Special care is taken by each Quarter Master and the catering staff, to ensure that the food at this event is very tasty and is in fact better than it had been all year long. With a wide variety of dishes to choose from and adequate amounts of beverages being served, we are able to relax our nerves while our three-course dinner is served. During the dinner, the Chief of Staff will visit and talk informally with the soldiers to hear their comments and share light moments of laughter.

A feature of the dinner is the Blanket Competition which allows our soldiers to display their skills with chalk on blanket. The drawings on the blankets tell the story about some events that have taken place earlier in the year. They are always so beautiful to look at and everyone wonders and waits to hear who the winner will be. They bring joy, sometimes in the form of tears, just to see how much we accomplished over the past year. This competition is judged by the Chief of Staff who walks slowly, taking his time to look at each of the blankets in detail. After the Chief of Staff finishes his inspection, he would announce the long awaited winner. His decision is final, and the winner is rewarded with a cash prize. The winning entry is later put on display at the Unit Guard Room, for the remainder of the festive season.

The Chief of Staff then addresses the men, expressing his appreciation for the work that we have done. After the Chief of Staff finishes his address he asks the Officers, Warrant officers and senior NCO’s to join him in a toast to us. Then comes the Commanding Officer who highlights the positives of the year and gives us a ‘pep talk’ to prepare us for the challenges ahead. There are also the entertaining "Young" and "Old" soldiers’ speeches which are always well received. They would normally take the form of a debate to see whose speech is better. The old soldiers chide the young soldiers for their brashness and the young ones chide the older ones for losing their sharpness and we all have a good laugh and make merry.