DHS-psyCOYlogy!

2012

2012-01-18T22:35:00.000+08:00

Hey Guides,
All of you girls may be busy preparing for the Chinese New Year or getting used to your new curriculum, but do take some time to appreciate all your friends and family and thank them for all that they have done for you.
It is 2012 now and many of us would be taking on new roles in guides this year. This is a good chance for us to reflect on 2011, think of the mistakes that we made and the dreams that we have achieved. We should learn from them and improve ourselves mentally and physically. Do set some goals for 2012 and work hard to achieve them!

To the year 2s, this year you girls will be receiving the year 1s and you will have to teach them many guiding skills and introduce them to guides. You girls will be their direct batch of seniors and set a good example for them to follow. We trust that you girls have the potential to develop them well and unleash their potential. Furthermore, take this chance to lead your juniors too and improve your guiding skills. And don't worry, your seniors will always be there to guide you! :)

To the year 3s, year 3 life in guides is one of the most exciting year and you will experience many things that you might not have before. This is a year for you girls to step up and take the initiative to lead your juniors. There will be many chances for you girls to shine during this year and take the opportunity to develop your potential. Guide your juniors throughout their guiding life too and we are sure that you girls will not let us down! All the best in everything! :)

To the year 4s, Girl Guides has definitely been a great and enriching experience for all of us and we are going to look back and smile at the memories. This year is going to be hectic but we will go through it as a batch! Jiayou year 4s! :)

“Other people may be there to help us, teach us, guide us along our path, but the lesson to be learned is always ours.”

Love guides <3

2012-01-14T17:24:00.000+08:00

Today, we had a farewell party for Mrs Candice Poh, our guider.
We had a party in Dunman High School with all the guides. Mrs Poh will be leaving us and we would like to thank her for all her help, care and concern towards us. We will always remember her teachings too :)
THANK YOU MRS POH! :D

Orientation 2012

2012-01-10T22:23:00.003+08:00

Dear Guides,
here are some pictures on orientation :)

Our Ferris Wheel and the guides who helped made it possible :)

Gladiator

Our VIP: Dr Foo

Orientation this year was held on the 5th of January. It was an important day for all the Uniform Groups and Performing Arts CCA. It was the day when we would all put in all our hard work and effort so as to showcase our best, in the hope that the Year 1s would like to join our family and be a part of us. As per the previous years, we teamed up with the scouts to present a shared guiding and scouting spirit.

We split ourselves up into various committees to concentrate on the various aspects of guiding and scouting. There were three huge structures, each managed by their own committee: gateway, Ferris wheel and kitchen shelter. Performances include Fireman’s ladder, Monkey climb as well as Sour Grapes. Finally, the games committee helped add on to the fun and decoration committee helped with the signs and aesthetic appeal.

A performance by the scouts -- Sour Grapes

The gateway was the first thing that the Year 1s will see when they approach our part of the school. It is to welcome them and is a tradition for camps as well. As for the Ferris wheel, it was something new, and really exciting. It can seat four people comfortably and as anticipated, there were long queues to get on. The kitchen shelter is about two storeys high, which we built with spars, rope and arthurs. It was stable enough to climb and comprises a slide as well. Our performance comprises of traditional games. Monkey climb, or 绳桥 was a performance by the guides, Sour grapes by the scouts and Fireman's ladder was a combined effort by both scouts and guides. In 绳桥, members of the patrol will swing across a horizontal rope ladder one by one using only her hands and knees, going as fast as possible. In Sour grapes, or 挂领, the scouts will hoist himself up a vertical spar, using only bare hands and feet, and hang a scarf at the top. As for Fireman's ladder, members of a patrol have to climb up a ladder and flip across the top. All these games not only require physical strength and endurance, but also mental as well. It helps us strengthen our bonds as we cheer each other on. In Games this year was not much like previous years as we got more large scale structures. There was a slide, ball toss with a catapult, gladiators, archery and Tarzan (where we held on to a rope and swung back and forth from a table). Decoration was very important as well, since our props were spars and rope, which might give a rustic feel. Yet, the juniors will come to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the tall structures we built ourselves.

Swing!

All of us were mixed up in different orientation committees and this let us work with different people and bond further as a batch and as a company. Below are a couple of reflections on orientation from people from different committees.

Gateway

Orientation was really enjoyable and it taught us a lot of things. As I am in gateway, during orientation prep, we had to try out different designs for the gateway. During the preparations, we met some problems with the design and had to keep changing it. However, we managed to come up with one final design which was accepted. The orientation was delightful as we met many of the year1s, and it prepared us for the oncoming year.

It started off with the year ones coming in. Being an usher, I led the year1s around the different stations. The year1s were amazed at the structures that were built, and some were really enthusiastic and tried out whatever they could. I feel that the orientation increased the bond between one another as we helped each another out. We further improved our skills during preparation too. My hope for the New Year is that I would be able to contribute more to guides and learn even more.

Ferris Wheel <3

Ferris Wheel

On Thursday, 5 January, we had our CCA orientation which was a chance to showcase our CCA to the year 1s. We had several days of orientation preparation to try out the structures and ensure that the orientation run smoothly.

For this orientation, we were also split into various committees and I was in the Ferris wheel committee. For us, I think that the most important thing is that our lashes had to be very tight as it had to support the weight of four people sitting on it. As a result, we had to keep retying our lashes many times. Another thing is that we had to keep on measuring, like the metal pole should be in the middle of the Ferris wheel etc. I think that our efforts really paid off as the year 1s were very amazed by the Ferris wheel.
When the year 1s came on the actual orientation, we welcomed them with a loud cheer and the ushers brought them to the various stations. Many of them were impressed that we had tied the structures from scratch and they had a fun time trying them out and playing the games. At the end, the year 1s settled down for the performance and we could tell that they really like it. For the second batch of year 1s, we had to speed up as some classes arrived slightly later. Also, some of their parents came to the orientation as well; we could see that they also leave with a good impression of guides. Generally, I think that the orientation was very successful and I hope that the year 1s had a very enjoyable time.

Year 1s queueing up for the slide at the kitchen shelter!

Kitchen Shelter
On 27th and 29th December 2011, we had our orientation prep in school! I was in the kitchen shelter committee and this year, the I/Cs decided to try something new by building a spiral staircase, and a slide from the top level of the kitchen shelter. Firstly, we had to tie the main frames and raise it up while others tie spars across to connect the both sides together. At this point of time, it is extremely important that the people at the four corners 定脚 well and hold the frames in place, as any shifting could result in an unstable structure. After that, we added the canvas sheets at the top as well as the sides, before building our spiral staircase and the slide simultaneously. To finish it off, we tied the platform for the top level and attached the slide to the kitchen shelter. Throughout the entire orientation prep, there was definitely room for improvement as the lashes we tied were not tight and we 过时 repeatedly. Another point to note was that during 拆掉, we should try to move quickly yet ensure that safety is our utmost priority to prevent any accidents from occurring. Overall, I learnt a lot of things throughout the orientation prep and I hope that we manage to wow the year 1s with our spectacular showcase of what we usually do in guides/scouts! J In 2012, may there be many new members joining us, and may DHSCOY continue to excel year after year!

Our fire:)

Outdoor Cooking

During orientation prep days I was assigned to be in the outdoor cooking committee and as this was the first time that I was in outdoor cooking I was pretty excited. What I realized was that it was quite similar to the gadgets committee last year and I found myself tying similar structures such as kitchen table and gadgets that would be used in the kitchen. As usual I had much opportunity to improve my lashes especially after the long holiday break and I was glad that over the days our pace of work increased rapidly and we could finish our structures in an even shorter amount of time. Also, through these few days of prep I realized the importance of measuring because some parts of our kitchen dresser were quite slanted and often we had to make much major adjustments before we could fit in the table board. During orientation itself, I had the opportunity to be an usher and I had a great time with the year 1s bringing them around even though some of them were quite shy and did not really dare to speak up but I felt really pleased when they told me that they had enjoyed themselves and would reconsider joining guides.

Fireman's Ladder Performance

Fireman’s Ladder
We had orientation preparation on the 27th and 28th of December. This was my first year involved in this and was both excited and a bit worried as I did not know what to expect. I soon realized that I was in the fireman's ladder committee. I did not know what it was, but little did I expect it to be a performance item. On the 27th, we assembled in front of the MRL, and spilt up into our own separate committees. The structure that we built was very simple, like a ladder. I then realized how important it is to tie my lash very tightly; it was for everyone's safety. If the lash was not tied tight enough, it will move when we step on it and can be very dangerous too! Next came the difficult part, we had to swiftly climb up the ladder and flip across the top rank. In the first few tries, I fall a couple of times; it was not easy. But finally, I managed to flip over. However, I celebrated too early – I found out that to make the performance look nice, your legs had to be straight and joined together when they are in the air. After a while I got the hang of it.

At the end of the first day, we had to help the other committees dissemble their structures, it was a bit sad to see the grand gateway, the fun Ferris wheel and the cool kitchen shelter go. The second day was about the same as the first day except for the fact that there was a dry-run rehearsal. I was extremely nervous with everyone watching, and I slipped and did not do as well. After much practice, I overcame that fear. School started and soon it was 5th January. It was the day! The day we have been waiting for! We practiced for a while and went to help the other committees like gateway, kitchen shelter, mini games, Ferris wheel and decoration. Before the performance started, I helped out at mini games; I was to give out the prizes to the year ones. When I saw them playing on the structures, I felt proud to be a guide.

The performance came to the end and the best part came, we were allowed 20 minutes to play on the structures! Most of us went to the mini games and I really had fun! This orientation really let me bond with my fellow batch mates and allowed me to feel a sense of achievement.

I remembered myself as a year 1 last year; I never really knew that so much work was put into orientation preparation. Only after I had experienced it myself, then I realize that it was not easy but required hard work. So I hope that the new batch of year 1s will appreciate what we did for them and work even harder in guides.
LOVE GUIDES<3

Monkey Climb

Sheng Qiao Performance

Orientation was generally a success. I was in one of the performances, 绳桥, also known as monkey climb. 绳桥was fun to be in, as it was a new experience. I have never tried it before, and it was a fun and interesting experience. I think that orientation was good, seeing the year ones have fun, trying on stuff like gladiator and the Ferris wheel. The days of orientation preparation also allowed us to work with people in other patrols and levels, and I got to know more people better. This year, it is not compulsory for the year ones to put at least two uniformed groups as their CCA choices, however I do hope that it does not lessen the amount of year one intake this year, after all the hard work and effort we put in.

Tarzan

Games
The orientation was quite fun. I was in the mini games committee and the whole committee set up different games during orientation preparation for the year ones to try out. In order to make it a success, we had a total of four days to prepare before the actual orientation. This allowed us to try out a couple of different games, to find out which were the ones that allowed the year 1s to experience maximum fun. I was also an usher and all ushers promoted guiding, hoping that year one girls would be interested and choose Guides as their CCA. Year ones were brought to different stations to have a look at exhibits and structures built by guides and scouts. There was also a performance for the year ones and I think the performers were really impressive. I hope the new guides would be enthusiastic and cooperative during every patrol activity and also do their best during guides next year.

Decoration
5 of January was CCA Orientation Day. I was very excited as we have been preparing for this day for a long time. For this orientation, we were split into different committees and I was allocated to the decoration committee. In the decoration committee, though we do not need to tie all the structures using spars like the others which were physically more tiring, we still need to put in a lot of effort on designing the banners and posters, which will be put up in different structures. We had to concentrate and focus as we carefully paint the decorations, making sure that we did not paint outside the lines. However, hard work pays off, I was very proud when I saw the beautiful decorations being displayed in different stations, such as the big ‘ Join Scouts and Guides’ banner hanging on the kitchen shelter. Also, as we had people from different patrols in the committee, I got to know more people and even make new friends.

On the orientation day itself, I helped to usher the year 1s to the different stations. It was really fun and enriching as we could interact with the year 1s and share with them out experiences in guides. Most of them were amazed by the Ferris wheel as even though it was built mostly by using spars, it is very safe and they had a great time riding on it. Besides the Ferris wheel, they also found the two storey kitchen shelter, which was built completely by just spars, very cool as they can climb onto the second floor and slide down from the side. I felt that orientation was a success as the year 1s got to know more about guides and at the same time, they had lots of fun. I really look forward to seeing my juniors in the newyear and hope that they would enjoy guides as much as I do!!

Our mascot! :D

It had been a great experience going through orientation and the preparations together. We all have our fingers crossed that there will be lots of girls joining our guiding family. It is also my hope that our new juniors will be enthusiastic for the next year, we definitely are!

Annual Training Camp

2011-11-11T19:35:00.001+08:00

Hi Guides!!

   Due to the arrival of the EOYs, we have had a long hiatus from guiding, but now, we're back! With the end of the examinations, it marks the start of a very busy period for us, preparations for our Annual Training Camp and the camp itself, which, for this year, falls on the 3rd to 5th of November.

   31st of November was the day of the pre-camp inspection, where the trainees laid out all their patrol logistics and we checked if they had what they need, an also that they do not bring unnecessary items. Below is a year one's and a year two's take on event.

From a Year 1:
   For the pre-camp inspection, we had to move the tables for us to place our patrol logistics neatly according to the pre-camp inspection layout we had planned beforehand. We had to arrange the logistics neatly and make sure that the positions were standardised across the whole company. The pre-camp inspection was indeed a good chance to help the Year Ones familiarise with our patrol logistics since many of us are not very sure what the logistics are exactly made of and the meanings of certain materials and designs.
   The inspection also helped to build patrol morale and enabled us to bond because we could try out our new cheers and songs. Similarly, it gave us an idea of the standards of ATC and helped us understand how ATC would be like. Through the time limits given, we learnt how important a sense of urgency was. We also learnt that we had to be more consistent and make sure that even small details were standardised among all patrols. We learnt about our mistakes, in order to improve on them next year. The punishments were important to ensure that we would not commit the same mistakes again, and also to help instill discipline in us. Overall, we learnt how important each patrol logistic was and bonded with our patrol during pre-camp inspection.

From a Year 2:
   Pre-camp inspection was like a warm up for ATC. As we did not have meetings for quite some time, it was a great time to fire us up and prepare for ATC. :) Firstly, on that day, we had roll call and then we mass changed from our Guide uniform to PE attire. We also had to bring our styrofoam boxes and other patrol logistics from tuanbu to the third floor where the inspection took place.
   My patrol was allocated the classroom 1A. In my opinion, I think we did not do very well for the inspection as we flipped the inspection layout, forgot to bring out and lay the plastic bags, laid out extra masheng and even forgot to lay out the mess tins and yuanzilu, which was “hidden” in the kettle. We also did not lay out the identities properly in neat rows and messed up the layout of several items. However, we also had our good points; at least our tables and chairs were arranged very neatly. This pre camp inspection also allowed us to practise our songs and cheers which the Year Ones have painstakingly come up with and bond as an ATC patrol as we got to taste our punishments together as a patrol. Here is an incident which I remembered vividly. One of our punishments was to run one round around the corridor. During our run, one of the Year Threes pulled out one of our patrol mates. The people behind thought that the senior wanted to talk to her. It turned out that we did not take care of our juniors properly, allowing the seniors to pull her away. From this incident, we took this lesson seriously. When the same thing happened again, we were alert enough to recover her back. This served as a reminder that we should always take care of our own things, patrol logistics as well as our patrol mates, especially with the upcoming ATC.
   Overall, the inspection allowed our patrol to know one another better, kick start the atmosphere for ATC and serve as a reminder that our patrol mates are very important, especially that we are Year Twos and we should take good care of our juniors :).

   After pre-camp inspection was over, there was a couple of day's break, where no activities were allowed to be carried out, so as to give everyone ample resting time. The arrival of the camp was awaited with much anticipation. Here is a year 3's thoughts on the entire camp, which we, as the leadership batch, had spent much efforts in planning.

From a Year 1:
Our seniors have stressed to us again and again that we should not think lightly of ATC. Even though we're only year ones and do not have a heavy responsibility on our shoulders, we are still extremely nervous. Many of us year ones encouraged each other on facebook days before ATC. The importance of ATC was proved to us during the preparations when we had to meet up work on our various projects(banner, etc) we saw our year twos drawing up comprehensive proposals which made us even more worried.

ATC was challenging to me even though our seniors told us that this year's ATC was not that tough after all. However all the Year ones were relieved when the camp was over and also surprised that we managed to 'survive' the camp. This camp was not tough compared to last year's as the year twos and threes have experienced. It was also because we did not have any night evacuation.

For my patrol, we were starting to feel a little less zealous about the activities on the second day but were spurred on by our year threes. This year's ATC was also made much easier because of the inclement weather where we do not get sunburns and headaches from the sun.

However, many people fell sick due to virus spreading around, but the mystery games and our cheering still managed to keep our morale up. We managed to remain sanguine even though manpower was low as the Year Twos have a way of getting things right somehow.

The Year Twos had accepted punishments when it were the year ones' fault and sometimes we do feel guilty. However many of us year ones have promised to stay prepared, enthusiastic, help our year twos in whatever way we can and not be lax in our performance. This ATC was a wake up call for me, I had been too slow in my movement for many of the jihe s this year.

Last but not least, I enjoyed the night games and company games alot, the night games were thrilling and quite scary and the company games allowed us to lose our inhibitions and bond well with our mates! :)

From a Year 2:

I felt that the Annual Training Camp was an enjoyable experience and the time for us, year twos, to lead the year ones. Throughout the camp, I think we could have more sense of urgency as many time extensions were asked during the activities. We should also take good care of ourselves and our fellow patrol mates before and during the camp as many fell out during the activities due to the flu bug that was circulating around. The commendable thing about my patrol is that we care for one another and we had zero casualties. :)

The camp started off with camp development part one and we were not very efficient. My patrol did not managed to build finish most of the structures needed, but we moved faster during the second part on the next day. We were a little disheartened but we did better during the obstacle journey at the Bukit Timah Hill. We bonded during the obstacle journey too and we had a fun time together. We navigated around using the compass, so this was the best experience for everyone to be familiarized with the orienteering skills. Night Games was fun as it was the first ATC Night Games experience for both year ones and twos. My patrol did quite well during the Night Games as we took good care of our belongings.

On the second day, there was inspection, outdoor cooking, pioneering, physical training and campfire. Our sense of urgency improved but we could have worked even faster. Inspection could have been more standardised across the patrols and have more communication. Outdoor cooking and pioneering was quite good. Even when we were met with difficulties, we managed to think of new ideas and modify it quickly. Our structure was very stable. We could have done much better during physical training and cheered more as our patrol morale was quite low at the start. The campfire was fun but everyone should participate more.

On the last day, it was morning exercise, clear up and company games. The year twos cheered a lot during the morning exercise and our morale was high throughout. Clear up was done quite efficiently as it was already the last activity of the camp and thus encouraged everyone to put in their best. The company games were fun and it was the time for the company to bond.

Overall, I think it was a good effort put in by everyone. Let these memories last forever<3

From a Year 3:

The 2011 Annual Training Camp was held from 3^rd November to 5^th November. This year, ATC was held in school compounds, instead of Camp Christine, thus providing trainees a familiar environment to work around during camp. In addition, Obstacle Journey was conducted at Bukit Timah Hill, with the intention of trainees being able to bond with their patrols, and utilize the skills they had learnt in a different outdoor environment.

The theme for ATC was “Lights, Camera, Action!” because ATC was one of the major opportunities given to the trainees, especially the Year Twos who would be taking over next year, to display and optimize their leading potential. ATC was a stage for every single trainee to be noticed, instead of trainees merely following the Year Threes’ instructions and not developing their potential. Throughout ATC, the Year Twos were given many opportunities to be the Patrol Leader and with the guidance of the Year Threes, they led the patrol well. It was their time to shine, and they made use of the opportunities given to display their leadership, as well as learn from their mistakes.

Throughout the camp, much improvement was made amongst the trainees. On Day One, many trainees were feeling restless, probably because they were afraid of ATC. During goal-setting, it was evident that the Year Threes were the ones who were talking to their patrols, instead of the trainees taking the initiative to do so. Also, during Camp Development, the trainees moved rather slowly and required time extension despite a long timeframe given to build the required gadgets. Even the Patrol Leaders were unsure of what to do at a certain point, thus confusing the entire patrol. However, safety was noted and there were no injuries from the heavy spars, which was a good start to the camp with objective of zero casualties.

Patrol morale during Obstacle Journey was very low. Also, the Patrol Leaders at different points in time did not take good care of their patrol members. The trainees’ attitude during Obstacle Journey was not correct too; everyone should be putting in their best for the activity, instead of playing around with patrol mates. Undeniably, not taking the activity seriously might equate to strengthening patrol bonds, however, ATC was a training camp in which trainees should have been serious in all activities, especially Obstacle Journey which was the core activity, to train their physical stamina. Obstacle Journey was also a great reflection of the Year Two’s leadership skills especially when a sudden situation arises.

The last activity for Day One was Night Games, an activity to test trainees’ courage and ability to take good care of patrol mates as well as belongings. Also, Night Games was conducted with the intention of trainees being observant about their surroundings so that they could answer the questions posted. Probably it was the first ATC Night Games the trainees experienced, thus they did not know the rules to Night Games. Everyone was to keep silent at all times, and not do anything when Year Threes tried to grab belongings away. Unfortunately, some trainees just shoved the Year Threes away. This was a shocking sight and trainees should learn from this Night Games that they are not supposed to disrupt the plot.

On Day Two, there was slight improvement made. Sense of urgency had increased which was a good start to the day. Inspection was a good activity to observe communication within the patrol. Several patrols communicated well enough for all patrol mates’ belongings to be lain out neatly. However there were other patrols that failed to lay out their items with standardization. Also, belongings were not taken care of despite numerous warnings to take good care of them. When punishment was given to the trainees, some of them just could not accept the punishment and did the punishment indignantly. Such attitude was intolerable and trainees ought to know that punishment was only given if the layout of belongings was not up to standard in terms of speed of laying out and neatness of layout.

Outdoor Cooking was quite successful in that every patrol was able to set up two fires quickly. Trainees had fun during Outdoor Cooking, and cooked unique deserts and snacks. A group of Year Threes also cooked some pancakes for everyone to share! Outdoor Cooking was conducted to see how trainees ignited a fire and it was truthfully not a physically demanding activity, preparing trainees for Pioneering. In general, trainees were quite fast during Pioneering, probably owing to the pre-camp Pioneering practice they had. Patrol Leaders allocated their manpower appropriately such that time and manpower were both maximized—optimum situation. However, trainees should learn to follow the timelines they painstakingly planned. The purpose of the timeline was to judge how much time should be spent on each component of the structure, but few patrols remembered their timelines. In the future, trainees should stick according to their timelines to better prepare for the activity.

During Physical Training, a number of patrols put in their best and cheered loudly to boost patrol morale. Even though it was tough, trainees did not give up and continued throughout the 90 minutes of Physical Training. This was the attitude and behavior all trainees should maintain throughout the camp, to never give up and keep striving for the best.

Trainees were however not enthusiastic enough during Campfire. Campfire was a relaxing activity for everyone to go high but some trainees were on the verge of sleeping. The day was long indeed, however nonetheless it was Campfire and everyone ought to sing loudly and enthusiastically. Campfire was after all one of the last activities of ATC. On the other hand, the song leaders did a great job in entertaining everyone so good job!

On Day Three, there was clear up. Sense of urgency was the highest during this activity and trainees were observed to be putting in their best in bringing the logistics to the given venues. It was a long distance between the field and the basketball court but most trainees were running throughout the entire activity. In the end, all logistics were cleared up properly, owing to the trainees’ efforts. Lastly, Company Games was the last activity of ATC and all trainees had fun during the Games. Every trainee should have brought that smile of theirs throughout ATC and believe that every single effort put in was worth it, instead of complaining that ATC was extremely tough. ATC was honestly manageable and as long as trainees believed they could do it, they could do it.

All in all, ATC was a great learning experience for everyone, including us Year Threes. It was the first ATC for the Year Ones, but they should have known that sense of urgency was very essential, especially during a training camp. Some of the Year Ones were not putting in their best which was very disappointing for their PLs. However some of them really carried on although they were already very tired; thumbs up! For the Year Twos, all of their skills were good, which was what was expected of a Year Two. However, Year Twos should have spoken up and given louder and clearer instructions to their patrols instead of doing all the work. A patrol works together as one, and every single patrol mate should be doing their part for the patrol, instead of leaving all the work for a single trainee to do. Nonetheless, the Year Twos did a great job in striving throughout ATC despite some of them having sicknesses. As for the Year Threes, it was great seeing all plans evolve in reality. Although some activities did not go as well as planned, on the whole everything went on smoothly. Also, we learnt to give instructions more clearly to the juniors to prevent confusion within the company. We will definitely continue planning good activities for everyone.

ATC is over, but being a Guide is for life. Reflect on your strengths and mistakes, and improve upon your mistakes before the next activity. Guides is about bringing our company to greater heights, but as an individual the first step is to bring yourself to greater heights. As a company we work together and as long as everyone puts in her best, Guides will shine.

East Division Day

2011-09-29T19:40:00.000+08:00

Hi Guides!

Last Saturday was East Division Day and we all went to Bedok South Secondary School to celebrate with the rest of the east division! Though we have busy schedules, but we still committed our best efforts in all the competitions and there were wonderful results! We clinched 1st and 2nd in the patchwork competition, 1st and 2nd in the gadgets competition, 1st in fashion show competition and 2nd in the cheer-leading competition. In addition, we also participated in the shoe design competition, the healthy snack making competition and the recycled craft competition too! Also, there was a funfair, and we took part and set up our own booth.

The theme of this year's EDD is "Green with Pride", where we strife to live life to the fullest and be environmentally friendly. The individual competitions have their own sub themes too. A picture speaks a thousand words, so below are some of the images captured on this day!

Gadgets Competition: "Garden Makeover"

Fashion Show Competition

Cheerleading Competition: "Cheer for Life"

Healthy Snack Making Competition: "Garden Party"

2011-08-28T16:12:00.001+08:00

Last Friday, we had skills training as usual, after a long period without any. Many of us were really happy for this meeting as we could feel our skills level dropping without the constant practice together. All the patrols had patrol activity, most of them combining patrols. Below are the entries by the secretaries of Patrol 5 and Patrol 6 as they recount with us the different activities that they had. :D

From Patrol 5
On Friday’s 集合, P5 Combined with P7 to construct a Kitchen Shelter cum Kitchen Table. We were following the design that our seniors used for PLTC, which was unfamiliar to us, but it minimizes the time and logistics required.

So firstly, we were given 10 minutes to collect our logistics from 团部, back store and frontier. Due to the confusion, we actually took an extra canvas sheet. We should have been more vigilant. However still, we made it in good time.

When we officially started the pioneering, we were very unsure of what to do, and the PLs wasted a lot of time asking about the design, resulting in the overall exceeding of time limit. When we knew the next steps, we were also very slow in our actions and lacked a sense of urgency.

The most notable difference between the normal kitchen shelter and the one we built is that there is the extra two spars (yellow) attached on to the centre spar (red) with tripod lash. They have to be stacked on top of each other, with the red spar in the middle, so that later the yellow spars can intersect under the kitchen shelter while the red spar (shorter) remains vertical.

After the whole structure is raised, and the yellow spars intersected, we started tying the kitchen table. However, the yellow spars were too long and the shelter too small, resulting in a slightly off balanced table. The table and chairs were also tilted. The whole structure took us around 2 hours, exceeding the time given by more than half an hour.

Actually, in spite of the confusion, we could have done much better if our lashes were tight so that we did not have to keep retying. We should also have moved much faster. Measurements of the table and seats should be taken perpendicularly from ground level to ensure a horizontal platform too. Manpower could have also been handled and allocated better to make full use of the time given.

After the evaluation of our structure, we had a short first aid quiz that takes about 15 minutes. And then Patrol Activity officially ended when we put back the logistics and 集合 back at General Science Lab.

From Patrol 6:

For today's 集合, my patrol started off by combining with Patrol 9, Sparrow, and we were subsequently mixed into another 2 groups, both of which consisted of Year 1 and 2 members from both patrols.

Firstly, both groups were given a proposal of a clothesline which each group has to build one, and at the same time recognize the flaws and merits of our own clothesline.

In this activity, we learned that a clothesline does not always have to follow the standards, and that can apply to other structures as well.

As the logistics could be limited in some cases, we have to think out of the box and ensure that our clothesline is:

1) Stable – This is so that it can stand, and support our clothes as well, so that the clothes, especially the uniform do not drop.

2) Effective – This is so that we are can get our clothesline up in the shortest time possible; also that it suits the amount of clothes we have, as well as the manpower required to build it in each patrol.

Next, each group was given 10 minutes to tie a flagpole and we learnt that the 3 manila ropes used to stable the structure had to open out in an equilateral triangle, in order to even out the flagpole's weight amongst the 3 ropes.

After that, we were supposed to tie a storage tent, but started on our orienteering trek due to bad weather conditions. For this part of the PA, our Guide's scarf, and compass were required. We started off under a specified point, and using bearings given by our seniors, we went to various stations around the Year 3 and 4 block. There were stations like a gas room and an electrical fence, both which required some thought.

For example, at the electric fence, we had to think of how to get across while holding some gadget poles and at the same time not be electrocuted.

Overall, this part of PA was fun, as we not only learnt orienteering skills; we also got to brush up on our other skills, like trekking signs, as well as our physic.

One small part of today's PA was our attire check. Both patrols mass changed into our Guides' Uniform and had attire check, after which we mass changed back into our PE attire. We did not really perform well in this mass change as we lacked a sense of urgency and exceeded the time limit for both.

Lastly, we started on our storage tents, using logistics collected from the gas room at the previous activity. We did not do so well for this activity as we exceeded the time limit a number of times and we were also not really sure of how to start. However, we still managed to get them up, even though both storage tents were very unstable. From this, we learnt that our poncho can never be too taut when we hit in our pegs. This is because if we do so, our poncho will be much stretched when we put in our gadget poles and may even break under pressure.

Overall, for today, I think that my patrol could have done better to adhere to the time limits. I think the main reason for today's substandard performance may be due to the National Day holidays and Common Tests CCA stand downs and us not having practiced our skills for a long time. However, with more practice, we will be able to do much better and hone our skills for future challenges.

clothesline, with our Guides Uniform on it!

Patrol flag pole, the most sacred structure of a patrol:)

electric fence:D

Scouts 55th anniversary campfire

2011-08-09T23:17:00.009+08:00

Dear Guides,
on the 30th of July, Dunman High Scouts organised a campfire to celebrate their 55th anniversary.
We were invited to the campfire and asked to stage a performance too!
Their campfire was very awesome. :)
Lastly, happy 55th anniversary scouts!

Here are some pictures:

当我们同在一起 :)

Gateway :)

Lion Dance :)

P1!

P2!

P3!

P6!

P7!

P8!

P9!

P10!

2011-07-19T19:28:00.007+08:00

That week, it was our first 集合 ever since the passing down last month. All of us were looking forward to it and as well as the reaction of the juniors. Below are two posts that the Year 2s have written.

From patrol 3:
For this Friday’s jihe, we had patrol corner first. The year 3s timed our square lashes. Our lashes were not very tight and we had to retie until it was up to standard. The year 3s also revised the lashes with the year 1s as they were rather unsure. Then, the year 3s taught us the new way of tying diagonal lash, and we practised many times until we were confident of tying it quickly.

After that, we put our skills to the test with the creative gadgets. The year 2s rotated between PL and PS and we had to lead the rest to build the gadget. I felt that we could have improved in terms of speed. Also, we could have cheered more throughout the activity. We were not able to complete in time, so our structure was very unsteady and was not very nice looking. Then, we had our debrief where the year 3s pointed out our mistakes for us to learn from. Through this activity, we learnt how to lead the rest of the patrol and made sure that everyone was doing something.

Then, we had PT. Our patrol had PT with P6, so my patrol year 2s took turns to be PL and PS. Our first station was at the Year 1 year2 Block 3rd floor, where we had caterpillar walk. It was very fun as we had to do caterpillar walk and snatch P6’s papers which were attached to their shoulders, while protecting our own ones. Our second station was at the third floor Year 3 and 4 block lift landing. There, we had to crabwalk. Year ones crabwalk one section of the corridor and year twos crabwalk two corridors, then run back and to hold girl’s style pumping position. Then, we had to play catching. First, P3 was the catcher, and we had to crabwalk to catch P6. After they were caught, they had to do boy’s style pumping position while we stayed in crabwalk position. Then we switched over. After that, we went to our third station outside LT 3 and 4. There we had musical chairs, where we sang Guide songs and ran around the chairs. When the seniors told us to stop, we had to hold twinkle position behind a chair for 45 seconds then continue. After that, we had to hold twinkles position against the wall. After that, we went to the second storey above the general science labs where we did leg raise and passed a ball around. Then was the final station at Block F fourth floor where we did wheelbarrow and tried to find slips of paper. Overall, PT was tiring as it has been a while since we had PT, and some of the activities were new. But it was very fun and we liked it.

From patrol 4:
For this week’s集合, we started off having patrol corner. During patrol corner, we were timed and had to tie lashes: square lash, diagonal lash and tripod lash. We revised our lashes and the seniors corrected our mistakes and we retied until we were very sure of our lashes. Through patrol corner, we learnt to tie standard and tight lashes quickly and this is very important.

Next was creative gadget. The year 2s were given the roles PL and PS and given the chance to lead and give instructions to the rest of the patrol. At first, my patrol was very unsure of what to do and we spent quite long thinking of what gadget to build. We were also rather slow in our actions and there were times when some of us had nothing to do. However, we improved a little later and were able to finish tying the gadget in the amount of time given. After that, we had debrief for our gadget. For my patrol, our gadget was rather shaky and the gadget poles could be easily turned. Also, some of the lashes we tied were wrong. Through this creative gadgets session, we year 2s had a better idea of how to lead a patrol and that as PL, we have to give loud and clear instructions so that everyone would know what to do and not feel lost. We also learnt that all the lashes we tied have to be very tight, or else the entire structure may just collapse. Besides, if you have nothing to do, you can just cheer to boost the patrol spirit, take care of the logistics or help to tuck in the ends of the cotton twine to make the lashes look neater. If everyone in the patrol helps and cooperates with one another, everything can be done faster and better.

Lastly, it was PT. I felt that the PT was very interesting since the seniors incorporated games into it, hence making it seem less tough for us. We moved around with two patrols at one station at a time. For my patrol, the first station was doing crabwalk. We were given 6 minutes to crabwalk along the corridor and then, we had a game where 2 patrols competed against one another and tried to catch one another while doing crabwalk. We were not very fast in our actions and all of us in my patrol got caught by the other patrol in the end. The second station was "musical chairs". We had to sing guides songs while running around the chairs and we had to get into twinkles position when we heard “Stop!” We were very slow in starting a song and the volume kept getting softer. That station ended with 2 minutes of twinkles. Third station was leg raise. We had to do leg raise for 6 minutes in a circle while passing a ball around with our legs. We dropped the ball a few times and had to do forfeit then. Fourth station was doing wheelbarrow. We had to go around the corridors in wheelbarrow position to look for 11 pieces of paper. Our actions were rather slow and quite a few people fell out. In the end, we managed to find 10 but failed to decipher the Guide code. Out last station was caterpillar walk. We had to move around the empty space doing caterpillar walk and when we met the other patrol we had to start snatching one another’s paper which was pasted on our shirts before we started.

I felt that this集合was very meaningful and interesting and although we made quite a number of mistakes, we can learn from them and do better in the following集合s!
some photos!

P2! :D

P4! :)

P6! :D

Patrol 8! :)

P9! :)

Patrol 10! :)

Skills Training Camp cum Passing Down Parade

2011-07-13T20:48:00.002+08:00

A year 2s reflection on STC:

On 21st and the 22nd of June, we had a Skills Training Camp that was held in our school. Most of the camp activities were done on the first day and the Passing Down Parade was held on the second day, with celebrations afterwards. It was the Year 4s’ last 集合with us and all of us did not wish for it to end.
First, we 集合 in the field and had the enrollment ceremony! It was fun to see the cute Year one juniors being enrolled in. As we stood there, I felt, so this was the feeling of being a senior. Seeing as it was the Year fours’ last time with us too, I could not help but feel that this memory would be embedded in my head. Following that, it was time to set up camp D! It was extremely fun, the feeling of working together as a team and helping each other along the way.
Once we were done, we started our outdoor cooking. It was done from scratch, starting with putting of sand and bricks; laying out kindling; setting up the fire; preparing and cooking the food and ending with us enjoying our food! It resulted in our great success for lunch. We then washed up our things such as the wok, utensils, etc. and went back to. Then, came the exciting part: the mystery activities!
Originally we had thought that it would be OJ, but it turned out to be something else that the seniors had especially planned for us and it was really fun! We had different types of stations and they had required us to use our brains to think as to how to apply all our skills correctly. There was also the game of human soccer where we had to kick the ball in to goal while remaining in our positions, but the ball was kick out of the boundaries often and we had to stop to chase it back! Still, it was really fun and we managed to score goals.
There was also a game which had required us to snatch water bottles from other patrols. Those bottles which had a piece of paper inside with the letter 'D' inside, meant that we would get drinks at the end of the game! There was also bigger bottles wrapped in black tape; those are the bombs that we can ‘gift’ to other patrols and they increased the excitement. The game ended and then came dinner, where we had fried rice, yum! We had a short lecture after that in LT4 on legendary leaders.
The night games soon commenced. There were two stations for us to accomplish in patrols. One was where you had to go into the dark toilet, take a light stick and drop it into a container in the cubicles. Following that, we had to go into the LT and search for clues with our patrol number on it.
The second station was at the hall. We were separated from our own patrols and scattered all across the hall. We had to find each of our patrols mates and form back our patrol while being blindfolded. Though it was challenging, we accomplished it! Next was where we were in our own levels and did some self-reflection.
We had time to freshen up, ate Oreos for supper and head back to our tents to sleep. At about 2am, there was a night evacuation. We were required to move our patrols belongings to the tentage area and 集合. Though we exceeded the timing by a lot, somehow we made it. We then understood about helping each other as we were one whole company and even if the things did not belong to our patrol, we should still have helped to move them. After that, we went back to our tents to get a good night’s rest.
The next day, we woke up at about seven, freshened up and went for 集合. We had a hearty breakfast and then strike camp. Following which, it was the Passing Down Parade.
After our seniors, the 42nd batch has passed down, and the whole ceremony ended, we 集合 in with our new leaders, the 43rd batch! We took 10 minutes to prepare all the necessary things that we need for the PDP, which stands for passing down parade. The one we had later on is more of an informal one, where performances would be put up for our Year 4s to thank them for the contributions, the efforts, and how they have put in their heart and souls in order to groom us, to lead us to discover our fullest potential.  Hence, we took awhile more to decorate up the place, which is at the auditorium, and then, the passing down parade celebration officially starts!
First, our emcees were Sabrina and Siyun. They welcomed our Year 1s up on stage for their performance. Everybody, including me, was anticipating the Year 1s’ performance because we were all interested to know what are their views and opinions towards Guides. They performed a skit. Though simple, it was rather sweet and they did conveyed one important message: the Year 4s are the ones who are like our guardian angels – they cared for us, lead us, and are the ones who made us grow and learn 
Next, it is the Year 2s’ performance! First, we started off with a dance to Camp Rock song “We Rock”, which is to tell the Year 4s that in our hearts, they rock!  We were all very happy to see the smiles on their faces.  Next, we lined up in a straight line to deliver our most heartfelt words to our Year 4s, with High School Musical’s song as the background, “Just wanna be with you”, which is equally touching. We really couldn’t bear to part with our dearest Year 4s, but we know that they couldn’t be with us forever. Hence, we end off with the last item, by singing the song “朋友”. We knew that the Year 4s would always stay with us and remain in our hearts, and they will always be our friends. 
The next performance is followed by the Year 3s’ performance! They too put up a skit too, that talks about their entire Guiding life from when they joined in Year 1 to the day when they begin their leadership journey, which is that day. They too, dedicated messages to the seniors, and it is really heartwarming as I believed it brought back memories for the Year 4s, and also for us, too (:
Last but not least, it’s the Year 4s’ performance! They started off, coincidentally, with “朋友” too.  After that, they started to give their dedicated messages to all of us, and they brought back memories, heartwarming indeed, and sniffing were heard here and there. As they go on, we knew that the time we had together is going to end soon, and by the end of their speeches, we were all crying. They did inspired us with their speeches, with their quotes, and whether or not is it a magnificent quote or an insignificant comment, every word they say do give us motivation to work even harder, to strive even harder, and never to give up in our Guiding journey.
At the end of all the dedications, there was not a dry eye to be found amongst the Year 4s and Year 3s. The Year 2s were also very sad; even the Year 1s felt it. Everyone was crying, whether loudly or softly, we know that all of us feel the same. All the words have brought back memories for us and it was bittersweet.
Though the Year 4s have officially passed down, we all know that their spirit of Guiding, their enthusiasm for Guiding, their values towards Guiding, and their love for Guiding would remain, and it would be within us, too. After what the Year 4s have done for us, we indeed, must give them a heartfelt THANK YOU! Thank you, year 4s, for what you have done, for each and every one of us. You would be placed, deeply in our hearts, forever. 

PICTURES! :D

Colour Party

Jihe :D

Year 2s!

Year 3s!

Year 4s! <3

PLTC 2011

2011-05-10T20:33:00.002+08:00

Hi guides,

last week, the y3s have completed their PLTC. Below are the reflections of 2 guides on PLTC. To the y3s, good job for completing PLTC as a batch and the y4s and seniors hope that this camp has spurred all of you on to be even better guides and leaders! Remember what you all learnt during the course of pre-camp and camp and apply them (:

1st reflection:

We year threes have just completed our Patrol Leader Training Camp and these are some of our reflections for each individual activity of the camp. On the whole, we really feel that PLTC has been a great learning experience for us and we will definitely remember this camp for the rest of our lives.

We started off with camp development. We were given about 3h to build all our necessary structures and gadgets, however, some of the patrols were not able to complete them due to poor time management. I think we should also have planned the usage of our logistics properly, as there were many last minute swaps in the logistics which resulted in the waste of time and other problems. As for our lashings, I feel that there is much improvement that can be made. In all, the time allocated for camp development was really more than enough and we should have planned our time appropriately instead of facing the problems on the spot and panicking.

We had our KYB at 7.30pm. I think that KYB was more of getting our patrol to bond together and to know each other better, instead of just knowing oneself better. Most of the stations required effort as a patrol, instead of individual strength. I think our morales were very high during KYB thus we managed to put in our utmost best for each station.

During PLC, we reflected on our good and bad points. A senior also told us that we should not blame our logistics for any problems, instead we ourselves should think about why there were such problems. To me, Day 1 was not very fulfilling due to our slow actions in camp development.

There was inspection on our personal belongings on Day 2. I think our actions were still rather slow and we over-relied on our PL because we had not memorised the inspection layout. We should have done so and not have the mindset that only the PL was responsible for this.

For PA, our actions were slightly faster than during camp development, but it was still quite slow. Also, because our PA proposal was regretfully done last-minute, we did not have the time to foresee any problems and their solutions. Also, for my patrol, our manila ropes were all entangled thus much of our time was spent disentangling them. I think we should have done so before PLTC to maximise our time given for pioneering activities.

After lunch, we had OJ. To me, this OJ was quite similar to the OJ we had during last year’s ATC, in that they both focus on application of skills in practical situations. Our morale was very high during OJ and we did care for one another. However, we did not really consider the possible solutions for each station and we again over-relied on the PL in instructing us. We should really have brainstormed ourselves the possible things we could have done at each station instead of just waiting for instructions to be delegated to us.

Soon after, we had our PLTC campfire. Due to bad weather, our campfire was held in the hall with kerosene lamps instead of firewood. However, despite so, the atmosphere was still there and we did sing along and danced along with our songleaders. Also, Ruiyang’s yarn was really inspiring and I think that that was the crux of the camp. Being a leader is definitely not easy, but I believe that our whole batch of year threes will try our best to become a good leader.

In the morning of Day 3, we had a lecture on patrol structure. Through this lecture, we learnt that every role was important, be it PL, PS, or P3. Many people think that the role of a PS is not important, but that is not the case. Each role shares equal amounts of responsibilities thus we should not see PS in a different light. Each role is significant.

Then we had our Pioneering. Each patrol built different structures and at the end we could see each patrol’s design. In all, our structures were generally very stable, which was commendable. We were given the chance to learn from other patrol’s structures, so I think we really benefitted a lot through pioneering. Guides seldom have pioneering so we really cherished this time in PLTC to build structures using spars.

In all, I feel that throughout PLTC, although our morales were quite high, we should have put in more effort into each activity. I think that the efforts we put in were increasing throughout the three days but we could have done better. Our patrolmates gave us the motivation to move on and we really did cherish them. We have many points for improvement, especially in leadership, and I trust that all of us will try hard to improve upon our flaws.

单丝不成线，独木不成林。

2nd Reflection:

PLTC started on a Friday afternoon, after school. All our practices, trainings and rushing of proposals boiled down to the next 3 days. We were not exactly sure what to expect, despite hearing numerous stories from our seniors.

At first, we started out rather blur and unsure of what to do. We lacked a sense of urgency and panicked at the slightest problems. We faced the consequences, of course, but that jolted all of us up and we promised ourselves as well as our seniors that we will strive even harder for the rest of PLTC. We moved faster and learnt how to remain calm even in unexpected situations. After all, flexibility and on-the-spot thinking are essential for us to solve our problems quickly and move on, instead of being so rigid all the time.

Many a times, we have been told that as a jie and patrol, we are only as strong as the weakest link. We kept that line in mind and it reminded us to help one another even in the toughest times. It was important that we remained unselfish throughout the camp and understood each other’s strengths and weaknesses, in order for our whole jie or our whole patrol to reach our maximum potential, together as one. This same line also taught us not to be complacent- we may be exceptionally skilled in one aspect, but there are other aspects which we are weaker in and thus have to learn, or even depend on others to guide us along.

PLTC taught us a lot. It taught us how to persevere on even when we were on the verge of giving up and further reinforced in us “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”. Yes, it is through these harsh and seemingly unmanageable moments that we learn how to endure all the way, only to emerge stronger than before. Also, we cannot achieve this without the help of our jie and patrol mates. Teamwork is crucial for us to be able to overcome all these challenges and complete PLTC. It is an undeniable fact that without the communication and cooperation within a jie and patrol, it would have pretty much been impossible for us to “survive” PLTC. The satisfaction we get when we have completed a task together is simply indescribable.

Now, we finally understand what our seniors mean when they told us PLTC is going to be one of the most memorable camps in your life, and that you will have to cherish every moment in the camp because before you know it, it would have ended. The 3-day journey we have been anticipating for the past 2 years flashed by. It certainly bonded us, both guides as well as scouts, and gave us an opportunity to work with one another. We might have made mistakes along the way, but what is important is that we learn from them and improve on them, instead of committing the same mistakes again. PLTC made us grow, both physically and psychologically. It did make us tougher and we realise that many things which we thought was impossible to complete in the past might not be the same way now.

Looking back, I really miss PLTC, being together with my patrol mates and the never-ending encouragement we get from our course leaders. Thank you teachers, seniors and all duty personnel, for putting in so much time and energy to plan this camp, and for ensuring the smooth-sailing of PLTC throughout the 3 days. Thank you for giving us the most exciting adventure and learning journey of our lives.

2011-04-20T22:39:00.004+08:00

Hey guides, here's an update on UG day celebrations!

Last week, we had UG day, to celebrate all the four UG groups in Dunman High. The day started off with the morning assembly, where all the four Ugs formed our contingents at the parade square. We had the chance to don our respective UG uniforms throughout the day. Dr Foo and Mr Melvyn Tan addressed the school, highlighting the achievements of Dunman High UG and the unique characteristics shared.

After school, rather than our usual activities, we had a combined UG day celebration. This promotes interaction between UG and donning our UG T-shirt also boosted our UG identity! The start of the line up of activities was marked by a mass dance.
We travelled in our assigned groups and went for station games. These games are mainly team-building, allowing us to get to know our groupmates from other Ugs better.
We also enjoyed a buffet dinner where we ate in our respective groups. During dinner, we also had the chance to interact with the emcees on stage, engaging us in the question and answers segment. We also had the priviledge to listen to a wonderful mix pod of songs that stirred the entire atmosphere.
We ended the day’s activities with another round of mass dance and prize presentation. ☺

Love guides! Keep the dunman UG spirit going:)

2011-04-03T00:11:00.001+08:00

Hey guides! here's a blog post regarding heritage trail :)

On Saturday, we had a heritage trail and visited the Peranakan museum, Katong Park, Singapore River, Arab Street and fort canning park. We had to complete tasks stated on the booklet. At various locations, we rushed to complete the tasks as limited time were given and we had to allocate our time effectively in order to be able to visit all 5 places. On top of compulsory tasks, there were bonus tasks available for us to gain more points to attain the “Smartest Patrol Award”. Another award is the “Fastest Patrol Award”.
Not only did we learn more about Singapore’s culture and history through this trail, going out of the school for this trail allowed us to be more conscious of the image we are portraying to the public. For example, when asking for a favour, we should be polite and cautious of our words. This trail also proved to us the importance of navigational skills, as we had to navigate by ourselves from place to place. We should always take note of where we are going and make sure it is the right track. Another practical navigational skill is to take the train when in doubt.
Patrol members encouraged one another consistently thorughout the trail and we got to see a different side of our patrol mates. Through this interaction, our patrol grew closer through and we are thankful for this opportunity to learn☺

2011-04-02T22:13:00.005+08:00

Hey guides! here are some photos from heritage trail :)

P5:)

P10 :D

P9!

P8:)

P6 C:

P2!

P1 :)

P3!

P4:)

P7(:

Pioneering Course 2011

2011-03-17T14:35:00.002+08:00

Hi guides,

On the 12th of March, Saturday, the y2-4s had a pioneering course, planned by the company leaders and PLs.

We started off with a lecture on the basics of pioneering, where our guides gained insight into pioneering as a hallmark of guiding. The guides also got to learn about planning a pioneering project, basics lashes and possible pioneering projects. After the lecture, the main part of the activity started!

The theme of the pioneering course was "building a village". Our guides were told that they would be constructing a "village" for our guides company.

Before starting on the "village", the PLs led their patrols in practising their lashes and covering all the common equipment used for pioneering. During this theory and practical session, our guides were able to brush up on their basics to aid them in the actual pioneering later on.

Before lunch, instructions were given for the 10 patrols to erect their patrol flagpoles, as a symbol of their patrols. Then, we broke off for lunch.

After lunch, the buidling of the "village" began. The guides were divided into different groups to build their individual structures, with the help and guidance of their mentors, which were PLs put in charge of the different structures. The structures built are as follows:

1. gateway, representing entrance to the village
2. shelter, representing the town hall
3. tower, representing the watch tower
4. company flagpole
5. kitchen area, consisting of fire altar, kitchen dresser and dustbin
6. living area, consisting of table, chair, shoe rack and baggage rack

The guides worked on their structures for 2 1/2 h. A debrief was then given on each of the structures and the village as a whole.

The mentors and OIC feel that the pioneering course was a good chance for everyone, be it y2s, 3s, 4s or even the mentors, to brush up on and revise their pioneering skills. The mentors believe that everyone has learnt and taken something away from this pioneering course, in the course of learning from one another. For the guides, I'm sure many of you learnt anchorage with arthurs and excaliburs for the first time and gained insight into many pioneering structures. As for the mentors, it was a good chance to revise many pioneering tips and practise leading a group of juniors in pioneering. As said, a leader functions in times of uncertainty, while a manager funcions in times of certainty.

Some learning points to take away from this pioneering course: Firstly, there may have been many hiccups throughout the pioneering course, be it the lack of manpower for the spar structures, insufficient time, problems with logistics, etc, but overall, the improvisations made and flexibility shown by our guides is commendable. In addition, all of the guides showed eagerness to learn and enthusiasm.

However, guides, do take note that your sense of urgency needs improvement. While things take time to do, there was a lack of sense of urgency-you trying to be the fastest you can. For example, when tying lashes, your actions should be swift-a good lash is one that is quick and tight. On the other hand, when dismantling structures, you do not need to remove every lash round by round. Do improve on this. Guides 不是跑就是飞, wherever you are going, whatever you are doing, be the fastest you can, do the best you can.

In all, it was heartwarming to see our guides work together to build the village and hand in hand, learn more about pioneering. Hope that everyone will continue to challenge themselves in pioneering and have fun with it. Good job guides!

Initiatives and PA

2011-03-17T13:47:00.004+08:00

Hi guides,

for the past 2 weeks, the patrols alternated between initiatives and patrol activity.

On 4th march, patrols 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 had initiatives. The other patrols then had their initiatives on the following week. This time, our theme for the initiatives was "our world centres". We took this chance to let our guides learn more about WAGGGS and our four world centres, four places around the world where guides come together in friendship and learn about each other's history and culture. After a short lecture by the ACLs, the patrols moved on to do different activities relating to the countries where our four world centres are situated. Patrols 1, 3, 5 did yarn painting-a type of mexican craft and patrols 7,9 cooked rosti-a swiss dish. On the other day, y1s and 3s from patrols 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 did indian dance while their y2s and 4s did english embroidery.

As for patrol activity, the PLs planned various activities for their patrols, but the focus was to prepare their juniors for the pioneering course on Saturday.

Below are some reflections from the guides:

p3/7's activity:

On 11 March, we had a combined Patrol Activity. Firstly, the Year 1s combined and started learning and perfecting the lashes we learn in guides, which are very basic and fundamental towards building any structures.

The Y2s and Y3s were separated and given 3 minutes to get whatever we needed to build a patrol flagpole, and then we had to build it. Initially, we had to ask for several time extensions because we were rather slow and could not finish it in time. After taking around 15 minutes to finish it, we then went to each other’s patrols and learnt about how a standard flagpole should be, and how we can improve. Our next try at tying a standard flagpole turned out to be much more successful, and this time we managed to finish it in 8 minutes. Good job! This activity indeed allowed us to recap on the proper way to build a standard flagpole, a representation of an area belonging to a group. :)

After the flagpole, we then ran through the way to build an emergency shelter most efficiently, using the resources we were provided. Y4 seniors then taught us the suggested or ideal way to tie an emergency shelter alone, which is especially important if there is a lack of manpower.
After that, the Y1s and Y2s had to tie a standard baggage rack and shoe rack. Through the activity, they learnt that they should move faster to get things done, work together with others in order to do things efficiently, and that the Y2s should always be clear of what to do and what logistics are required. After which, they Y2s then taught the various guides songs to the Y1s.

Concurrently, the year 3s were to tie a kitchen table. At the start, we were quite slow in tying the 2 tripods. As we progressed, there was an improvement in our sense of urgency, but I believed we could have done better. Towards the end, we had trouble tying the chairs on to the table as we did not arrange the mu properly such that we had sufficient space to tie the chairs to the ding jiaos. Overall, the seniors felt that our knots were quite tight, which was good, but we had to improve on our sense of urgency and tie the knots more quickly.

p10's initiatives:
Last Friday, my patrol had initiatives as it was an even numbered patrol. The year 1s and 3s combined to learn Indian dance while the year 2s and 4s joined together to learn English embroidery.

For Indian dance, we learnt three different dance forms which include the Bhangra and J-Ho. The dance instructor started us off with some simple steps and after practicing for a few times, she turned on the music. Every time she switched on the soundtrack, we would all follow her dance moves as closely as we could and after completing the steps up to the portions that we know, she would introduce new steps and all of us would try to stumble along.

All of us had come to the lessons with different thoughts, ideas and experiences. I guess most of us were rather skeptical and had no much interest towards this course. However, since after the first round of music, many of us had been won over. We were having loads of fun and were laughing at our awkward moves. I feel that, one of the main lessons we took away, other than the dance moves, was the fact that different dances can be enjoyed by different races and cultures all over the world. It can help us connect to our fellow guides in India, and other countries.

After the instructor has left, we were told that the purpose of this initiative was to allow us to learn more about one of the world centers which is in India, called Sangam. The WAGGGS association has four such world centers all over the globe, namely Pax Lodge, Our Cabana, Our Chalet and Sangam. The rest of the company will learn about the other three world centers. The initiative have allowed us to experience what others are doing and connect better with our world center, and we have learnt much from it. It had been a very interesting and enriching experience.

As for the year 2s and 4s, they had English embroidery. They learnt to embroider pictures on to cloth. Mostly, it consists of stitching flowers and tracing out shapes on to cloth, with the help of tracing paper and carbon paper. The activity ties in to the world center that they are learning about, which is the Pax Lodge, located in London. For them, the experience was something that they did not expect as well, and very interesting.

2011-02-27T08:55:00.002+08:00

Here is another post on thinking day celebrations and campfire :)

On 19th Feb, we had our annual Thinking Day celebrations at Geylang Methodist Sec School. Guides from other schools were there to join in the fun too! It was nice being able to bond with guides from the district to share experiences and connect with the other guides celebrating thinking day! :) We sang all the guides songs and the atmosphere then was simply amazing. Everyone was happy and enjoying this special day. There was also a mini concert which boosted our moods even more! The performances put up by the various schools were interesting, and we can see that a lot of effort was put in to put up a show for all of us.

At around 12, we went back to school for campfire preparation. After all the patrol corners and building of structures, a short activity and talk regarding thinking day, we were ready for campfire! :D The campfire was really a memorable experience. We sang, danced and watched the performances by other patrols. The light sticks also enhanced the atmosphere greatly and it felt as though all of the work put in to make the campfire happen was totally worth it. I think we should have more activities like this, it truly brings us guides together more and we can have fun at the same time! Lastly, we enjoyed the Thinking Day celebrations very much and are all glad to spend more time with the whole company.

2011-02-27T08:42:00.002+08:00

Dear guides:) Here's a post regarding thinking day celebrations and campfire :)

On 19 February, a few guides went to Geylang Methodist Secondary (GMS) to celebrate Thinking
Day with other schools. When we arrived, we assembled and we split into groups, mainly the
songleaders, those who took care of the old folks and others who watched the performance.

The purpose of holding the celebrations in different districts was to be more aligned with the CDC in our community work. The emcees for the celebration were Ruoting and Anyi and the songleaders were also from our school! Everyone was engaging themselves in the songs while waiting for the guest of honour. After his arrival, we renewed our promise and sang our world song. Then, it was time for a concert! There were various interesting performances by the schools.

From this celebration, I got to see the different guides from other schools and celebrate thinking day together. On that day, I felt bonded with the other guides and this was an event for us to come together to celebrate.

Then, we took a bus back to school to continue with the celebrations. We had lunch first before
we split up into different groups to prepare for the campfire. I was a songleader so we started practicing for the campfire. At the beginning of the practice, we were tired and not very loud when we were singing. But after the encouragement from our seniors, we sang louder and put in more energy in our actions.

Then it was time for an activity regarding thinking day! We had a little stimulation game to introduce the theme of lack in opportunities in some other countries. This allowed us to think a little more before we had a 3 part talk in the lecture theatre. They are thinking day, world association of girl guides and girl scouts and girl guides in singapore.

Then, we had patrol corner and we had time to practice on our skit.

Patrol 1 and 7 performed on ‘Think about food’, patrol 2 and 5 performed on discovering our
potential, patrol 4 and 8 presented on water, patrol 9 and 10 presented on world poverty and hunger while patrol 3 and 6 performed about empowerment of woman.

After patrol corner, we had dinner and a little bit more time for the juniors to learn our campfire songs.

Then, it was campfire!! We started singing and dancing and we truly enjoyed the
campfire. As a songleader, I really enjoyed leading everyone in singing the songs and lifting everyone’s spirits. This was the first time I was an emcee too and I learned a lot from this experience. The performances from each patrol were enjoyable too. :D

Although after everything, we were very tired, we still enjoyed every moment of it. I am sure
everyone enjoyed 2011 Thinking day celebrations as it was a different experience from the conventional thinking day celebrations.

HAPPY THINKING DAY!! :D :D

2011-02-27T07:56:00.005+08:00

Hey hey hey! It's thinking day.
Here're some photos from our thinking day campfire at night :)
Enjoy!

2011-02-27T07:49:00.002+08:00

Dear guides:) Here is a post regarding year 1 welcome party and cny celebrations:)

On February 11, we welcomed our new batch of Y1s! :D Before they came in, everyone was feeling extremely enthusiastic about anticipating our new juniors.

After they joined us in our patrols, we broke off for patrol corner. My patrol started off with giving the Y1s some gifts and notes to welcome them into guides. Following that, we played 3 truths and 1 lie, whereby everyone had to say 3 truths and 1 lie about themselves and the rest of the patrol were to guess which was the lie :) Through this activity, we got to know more about each other better. We proceeded on to combine with Patrol 8 for a game of blow wind blow.

When patrol corner was over, we had some company games. The games allowed everyone from different levels to interact with one another, while taking the opportunity to teach the juniors, as well as remind us about some basic points to take note in guides (: And finally, after all the games, it was time for our Chinese New Year steamboat!

Firstly, each patrol took turns to wish our guiders happy new year, wishing them the best for the rest of the year. Then, the steamboat started! There was a lot of delicious food and it was a great time for each patrol to bond among themselves. It was very heartwarming to see the Y2s taking a lot of initiative to talk to the Y1s, making them feel welcome into our big guiding family. Hopefully, our new Y1s will learn to love guides as much as we do! :)

Here is another post:)

For jihe today, we welcomed four new year 1s to our patrol. In order to make them feel welcomed, as well as to know them better, we played icebreaker games such as "Blow wind Blow" after a self introduction by everyone. Anyone who had been the last one to get a seat for more than three times had to do a forfeit. It was really fun getting to see the year 1s joining us wholeheartedly and laughing at one another at how we rushed around during the game. Then we had company games.

Company games allowed the year 1s to meet more guides from other patrols and offered a chance for all guides to interact. Through the company games, we got to know guides from other levels and patrols more and will aid in inter-patrol communication. Then, we had patrol reunion dinner:)

The welcoming of new year 1s is a very large change for our patrol for our initially small patrol. With the new addition of year 1s, we would now have to learn how to utilize our now larger manpower well so as to carry out the given tasks efficiently. Hopefully, we would be able to accomplish this well and soon so that we can all have more fun during future jihes.

Once again, we welcome year 1s to the brand new journey of guiding with us. :)

2011-02-27T07:20:00.005+08:00

Dear guides! Here are some pictures from the year1 welcome party and cny celebrations!

P9 Sparrow

P10 Swallow

P5 Sunflower

P8 Oriole

P3 Jasmine

P7 Kingfisher

P6 Dove

P1 Bougainvillea

P2 Ixora

P4 Orchid

(not available)

2011-02-21T19:08:00.001+08:00

Dear guides:)

Here's an update regarding the course work planned by our young unit leaders from a year3 :) Hope that all of you have learnt something from it!:)

Our first station was at the 3rd floor gym where we were told to wheelbarrow across three tracking signs and decipher one of them. Next, we had to go to the tennis court and climb over the walls. We were given a total of 20 minutes to complete these tasks. As our patrol completed early, we played the squirrel and tree game. From this game, we can learn that we should have more team spirit. We those qualities, each and every one of us will feel connected and bonded as a patrol and activities we go through together will be much more memorable too.

Our second station was at open space level 5 where we had to transport a "golden mushroom". This requires a lot of communication within the patrol and the patrol leader. Also, the patrol must listen and follow the patrol leader's instructions and not do things by themselves.

The third station was at the staircase behind the flagpoles. The year 2s had to light up a fire. Next, the year 2s will follow the year 4s and commando crawl up the stairs while the year threes are to go on their own. The year 3s have to tie a rope ladder for the patrol to climb down safely. After ensuring the stability of the ladder, the whole patrol is to go down the ladder. This station is to test our skills, the year 2s the firelighting skills and year 3s whether they know how to tie a rope ladder.

The next station was at level 1 linkway. It was the minesweeper station. However this time, they incorporated the snake and ladder life size board game. As the year 2s have never tried before, the patrol leader had a hard time trying to support them as they made their way.

Lastly, it was the station and 3F and 3G. We had to transport the holy water while doing the caterpillar walk. Then they tested our first aid skills and also carrying the stretcher through obstacles. Team spirit is very important and we have to look out for one another.

This OJ is very meaningful and memorable as it has a special theme and a special aim. I am sure all the guides enjoyed it.

2011-02-01T00:42:00.003+08:00

Hello guides!!

Happy Chinese New Year in advance! In the year of the Rabbit, let's all be gleeful and enthusiastic in everything that we'll be entrusted with as a rabbit is energetic and bubbly!

Continue to let your guiding light shine in the upcoming year. Law 7, a guide has courage and is cheerful in all difficulties :)

Enjoy your little break and the well deserved time with your family and friends. Do look forward to the time where we'll be celebrating cny with sister guides!

Yours in guiding,

Ruoting and Chaining

2011-01-31T23:09:00.003+08:00

Hey guides! Here are reflections from various patrol activities. It is the first time we are having patrol based activity during official cca time and it is heartening to see that all of us had fun that day! :)

P1
My patrol went to the second level area above the general science lab area to tie our patrol’s baggage rack. We were given tasks to do such that we would be able to finish tying the baggage rack in time. When we finished tying the structure, we took a step back and realised that the structure was slanted, however we ran out of time and could not fix the problem in time. While listening to our seniors’ comments on the baggage rack, we learnt about what we had done wrong during the process of tying the baggage rack, the tightness of our lashes also have to be worked on. Also, we learnt that the rack was slanted as we did not keep our main pole straight. While tying a structure, we should take a few steps back to look at the how the structure was looking like to be able to amend mistakes in time.
Then, in guides uniform, our seniors then taught us how to jihe properly. She pointed out a few mistakes and told us what we were going to do next. We had a changing parade till we could assemble in the proper way. We have to learn from each time we assemble and, at the end, there was noticeable change in the way we assemble.
After that, from a sharing session where we share about our strengths and weaknesses, we also learnt about how guides was going to be like, and by sharing our strengths and weaknesses, we also learn other people's strength and weaknesses, this can help us to help each other improve

P2

For patrol activity, we revised our basic lashes and were required to build a kitchen dresser within thirty five minutes. Our patrol morale was rather low at the start, and our speed was rather slow too. It was only towards the end when we had constant cheering and a much better sense of urgency. Some of our mistakes were that our structure was a little unstable and some of our lashes were loose. We also learnt how to raft before dismantling the dresser. After that, we had patrol PT .:)

All in all, I feel that today was very meaningfully spent. We revised our lashes, giving us the chance to clarify any doubts that we had about the knots or lashes. We also were able to identify the areas that we had to work on, such as remembering to cheer and baoshi constantly. Today's activity also allowed us to understand one another better and help us bond closer together as a patrol.
Looking forward to the next patrol jihe together :)

P3
Hello!
For Patrol Activity last Friday, our first task was to tie a kitchen dresser within 35 minutes. We were very slow initially and had to ask for time extension. We learnt that we can be more efficient with proper manpower allocation. Another point to note is that we can try to think of ways to make use of all the mu we have, and not add additional redundant stuff. Instead, we can think of how else it can help to stabilize the structure.
Next, we were given 5 minutes to improvise a creative gadget on the spot, and 40 minutes to tie it. For this, our patrol decided to tie a baggage rack cum shoe rack. The structure ended up to be rather unstable, as it was only supported by 2 A架. Instead, we could have tried using tripods. However, we did complete the activity within the time limit this time round.
Overall, our lashes were generally tight, so good job P3! On the other hand, our patrol spirit was rather low. Cheering can boost our morale, thus it should be done loudly and continuous, and that is something that we have to bear in mind.
After this, we ran to the Y1Y2 block, and were given 6 minutes to mass change into our guides uniform. We exceeded our time limit, as we did not take not of the time and hence did not ask for a time extension. We should constantly keep track of the time to instill the sense of urgency in us. The seniors then went though the different guide etiquettes with us, and clarified our doubts.
To end off the day, we were again given 6 minutes to mass change back and put our coy tees in tuanbu. This time we managed to finish in time! I think our patrol improved throughout the day that day, so once again, good job!!

P4
Today, it is the first time that we are having patrol activity, The year 2s were told to take the logistics needed while the year 3s stay in the boy style position. This is to help the year2s have a sense of urgency to bring the logistics quickly. After they brought the logistics, we started our first game.
Our first game is to tie our legs to a junior/senior and go around tying lashes. This is to help us to bond together as a patrol and help us cooperate with each other better. We tied the tripod lash, square lash and diagonal lash respectively. Our patrol did a good job in this, and the seniors were all happy with us.
After this, we had a challenge to spend 40 minutes to tie an indoor fire altar. We cooperated with each other closely and tried our best. However, we had to ask for time extension and some items were taken away as we did not take care of them. We’ll improve on these aspects  We then did our forfeit, which includes running and jumping jacks.
After that we had our patrol corner. We played many games together and this helps us to be closer to one another. Overall this activity helped us to be more bonded and was really enjoyable!

P5
For patrol activity, our Years 4s timed and tested us on our lashes like square and diagonal. We also practiced our tripod lash and was taught how to tie and open the quadrapod.
Then, we continued on with building the baggage rack. Here we learned that to improve the stability of a gadget, we should increase more contact points with the ground or the main mu. Tying a cross across the base would also help!
Following on, we builtour kitchen table. Although it was a little fei jiao at the end due to the very bad standard of our tripod lash, i think overall we did well!

We look forward to our next patrol activity!

P6
First, all of us had to do 站马步 against the wall, while two people will step out each time. One would be tying a lash the other would be playing charades with the rest of the patrolWe had to finish 7 words before the person tying ties finish. Through this activity, I learnt that, at times, we must be creative and think out of the box. We must also be quick in decisions so as to not waste time.
Next, we were given something to comb the area for 37 sweets. There was a piece of paper with a letter of guides code attached to each and every one of the sweet. We were given a few minutes to decode the message and unscramble the letters and make out the sentence. All of us were focusing on unscrambling our own words and as a result, we exceeded the time limit. If we had better communication, things would have turned out more smoothly.
The decoded message was "We can finish a kitchen dresser in 40 minutes." We could make up what we were supposed to do before decoding the message due to the keywords. When we were tying the kitchen dresser, we took care of our logistics. However, we need to be more familiar with the basic gadgets and practice our lashes.
Lastly, we had to think of a creative gadget and tie it. Upon brainstorming, we decided to do a limbo dance gadget. In the process of tying, we found out what we should have done instead to make the gadget a better one. We thought of how we should act on our mistakes right on the spot instead of leaving to the next time to correct it. Creativity and practicality of the structure are equally important.

All in all, it was a memorable patrol activity and I really enjoyed it -- the process and all I've learnt. I look forward to the next jihe as there are endless things to learn and knowledge to be gained!

P7
Last Friday, our guides activity was quite different from what we did usually. Instead of having activities as a jie, we separated into our own patrols. This way, we got to spend more time within our own patrol and learn/improve skills and develop stronger bond between the patrol.
Firstly, Amanda asked us to take the gadget poles required for building shoe rack, kitchen dresser and baggage rack. From this skills training activity, the yr2s can improve on their tying of lashes and also know the structure better; while the yr3s got a chance to become the PL and learn to lead and give out instructions. Although at times we were not very sure of what to do, and needed to be reminded to ask for time extensions and time keeping, it was overall a good practice as we all gained something from it. We also demonstrated patrol spirit when we helped each other and cheered each other on during punishments or tying structures.
Then, we had patrol PT. It was quite a tough one because we had to carry our bags while training. However, all the encouragements from the seniors spurred us on, and although we were all tired, we cheered to keep our spirits up. Practices like these also build up our stamina, and prepares us for physical exercises in the future.
Overall, I think last friday's patrol corner is a successful and fun one, and we all gained knowledge and learnt something new. We also bonded more as a patrol. :)

P8
For last week’s jihe, we first had to ding boy style while 2 people go out to tie lashes and the yr 4s will give us the number of gadget poles depending on the quality of the lash. We had to collect all the gadget poles so that later on in the activity, we will be able to tie a kitchen dresser and portable shoe rack. After tying all the gadgets, the yr 4s had a surprise for us and it was giving us 3 bananas, a packet of m&n to make a dessert. We shared them after dismantling the gadget
We learn that cheering is very important as it will keep the patrol’s morale high and the need to persevere and finish tying all the gadgets despite the lack of manpower. We should also always remember to keep track of the time and ask for time extension 5 minutes before the time is up.

P9
On 21 January, we had our first patrol activity during jihe. For P9, we tied our creative gadget. Before jihe, we drew up a proposal for the patrol activity and we decided to make a toliet for the creative gadget. We went to the lvl 5 empty space and we started by practicing our basic lashes first. We were timed for our different lashes.
Then, we went on the tie our creative gadget. We quickly arranged the mu in order and started tying. We managed to adhere to the time limit and we tied a stable and useful toilet. However, our toilet was not very appropriate as the person using the toilet would have difficulties sitting on the toilet bowl. This was a point that all of us had to improve on. Our basin was not feasible too as we added it at the last minute and the design of it was not good and stable.
From this creative gadget, the year 3s learnt how to lead the year 2s and we improve our patrol spirit and became more bonded. After that, we went through the li jies and practiced our marching. Before this patrol activity, the year 2s did not know how to march but after learning the different commands, I am sure their marching skills improved. 
As we still had time left before jihe, the year 4s asked us to tie a baggage rack. Usually, I would have thought that it was impossible as we did not have any proposal and we did not prepare beforehand. However, we managed to tie on the spot and it turned out quite well. We were impressed as we really improved a lot since we just joined guides as in the past, we would not be able to tie a baggage rack in a short time without proposal.
From this jihe, I learnt many things, like leading, marching and I also realized that I had improved a lot through these years. 

P10
Last Friday was the first time that we had activity in our own patrols and not as whole company together and combining patrols.
After we were broken off to do our activities in our patrols, we started with the building of our creative gadget. It was a combination of a shoe rack and a kitchen dresser and we had drawn up a proposal beforehand. However, even though the gadget was created by us and therefore we should be very familiar with it, however we still could not finish the whole thing in time. Moreover, throughout the whole tying process, our cheering was not very constant and we often lapse into silence.
Next, after we had untied the whole structure, we were given another proposal and told to tie the gadget with the gadget poles provided. It was a clothes rack for us to hang clothes on. The clothes rack was something new that we have never tried before. This time, our attempt was slightly more successful in that we were able to adhere to the time limit given. While tying, we had to make some adjustments with the mus used as we realized that we were not tall enough to hit the longer mus in to the ground and had to change and hence lower the whole structure.
Finally, our last task was tent pitching. The seniors had taken out one of each of the tents that we have in the tuanbu, and they taught us how to pitch them. There were the dome tent and the eight man tent. In comparison, the dome tent was very much easier and less complicated; we only had to slide the rods into the slots on the tent and the tent is up. The eight man tent required slightly more work. It is different from the tents that we used during ATC as it does not have a ridge in the centre to hold the sheet up, but only had two vertical poles as support. We had to tie ma shengs at the four corners and along the sides as well.
From the jihe, we learnt a lot of new things. It is not necessary bad to have activities only amongst our patrol as the whole idea of a patrol is to allow us to bond and get to know each other. We look forward to the next jihe.

Orientation 2011

2011-01-11T21:46:00.006+08:00

Hi guides,
after a month of prep in December, orientation finally was concluded on the 8th of January where all the scouts and guides came down to showcase the best of our cca! Below are some posts from our guides:

from the OICs;
On Saturday, we had cca orientation for the year1s, which was the time to showcase our cca to them. It was the time where we were able to share with them and their parents about what guides is all about and why they should join guides.
In order to prepare for this day, we had orientation preparation on the 20th, 21st and 23rd of December. These orientation preps were used to try out the different structures that we were going to have on the actual day. It also included the trying out the games and outdoor cooking and the making of the banners and posters which were used and pasted around the school.

The first orientation prep day started out slow as many of us were new to the committees and were not sure of what we had to do for the respective gadgets or structures. It was also the first time for the year2s this year in many of the stuffs we did, which includes doing traditional games for the first time or tying structures using spars. There were many mistakes and confusion on the way but these are all areas and points which are meant to be improved on and taken note of at the next orientation prep.

For the second and third day, things went on more smoothly as we were getting used to our respective task for the specific committees. There were also a lot of improvements made since the first try and things got better along the way. During these two days, performances rehearsals were also conducted with and without audiences to allow the performers to get a feel of how it would be on the actual day. As the days progressed, the performers got better at their respective traditional games and also managed to shorten their timings from the first day. Overall, it was great effort put in by everyone through these prep days, where we were able to try out and modify our original ideas and designs such that it would turn our better at the end of the day.

Soon school started and the actual orientation day was drawing near. We stayed back on the 6th and also 7th of January to prepare for the actual day. On 6th, the main frames of the structures were done such that it would make things faster and easier on the next day when erecting the structures. On Friday, everyone stayed back to get all the things up and done, which includes the games, structures and also the different decorations around the booth. Not only that, performance rehearsals with other UGs were also conducted to ensure that the whole programme would flow well and be interesting to the year1s. The day soon ended and most of the stuffs were ready for the next day.

On the 8th of January, we gathered in school at 7am to have some final touches to our structures and booths. By 8am, we were all in our full guides uniform and ready to welcome the year1s and get to know them better. The ushers played an important part throughout the cca exhibition as they were the ones who brought the year1s around the area and explained to them certain parts of the structures and to also answer their queries about guides. The year1s seemed to have fun playing the games prepared for them and also the experience of climbing up to a two-storey kitchen shelter and the platform on the gateway.

Hope everyone had fun during cca orientation and also got to know more year1s through this short interaction time with them. As what Mrs Poh says, since we have put in our best for this cca orientation, it is already good enough. The outcome does not matter, but it would be a bonus for us if more year1s put guides as their first choice for cca.

It was a good start to the new year and for the first activity for year. Jiayous for the rest of the jihes in future!

From the performance team;
For orientation this year, there were three performances from the guides and scouts, which were monkey climb (sheng qiao), fireman’s ladder and sour grapes. Monkey climb is an all-guides team, sour grapes was an all-scouts team, while fireman’s ladder was a team made up of both scouts and guides. Before the start of the actual preparation days from orientation, the performance team met up in school on the 17th to try out the structure. As there were many who were doing it for the first time, we wanted them to be able to get a feel of how to climb the structure as well as to get them prepared for the preparation days. Although it was the first time for most of them, they picked up fast and were able to cross the structure well without falling after a few tries. The timing may be slower for the first few times, but after awhile they got better at it.

On the first day of preparations, we started off with warm up, and then brought the structure to the MRL where we trained for the 3 days. Warm up is very important, as without it, we would get muscle aches very easily and hence be unable to perform to our best potential. Initially, the pace was very slow, such as when tying the ding jiao. As the performance team, moving quickly is also very important. When we run in and out, getting into positions and when we jihe, we have to be very quick. It will show the energy in us, and that will further impress the year 1s!

Not only that, morale is really very important to the performance teams. With a low morale, the year 1s would not feel the fun aspect of guiding and especially since we were to perform on the spot and the year 1s would judge us by that, having a high morale and energy is especially important.

On the second day, the pace of things was faster. The day before, the performers were told to reflect on themselves and think of areas they could improve on. We also bonded more, and as a performance team, team work is the most important. Even with one missing person, we would not be able to carry out our performance. We had to work together, like when placing the mattress and setting up the structure. We also timed ourselves to allow us to know our own timing so we could improve. I could see that everyone put in their best effort to perform well and challenge themselves to cross faster.

2 days later, we had a performance rehearsal, one without audience and one with the scouts and guides acting as audience. This was to get us prepared for the actual day where we had to perform in front of the year 1s and some parents. Overall, I could see that all the performers, every single one of them, put in their best effort and trained really really hard despite all the pain and muscle aches.

On the day of CCA orientation, all the performance teams put up an excellent and amazing performance and literally ‘wow-ed’ the audience! Performance is not only about impressing others, but also learning new things and having fun while bonding with the rest of the guides!

From a year 3;
On the 8th of January, we had our annual CCA Orientation, which was to give the new year 1s an overview of what we do in Guides and Scouts. For this orientation, we were split up into various committees, such as gadgets, gateway, kitchen shelter, performance, outdoor cooking, mini games, and publicity, and we had several days of preparation for this day during the December holidays, such that things would run smoother and we would be well-prepared for it.

We had 3 days of prep, and we tried to make use of our time in these 3 days to practice hard for what we are supposed to do. I was in gadgets comm., and for us, we had to take note of certain features of the gadget (kitchen table). For example, the barbeque pit and seat should be tied at a comfortable height for the year1s, such that they would not have troubles using the features. Another thing that I learnt was that we should take note of the protrusion of the spars. However, I think that the most important was that we should’ve tied tighter lashes by chou-ing more and holding tension, such that the gadget would be more stable and safe. Furthermore, we should always make use of our time extensions instead of taking them for granted. In general, I think that all the guides and scouts had practiced equally hard for the orientation day, in order to ensure that it was a success.

Finally, on the actual day itself, our efforts paid off as many of the year 1s seemed rather interested in what we had to showcase to them, and some even asked questions regarding the activities. When the year1s came down to the area, the scouts performed lion dance for them, and after that, we did the adiji yell to welcome them. Next, the ushers brought them around the Guides’ and Scouts’ area to tell them more about what we do and to make them feel more welcomed. Many of them were impressed after knowing that we built the gateway, kitchen shelter and kitchen tables ourselves, and at the mini games area, we could tell that they had a fun time playing the games, especially the Gladiator. Lastly, after 6 classes finished touring the UG area, we had the performance. The hard work and practices of the performers paid off too, as the performances were really good, and the year1s appeared to be really engrossed with them. As for the 2nd batch of students, some of their parents came with them to watch the performances, and they too, seemed to have a good impression of our CCA. Hence, I think that we had done a pretty good job for this CCA orientation, and thus, this shows that practice (orientation prep) makes perfect! As the theme for this year’s orientation was ‘Painting your Rainbow’, we hope that, through joining Guides and Scouts, the Y1s could find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. (:

After the year1s left, we started to clean up. The orientation seemed to be rather successful, and I think that this orientation was very meaningful, not only did I have a chance to brush up on my skills; I also realized that hard work always pay off. (:

Lastly, from OIC Chai Ning;
To all guides: While you were encouraging new y1s to pick up the paintbrush and join scouts and guides, hope that all of you had fun painting a part of your rainbow during orientation as well (:

2010-11-14T02:19:00.003+08:00

Hey guides!

Here are some pictures taken by Mrs Poh during ball room dancing !

2010-11-12T21:25:00.003+08:00

Dear guides:)

Here's a post regarding ballroom dancing initiatives by a year2:)

On Monday, the year 1s and year 2s had ballroom dancing as initiatives!

Before the initiative starts, the dance teacher gave us a brief introduction on ballroom dancing and some interesting facts. Then, we started doing the basic steps of the dance, Cha-cha. We then paired up with someone of compatible height and split into the left and right teams, doing the male and female role respectively. The left team is known as the "leaders" as they usually lead the dance. After practicing the basic steps, we danced to the music. As we have to dance at a much faster pace, we got very confused after a while because we are still not very familiar with the steps.

Next, we learnt the New York steps, whereby we had to do a 90 degrees turn. We then learnt the shoulder-to-shoulder steps, turning 45 degrees. After practicing the 3 steps, we put them together to form a dance, 4 basic steps, 4 shoulder-to-shoulder steps, 4 basic steps again and end off with 4 New York steps. The right team then had to learn how to turn at the 3rd New York step to a new partner. As it was rather simple to just turn, we did not have much practice on it.

To make the lesson more fun, the teacher made us form a circle, the left team forming the inner circle while the right team forms the outer one. After every set of dance, the right team had to turn to the next partner in anti-clockwise direction and dance with their new partner. It was very fun but at the same time confusing as the right team did not turn fast enough and we did not count consistently. We tried a second time and it was much better as we remembered to count consistently. The second part of the lessons was very enjoyable as we got to know one another better.

Hope we have another session like this! (:

Love Guides!

2010-11-12T18:31:00.001+08:00

Dear guides, we had clean up on 9nov followed by initiatives!

Here's a post by a year3 who went for paintball initiatives:)

Clean-up for ATC ended quickly and we had our initiatives! The y3s were going to experience Paintball for the first time and we were all excited about it. :)

Upon arrival, we had a safety briefing and also watched a video on speed paintball which we would not get to try as we were still beginners at that time. Despite so, we enjoyed the video and even had to contain our excitement while listening to the instructors.

We were shocked when the instructor accidentally fired off an empty shot during the briefing but he told us it was okay and jokingly asked if we were scared. Honestly, some of us grew afraid but we all bravely experienced our first try of Paintball in the end.

Even though we had to compete in teams to attain the objectives of each round, all of us were happy that we got to experience something new and it was so fun that we didn’t want it to end so quickly.

Initiatives allowed us to end this year’s activities on a good note and hope all of you guides have enjoyed yourselves as much as the y3s did.

Have a good break before activities resume in December! :)

Love Guides! :)

ATC y1 n 2

2010-11-08T22:11:00.002+08:00

Hi guides, below are the posts about ATC by a y1 and y2:

y1:

On 29th November, it’s time for Pre-Camp Inspection. As a Year One, we could not imagine what inspection would be like, how it would be carried out, yet we knew that it would be a serious event, thus making us feel more nervous, excited, but more of the spirit to help the seniors. We knew we have to be very prepared for this event. Through this Pre-camp Inspection, it let us, juniors who are new to ATC, to get how ATC would be like, and how important it is to prepare everything. Also, we knew that we have to keep up our patrol’s spirit throughout the whole ATC, because ATC would be a whole lot tougher than the Inspection, but we knew with constant cheering, we could persevere even more, through these hard times.

Day1
Finally, the big day had arrived. We jihed at 7.30a.m. Everyone was very excited on the way there.

The first event was Camp D. Each patrol was supposed to pitch 2 tents. Many of us were clueless as to what to do when we had to pitch tents, we should work on this skill. However, we still helped the seniors carry the canvas sheets etc. After that, we started pitching the tents or building their kitchen shelter. As a Year One, we are quite unsure of how to build all these structures, but I realized it was also important that we should never stand around and do nothing. We can always help our seniors by asking them what to do, and also helping them tie simple lashes. We can also help bao-shi and cheer.

Through Camp D, I realized that time management and man power allocation is a very important for camp D. We should also always move and act fast.

After dinner, we had Night PT. Although it was tough, we tried our best and persevered till the end. Although we were tired out after Camp D, we tried our best so it was something encouraging.

Day 2
On the second day, we had our flag raising ceremony. After that was inspection. Inspection was a rush and we exceeded time limit, because we were a bit slow in laying out our items. The Year Ones struggled with it too because we were new to in camp inspection. But the seniors gave us instruction and we managed to pass through the inspection! Through this, I learnt that inspection is also about communicating within your patrol and others.

After inspection, we cleared up and it was time for outdoor cooking. We first prepared the food at the dining hall while the others start the fire. Starting and sustaining fire are skills that we have yet to master, but I learnt a lot from my seniors through this outdoor cooking. We settled down and enjoyed the food that we had cooked ourselves! It was indeed a fun experience.

Finally, it was time for OJ. The OJ was rather different from what we had experienced in school. Thus, we got to encounter different kinds of situation that we would face in the campsite that were not possible to carry out in school. Also, this OJ required not only our physical ability but also our ability to adapt to changes and using your knowledge and apply it into good use. For example, one of the station required us to transport our items across the imaginary river using the A jia that was provided for us. We thus needed to use our knowledge of using lashes to secure our item and transporting them. We also must be practical and the methods used must be feasible. It often requires us to think through and plan properly, before we proceed into carrying out anything. Hence, we could say that it was a brand new experience, with a lot of valuable lessons learnt.

After all the activities, it was the long awaited Campfire. Te song leaders led the songs and we followed in a merry and joyous mood, while the campfire was burning. We watched different patrols displayed the campfire item that they had prepared for a long time and enjoyed ourselves to the fullest. Campfire was indeed an event for us to relax and also to bond as a company.

After the campfire, it was supper time! We had barbecue. After that, it was time to sleep. At around 1 plus, there was a Fire drill. Many of us were caught unprepared and some of us were flustered. Hence, we got a scolding and had to pump. However, this taught us a lesson to always stay alert to your surroundings. Also, in times of emergency, always help the people in need instead of just caring about yourself. We should always help the patrol mates who were injured because they indeed need more help than us. Through this, we would be more alert.

Day 3

The last day of the camp. We woke up early for breakfast and strike camp. After that, it was time for company games! That was a time to relax and really have fun. The fun we had chased away the tired feeling we had. After company games, it was time to head back to school.

Through this ATC, it definitely trained me to be a faster, stronger person, and also to adapt to the different problems faced. I learnt that the patrol spirit is everything. With a good and high patrol spirit, everything would be all right after all. Last but not least, thank you counselors, thank you Guiders, for the incessant support and encouragement you all had given us in the 3 days. Even though this was the first year that I had attended ATC, but it brought back good memories.

y2:

Pre-camp inspection
On 29th of November, we had pre-camp inspection. The year one and year two guides had a rehearsal on the day before to prepare for the inspection. We had to lay out all of our items that we needed to bring to camp for our seniors to check. This is to ensure that we were ready for camp and that all items were present. The inspection turned out to be quite smooth because we managed to stick to the time our seniors gave us and we had most of the items needed for camp. After inspection, the seniors briefed us about our overall performance on that day and told us to be prepared for ATC.

Annual Training Camp

Day 1
We reported to school at 7.30am and set off to Sarimbun Camp not long after. We started the day with Camp Development, and we were given 45 minutes to build a tent as well as a kitchen shelter, to be shared among 2 patrols. The tent was different from what we built in last year’s ATC, hence we were required to improvise and figure out on how to build the tent. Unfortunately, we were unable to finish it in time and thus, we had to ask for time extension. Through the first part of Camp D, we learnt that having a sense of urgency is important and also, teamwork and cooperation is required to work well with our patrol mates too.

After that, we had our lunch before continuing on the second part of Camp D, which is building our gadgets.

The second part of Camp D required us to build shoe racks, a baggage rack and a dustbin. It tested on our lashes as they had to be tight in order for the gadgets to be stable. Again, we had to constantly 报时 to ensure that we were in time. We had to work as quickly as possible in order to finish all the gadgets.

Camp D lasted until dinner time and I believe all of the trainees had benefitted a lot from it. It taught us to have a sense of urgency and to listen to the PL’s instructions clearly. Communication within the patrol is also a vital point that we learnt during Camp D too.

After we had our dinner, it was night PT. There were a total of 6 stations, and through night PT, we improved our perseverance level. All of us also cheered loudly to keep the patrol morale high. As the night PT was tough, each of us needed to spur our patrol mates on in order to get through the night PT. From this, we improved our mental and physical ability. It was certainly an enriching experience for the trainees.

As it started to rain heavily after that, we were unable to carry out the night games. We had been looking forward to it throughout the whole day and it was quite a pity that we could not carry it out. We went to sleep at the multi-purpose hall instead.

Day 2

We had morning warmup and then we went to have our breakfast. After that, we had inspection. This time, we had to bring all of our baggage as well as our Styrofoam boxes to lay out. Again, we had to act fast and lay out our items as neat as possible. Then, we proceeded to outdoor cooking.

Starting the fire was not easy because many of us had to try multiple times in order to sustain the fire. Outdoor cooking was fun because we get to cook our own food. We were given chicken, mushrooms and soup to cook for our own patrol, which would be our lunch. It turned out to be extremely delicious and we all ate our lunch heartily.

In the afternoon, we had OJ. This OJ we had was very different from the normal OJs as it required us to think more and make use of whatever we had with us. Once again, to carry out the task, we were required to communicate within the patrol and listen to our patrol mates’ suggestions. This OJ was a very memorable one because the situations we faced were totally unexpected and hence, we had to be prepared and work together as a patrol. The PL’s instructions were also very important as they had to be clear so that the patrol mates could carry them out. Thus, this OJ was very beneficial to the trainees.

At night, we had the most exciting event in the camp, which was Campfire! It was the time for us to relax and enjoy ourselves thoroughly after all the strenuous activities. Campfire was very fun and interesting because the songleaders were very entertaining, singing many songs for the audience. Some of us were also given the chance to participate in the campfire. It was a wonderful night because we sang our hearts out and felt very happy during the campfire.

After that, we had barbeque for supper. We had marshmallows, hot dogs and crabmeat to eat. We enjoyed a scrumptious supper before going to sleep.

About 1am in the morning, there was a sudden firedrill. It was assumed that there was a fire and hence, all the trainees had to run away from the fire, as far as possible. We were not supposed to take any of our baggage because in case of an actual fire, we had to ensure that safety comes first. Through this firedrill, we learnt that knowing how to act fast in emergency situations is important. Also, we need to stay calm and not panic as we need to be in a clear state of mind should there be any problems we need to deal with.

Day 3
It was the last day of our camp and in the morning, all we did was to strike camp. We brought down our tents and took everything back to the back store. Then we had our final clean-up on the campsite to ensure that the campsite was clean, without any litter on the floor. After that, we had company games. It was very exciting because we played many games and we could bond with our company too. Then, we left the campsite in the afternoon to return back to school. We had the prize presentation. Even though some of us did not manage to get into the top 3 positions, I believe that all of us had done well in the camp and through it, we have certainly become a better guide. For the year ones, they had learnt many new skills and at the same time, they improved themselves too. For the year twos, we learnt how to lead our patrol better and also, take care of them. This camp experience is an unforgettable one and I believe that what we have learnt during camp would stay with us forever.

2010-11-07T21:06:00.003+08:00

Hello guides, our annual training camp has come to an end.

We hope that it has opened you up to more possibilities and allowed you to know yourselves better. All of us are work in progress and are constantly learning and changing, it is never too late to change your attitude and amend your mistakes!

Here is a blog post regarding ATC by a year3;

Hello guides :)

3 November marked the end of ATC 10. Through this 3-day camp, we hope that all of the trainees have learnt something not only new but also valuable from this camp and will apply them during future jihes.

This year, the camp was held in Sarimbun Camp and it is the first time the year 1s, 2s and also the 3s are camping there. The year 2s, being the ones to lead, were worried as the surroundings were unfamiliar to them. First, we jihe in school and the trainees had to bring all their logistics down to the foyer. There was lack of sense of urgency and the trainees guo shi. Next was goal setting in the respective patrols. We hope that you have achieved your goals at the end of the camp!

On the way to Sarimbun Camp, the bus was filled with excitement; most of the guides were most probably discussing how it would be like there, or perhaps already discussing about the activities and manpower allocation.

On arrival, we could see that most of the trainees were quite blur. Very soon, the first activity started and as usual, it is camp D. The tents we were supposed to pitch were somewhat different from what we usually pitch, and many of the guides were unsure of what to do. However, we worked together and overcame this problem. Communication is definitely something very important.

If unsure of anything, you can always approach the year 3s or seniors. Do not be afraid as the camp is for you to learn new things. Of course, certain things we expect you to know by the camp and you should not be over reliant on your seniors. You will have to learn to adapt to changes and put your skills in use! :)

Meanwhile, some of the trainees were putting up the kitchen tents. The help of the seniors were required and this should not be so. For things like this, you should know at the back of your hand and come to the camp prepared. Many of the kitchen tents were extremely unstable and the canvas was sagging. The year 3s were worrying that should there be heavy rain, your kitchen tent would just collapse. The seniors and year 3s even helped to adjust your kitchen tents.

We could see that some of your gadgets such as shoe racks were quite creative, and the other gadgets were rather stable too. Good job! However, some of the flagpoles were not stable and the ma sheng was not taut at all so time was wasted to re-tie the flagpoles. Do take note that you are supposed to wrap your flag around the pole using the la sheng, if not it would be considered as sheng ban qi.

At night was night PT. We could see many of you pia-ing and giving your best although you were tired. However, there were also some who gave up easily. We hope that all of you will not give up so easily next time. All of you are going through this together. Constantly cheer each other on to boost your morale! After night PT, it was supposed to be night games. Unfortunately, it started raining heavily and night games could not be carried out :(

On the second morning, we had morning warm up and then flag raising. Afterwards it was inspection. Many things were kupped and even a pei bei and first aid kit were kupped! These two things are very important and you should take care of them. Of course, every other thing is important as well and you must take care of them! We could see that many things were not standardized such as the direction your items were facing. Other than that, your overall layout is more or less neat :)

Next was outdoor cooking. This time, the kitchen dresser was not built hence preparation of food was at the dining hall. When transporting the food or other things from the dining hall to the kitchen tents, we could see that some of you were walking. We hope to see a sense of urgency in everything that you do. Do take note to cover your food while cooking, if not you will be eating ash for lunch :) the food was tasty and we hope you enjoyed the process and bonded with your patrol during that time.

After outdoor cooking and lunch was OJ. This time, OJ is very different from the typical OJs. We wanted the trainees to be able to adapt to change and put in use your skills. This OJ required the trainees to think out of the box and make use of your skills learnt. If you know your skills well enough, you would not fluster and you would be able to go through this OJ smoothly. Many of you were unsure of how to build a signal. This is very important and although ATC is over, we hope that you will still look through your notes and take note of these important things.

Then it was flag lowering and then dinner. Later on at night, it was campfire! The performances put up by the patrols were all very entertaining :) This year for campfire, we had something different, which was the fashion showcase. Every patrol had their own dress code and they were all unique and interesting :) The yarn was given by Yiting and Nicholette, it definitely spoke to us a lot and we hope that all of you will remember it and apply it into every that you do too!

Following campfire was supper and we had a mini barbeque. Sadly, almost all of the patrols did not clear up. Remember that it is a camp and you do not have servants to clean up after you!

Soon, the trainees fell asleep after a long and tiring day. At 1.08am, fire drill started. Some of the year 3s were at the campsite, shouting: “Fire, fire!” All if not many of the trainees were blur, confused and did not know what to do. It took at total of 8 minutes for all the trainees to evacuate the campsite and get to the main field. If there was a real fire, the consequences would be dire if you actually took such a long time to evacuate. What we hoped to see is that you could help one another and wake each other up. Some of you just ran out of the tents without waking up your other patrol mates, not even to say the other patrols. Many of you also ignored the “casualties” who were shouting for help. We hope that through this fire drill, you have learnt something valuable: do not just think about your own safety, but also remember that other lives are just as important!

Day 3 morning started with strike camp and clearing up of the campsite. Next was company games to celebrate almost the end of ATC. We hope that all of you had fun and bonded with the company!

We then carried all the logistics up the bus and headed back to school. Many of us were tired and fast fell asleep on the bus. We hope that this is a sign that all of you have pia-ed hard during the camp! Back at school, we had lunch. Then it was mystery games.

Overall, we hope that all the guides, be it year 1, 2 or 3 have learnt something from this camp and will continue to improve! It does not matter whether your patrol came in first or last, what matters most is that you have really done your best and sincerely helped each other. There have been tears but also bonds which have been forged. We hope to see the spirit of guiding to continue to grow in all of you!

Love guides!

2010-10-30T21:22:00.002+08:00

Hey guides! From 1Nov to 3Nov will be our Annual Training Camp!

It's the point in time where the year2s take a big step towards leading a patrol :)

Everyone have worked hard together to prepare for the upcoming camp.

Rest well this weekend and give it your best shot!

Love guides:)

2010-10-15T21:29:00.002+08:00

Hello guides !

Recently, Nicholette Li, ex-patrol leader of p8 sunflower attained the president guide award :)

This award is the most prestigious award a guide can get as a recognition to her dedication to the guide movement, skills and character.

Congratulations, Nicholette! :)

2010-09-26T19:21:00.002+08:00

Hello guides!

All the best for the up coming examinations :)

Do your best for the examinations and finish them with no regrets!

It is also a good chance to get to bond with fellow sister guides and friends by organizing study groups to revise for eoys together :)

Also, just a little tip from us, exercising can bust stress! Do not use studying as an excuse to get flabby! :)

Love guides,

jiayou!

EDD 2010

2010-09-25T12:45:00.004+08:00

Hi guides,
here are the posts from last week's EDD. (:

a post by a year 1:
Last Saturday was East Division Day. It was a day where certain schools met together to compete in certain competitions. I took part in Mascot making. This was a competition where we had to dress up people, and make them into out mascot, with the theme “Igniting the flame”. We had a total of 45 minutes to make our mascot. We made use of our creativity and used all kinds of materials – from trash bags to leaves – to design out mascot. Although my group did not win, we were all proud of the effort we had put in. On the other hand, coy 2 won a 3rd place. I felt happy for them. After the competition, we watched the dance competition which our school hosted. Watching the guides and brownies dance with the various songs, I can feel the time and effort put in by them. However, I felt that the most commendable group was from our school. As Mrs Poh stated, they had put in a lot of effort even though they knew they could not win. A round of applause for all the Dunman High Guides for the effort they put into this East Division Day.

a post by a year 2:
Guides blog post- EDD
On 18 of September, we went to Bedok View secondary for EDD. :D We jihe-ed in coy tee and guides skirt outside the general office of Bedok View at 8am. Then, we went to the hall where we were briefed of that day’s activities. After briefing us, we were dispatched to the different locations to take part in the competitions. There were many competitions, like cheerleading, recycled craft making, gadgeting and many others.

For the recycled craft making competition, we had to make a trophy related to the theme, using recycled materials. Coy 1 designed a globe while Coy 2 designed a phoenix. When we were all ready, the competition started. We started pasting and cutting out the shapes of the trophy. It was so fun! It was a great experience for us as many of us did not make any trophies before using recycled materials. It was a great time for us to bond too and we could apply our art techniques. After one and a half hours, we had to hand in our trophies and our write-up.

In the classroom, there were many other beautiful trophies from other schools. We could see that everyone put in their effort to make the trophies.

Then, we went back to the hall to watch the dance competition which our school was hosting. First were the brownies. The brownies came up to show their dance performance and we could see that many of them are talented in dancing. They could do cartwheels, somersaults and splits. Their dances were very cute. Then, it was the time for the guides to show their dances. The different schools had interesting outfits and nice dances. We could see that they put in a lot of effort for the dances and they spent a lot of time practicing. Our school’s dance performance was great too and we know that they put in a lot of effort in the dance.

Then, there was prize giving. We won many trophies but it’s not all about the winning but the experience and joy that we get from the competitions. After we sang taps, we jihe-ed and took a company picture. Then, we were dismissed.

From this EDD, all of us really enjoyed ourselves and we have memories that will stay with us for a long time to come. All of us put in a lot of effort for the competitions and the joy that we had during the competitions is precious. :D

Love guides

2010-09-08T19:39:00.002+08:00

Hi guides! here is a post on the annual hike by one of our year2s :)

Our day started at 7.30a.m., when we all arrive at school and assembled outside the auditorium. All of us were very excited, eagerly waiting for the unfurling of the events to come. It was our first time participating in a hike organized by the company. We tumbled aboard the bus, and chatting and slapping on sunscreen.

We were walking along, when Mrs. Poh told us to run. It was not a very brief distance, but we still had our store of energy full. I guess it was akin to a warm-up run, but nevertheless, many of us arrived breathless. Then, our hike officially started. Our aims for the day were: happiness, excellence, resilience and determination, and the first letter of these four words form the word “herd”. I think that, within this word itself, it is also full of meaning, as a company and patrol is like a mini herd and we take care of each other.

Our first station was just a short distance away, on the event lawn. There, we took a Kung fu pose jump shot, and “competed” against patrol 9 in a game of dog and bone. The “bones” were foodstuff and scrapbook materials and the patrol that got the item gets to keep it, to be used or eaten during the hike. There was a twist to the game, as there were multiple choices and the person with the number corresponding to the correct answer had to do ten jumping jacks before running out to grab the bone. It was very funny and everyone was trying to jump as fast as humanly possible.

In between the two stations, we were trying to complete the tasks given, such as navigating the maze, finding out that the red, blue, yellow and green objects were recycling bins, taking a picture of the garden house and searching for a flower in the flora walk. Out of those activities, the one with the most learning points is the maze. Each of us held on to a section of the hemispherical football and tries to control the tiny ball that is within the maze, guiding it towards the centre. It was vexing at first, as we were not very successful and the tiny ball had a mind of its own. However, through patience and perseverance, we finally managed to coax the ball into the centre of the maze. Teamwork was important, because if one of us were not of the same mind as the others, the ball would not go in the direction that we wanted. We also learnt not to be too agitated and form a strategy first, before proceeding calmly; slowly but surely.

As we were overambitious and tried to complete all of the tasks given, we did not arrive in time to go through the 2^nd station. Despite running part of the way there, we still did not arrive at station 2 in time and could only complete a part of the station. We learnt that we should prioritize, and also, though it is a hike, but we should not stroll either, but move faster. Still, this did not dampen our spirits, but we continued the hike.

At station 2, we were given a map and told to find the shortest route from point A to B. it was deceptively easy, so much so that we suspected a trick at first. After we had arrived, we had to answer some questions that required us to think out of the box, a.k.a. 欠扁问答题s.

At station 3, the activity requires us to stand in a line and hold crushed paper balls in between our shoulders. There were questions to be answered and the correct answer merits 2 steps forward while the wrong answer earns us a step back. It was difficult, as there were paper balls on both our left and right, thus, if the paper ball on the right is dropping, one cannot move to narrow the grip on the paper ball, since doing so will cause the paper ball on the left to drop. This game requires teamwork and helping each other, as one person also cannot hold on to any of the paper balls.

At the fourth station, we were given a large piece of newspaper, and the whole patrol had to step on it; not feet are allowed to touch the ground outside of the newspaper. There were slips of paper scattered around us and we were to reach for them. On each piece of paper is a question number corresponding to a question. The newspaper would be folded for every two questions answered wrongly.

At the last station along the southern ridges, there were several tasks to be completed and our patrol split into three different groups. One pair went off to take photographs of different objects using different camera settings, another pair had to answer questions put forth by the station master. The rest of us searched for a plastic bag that belongs to our group; it contains slips of paper that with the steps for developing negatives. We rotated the jobs and after we found the plastic bag, we had to rearrange the slips of paper in the correct order.

The end of the 5^th station means the end of our rural hike. Before continuing on our way to Vivo City, we took many photographs that were in the mobile task booklet

Upon arriving at Vivo City, we finished some more photography tasks and almost did not see the hike I.C.s when we went to the assembly area at the fountain. After we had eaten our lunch, we stayed at Long John Silver’s for awhile to do our scrapbook.

We assembled and was dismissed for a shortened version of activities in vivocity.

In the first station, each of us had to come out and imitate the person or object that is given to us. It is a game that is unlike taboo or charades, as we could talk, but we had to become the given person or object. There were guiders and leaders of the company and other rather random objects such as staplers, and carrot. Next, we were given 15 minutes to go and source for the objects, or anything that can represent the object, and take a photograph as proof. We went into Daiso and used our creativity and what we could find there, coming up with connections that were slightly stretched, such as a pen that looks like an ostrich wearing a tutu, to represent ballerina, an eraser that looks like a stapler, etc.

We were then given a clue to the next station, which was in front of the Food Republic, and is all about food. This time, we played “taboo” and all the words were foodstuff. This station tests our communication skills and how we communicate as a patrol. Then, according to another clue, we had to find a kind of snack, buy it and eat it in front of the station master. Another bonus required us to memorize a little poem that is part of an advertisement.

After these two stations, we assembled for company games!

We played all the games in an outdoor pool, with the water barely reaching our knees. The first game we played, all of us were given an identity, either a duck or a cow. Then, closing our eyes, we had to find others of the same type. Once the game started, there was a cacophony of moos and quacks, as each of us tried to find a match. When the game ended and we opened our eyes once more, we saw that all of us we standing in little groups. Through this simple game, we realize that strategy is important, and the point of the game was not to try and outdo each other with the moos and quacks. Instead, we should get only one person from each group to call out at a time, so that it is much more organized.

The second game played was blow wind blow. However, there was an alteration to the game, instead of being people, we were cars and each round, and there were conditions to be met, before we could settle into our new places. There were situations like: a flat tire and we had to roll on the ground for ten seconds before running back; ERP gateways and we had to go to the centre of the circle to get monopoly money; car wash and we had to submerge ourselves in the water before running to a new place. Needless to say, most, if not all of us, were wet before the game ended. Mostly, it was from well-meaning friends who wanted to help each other cool down, there were even a bucket and cups floating around. It was fun.

The final game that we played was musical box. There were a number of things being passed around and the music was provided by us, as we sang guides’ songs. There were different rounds, with a different thing being passed around each time, like ice cubes, rice grains and half a banana. The people who were lucky enough to be holding on to the item when the music stopped had to go to the centre of the circle and do their forfeit.

Then, it was prize giving and then we were dismissed. Though our patrol was not part of the top three, we had tremendous fun throughout the day. We learnt many things, such as perseverance and determination, and we tried our best to achieve the four values of HERD. We also came up with a new patrol song!

Love guides!:)

sept hike10

2010-09-08T19:15:00.002+08:00

Dear guides, here's a blogpost by a year 1 on our annual hike!

It’s Saturday, 4 September! Excited and geared up, we went to school on a happy note. All the year1s were really excited about the hike despite the uncertainty as this is our first hike.

For rural hike along the southern ridges, we had to grin broadly for one minute, I thought we looked kind of foolish as a patrol grinning so widely together, but it was fun as I felt the patrol togetherness through this activityJ

Then, we had to compete with another patrol for dog and bone. We were supposed to answer different questions, and the first person from each patrol who managed to finish 10 jumping jacks would be able to grab attractive prizes. It was a joy to see everybody trying their best to complete the jumping jacks as soon as possible to get prizes for the patrol!

Then, it was time for patrol scrapbook!

We then quickly kept everything and moved on to the next station when time was up. As it was quite a long distance, we completed different mobile tasks on our way to the next station. We were exposed to Nature too- we even spotted a hummingbird!

On our way there, there were times where we got lost and forgot how to head to the next station. We gathered together as a patrol and tried to find out what was the correct route to the next station. WE cheered along the way and kept our patrol spirit high.

Finally, we figured our way to the 2^nd station! It was the maze and we have to solve it. After we solved it, we had to climb up using the way that we drew on the paper while the rest of the patrol mates had to remain downstairs to answer different questions. I was the one that was “kidnapped” with my year two senior and so we ran up and remained in girl style pumping position. Even though there were only two of us, we continued to cheer. Cheers do boost our spirit, we pushed ourselves all the way till our patrol mates “came to our rescue”

We headed off to the 3^rd station, not forgetting to complete our mobile tasks along the way!

The 3^rd station was something like putting balls of crushed papers in between your shoulders and moved forward and backward together as a patrol to prevent the papers balls from dropping. We had to answer questions regarding waters correctly to take a step front. It was a test about our unity as a patrol and also our common knowledge. We successfully completed the task! It was indeed an achievement because there were difficulties but we overcame them as a patrol.

The 4^th station was to squeeze together and stand on a piece of newspapers and answer questions about lands. It was quite fun, to squeeze with your patrol and answer questions. Some of the questions were really foreign to me. I guessed there is a need for me to brush up my knowledge of Singapore!

The last station was to sing a song loudly to grab the attention of a station master. We had to answer questions about photography while the rest of patrol mates had to find plastic bags and take a picture of 10 different things. In the meantime, we collected some objects from nature that can be used for our scrapbook, for example, fallen flowers.

Finally, we headed off to Vivocity! We had our lunch and worked on the scrapbook. It turned out to be really pretty! After that, it was urban hike. We had to play taboo in our first station. I found some difficulty trying to disseminate information to my patrol members because there were some things that I could not say. This is a good way to train your communication skills

Next station is about architecture. We had to go around to take photos of different types of buildings. As vivocity is known to have unique structures around the mall, it was definitely an eye opener. Through this activity, I learnt to appreciate beautiful architecture. They are all around us, just that I did not pay much attention to them. We had to devise a proposal that is similar one of the building that we took picture of. I thought that we managed to think of different things that were very cool and unique, yet useful at the same time. Some could even be implemented in our Guides’ gadgets! Overall, I thought that that was a very wonderful experience.

We then completed our urban mobile tasks and it was time for Company Games!

Everybody was excited about going into water. We splashed water at each other and laughed. We attracted much attention, especially visitors, and most of them took photos of us having fun. I thought that we left an impression on the visitors that we, indeed, knew how to have times at sometimes and were not as restricted as we seemed. Overall, I thought that the Company Games were a very good chance for us to bond as a company, to get to know each other well through fun experiences. I believed this is a good experience that I would ever have.

With this, we ended our hike. Although some patrols did not emerge in the top 3 patrols, we definitely think that the most important thing was the lessons learnt from the hike. We bonded, overcame difficulties together and became closer as a patrol. Even though it was an inter patrol competition, we never failed to help one another when they needed help. We appreciated nature and arts that were around us. Lastly, we persevered through the hike, not only as a patrol, but as one company, because we were all in this together.

This hike is definitely a fruitful experience for each and every one!

Arrow scouts campfire

2010-09-05T17:04:00.002+08:00

On Saturday, some of us attended the arrow scouts campfire :)

It was an eye-opening experience and got to experience the different culture of the other schools, especially the arrow scouts troop :)

We also got to interact with other brothers and sisters and sing new songs that we dont usually sing :)

We thank arrow scouts troop for the invitation and warm hospitality :)

Ms Sim with Amelia and Jieying:)

2010-09-05T14:44:00.002+08:00

Hi guides!

Singapore Youth Olympic Games has drawn to a close but the memories yog has left will be in our hearts for a very long time :)

Most of our year3s were actively involved in YOG as volunteers both in the world culture village and kids sports challenge.

The experience of being volunteers at the events are truly beneficial as we got to interact with people outside the people we know in school :) We got a peek into the lives of others and understand more about them :) The youth olympians are really just like any other youths behind their sports talents, they love to have fun and are just as chatty :) While talking to the other volunteers, we got to know more about working adults and students from other institutions as well :)

We exchanged opinions about school and work and hear about the life stories of those who have been through what we are going through.

These people may only be acquaintances but the friendships have enriched us and we are really proud to be part of the first inaugural youth olympic games.

The only down point is that the volunteers have missed out on a lot of school but we are thankful that the guiders allow us to make time off CCA on Fridays to have makeup lessons with our teachers :)

We also want to thank our teacher in charge, Mrs Poh, Ms Tang, Ms Sim, Mdm Tan for being with us at the various events and giving us the chance to be a volunteer at this very special event :)

Love guides and YOG!

Pionering Course

2010-09-01T20:13:00.010+08:00

Hi guides (:

Last Saturday, a team of 6 guides took part in the pioneering course organised by our school's Scouts troop. We have decided to share our experience with you.

During the first part of the course, we attented a lecture on some basic but important pioneering skills conducted by the ventures. We were thought how to handle a pioneering project successfully as well as some basic lashing and structures of a pioneering project.

Following that, we went on to build a tower which we had designed a few days beforehand with the help of the rovers. We started off by tying the main component of our tower, the two yellow spar tripods. After that, the most challenging was the interlocking of the two spar tripod to make an hourglass shape as can be seen in the photos below. Despite that, with the help of the rovers, we managed to get the principle structure of the tower up. Thereafter, we added on other parts to our tower, including a platform and rope ladder, which we had much fun constructing.

After 5 hours, our tower was finally completed. Although there were many flaws and improvements that could have been made on the tower, we were all proud of the tower as it was our first time handling and leading a pioneering project (:

Reflections from the y2s who attended the course:

Through this Pioneering Course, I feel that we have really benefitted a lot and learnt many new skills normal 集合-s cannot teach us. Firstly, during the lecture, I learnt that triangular structures are more stable than other structures, therefore I will be able to apply this concept to structures tied using gadget poles in the future. Also I learnt how to hit Arthurs into the ground at the correct angle, so that the spars will not be given any chance to ‘fly’ and hit anyone.

From the Rovers, I learnt that sometimes, when we have suggestions or comments for improvements, we should not keep them to ourselves but voice them out so that we can all learn fro each other. If we do not raise our comments to the ones tying the lashings or doing other things, they may have to redo what they have spent much effort doing after realising their mistakes or realising there could have been a better way to do what they have done. Flexibility is also very vital and we should openly accept criticism or new ideas. When things go wrong, it does not matter if we change ideas to salvage the situation. This is similar to how we improvise things during集合-s.

I trust that all six fortunate Guides have learnt many new skills today and that those skills will aid them in their future endeavours. The Rovers should really be thanked for their patient and kind teachings and help given to the construction of our hourglass tower. They have also provided us Guides with filling lunch, cold drinks and even dinner! Today has indeed been a fruitful day and I do not regret taking part in this meaningful course.

Below are some photos:

Our tower design

In the lecture theatre

DHS scouts' competition piece

Swing by scouts

Our completed tower

The y3s feel that this has been a great exposure and experience for us, especially since it will come into use during future pioneering activities as well as ideas for our juniors' activities.

We have learnt about having situation awareness as pioneering requires much flexibility and observance to surroundings, to successfully create and build a structure. We had to think on the spot frequently and improvise on certain items, such as the platform, to build the tower. During the spand of building the structure, we also learnt many hard skills, such as using arthurs to stabilize our structure and building a good rope ladder.

The y3s are proud of the y2s as well, in being cooperative and ready to learn during the course of pioneering as this is in fact, a brand new activity to them. We have seen how things are possible if we believe in ourselves. Despite the structure being challenging and difficult to build, we managed it in the end. The y3s hope that all guides will have a similar mindset for hike, ATC and all guides activities to come. Impossible is nothing! (:

Lastly, we would all like to thank the following people:

Guiders and Scouters, for giving us the chance to take part in this course;

Rovers, Wei Xuan, Rui Yang and Hua Zhou for their guidance and suggestions before and during the course of pioneering;

Scouts QMs, Ming Quan and Thomas, for helping us with our logistics;

Scouts PLs, Yu Hao and Beng Haun, for their suggestions and help with the tower design

Obstacle Journey

2010-08-30T22:16:00.001+08:00

A post by a y2 about last week's OJ:

Hi Guides!

Last Friday, we had our first OJ where the year twos will lead the year ones before ATC.

We exceeded the 13minutes allocated to us for mass change. This is a reminder to us all that we should take note of the time limit and not exceed it. A time limit is there for a purpose, it is there to make sure that everything goes on smoothly according to the timetable on proposal, so there will not be delays in the planned activities. One for all and all for one. Should one guide be late, everyone will also be detained.

For my patrol, our first station was at the red tile area. We were instructed to set up as many emergency shelters as possible in 3 minutes. We spent a lot of time discussing what to do. In the end, we hurriedly draped our ponchos over benches. It was not ideal, because rain still can enter it, and that will defeat the purpose of a shelter. We should learn to communicate faster the next time, and have constant baoshi. Next we did caterpillar walk with alternate people blindfolded. We were supposed to follow the trekking signs around. Although I was blindfolded, I felt that I could have helped to raise the morale by cheering. Also, being blindfolded also let me learn to trust in my patrol mates in leading us along.

Then, we proceeded to the second station – electric fence and fire lighting. One of the main problems we encountered was trying to bring our stuff along across without getting kupped. This taught us to be always on constant vigilance of our surroundings, and our belongings. For the firelighting, though we managed to set up a fire quickly, we forgot to wrap the handle with wet newspaper. This might lead to burns on our hands should we grab the metal handle after firelighting. This precaution is necessary and we must never repeat the mistake again.

The third station was along the linkway between the senior high and junior high blocks. Here, the focus was on first aid. Many of us could not build a standard stretcher and I feel that this is something we should work on before camp.

The fourth station was the pt station. Here, one main thing I realized was the power of cheering. In future when we are feeling down and tired, we should start cheering to raise our morale and spirit to urge us on.

This OJ gave us year twos a chance to lead the year ones before ATC. We hope that we will be able to lead the year ones better and make sure everyone is involved during ATC.

Jiayous!

2010-08-27T23:23:00.004+08:00

Dear Guides, here is a blogpost by a year2 on last week's activity :)

Last Friday’s jihe was very interesting- we had PT-cum-firelighting, we were tested on some first aid skills and the guides code as well.

P8 was combined with P7. Although my patrol was outnumbered at the first station, we still tried our best to intercept the ball when we played. The game was strenuous, and it definitely required us to be alert, focused and we had t make sure everyone coordinated. After every 5 minutes, we had to stop the game immediately and do 5 pumpings on the spot. The fastest person will then proceed to answer a question about firelighting which was tested by the station masters. In the end, my team lost, but we still had lots of fun at that station, and I believe the questions asked really tested whether we studied and understood our notes.

Our second station was outside the 3H classroom. We had to zhan ma at one end, and each time, there will be people taking turns to run out to a station master at the other end, where we would pick out a maximum of 3 very random words(e.g. big twigs, giraffe, ATC etc.) we had to form a storey involving the words that we picked. After around 10 minutes, someone was to volunteer and go the other end again, and she would have to do leg-raise. The rest of us had to commando crawl to her. We were then told that she got burnt in a fire, and her watch(represented by a roll of masking tape) had melted on her hand. We had 2 minutes to think of a way to help her, and our patrol was at lost. I feel that this should not be the way- we should not have taken for granted and just studied firelighting- instead; we should have been clear on our first aid too.

We then proceeded to our third station, which was at the pltc 09’ campsite. I was the PL for this station, where I had to give certain instructions. In this station, we had to dig a pit for outdoor cooking. We started off with PT first, where we had to do kallang wave pumping until 100. During the firelighting part, we had to dig a pit. It was my second time doing this, but it was a first for the year1s.

For our fourth station, we had to run up to the fifth storey balcony. The station masters required us to set up a fire using yuan zi lu and yuan zi la. We had to boil water after that and we had to ask for time extension. As the newspaper were not entirely wet, when we were jihe-ing, both patrols’ newspapers caught fire. Fortunately, the fire was put out in no time. it was indeed a lesson learnt, and we promised to be more careful next time. then for PT, we had to ding leg raise 90 degrees, and after each minute, we had to ding in 45 degrees for 10 seconds before returning back to 90 degrees again. This was to be done within 10 minutes. At the same time as well, each pair would take turns to run one round around the level.

At last, at our fifth station, we had to set up a fire using kindlings. My juniors were responsible and they picked the really dry kindlings, much to our favour. Thanks to them, our fire got set up really quickly and it did not extinguish at all. We took turns to keep the fire going, at the same time, we had to boil an egg. In this station, we could really see the patrol spirit. Helping to blow the fire no matter how breathless we already were, or even when we were tearing. Although there were only 4 of us, we were told that our fire was the best, compared to all the other patrols. This definitely made us feel very proud and we were very glad that our efforts had paid off.

This jihe has been really memorable for us, as well seldom had a chance to practice firelighting on normal Friday’s jihe. Also, we were able to build up our stamina as we trained hard during the PT. I believe all of us learnt many firelighting skills, especially the year1s. We were given chances to lead too, as preparation for future OJs and for ATC. I feel that we should have been more careful from now onwards and must not repeat the same mistakes. What was most important throughout the jihe was the bonding of our patrol mates and the patrol spirit!

Dhscoy <3
Jiayou guides!:)

Orienteering cum PT

2010-08-15T21:47:00.002+08:00

Hi guides, here's a post by a y2 about last friday's jihe:

Last Friday, it was the third time we jihe-ed with our new patrol.

It started off with an attire check. Although there was improvement from last jihe, many of our attires were still not up to standard. I feel that with the frequent introduction of attire check into our weekly jihes, this can instill a stronger feeling of discipline among us guides.

We had patrol corner next whereby our seniors went through with us about orientering
as well as how to use a street directory. After that, we were given a chance to clarify our doubts with them. I felt that it was a good oportunity as we were able to clarify our doubts and learn the skills that we were lacking in orientering in preparation of whatsoever that holds for us during the activity later. This gives us a chance to practice our newly learnt skills during the activity later and hence we will be able to commit the skills stronger to memory.

After patrol corner, we had PT-cum-Tracking Signs and Orientering. We were dispatched
into groups with another patrol and started out. Throughout the whole PT, we were regularly tested on tracking signs and orientering, and not to mention, the introduction of PT into the activity at the same time.

With every jihe, there will be no lack in difficulties we face. As we were paired with another patrol for this jihe, as well as being in relatively new patrols, we were not very bonded and had to be prompted by our seniors to cheer. At the same time, not everyone had a sense of urgency and we were constantly reminded by our seniors to动作快一点 and 报时 more frequently. But in the end, everyone made it through.

I felt that this jihe has been very successful and meaningful as not only we are able to train and maintain our physique, we are also able to learn new skills. We should take note of the blunders we committed in this jihe and strive to improve on these points. And with more of these jihes are implemented into guides, I’m sure that
Dunman High Coy can definitely soar to greater heights.

加油女童军！PIA 到底！付出最大的努力，我们一定行！

yog opening ceremony 4th rehearsal

2010-08-08T23:47:00.003+08:00

On 7/8, Saturday, some of our year3s attended yog opening ceremony 4th rehearsal.

It is an unique opportunity to view the performances at the marina bay float with fellow sister guides and their friends and family members :)

Here are some photos taken at the opening ceremony rehearsal,

The view from our seats :)

2010-08-08T22:38:00.004+08:00

hello guides:)
here are the pictures from initiatives and outdoor cooking on 31st july, enjoy!

cleaning crew :D

love guides!:)

2010-08-04T21:08:00.001+08:00

Hello guides! here's a post on last week's activity by a year1:)

Last saturday, we had outdoor cooking and initiatives.

Initially, we built structures called fire altars to hold the zinc plates and all the materials for outdoor cooking. The knots had to be tight or else the structures would not be stable.

When the fire altars were ready, we started cooking. The pots or woks or any cooking utensils could be placed on bricks, which had a fire burning between them. We prepared chicken, pizza and instant noodles.

After all the eating and clearing up, we had initiatives in LSP rooms. We learned to bake banana muffins, while the seniors cooked baked potato and the Hakka "abacus". We even learnt how to make ice cream as a patrol. It turned out to be a rather softened version of Macdonald's Mcflurry as out ice melted and it was not cold enough.After initiatives, we ate as a patrol to share what we have prepared.

Saturday was fun and enriching, as I learnt many things I never had the chance to learn.

love guides!:)

2010-08-04T20:44:00.003+08:00

Dear guides, here is a post by year2 on saturday's activity:)

Last week, there was no jihe on Friday, but it was on Saturday instead. As the weather went well, Cooking Galore went ahead quite successfully.

We started off with attire check, making sure that we were all in our standard attire. This time, more people were in their standard attire compared to the previous time. We should always remember to come in standard attire as being in the proper attire shows respect for guides.

After that, we were split into three groups to build an indoor fire altar for each group. Throughout the whole process, there were different patrol leaders and patrol seconds assigned to take over the management of the building of the fire altar.

Throughout the building of fire altar, there was a pile of mu left by the side. We should always take the initiative, even to take care of the extra mu even though it may not be yours. After which we split the extra mu amongst the three groups to improvise and stabilize our fire altar.
I think that our attempt at the creative fire altar was quite successful as it was our first time building such a structure and it was quite stable.

We then went on with fire lighting. Our year threes also helped us whenever we encountered difficulties. Outdoor cooking went well and the food was really tasty.

After finishing the food and clearing up, we proceed to the LSP room to have initiatives. The year ones learned to bake banana muffins, year twos learnt to make potato salads and year threes tried on 算盘子. When everything is done, we gather in our patrols again to share the food we’ve made. We then started making our ice cream too. The food was delicious and even though my patrol’s ice cream did not really solidify entirely, we still enjoyed it.

Today was the year 2’s first time leading a patrol but many of us were indulged in our own work, and not making use of the patrol’s manpower well and teaching the year1s as we proceed with the activity. Through this activity, I learnt that we should involve the year ones more, to let them understand what we are doing so that they will gain more and learn more from the activity. Also, I learnt that the distribution of manpower and communication within the patrol is important.

This jihe is a memorable and enjoyable one, with delicious food and lessons learnt.

Jiayou dhscoy :)

2010-07-26T21:48:00.003+08:00

Hi guides (:
The posts for friday's jihe are up:

a post by a y1:

Last Friday’s jihe was the first official jihe that we had with our new patrols. I felt both happy and sad. I was happy to know more guides but sad that I would be separated from my previous patrol mates.

After the year ones jihe and had our warm up, we went to jihe with the seniors. Then, we broke off for patrol corner. Patrol corner was a little quiet and awkward, as we did not know each other, but it was a good chance for us to start getting to know each other.

We jihe again and broke off for pt-cum-games. The activities were very fun and not that tiring. I like the blow-wind-blow and hula-hoop stations, as there was much laughter at these stations (: Yet, the morale was quite low throughout the activities, as there was little cheering. I have learnt that cheering is thus important in boosting our spirits.

After the pt-cum-games, the CL, ACLs and PLs, gave comments on the day’s activities. Then, we broke off for patrol corner again and reflected on the day’s activities too. We were also choosing what proficiency badge we want to achieve.

LOVE GUIDES! <3

a post by a y2:

During the last jihe, it was the first time we jihe-ed with our new patrol. Many of us were excited and eager to know our new patrol-mates. We had attire check after that. Most of our attires were not very standard, and many of us got pumped for it. We were reminded to have standard attire for the jihes, and also to 动作快一点. Next, we had patrol corner. We introduced ourselves to each other and we got to know our patrol more. After that, the year1s joined us, and we had another patrol corner. I felt that this was really a good time to know more about each other.

After patrol corner, we had PT-cum-Fun games. We went to 4 different stations throughout the activity. My first station was outside the Music Atrium, and we were given 12 minutes to pick the 木 for a kitchen dresser while the others ding-ed boys style pumping position. Here, we had to be faster, or the other patrol-mates would have to ding for a longer period of time.

Our next station was at the 6th level of Block G, where we took pictures. Firstly, we had to think of 8 poses to do, then after that, do a position that shows what we like about Guides. Lastly, we did a PT position that we like. My patrol chose to do star-jumps, and we did 20 star-jumps while pictures were taken. I felt that this station was really fun and creative.

The next station my patrol went to was at the pltc’09 campsite, where we played ‘Blow Wind Blow’ while doing Leg Raise. Although it was rather tiring at some point in time, we tried to persevere on and eventually it was over. I felt that this was a unique way of doing PT while having games. The last station was at the open space at the 5th floor of the yr3 / 4 block. There, we did circuits, consisting of 20 pumpings, 20 burpees, 20 jumping jacks, 20 sit-ups and 10 star-jumps as 1 circuit. This was a good chance for us to train our stamina.

After that, we proceeded back to the General Science Lab for de-briefing. We were reminded to cheer more to build patrol spirit to encourage others, to run even when we are given a water break instead of walking. This jihe was very meaningful to us as it was our first jihe with our new patrol and yr 3s leading us, and it was a good time to know our new patrol mates better, through having a fun PT.

2010-07-21T21:53:00.007+08:00

Hello guides! here are some pictures taken from pdp!

Enjoy!

The beloved 41st batch:)

Patrol 1 Dove

Patrol 2 Orchid

Thank you year4s for the sweets! :D

Patrol 3 Sparrow

Patrol 4 Jasmine

Patrol 5 Kingfisher

Patrol 6 Ixora

Patrol 7 Oriole

Patrol 8 Sunflower

year4s!

2010-07-19T22:36:00.004+08:00

Here's a post by a year3 on friday's pdp:)

Last friday was our annual Enrollment Ceremony for the Year1s cum Passing Down Parade.

We started off with the horseshoe formation, and the PL of each patrol marched out with her new Year1s out to be enrolled. The Guiders then helped the new Year1s pin on their enrollment badge, officially welcoming the Year1s into our company.Immediately after the Enrollment Ceremony was the Passing Down Parade.

Still in horseshoe formation, the year3s received their new roles from the year4s:) Cassandra our new CL then called for us to 集合, and we had to gather in our new patrols. I felt a rush of adrenaline, but it felt weird when the Year4s were beside us and not among us.

We were then given time to rehearse our performances. After that, we proceeded to the Student Lounge for the performances by each batch.

The Year1s did various k-pop dances, like Gee and Oh!.

The Year2s danced to 撑腰, and then broke of into each individual Coy for another special performance coordinated within each coy.

The Year3s did a skit on how a 团 should really be like, working together to achieve greatness. The lights were then turned off and they sang By the Blazing Council Firelight, holding candles, and dedicated a sweet message to the Year4s.

The Year4s did an upbeat performance, lifting our spirits, by dancing to some happier songs. They incorporated the dance moves from Gee into the song NuABO, which was really interesting. They also danced to Hot and Cold, which was really funny. They danced to Ring Ding Dong as well, and then while giving out customised STICKY candy jars to the juniors, they sang the song 当你孤单你会想起谁.The Guiders then presented the Year4s with a token of appreciation, for all the hard work they have put in for the better of our company.

On this day, we'll always like to extent our heartfelt gratitude to the guiders who've always been there :)

Also, thank you Joylynn and Yiksheng our wonderful pdp ICs for making PDP10 a success!

After the performances was dinner, also our last chance to be together as one patrol. We had food made and brought in by the Year3s of each patrol, which was quite fun, as we got to taste the hard work of all our batchmates.It also felt more homey as the food was handmade. We took the time to exchange our gifts and take more pictures with the seniors for one last time, and I really treasured the time we had during dinner. It was the last chance for us to interact so closely during activity, before breaking off into our new patrols.

To the Year4s who have been looking out for us and taking care of us, my gratitude cannot be expressed fully in words, and I think I'll speak for the whole company when I say I love you. Thank you for everything.To the Year3s who have newly taken over, all the best. We'll do it together, to bring Dunman High Company to greater heights. (:

Love dhscoy:)

pdp10-year3

2010-07-19T22:02:00.005+08:00

Hey guides!:) here's a post dedicated to the year4s by the year3s:)

Passing down and enrollment ceremony is the last jihe that our year4s are going to have with us and I guess we'll miss you sums up everything that we've got to say.

Being your first batch of juniors, we've been under your care and leadership longer than any of our juniors, passing down is our chance to express gratitude for everything you've done for us and our company but how can we ever thank you enough?

You guys are the ones who've shown us what guides is for the first time, the ones who've always been there to support and push us on whenever we feel like giving up, the ones who've been role models to us in so so many ways.

We are proud of you, year4s

We've taken the batten from you to lead the company and we promise to do the best we can to bring dhscoy to the next level and make you proud.

Jiayou dhscoy! We can do it:)

2010-07-19T20:36:00.004+08:00

16 July 2010 was the last day of Guiding for the Year 4s of 2010. Passing Down and Enrollment ceremony were carried out continuously in the hall. The Year 1s are officially enrolled into the Dunman High Girl Guide Family, and the Year 3s have officially taken over as the new 领导层. This year marks a significant change in the Girl Guides Company. The original 8 patrols have officially split to 10 patrols, with addition of 2 new patrols P1 Bougainvillea and P10 Swallow. With the increase intake of Girl Guides each year, such changes became inevitable. Changes can be for the better if one is willing to make the best out of it. Jiayou to everyone :)

After the ceremonies, we proceeded to the Student Lounge and began the pdp performances. Most of the performances comprise of the latest K Pop songs such as popular songs from SNSD. This brought the performance to high point where everyone started singing and dancing to the catchy tune :) There were also many sad parts such as the moments when the Year 2s and 3s started giving thanks to the Year 4s for their effort and everything, which brought tears to many. Later the Year 4s of each patrol came up to share their feelings and thoughts about the patrol. Which ended the whole performance :)

Later was patrol corner where we have food that each patrol prepared and we exchanged presents with one another.

Overall the passing down jihe was a success thanks to all the Year 3s esp the ICs Yik Sheng and Joylynn for their planning :) Thanks to all the Year 1s and 2s who make the effort to practice for their performances and make really awesome presents for the Year 4s too :D Last but not least thanks to the Guiders who are there to provide the support and guidance needed :)

To the Year 1s:

Although you just joined Guides for less than 1 year, it was great to have you around! You may be the youngest but this does not mean you can slack k! :) Put in more effort and pick up the skills from your seniors! :) Continue to jiayou in Guides ok, there is still a really long way for you to go, so continue to persevere and go beyond your limits :) Trust me, being in Guides will be the best choice you made in your life, if you are willing to give yourself a chance and put in the effort to persevere and everything :) Jiayou!! :D

To the Year 2s:

As the second oldest of the company now, you will take on more responsibility ! :) Do learn to aid and support your Year 3s as much as you can! Cooperate well with them alright :D Yall are really important to them now since they will be busy with planning the activities. Do try to bond the whole patrol tgt k :D and manage your patrol logistics well! :D After eoys will be your atc! Do give your best and be good role models to your junior alright! :D If you need any help or want to learn more do approach your seniors! :) Jiayou ok! Yall are a really great and bonded batch of Year 2s that the Year 4s really like, so don't let us down kk :DDD

To the Year 3s:

As the new batch of 领导层, the whole company will lie in your hands! Everyone, as in really EVERYONE plays a major role in keeping the whole tuan running well. :) All the juniors will be look up at you as their role model, so do carry yourself really well ok! Being the leadership batch does not mean you can slacken down on your 礼节 alright. Conversely yall will need to do even better to teach your juniors what a senior shld behave. :) It will be harder on yall to manage this big company, but do share your workload alright :) And don't hesitate to approach your Year 4s about anything :) Jiayou alright :D Don't compromise your academics k! Strike a balance in both your studies and CCA :D

We Year 4s are really proud of yall, being able to listen to our instructions and helping us out in every way :) Although there may be times when we scold you, do rmb its really for your own good and welfare. We want you to improve and grow to become a better person :) Do rmb what we taught you alright :D jiayou jiayou jiayou!

德明女童军团加油!

pdp10-year1

2010-07-18T23:50:00.005+08:00

Hey guides! here's a post on friday's pdp by a year1 :)

We had the passing down and enrolment ceremony on Friday, and it was my first time attending the ceremony. :D I felt happy to be finally officially enrolled into guides. :D

After the ceremony, we went to the student lounge to have the passing down performances, and everybody's performance was memorable. The things that the seniors have said during the performance were especially touching.

Then, it was dinner time cum patrol corner , and everybody tucked in to their food, while taking A LOT of pictures. :D

It is the last jihe the yr 4s would be going to have with us, and I really miss them, especially after they have spent so much time with us, teaching us and trying to help us through the long journey in guides. Thanks and we will always remember you, year 4s! (:

love guides:)

pdp10-by year2

2010-07-18T15:00:00.004+08:00

Hello guides! Here is a post about friday's pdp by a year 2:)

We had activity on Friday and it was actually the Passing Down and Enrolment Ceremony. I believe all the year ones will be waiting for this day, when they will be officially enrolled into the Dunman High Coy. Congratulations to all the year ones and welcome to our big family of guides!

After the Enrollment and Passing Down Ceremony, we headed to the student lounge. Over there, every one of us took turns to perform, starting from the year ones. All the performances were entertaining and awesome. We could see the effort all of our guides have put into these performances to make PDP a memorable one for our year4s:)

Soon, it was dinner time. The food that was served was extremely scrumptious and all of us ate heartily. There was sufficient time for patrol corner and we managed to play games and talk to one another.

Today is the very last day that the year 4s will be attending jihe, and we are going to miss them very much. The year 4s had spend a lot of time and effort nurturing us, bringing out the best in us. If not for them, we will not be what we are today. All the moments we spend together were extremely precious and we will never forget them. Even if they are not there to carry out guides activities with us anymore, we will always remember you all. However, all of us know that “It’s just goodnight, not goodbye”.

WE LOVE YOU, YEAR 4s!

Love guides! :)

2010-07-12T21:57:00.001+08:00

Hello guides! :D

Passing down preparation was the last jihe before passing down. While briefing us about activity of the day, Mrs Poh announced a mass-shuffling of patrols for the entire company. It took awhile to register the words that came down so heavily upon us. Truthfully speaking, the announcement of change first jabbed right at the heart and the shock was followed by a feeling of dread.

All around me, faces fell. But what was added after the announcement really spoke to all of us as we gathered ourselves together for the rest of the activity. We may be comfortable in our patrol but ultimately we function as a company and this company is a big extended family. If the change is for the goodwill of the company, we shall accept it with joy.

More ever, our motto is "Be prepared", smiling at changes is our forte. This change is a really good opportunity to step out of our comfort zone, get to know more people and grow together as a company. Without change, we'll be stagnant so let's embrace this change and see it as an opportunity :) What sweeyee reminded us before we were broken off into patrols to teach the year1s enrollment procedures was really app; 我誓愿把团部的利益放在小队的利益之上，把小队的利益放在个人的利益之上。

I believe that the company will emerge stronger and even closer together after the change:)
We cherished the last few moments of patrol corner by talking to one another, exchanging hugs and encouragements. And then, p2 orchid, p3 sparrow, p4 jasmine and p6 ixora combined for a game of "elope" before jihe and break off for 届pdp item preparation and administrative affairs.

Congratulations to the year3s for the new sliver award badge and year 2s for the new bronze badge :)

Passing down is this friday! :(

Love Guides!

2010-07-11T21:01:00.000+08:00

Hey Guides,

We had activity on Friday, first activity since last term. Firstly, Mrs Poh briefed us on what we were going to do that day. She also told us that there would be a reshuffling of patrols, and the addition of 2 new patrols. This change was quite unexpected, and we all had mixed feelings not knowing what to expect and which patrol we’d be in. After this, we broke off for patrol corner, where we taught the Year 1s how to march for their enrolment is on the following week. There were really a lot of things for them to take note and to correct themselves within the short period of time; such as the commands and the correct position and things. I think my patrol’s Year 1s did quite well, and managed to march quite neatly at the end of the patrol corner. We combined with another patrol and played games which were lots of fun!

After patrol corner, we were given an hour to practice our jie item for passing down next week.

After an hour of rehearsing, we went back to the General Science Lab Area to settle several admin things. Year 2s collected our bronze badge as well as the Crime Prevention patch, good job to all year 2s!

Mrs Poh also told us our new patrols as well as the juniors that were in our patrols. Even though I couldn’t bear to be in a different patrol from my patrolmates, juniors and seniors, I knew that this was for the benefit of everyone as Mrs Poh explained to us, reshuffling and adding new patrols would allow us to know each other better as well as to create more leading opportunities for everyone. Furthermore, I realized that I barely knew any Year 1s from other patrols; this would really be the time where we mixed around and get to know one another better. Thus it may not be a bad thing altogether.

“我誓愿把团部利益放在小队利益之上，把小队利益放在自己利益之上。”We should always put this in mind and no matter which patrol we’re in, we would all be pia-ing hard together to bring DHS coy to greater heights.

Love Guides! <3

2010-06-09T19:44:00.002+08:00

Hi guides!

We had our Taiwan Exchange Programme with Dali High school’s venture scouts from 30th may to 3rd june. In total, 5 year 3s, 11 year 4s and 6 year 5s went together with 3 of our guiders. The trip was definitely fulfilling and we sure did have loads of fun there!

Day 1:
We reached Taipei’s airport and around 6 in the evening, then left for Yilan’s toucheng farm stay straight on a coach. We had a cosy dinner on our 2 hours bus ride there, with amazing local ‘bian dang’ chicken drumstick rice and their famous bubble milk tea. We met our tour guide there for the first time too, who explained to us the customs and lifestyles of Taiwanese. We were also told to do a task within our groups, some being food while others being landscape, and to present our discussion after the trip. At around 8.30pm, we reached tou cheng farm stay.

Our first activity was to make a lantern and write our wishes on it, then set it ablaze and watch it fly away carrying our wishes along. It was a beautiful sight as hand-drawn lanterns float in the air with fireworks set off in the background. After that, we went back to our rooms (4 in a room) to rest. The rooms were fantastically huge and clean! It felt wasted that we were only staying there for one night.

Day 2:
After having a good rest, we woke up at around 7am and headed down for breakfast, which was a delicious spread of local cuisine. After which we set off for our farm tour around the place! It was really enriching as we get to do farm chores such as bathing the pigs and feeing the goats, plant rice in padi fields, as well as learn more about traditional farming life. This lasted for about half a day, then we had lunch and left for Hualian.

On the way, we stopped by at a foot hot spring attraction. We had walked long distances for the past few days so this is really one of the few moments we get to sit down peacefully around the spring and simply letting warm water run past your feet- relaxing!

In the evening we reached Tai Lu Ge, a natural scenic place in Hualian that is very famous and a must-visit by tourists. The scene there is breathtaking but unfortunately the sky was quite dark when we took photos, hence the quality is not as amazing as the actual view. After the short visit, we went to a local restaurant to have our dinner. Again, we were free to order whatever we want as long as we can finish the food. With our stomachs happily filled, we were given over an hour of free time to walk around Hualian and shop, as well as observe their local residential housings and schools. Taiwan being a developing country, furthermore Hualian is considered the more countryside areas, their buildings were mostly old and run-down. The housings are block apartments like ours , with a common security gate at the entrance. Only residents of the apartment can enter the gate, if not the visitor has to call the resident to come down and unlock the door personally.

At around 10 plus, we assemble back in the hotel and went back to our rooms, that day having 2-in-1 room. The room was even more amazing than Toucheng’s resort! With awesome huge toilets and beds, it was a really good rest we had.

Day 3:

After a hearty breakfast, we left immediately for Taipei on a coach, the capital of Taiwan.

On the way we stopped by a tea plantation at a rather remote place. It is more of a local plantation and not a tourist attraction, hence everything was more peaceful and we learnt first-hand how to pluck tea leaves and choose the young ones to pluck. It was a rather interesting experience. We also got to taste the different tea freshly brewed from their own tea leaves.

The bus ride was long but filled with small talks and random laughter so hours flew past. After that we continued our journey to the Girl Guides HQ in Taipei. It was the 100th year anniversary on this day, so they were selling some really rare souvenirs such as stamps and postcards which were very pretty. We also learnt more about the history of guiding there, where guides between 15-17 years old were called Rangers instead of Girl Guides. We took a look around their HQ building as well and visited their store to grab some special souvenirs!

After the visit came the shopping part at Wu Fen Pu and Si Men Ding. Both night markets were equally appealing, but selling mostly clothes and accessories respectively. The dazzling lights and buzzing crowd added on to our already high mood and the night was spent with money and in total craziness. Of course at the same time we observed their youth culture to complete our task that was given at the beginning of our trip! Everything sold in Taiwan is so much cheaper than Singapore, so we had to make good use of the money we brought along, hahaha. At around 10 plus, we check in Chung Hua Telecomm Hostel. It was a little cosy room shared by 2.

Day 4:
Today was the first day we had local breakfast- their delicious healthy sandwich and a cup of fresh green milk tea. After that we left for Dali High School to meet the Scouts group there. When we just reaching their school gate they were already lined up at the entrance waiting to welcome us! The mere sight of their welcome was friendly enough and we were all looking forward to meeting our buddies. When we entered their school we were greeted by a magnificent structure they built. The difference was that they used long metal poles and bamboos instead of wooden spars like us. But it was an amazing structure nevertheless.

Then, we were introduced to the history of Scouting in their school and met up with our buddies. There are both guys and girls in the group so it was more of a gender balance. We had station games later which included artsy bead-making, abseiling and climbing of their structures. There were still performance by them as well, and they did a great job out of everything.
We had tons of fun there and definitely made new friends that will last more than the day we stayed.

In the evening we climbed Yang Ming Shan, and even though it was raining it did not dampen our spirits! We scaled the steep, narrow, slippery stairs and change to rope slope climbing around halfway through for something more challenging. The overall experience was great as it trained up our mental resilience as even though we felt really tired at times, we did not give up knowing others are feeling as tired as us. The scenery was breathtaking as well :)

After reaching down again, we took the coach to somewhere near Shilin night market for dinner, then went to shop at Shilin on our last night there. It was mainly a food street and just perfect for us to try out the different street snacks sold, such as XXL chicken chop and the smelly beancurd. Clothes and accessories were sold as ridiculously cheap prices and the quality is quite good as well! To our surprise, our Taiwan buddies decided to impromptu and meet us there to accompany us to shop!

Day 5:
5 days just flew past like that and today is already the last day of our trip. First we visited a ceramics shop where we experienced firsthand how the ceramics clay felt like and tried molding it into some designs. However, we were running short of time and the person in-charge nicely agreed to give us some boxes so we can bring home our clay and finish up our product back here in Singapore. After that we rushed to the airport to catch our flight back home sweet home!

The 5 days were awesome, and not only did we have much fun, we learnt so much that could not have been experienced in Singapore. Every moment of the trip was worthwhile and I really hope DHS Guides will have this chance next year again so that those who did not go this year still have a chance next year.

Love Guides!

Outreach to Cub Scouts and Brownies 2010

2010-05-31T22:20:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday was Open House cum Outreach to Brownies and Cub Scouts. We were separated into the two groups, with most of us under Outreach.

For outreach, the guides were split into 20 different patrols, and after a few rounds of icebreaker games, we started on our stations.

For my patrol, our first station was the open house booths. The cub scouts and brownies were introduced to the transforming gadgets the guides had designed, and also the kitchen tents, flagpole and the gateway.
Our second station was the Gladiator, and the kids had lots of fun trying to push each other off the beam. They were pretty afraid at first, and most were hesitant to try. However, after constant persuading, they tried, and they enjoyed it. I could tell as they all wanted to go next, after the person playing.
The next station was 夜里行军. All except two kids had to be blindfolded while travelling through the obstacle course. It was a tough job leading the cub scouts and brownies through, as they were quite scared, and sometimes the table is shaky, and they are afraid to step on it. Some people moved too quickly while others moved too slowly, so the patrol was constantly broken. However, my patrol managed to complete the whole course, and they all seemed pretty happy that they completed it.
Next, we went to the electric fence station. The cub scouts and brownies had to advance through the electric fence without touching the raffia string, and collecting the items. My patrol managed to collect all the items, but we touched the raffia quite a lot. We still got the points though, and I think that they had a lot of fun crossing the electric fence. It was quite a challenge indeed. The Kim's Games required them to identify the orange skin in the box, the coke they drank, as well as use their fingers to 'read' the word in the box. The brownies managed to identify the orange skin and coke almost immediately, but had some trouble feeling for the word.
Our last station was the knots and catapults. The catapult was quite difficult, as the targets had to be hit for points. The ammo we shot kept going either over the paper, or next to it. Some didn't even manage to reach the paper. It was quite a challenge, but it was a lot of fun. After the catapult, we had to teach the cub scouts and brownies how to tie a square lash. They learnt it in no time, and managed to tie one without help within a few tries. Their lashes weren't as tight, but they learnt it really quickly.

After lunch we had Mass Games in various classrooms. 4 patrols shared a single classroom. The aim of the game was to get as many patrol members across the line of chairs as quickly as possible. It was a simple game of scissors paper stone, but there was a lot of excitement and thrill as many of them sped through the line of chairs. It was really fun, and one brownie even commented to me that this was the best game of the day, which made me really happy.

All good things have to come to an end, and after the mass games was prize giving. In first place was Patrol 14, with Patrol 9 and 18 in second and third place respectively. The I/Cs then announced that all of us had found the Allspark as we all completed the games together.

It was quite sad to have the brownies and cub scouts leave, as I feel that I've enjoyed my time with them. Despite there being frustrating times, and they kept complaining about having to climb many stairs, but I know that they're just children and we have to understand them for that. We have to be patient with them, as they have not experienced as much as we did, and we have to teach them. We have to find different ways to communicate with them. Through this Outreach, I feel that children may sometimes be a handful, but their innocence makes them too adorable to be held against.

Good job to all the I/Cs who planned this Outreach for us, and the cub scouts and brownies :)

Love Guides (:

Open House 2010

2010-05-31T22:18:00.000+08:00

Hello guides,

Last Saturday, we jihe-ed at 7.30 in the morning, all set for Open house. Along with around 10 other year2s and 3s, I was under our UG open house display at the 正心园which was also one of the stations in the Outreach programme, where us guides had set up several gadgets and a kitchen tent in the previous days. The theme of our open house display was Transformers, so all the gadgets had been designed according to that theme.

There, we were each allocated to a gadget, and thoughout the entire morning, we introduced out gadgets to parents, primary school students, brownies and scouts, and indeed many of them were very fascinated by our gadgets. (: Many seniors from guides and scouts also came to check out our gadgets, and we received many positive comments and also suggestions on how to improve in future.

At around 12, we broke into shifts to eat our lunch, and after that we took a break before taking down everything.

On overall, not many parents came to see our displays, although those that came seem to have been convinced to consider guides as a CCA for their children. I feel that we could have been more spontaneous in approaching and bringing the parents around our gadgets. On the other hand, I feel that we have done a good job of impressing the brownies with our gadgets. :)

I feel that most of our gadgets were very innovative and movable, something one would not usually expect. However, when building the gadgets, we should have had a greater sense of urgency and measure properly before building, as we had to rebuild some of the gadgets. Through these open house displays, I hope that many guides have gained some experience in gadgeting, and also exposure to the possibilities in gadgeting, and in future be able to come up with even better and more creative designs.

This was also the first time that year3s have taken charge of and planned a guides activity, and it was a great experience for all the ICs. Despite some hiccups in the preparations, it all turned out well.

On overall, it was a fun and enriching experience for all!

Happy holidays!

Love guides!

2010-05-16T18:33:00.001+08:00

Hi guides!

For last Friday's jihe, we first broke off into our batches and went for separate activities.

The year 2s went for the test for the Total Defence Silver Badge. It was a 15 minutes test and we have to rely on what we have learnt about total defence in Singapore to answer all the questions there.

Then, after the test, we are given time to prepare for our PDP item.

After our discussion, we went back to the gen sci labs to jihe with the rest of the company, and the activities for the day started (: It was a patrol activity that let us have some opportunities to teach our yr1s some skills. We were broken up into combined patrols for the activites: p1 with p8, p2 with p7, p3 with p6, and p4 with p5. There were 4 stations altogether.

For my patrol, first we went to the station at the obscourse. There, we first dinged girls style while two from each patrol come out and do 12 jumping jacks at the same time. It was quite a good job as the morale and spirits were high with us having constant cheering :D However, there we learnt to always listen to instructions given by the seniors, as due to our lack of attention, we ended up doing two rounds of jumping jacks even though we are only required to do one round. We did not clarify with the seniors regarding the instructions, and were not aware that only one round is required.

Then, the yr1s were taught how to use the compass to find the bearings of the given places. Some of them managed to have the chance to try finding the bearings themselves. Though due to the time constraints some did not have a go, it is hoped that all of them understood how to use the compass at the station.

Then, we proceeded to the red-tile area for the station on traditional games. We are required to tie a Roman Chariot with the mus and masheng given within the time limit of 6minutes. However, we exceeded and needed a time extension of 1 minute. This serves as a reminder for us to practice our lashes and make sure we can tie them faster, and also to revise the knowledge of tying a proper Roman Chariot.

After evaluating our Roman Chariots, we then proceeded to carry people on it. The task was to finish 8 rounds within 9minutes, yet for my patrol, we only managed 5 rounds. We have to be faster the next time and improve our timing. Also, we have to work on making the lashes tighter so we do not have to use up time for re-tightening of the lashes in the middle of the transportation process.

After that, we went to the pltc campsite area for the third station. First, the year2s have to teach the yr1s on using the yuanzila and yuanzilu to light a fire. The task is to sheng huo and then to sterilise the forks given. For my patrol, we have already taught our yr1s about the yuanzila and yuanzilu, so we could proceed with the actual fire-lighting. However, we were unsuccessful due to the wet yuanzilu. We learnt to have the initiative to take the newspapers to dry the yuanzilu, or else a fire will never be lighted. Though we did not manage to sheng huo, we took note that to see if the fork has been sterilised, we have to watch for the appearance of bubbles on the fork in the hot water.

Then we were given 4min to let the yr1s tie a square lash each. Some of them did not manage to finish within the time limit, though their lashes were neat.

Finally, we went to 3S classroom for our final station - yelizingjun. Here, yr2s are supposed to lead the patrol out of the obstacles. For my patrol, quite alot of confusion was caused as the instructions given were not very clear, and also, we passed down the instructions too quickly even when we have not even completed a step. It was a lesson learnt so we will not repeat that mistake again. Then we were given information regarding first aid to memorise.

After arranging back the tables at 3S, we jihed back with the rest of the company and cheered for the yr4s who were getting their Gold badge. It is indeed something they worked hard for, and something we as juniors all look forward to getting, and it fueled our desire to work harder in guides.

Jiayous (:

After that, we were dismissed.

Love guides (:

2010-05-10T19:16:00.003+08:00

Hello guides :D

Here is a blog post from a year 2:

Last Friday, we had our usual jihe, however this time the year 3s were not around and so it was up to us year2s to lead the year ones. It was our first time leading the year 1s and we were quite nervous.

Firstly, we were given 7 mins to take our mu to tie a kitchen dresser and a baggage rack, according to our proposals we had drawn earlier in the week. However we guo shi-ed. We learnt to be faster in getting our mu and not to take our own sweet time. We also learnt that time extensions should be asked before the time is up, and not after the time limit is up.

After which, we were given 1 hour and 15mins to tie one kitchen dresser and one baggage rack according to our proposals. We were then evaluated by our seniors and we took note of the points that we had to improve on. Many patrol's baggage rack were not stable and the seniors had given some suggestions on how to make it more stable.

After that we had jie pt. We ran up to the fifth floor of junior high and ding boy style, girl style, leg raise, launchers, commando crawl and wheelbarrow.

After that we jihe-ed and broke off into our respective patrols for patrol corner. We bonded with our year ones during patrol corner.

After patrol corner we were dismissed.

Love guides :)

2010-05-10T18:27:00.002+08:00

Hello guides :) Below is a blog post by a year 1.

Friday's jihe was fun yet tiring at the same time. I appreciated that our seniors put in a lot of time and effort to plan all the activities for us. When we went to fetch mu, I learnt that time is very precious to us, and we have to be quick in whatever we do. We exceeded the time limit given to us and we were punished, however this taught us an important lesson.

We built a kitchen dresser and also baggage rack within 1 hours and 15 minutes. We started slow and there was inconsistent bao shi throughout the whole session. All patrols managed to finish tying their gadgets and then our year 4s from our patrol debriefed us.

Although during PT, I am not very good in running, I also learnt that I am not the only one doing it, and my patrol mates are in it with me together. I did not give up as my patrol mates encouraged me. Alot of Year 1s dread PT but I look forward to it as I can train myself to be more fit, and at the same time bond with my batch.

Love guides! :)

2010-05-06T19:45:00.003+08:00

Year 3:

PLTC has indeed been a great experience for all the year threes. The effort and thought put into the preparation for the camp and the camp itself was indeed worthwhile for the experience we gained. From the first to the third day, we learned the importance of having a sense of urgency and very importantly to take care of our patrol mates and ourselves in the midst of trying to complete different tasks.

From camp development, we learn that in order to make camp d' successful, we have to be flexible and allocate manpower properly so that camp d' can be more efficient. We should not always be so rigid but instead change as the situation requires, we should not insist on sticking to plans when it is not feasible at all. In addition, we must always remember to help other patrols when they are in need. After all, we are all a jie and only as strong as the weakest link.

During lectures, we also learnt and try out how to cope with different situations that we may meet. The important thing that many of us failed to realise was the situation we were in and neglected the time factor. Thus, we should be more aware of our situation and surroundings so that we can solve the situation more effectively. In addition, we also gave thought of what leadership means to us, and what type of leader we really wanted to be. We were given a chance to set our goals of what we want to achieve and think of ways to achieve and work towards it.

PLTC seemed to pass so fast now that you look back at it, but I feel that it was certainly one of sweat, laughter, tears and joy. We learnt the importance of communicating among and between the patrol to make the camp successful. Although there were many mistakes made during PLTC, but it is from those mistakes that we can learn and better ourselves. I feel that we have progressed not only individually, but we have also grown and matured as a jie. At the end of the day, what is truly important is not the results but the lessons and experience that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

Love guides:)

2010-05-06T19:45:00.002+08:00

Year 3:

Time really files, from 2 years to PLTC, it was down to 2 hours. We were all tense and excited, unsure really what to expect for PLTC despite hearing rumours from our seniors, not knowing whether to take them seriously or they were plainly exaggerated to scare us. Jihe-ing with the entire tuan at the basketball court was probably one of my most memorable things for me during PLTC. Everyone was panicking inside and others were rushing to get some last minute stuff. But then deep down inside we were all wondering how our lives would be for the next three days, under the hands of our seniors.

But it was only the start, the start of a test that we were to be put through for the next three days and which would really test what we’ve learnt from guides and the effort we’ve put in for the past three years, one of which many of us dreaded.

But now that PLTC has ended, many of us miss the times we spent together. With our patrol, our course leaders, during the activities or meals times were there were both serious and stupid moments. We all missed those times and for some regretting that it was not cherished enough. Many of us long to relive PLTC but we know we can’t so it’s just time to think back and remember those memories and then work together, harder, as a batch to bring the company to greater heights with the knowledge we’ve gained from PLTC.

This PLTC, I’m sure we year 3s learnt a lot. It was a test of our leadership, skills and endurance. Although it was often both physically and mentally tiring, but I’m sure all of us pia-ed on and we didn’t give up. Each time we successfully completed a station or kept within the time limit for mass change, we all felt that sense of satisfaction and contentment which spurred us on to do better the next time on. Similarly, each time we screwed up or felt that we had disappointed our seniors, and most importantly, ourselves, for not pushing harder, we’ll try to think of ways to improve and not repeat it the next time round.

Through this PLTC, we also became more bonded as a patrol and as a jie. We got to know our patrolmates better and it was crucial in helping us complete our PLTC. We improved as a jie and ultimately on the last day we were all surprised by the speed we cleared up and how we all worked together to make it possible.

Lastly, all this would not have been possible without all the planning and help from the teachers, seniors and duty personnel. And we would like to thank all you guys who made this PLTC so memorable for us :D

Love guides!

2010-04-29T22:22:00.002+08:00

Hello year 3s!

Jiayou for PLTC tomorrow! Give your best, don't give up and pia till the end :)
Always remember all for one and one for all! As strong as you think you are in your individual patrols, it only matters if ALL of you work together as one batch.

Jiayou!

- Year 4s 2010

2010-04-25T19:50:00.000+08:00

Hello guides! :)

For friday's jihe, we had skills training and PT.

Firstly, we jihe-ed at 2.45pm at the science labs area. Latecomers were reminded to be punctual for the next jihe. We then jihe-ed according to our levels for skills training. As most of the Y2s went for speech day rehearsal, we jihe-ed with the Y1s.

Next, we went to get baishengs and mus from tuanbu to teach the Y1s how to tie square lash and diagonal lash. As no specific time was given, we took our time and walked slowly after getting the items. Also, we only took our mus individually and did not care about the others. As a result, we were punished by the Y4s who told us about basic guides rules (one for all and all for one, guides 不是跑就是飞) that we should uphold. Furthermore, our attire was not standard and many of us still wore sports shoes to jihe. We should keep all these in mind and not repeat our mistakes.

Then, we combined with another patrol and taught the Y1s how to tie square lash and diagonal lash. However, due to the time constraint, we did not manage to finish teaching them. We jihe-ed back and were instructed to retrieve 2 duanmus, 2 zhongduanmus and 6 zhongmus from tuanbu in 4 mins, to build a fire altar as a combined patrol. As there were no zhongduan mus, we had to ask for a time extension and jihe-ed back late. We had until 4.10pm to complete our fire altars. As Y2s, we had to guide the Y1s, who did not know how to build a fire altar. Although we made many mistakes in the process, such as tying the square lashes from the wrong direction (down to up/up to down) and tying the mus in the wrong place, our patrol managed to build a fire altar successfully. Our seniors then pointed out our mistakes and told us how we could improve further.

After that we had PT. We ran to the sixth floor and did leg raise while 4 of us took turns to wheelbarrow to the other end of the pathway. After wheelbarrowing, we had to ding boys style for 4mins before changing to girls style position. Also, we did commando crawl and 15 pumpings after a water break.

During PT, we should ask the people running in front to slow down if we cannot catch up and constantly cheer to boost our morale. We should try to pia to the end and make sure everyone's alright too. Then, the Y1s attended a lecture by the Y5s after getting their writing materials from tuanbu, and the Y2s gathered at the science labs area. We learnt some songs from the Y4s and they also quizzed us about information found in the guides notes. I realized that we were unclear about some guides stuff and should probably study the guides notes soon.

Lastly, we jihe-ed with everyone and had 15mins of patrol corner before breaking off.

Love guides! :)

2010-04-24T20:23:00.009+08:00

Hello guides here are the photos from UG DAY + Overnight camp from last week :)

Hoped that yall had fun :D

Year 3s jiayou with prep work next week! We have faith in all of you :D Remember when the going gets tough, only the tough gets going!

Love guides~

2010-04-18T21:31:00.001+08:00

Hi Guides (:

Friday was UG day and we had combined activities with all the rest of the UGs.

We jihe-ed outside LT 3 and 4 after school to have lunch with our patrol. After that, we proceeded to the parade square to join the rest of the UGs and split into the groups we were assigned to. After a speech by Dr Foo, we had mass dance. We were all very high after dancing for the second time and started on the games. We went to the track but as soon as we started the relay race, it started raining. So, we went back to the classroom and did a self-introduction. Later, we went out to find the items for treasure hunt. Even though we did not manage to answer all the questions and find all the items, it was fun trying to find the items around the school. The whole activity ended with a prize presentation.

Leisure camp started with dinner with our overnight camp patrols. We were then given time to bathe and bond more with our patrol mates before watching the horror movie in the auditorium. We watched The Frighteners, which was considered as a horror comedy as some found it funny. After the horror movie, we had a night walk around the school with the scouts.

The first station my group went was the corridor that linked Block E and Block F. We played Murderer at the corridor and if the detective could not catch the murderer or the murderer was caught, they had to go to Wen Xin. When I went up, I was given a torchlight and told to go to one of the pictures drawn by the AEP students and count the number of girls with 2 complete sets of teeth. It was quite scary as the face was rather freaky and it was very dark.

After that, we went to the walless classroom. We found a piece of paper along with an envelope under one of the tables and were given 2 minutes to memorize the sequence of the scary pictures. However, we only managed to get the first two rows correct. Next, we were blindfolded and had to put our hands on the person standing in front's shoulders. The whole journey was rather scary.

Next, we proceeded to the area outside the female gym toilet. We were given a puzzle of a scary face and one person had to go into the toilet. I went into the toilet and I was quite scared as my torchlight was faulty and it was very dark inside.

We then went to the staircase and had to spot the differences between two pictures while two people went up the stairs to memorize a tongue twister. We managed to spot all the differences and got all the tongue twisters correct. Well done!

Lastly, we went to the auditorium. We had to go into the auditorium alone to find satay sticks. The rest of the group were to spread out and lie on the floor outside the auditorium. I did not go in as it was 1.30am already and we had to jihe.

I enjoyed the night games a lot. It was really fun and spooky.

In the morning, we had company games and it was very fun. We played the blanket game and got to know more people in Guides after doing the friendship dance. The last game, the relay race, was very fun. First, we had to hop to the plate of flour our seniors were holding and find the gummy bears hidden inside. Then, we had to keep the tissue in the air for 20 seconds. It was quite difficult at first but we managed to do it with a very creative way. Lastly, we had to hold a banana in between our legs and walk. Although many groups' bananas were squeezed, my group's banana was still in its original shape and we ate it up.

The leisure camp was very fun and we had definitely bonded more, not only with our patrol but as a whole coy, through this. It was very well-planned and I believe everyone enjoyed themselves very much. Thank you 中四s for planning such a great camp!

Love Guides (:

2010-04-18T14:41:00.000+08:00

Hello Guides :)

The whole week has been UG week and UG day on Friday ended and it was really fun. In my opinion, UG day is a great way to let us know people from other UGs and make friends with them. After all, as a UG family, we should be bonded as one instead of as 4 distinct groups.

After lunch, we did the mass dance we had been practicing for. After doing it twice, everyone was really high and enthusiastic. Even though it rained and we didn’t get to play the outdoor activities the seniors planned, I still enjoyed myself very much. In the end, we played games like whacko in the classrooms, and then completed the treasure hunt.

The day ended with prize giving and the leisure camp started. After dinner, we were given time to bathe and bond with our patrol mates. Then, the leisure camp started with nightgames!

Nightgames began with a horror movie, The Frighteners. Some found it funny but others found it terrifying. When the movie ended, we started the night walk together with the scouts.

The first station was in the music atrium toilet. We were really scared to go in. The seniors acted so well and it was very spooky. I nearly screamed when I saw the Barbie doll’s hand under the sink. We were very relieved when we could leave the station.

Next, we proceeded to the staircase opposite the Waterside. There, we had to spot the differences between two pictures of a haunted house, while two people went up the stairs. The third station was at LT3, where we had to send in one person at a time to find satay sticks.

The forth station was at the link between the senior and junior high blocks. This station was the second scariest. There, we played murderer and the loser had to answer a question about the paintings on the wall. It was very creepy as some of the paintings were very disturbing, like the one with the skeleton of the girls teeth.

The final station was at the walless classroom, where we had to put a series of scary looking pictures in order. We did not get to complete the second part of this station as it was 1.30am and we had to jihe.

In all, the night games were really well planned and fun.

The next morning, we played some company games like the blanket name game and dead end. The last game was very funny! First, we had to hop to the plate of flour and find gummy bears. After that, we had to try to keep a tissue paper for 20 seconds in the air by blowing it. This proved to be difficult so we were used our hands and feet instead. After we completed that task, we had to place a banana between our legs and walk. After my group was done, all that was left was a bit of the banana skin.

The games ended off a great leisure camp. I feel that we have bonded as a company and that we should have more of such activities. Thank you 中四s for planning this camp!

Love guides :D

2010-04-12T20:34:00.003+08:00

Hello Guides!

For Friday's activity, first we had patrol corner. It was the first time the year 3s were doing a skills patrol corner. Some patrols went through notes, some did gadget tying and some practised lashes. We hope that everyone has learnt something new from this patrol corner and also, year 3s to gain experience about planning activities for the patrol.

Next, the year 1s and 3s had their PT separately. The year 2s went for contigent practise. The year 3s were introduced to some new things, in preparation for PLTC, like doing a reversed boy's style pumping position and 5 people wheelbarrowing with legs on a heimu which 2 people carried.

This PT was tougher, but definitely a good training for the year 3s. No matter how tough the going gets, all for one and one for all, we must stand strong and stay united, don't leave anyone behind and improve together as a batch. Year 3s, jiayou for PLTC.

Good job to the year 1s too, for completing yet another PT. Hope that you all will put in your very best for the next PT and not fall out so easily.

Jiayou!

Love guides <3

2010-03-20T14:41:00.000+08:00

Hello guides.

On Tuesday 16th of March, the year 3s had their rockclimbing course. The year 3s took the rockclimbing course level 1 and we were to report at 8.00am sharp in school. The bus took off shortly after everyone has reached and very soon, we arrived at Safra Yishun, the place whereby we actually got the chance to scale a 25m high rock wall!

The year 3s and 4s were separated next to their own courses. Year 4s learnt abseiling, while the year 3s went into a room to learn more about the basic theories of rock-climbing. The instructors Azmi, Osman and Sophia taught us the basic knot we had to tie for the person climbing, and it was the double figure of 8. We were also introduced to terms like "climbing commands", belaying, and also learnt the correct method of belaying using the 5 steps.

We also had a chance to learnt the physics of how a carabiner works and how at different parts of the professional climbing carabiner can affect the load carried. For example, the heaviest the carabiner can hold is 25kg max. Shortly after approximately 2hours of theory sessions, it was finally time for a little practical.

Everyone gathered at the 25m beginners wall and tried belaying with the guide of our instructors. The instructors made sure everyone till the correct methods of belaying before our fellow guides could actually scale the wall as safety is extremely important in this case. After everyone had tried, we went for a 1hour lunch and reported back at 1pm.

We were finally allowed to scale the rock wall and were all applying the skills we had learnt for us to successfully climb! All of us attempted at least once and some of us made it quite high, we cheered each other on and gave each other support. In all, it had been a meaningful day for all of us as we had all learn something new :)

2010-03-19T17:20:00.000+08:00

On Tuesday, the year twos, year threes and year fours went for some enrichment courses. The year fours went to SAFRA Yishun country club for an abseiling course.

We were greeted with a familiar face once we reached the country club. The instructor taking us for abseiling was the same instructor who taught us rock-climbing :) As the equipments and techniques used in abseiling were similar to rock climbing, the instructors let us practice the most basic skill in rock-climbing and abseiling -- belaying. This was a good revision for us, as many forgot how to belay. Belaying ensures the safety of the person doing rock-climbing and abseiling. After practicing belaying and doing a bit of rock-climbing, we proceeded to do abseiling.

Abseiling was quite different from rock-climbing. In rock-climbing, belaying was done by the partner of the climbing. In abseiling, however, belaying was done by the person abseiling. We have the belay to slowly drop ourselves lower. On the first try, many of us could not overcome the initial fear of dropping ourselves down the wall before abseiling. However, once we managed to drop ourselves down, we found abseiling rather relaxing and enjoyable. Everyone got to experience abseiling twice before lunch.

After lunch, we continued to learn a higher level abseiling skill. We had to lock the equipment and hang ourselves in midair for at least 5 seconds. It was difficult to lock the equipment as it require a certain amount of strength. Also, we had to hold the string tight to prevent ourselves from slipping down slowly. Many of us could not pass at the first attempt, but managed to do it after practice.

Overall, abseiling was a very new and unique experience for us. It was not a common sport that we will get to try in our daily lives. It not only tested our courage, but also showed us the importance of cheering each other on when we face a challenge.

Love guides! :D

2010-03-13T15:07:00.001+08:00

Hello guides :D

Yesterday, we built gadgets and had PT during jihe.

As usual, we jihe-ed outside general science lab at 2.45pm. After taking attendance, we were given 7 minutes to take the mu we needed for our gadgets from tuan bu. We jihe-ed back at the general science lab and broke off to build our gadgets. For my patrol, we built an easel. Even though we managed to finish it just in time, it was not very stable and the knots were not very tight too. After that, we had evaluation and saw other patrols' gadgets. Other patrols' gadgets were very creative as well, such as P2's broom and dustpan, P6's music stand and table, and P8's swing. We learned that we should have a rough idea of how we are going to build the gadgets, and the different things to take note of when building them. Every knot should be tight so the gadget will be stable.

Then, we had 20minutes of patrol corner, bonding with our patrol. Following that, we had PT with our batch. The year 1s had their PT for the first time! For year 2s, we ran up to the fifth floor. We did our warm-up and started PT. While the rest ding boys' style pumping position, 3 pairs will go up and do wheel burrow along the corridor, crab walk and do 15 pumping before running back to join the rest. We changed position after we managed to ding boys' style pumping position without anyone falling out for 2minutes after quite some time. Each time one person fall, we had to restart. We changed to leg raise and after quite a while we tried our best not to fall as we know everyone is doing with us even if we were all very tired. We tried to do proper leg raise for 2minutes. However after many attempts, we could not hold there for 2 minutes. After the seniors reduced to 1 minute, we managed to hold there and got up. We did sit-ups and jumping jacks before running up and down. After a few round, we ran to the balcony on the 4th floor and did cool-down exercise. Also, we did kallang wave pumping with our seniors and we definitely enjoyed it. I had a sense of achievement as I felt that I really pia-ed till the end.

Through this jihe, I learned that we must not give up and fall out just because we are tired. As everyone is doing the same thing as what we are doing.

Love Guides! :)

2010-03-13T12:43:00.001+08:00

Hello guides :)

Yesterday, we had jihe and skills training. We tied our creative gadgets and had physical training.

Firstly, we were given 7 minutes per company to chou mu. We did not asked for time extension so it could be considered as a good start. Next, every patrol went on to tie their creative gadgets their year 3s designed previously. We were given 50 minutes and we were supposed to use this time to teach the years 1s on the lashes and gadget uses. At first, most of us were so anxious in tying the gadget that we forgot to teach the year 1s. It was only after the year 4s reminded us then we realised our mistake. Luckily it was not too late and we managed to teach the year 1s some stuffs such as netting and diagonal lash. Jiayou!

We learnt that when tying the dingjiao, 2 person must tie at both sides to balance the mu and prevent it from getting loose. This requires teamwork and coordination as from this, we learnt that one person will not be able to tie tightly with the other side hanging loosely. We also learnt that as the purpose of netting is to be able to put something on it, thus if the spaces between each netting is too big, the things may just drop into the space. Hence, we have to minimise the spaces. All patrols managed to complete our gadgets within the stipulated time, so good job.

Then, we had different patrols to explain their creative gadgets to us. We learnt many new ways and ideas through this exchange of ideas.

One lesson most patrols learnt is the construction of quadrapod. We learnt that the tying part is just the same as that of the tripod, just that 4 mus are used instead of 3. When opening the quadrapod, its crossing between the 1st and 3rd mus as well as the 2nd and 4th mus. This is very important to prevent feijiao. Not forgetting the lesson we learnt almost every week that is teamwork. Without teamwork, the gadget could not have been constructed only by a pair of hands. Without teamwork, the gadget would not be as successful as it turned out to be. Without teamwork, the gadget would not have been done in such a short time. Thus, teamwork is very important and we have to bear this in mind that together, we make things happen.

After that, we had patrol corner and we chai-ed and keep the mus back. For the remaining time, we taught our year 1s some basic guides rules and pumpings.

Lastly, we had physical training by level. For the year 3s, they ran many rounds up and down the junior high block and ding some positions in between. I feel that we can improve next time by caring more for our jie mates. There were large gaps between some of us when we were running and we should have told the people in front to slow down but we did not, thus we should think more of others and care for them. We have to always bear this in mind as this not only applies to guiding but our school motto- To Care. We work as one and run together, so if there are gaps in between, it does not reflect well on our unity, hence we have to show more concern to others, not leaving anyone out, so we can bond together more as a jie, as a company.

We are sure that after this day, we had learnt more, bonded more and cared more, therefore wishing better achievements in future activities!

Love guides!

2010-03-07T22:07:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, we had initiatives and dragon boating during our jihe :)

Jihe-d at 830, then broke off for inter-patrol games. We had four different ball games, namely soccer, floorball, captain's ball and netball. We competed against different patrols and took turns playing the different sports. Through this, we definitely bonded more with our patrol. Teamwork is especially important in sports, although strategising also played a relatively important role. Im sure everyone had a lot of fun, cheering on for their respective patrols, celebrating over victories and encouraging each other when they lost. Overall, P4 attained first, P5 & P6 tied for second place. However, i believe that everyone played their best and positions do not matter, for we reaped morals such as teamwork from it.

After a delicious lunch of chicken rice, we then proceeded to Kallang Water Sports centre for dragon boating. We were split into five boats, and were assigned two instructors each. A safety briefing, life buoyancy vests, a paddle, and we were all set to go! First we practiced rowing in the water, and learnt how to co-ordinate. After mastering the basic four commands, we then had fun in the water, playing tug-of-war and going around splashing at other patrol's boats :p Our session ended with a race between the five boats, where teamwork and co-ordination played a huge role. Once again, this helped us to build up our communication between not only our patrol, but with others in the same boat as us. Before we knew it, our time in the water was up and we had to return back to shore.

Overall, im sure all of us learnt something from yesterday's jihe - teamwork. This does not apply only in sports, but also in our everyday lives, and of course, guides. With teamwork, we can achieve greater, we can achieve so much more :)

TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More. There is never an 'i' in teamwork. Its only together with your patrol/jie, that you can overcome all the obstacles in guides.

2010-02-28T14:35:00.001+08:00

Hello guides!

Last friday, we had jihe to celebrate chinese new year and skills training.

We jihed at the general science labs as usual at 2.45pm. Then, we had patrol corner. For our patrol, we tied kitchen table at the general science labs. We were given 8 mins to chou the mu needed for kitchen table. Following that, we jihed back at the general science lab to start tying the structures. Due to the poor manpower allocation, we did not manage to complete on kitchen table within 40 mins despite being given time extension. We learned that the tripods for the kitchen table have to be really tight so that the kitchen table would be stable. Also, we had spent too much time tying the tripods and yet they were not stable. Thus, we should have more sense of urgency.

Following that, we had company games at two respective stations, the parade square and the tennis court. At the parade square, we first played a game of catch where P1 and P2 had to form lines to catch people from P3 and P4 to join their lines. Then, we played another game of ice and water. The people that were caught had to ding boy style pumping position. Then, we went to the tennis court. However, due to the poor weather conditions, we moved to the area between lecture theaters 3 and 4. The game we played was similar to dog and bone. Numbers were called out to pick the ball up to be thrown into buckets at the lift, however, many of us failed to throw it in. Those who did not throw the balls in had to do a forfeit, depending on what was picked from a bag.

Then, we went back to the general science labs for food and yu sheng. However, before eating, a year 3 from each patrol was called out to teach the year 1s how to sing "Guiding Light". Despite the year 1s singing a little soft, they managed to get the hang of the lyrics pretty fast. Good job!

Many seniors and teachers were also invited back and Ms Ngau introduced them to us.

After that, we had patrol bonding and dinner.

Love guides! Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

2010-02-27T22:38:00.000+08:00

Hello guides (:

Yesterday we had patrol corner, followed by company games and lastly celebrated Chinese New Year by having a guides’ reunion dinner.

During patrol corner, my patrol built a basketball hoop, which we were asked to draw a proposal of beforehand. We were given 5 minutes to chou the mu that we needed, however we exceeded the time limit given and did not manage to ask for time extension before the time limit. We should always keep in mind the amount of time we are given and try our best to stick to it, and not have the mindset that time extensions would always be given to us.

After that, we carried on to start tying our structure. We spent a lot of time on getting the frame up and deciding what to do. We also faced some problems on the way, for example the lengths of the mu were not correct. Therefore, we should learn to react according to the problem we face to speed things up. After the structure was done, we played a short game of basketball before we chai-ed it and returned to the general science lab.

After that was company games. We were split into 2 groups, coy 1 and coy 2 and proceeded to the different venues. For coy 2, we proceeded to the rooftop tennis court first. At the tennis court, we played dog and bone, whereby there were 2 patrols in a team. However, the difference between this and the normal dog and bone game is that we had to do 5 jumping jacks before we could take the ball and had to run along the path to throw the ball into our respective buckets. Those who did not take the balls or could not throw in the ball had to be in the forfeit zone and after 3 rounds, the forfeit will be conducted. Our forfeit was to sing a guides’ song in a low voice and we sang kookaburra.

We proceeded to the canteen after that for the second part of company games. At the canteen, we got into 2 lines and got into boy’s style position while people on one side commando crawl to the other side. After that we played human knot in our own patrols. We were given 10 minutes to solve but my patrol could not solve it and had about 4 people left tangled together.

After that, we proceeded back to the general science lab for the long awaited reunion dinner. Before we had the reunion dinner, one sec 3 from each patrol was told to step out and we had to teach the year ones any guides song. We taught them “Guiding Light”, and all of them knew how to sing after that, but they could have sang even louder. Good job year ones!

Mrs Poh also introduced some seniors and ex-guiders to us before we started the dinner. Some of which were graduated students who came back, while some were Dunman High guides in the past and now teachers in Dunman High. We then took our food and yu sheng and sat together as a patrol. We then start our dinner with yu sheng and had a fun time eating together and bonding as a patrol.

Hope everyone enjoyed this cny reunion dinner!

Love guides!

2010-02-27T17:59:00.005+08:00

Hello guides here are some pictures taken during last friday's thinking day celebrations at the stadium :)

Love guides :D

2010-02-22T18:47:00.001+08:00

Hello Guides :)

On saturday, we had the thinking day celebration in indoor stadium with other school guides and brownies. We first assembled outside mushroom pot to take attendance and learn the cheers that we were going to cheer when sweeyee and xintian represented our school to receive the award. We are proud to announce that this time both coy 1 and 2 received gold. Throughout the year all of us have put in a lot of effort and we are happy our hard work put off.

The thinking day celebration comprises of the award ceremony, sing-a-long session and performance. during the sing-a-long session although there were some songs we did not know how to sing but we had a lot of fun. The performance was very interesting and informative. It
teaches us the history of guiding and how guiding spread.

The thinking day theme for this year is together we can end extreme hunger and poverty. To do our part, for a start, we should stop wasting food. I hope that everyone can think about what else they can do to help the world.

Love guides :)

2010-02-15T23:36:00.001+08:00

Hello guides :D

On 12 February 2010, 33 Year 2 guides and 1 Year 3 guide visited the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery. This was to allow us to receive our Total Defence Sliver badge. Firstly, we were told that no food and drinks were allowed in the premises, to keep the area clean. A fireman, whom we affectionately know as “Uncle”, was our tour guide for the day. We were introduced to the history of the fire station and the different fire engines. These fire engines existed during the 1900s – this station was the second largest one in Singapore in the early 1900s. There were also wax models on them to help us create a better image of those days. We also learnt about the different functions of all the fire engines. Each part had a special function that assisted in fighting the fire. The fireman gave us 10 minutes to explore each engine and to take pictures of them. We also had our chance to get into one engine, to experience sitting at the back with our patrol.

After that, we proceeded to the second level. The fireman told us about the different stations located around Singapore and the reasons they were there. Then, there was a small “show” for us, which displayed firemen fighting a fire in the building. We were given tips of what to do during a fire, such as keeping calm and to avoid using the lift when these emergencies arise. The fireman showed us a wax model of a German, trained dog. This dog helped to sniff out human bodies that are trapped under things. This is to enable firemen to rescue people that are not in their sight, thus they are of a great help. This indicated the end of our trip. We thanked the fireman and left the gallery.

We had to so reflections before we headed home. The main purpose of this trip is to educate us more about the job of the civil defence in Singapore. They are important to the society – with their bravery; they saved so many lives of citizens. We should always learn more about them and appreciate their efforts!

Love Guides :) & Happy Chinese New Year :D

2010-02-13T20:07:00.000+08:00

Hi guides!

Yesterday, the year3s had our Combined Obstacle Journey (COJ). We jihed at the red tile area in oj kit with everything that was needed for OJ. We were late and hence got pumped, therefore we should always remember to be punctual and jihe on time. Before the whole COJ started, we had water parade.

After that, we broke off into our patrols and were given our first clue. It was in guides code, we decoded it and it said:”supposedly the safest place in school”. We deduced that it was the bomb shelter and made our way there. At the station, we had to go through a maze down the stairs and then make our way up the elevated platform from there. In that station, most of us worked like an individual at the start finding our way down. However, we could have done better if we worked as a patrol, guiding and helping each other as we make our way down. It improved on our way up, as we helped one another climb up the walls and cheered each other on. In the second part of the station, we had to build 2 bashas, one the scout’s way and another the guide’s way. We didn’t manage to finish it on time and had to keep asking for time extensions. I feel that we should buck up on our skills as we took a long time to tie the basha, have better sense of urgency and take care of our stuffs better.

After that, we made our way to the 2nd station which was outside the scout’s tuanbu. At the station, we had to crack another set of guide’s code, which said that we had to follow signs and caterpillar walk along the way. As the PL of this station, I could not read some of the trekking signs that we had to follow, and had to ask my patrol mates. After that, we had to carry a pail of water out of the boundaries without stepping into it. However, even after time extensions, we still could not do it. Using the water in the pail, we had to boil an egg which was found in the sand earlier. We started the fire using one match stick, but did not have enough time to finish boiling it. I realised that we should learn our notes properly, so that we can use them in time of need.

We were given our next clue, and proceeded on to the 3rd station which was the minesweeper. We had to tie a mu across the minesweeper to facilitate crossing and cross it within a certain time limit. At first, we had to blindfold ourselves when we were crossing, and only one of us managed to cross. After that we were given more time of the remaining of the patrol to cross and collect pictures of mice along the way. Our peibei was also being kupped at this station. Hence we really have to take good care of our belongings. We could have been faster if we made use of the time we had, to cross and tie the mu at the same time, which will allow more time for others to cross.

The next clue that was given to us was 4.19 and we spent quite a lot of time trying to figure out what it meant. After which, we went to 4S classroom for the station. As one of the casualties, I was supposed to be unconscious in the room. My patrol came into the room and saved the casualties, and carried me out after that. I felt that we could have done better if we did not touch much of the obstacles that was in the room and be more familiarised with our first aid skills.

We then went to our 5th station which was the vertical rope. Many of us, the guides, could not climb the vertical rope and hence needed help from other patrol mates to push us up. We should learn how to climb the rope properly before pltc, so that we can really show our best in it. However, without the help of our patrolmates, we could not have made it to touch the mice’s pictures therefore, teamwork is also important. When we work as a team, more things can be done.

After this station, we went to our last station, the acid river. We decided to tie a tripod and then place the mu on it so that we can cross. To make things harder, we had 2 disabled casualties. My patrol decided to build a stretcher so that we can transport the casualty easily. We could have done better by tying our lashes tighter so that we would not need to waste time to retie and that it is safer. However, too many people crossed over at the beginning and there were very few people left to transport the second casualty over. Although they could come back, one of the scouts decided to piggy back the casualty to make things faster. However, before we could finish, the time was up and we had to go back. We were then given 5 minutes to find 4 pictures of the mice to gain more marks, but we could only find 3 of them. We helped the station masters to keep the mu and mats that were used, and went back to the red tile area after we were done.

We were then debriefed over our performances for each of the stations and the pointers that we could have improved on and done better. Overall, I felt that the positions did not matter as much as the things that were learnt during the process. Through this COJ, we know a lot of areas that we can improve and buck up on before pltc comes. Good job to all the year3s, COJ is over and next up is pltc.

P1 Superbrie, P2 TheKillerz, P3 M & M, P4 MOJO, P5 cheesy, P6 Super M

Jiayou guides! :D

2010-02-13T20:03:00.001+08:00

Hello guides :)

Yesterday, the year 3s had their COJ. We jihe-d at the red tile red but we were late so we had to pump even before COJ officially started. After break off, we went to look for our course leaders where we got our first clue.

Our first station was the minesweeper station. First, we had to tie the hong mu on the railings to fill up the gap between the mus, helping us to cross. Then, we had to cross the minesweeper blindfolded with instructions given by our PL and PS. However, we took too long to tie the mu and were unable to get the whole patrol across. We should have crossed while tying to save time. We made many mistakes at this station such as guo-ing wrong and not taking care of our stuff. Our moral was quite low as we didn’t cheer enough. After that, we had to guo the minesweeper again. This time not blindfolded. However, many of us still moved very slowly and the not the whole patrol was able to cross.

Our second station was the first aid station. We had to rescue 2 casualties in the room, one with an elbow fracture and sprained foot and the other unconscious. We took too long to build the stretcher and spent a very long time trying to carry the unconscious casualty out. After that, we had to carry the carry one person on the stretcher and run around the block 3 times. We lacked the sense of urgency and our moral was very low.

Our third station was the rope climbing station. There, we had to climb the rope to touch one of the mice on the wall and after that ding in boy’s style. The station was to be completed in sets. However, only half of the patrol could climb the rope before the time was up. Many guides knew the theory but were unable to cross. We should practice more before PLTC.

Our fourth station was the acid river station. As we did this during jie OJ before, we knew what to do. However, we were rather slow in building the structure. We should also have been more careful while crossing to prevent us or our things from dropping in. After the whole patrol had crossed, we had to look for hidden mice around the area.

Our fifth station was at the bomb shelter where there was an electric fence and we had to cross the wall to get to the elevated court. At that station, a lot of teamwork was required. We had to help one another up the wall and pull them up in order for the whole patrol to get across. We did it quite well though we were rather slow at the beginning but towards the end, we improved and worked together. After the whole patrol was on the elevated court, we had to build one basha and one hike tent. We were quite slow in building the basha and it was not completed when the time was up.

Our sixth and last station was at near the red tile area. We had to caterpillar walk from the notice board and follow the trekking signs to bring us to the place. However, we again lacked the sense of urgency and were unable to reach in time. Next, we had to move a pail of water out of the circle made around it without dragging it and no one could enter the centre either. We managed to get the pail of water out by using 2 masheng to hook around at opposite sides and then pull the 2 sides, allowing the pail to be lifted up. After the pail was out, we had to use the water and boil an egg which was the treasure we found in the sand pit. The fire started quite quickly and we were able to sustain the fire for a long time, allowing our egg to boil. After that, we cleared up the area and went to red tile to jihe for debrief.

In short, many patrol lacked a sense of urgency and our skills were not up to standard yet. We still have much room for improvement and we should pull up our socks before PLTC.

After debrief, we met our course leaders and we had evaluation. We also returned the pumping we owed inclusive of those during inspection.

As a whole, I think my patrol lacked a sense of urgency and had very low moral throughout the whole of COJ. We really have to improve on that as well as our skills and stamina. I hope we can all learn from our mistakes that we made this time and do better for PLTC which isn’t very far away.

Jiayou all!

Love guides :)

2010-02-11T20:05:00.003+08:00

YEAR 3s:

Tmr is COJ! Jiayou and pia all the way :)
All of us believe that all of you can do it, try your best and leave no regrets.

With love,
year 4s.

2010-02-07T19:03:00.005+08:00

Hello guides :)

Here are the photos taken during the jihe on friday.

Love guides! :D

2010-02-06T23:09:00.000+08:00

Hey Guides :)

Yesterday we welcomed the 44th Batch of Guides into DHS Coy! The Year 2s have been anticipating this day when we would become seniors. They jihe-ed beside us at first, and we noticed their shyness and uneasiness right from the start, but as the activities for the day was being carried out, they gradually opened up and talked more. Some of the Year 1s did not like guides, but that is okay, as they do not know much about Guides yet and that is why we are here to teach them. We, as their Year 2s, will have to show a good example and teach our juniors how to be a girl guide, not just any guide, but a Dunman High Guide.

We started off with a 25 minute long patrol corner, where we introduced ourselves to the Year 1s and vice versa. We also introduced our patrol name(s), CL, ACL, QM, AQM etc. of our coy well as some li jies. After that, we had games. For my patrol, we began with the 3 legged race, followed by Blow Wind Blow, Dog and Bone, Charades. Overall, it was great fun! We had a mini-BBQ to end of the day. The Year 1s were quite amazed by how a fire could be started like that, and in the school too. Hope that they had a great time during their first jihe! ;)

After the activities, Mrs Poh announced that DHS Coy 1 and 2 had both achieved the Gold Puan Noor Aishah Award for last year. Good job to everyone who made this happen ;)

Last year, we were just like them. Coming into Guides, not knowing what to except but gradually learnt more about guiding life and loving it as well. This year, it would be our turn to guide the Year 1s, under the guidance of the Year 3s and 4s, and build a good foundation for them so that they would be able to pass down this to future batches. We would have to guide them, like the way the Year 3s used to guide us, show them that guides is not just a CCA, but a family.

Last but not least, here's a warm welcome from everyone to our Year 1s!

Jiayou guides! :D