS, as well as several board game shops and possibly F&B chains as sponsors, to make this venture a success!

Please apply to join the committee here.

2) Mini PaTH
The Mini PaTH Market, as the name suggests, will be a reflection of the PaTH market that takes place regularly at VivoCity, on the first and last Saturdays of each month. For a few days, we hope to bring in the best of talents displayed at PaTH, so that they may share with you their passion for social entrepreneurship, or how PaTh has helped them get a hold in life. We will be working with SCS, PaTH participants, and SIP to make this event a success!

Please apply to join the committee here.

SIP@SIM Charter Executive Committee Application 2008

Hi all!

SIP@SIM has raised our standards one level up and become more high tech! Thanks to Google applications, our application for exco position will be held online.

The following positions are currently vacant:
1. President
2. Vice President
3. Secretary
4. Treasurer
5. Human Resources
6. Marketing
7. Public Relations
8. Sponsorship Head
9. Logistics
10. Foreign Relations
11. Creative Director

Please send in your applications here by February 22, 2008, Friday.

There'll be a little interview after you've sent in your applications.

If you have any queries regarding the various positions, feel free to drop your question in the comments section or e-mail us at sip.at.sim@gmail.com!

All the best!

ART with a heART! VivoCity - 26 Jan 08

Many of us would frown at the thought of setting our alarms to 5.3oam on a Saturday morning, but for a social cause, we did. It was a heart-warming sight to see our team of fourteen gather at VivoCity at 7.00am to offer our services to the opening ceremony of PaTH's (Pop and Talent Hub) first art exhibition.


That day, our parent group, SIP, put up Singapore’s biggest art exhibition in a commercial space- ART with a heart- as the first step towards creating a commercial platform for social groups, artists, and the less-advantaged to showcase their talents and earn a humble revenue at the same time. These talents are part of SIP’s PaTH.



Our team was truly honored to be given the opportunity to welcome and seat the VVIPs, including President S R Nathan, Minister of State Mrs. Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Ms Penny Low and Ms Elim Chew.

After a briefing by the organizers, we headed to ToastBox for a hearty breakfast. Meanwhile, we made a new friend- Lawson! A great photographer...he took many nice pics for us!

The opening ceremony rounded up at 1pm that day. After the VVIPs left, we went around and talked to the exhibitors; we wanted to learn more about them and their stories. Soon, we want to bring PaTH to SIM- our mini PaTH! =)

After lunch (Macs provided by the organizers), we were recharged and it was picture taking time! We were really happy and excited to take pictures with Ms Penny Low and Ms Elim Chew, founder and director of SIP respectively!

PaTH exhibition will continue to run on every first and last weekend of the month, from 11am to 10pm, at VivoCity Level 3 (concourse opposite Food Republic). Do head on down one day folks! See ya there!

SIP@SIM Racing at Sentosa

Alright, we know we're sort of a business club. But who says we can't run and be fit as well? =) SIP-SIM sent a team to take part in Challenge Shield, a 10km race organised by UOL-SRC on 19th January 2008.

It was good fun and team-bonding. Wished more of you could be there! Next time perhaps?

Welcoming you - A New Chapter

Yes, a new chapter in more than one way. A new group formed to extend the vision of SIP, and a new part of the Noble Chronicles of SIP. Welcome to our blog! In the coming weeks, we will start filling this blog with... well with stuff. Things like a mini-essay on the concept of social entrepreneurship, our upcoming events, our happening events, our meetings, our networking meetups and gatherings. So do stay tuned!

Meanwhile, our first networking dinner happened immediately after our first chapter meeting last Wednesday the 9th of Jan '08. We adjourned to Macdonald's at King Albert Park for positively damaging fast food and loads of mad fun. Here's an awesome photo we took, except that the JC1 cameraman had no concept whatsoever of auto-focusing.

Want to help society, expand your network, and have fun? Join us. sip[.]at[.]sim[@]gmail[.]com (just click on the damn link la). :)