Hi Guides!
For this 集合, the Year 2s and 3s were split into their respective batches and had batch activities together as a batch. The Year 2 batch activity served to provide a platform to train the Year 2s’ basic leadership skills before the Year 1s come, as well as to promote batch unity and teamwork. The Year 3 batch activity served to hone the Year 3s’ hard skills and bring them back to the basics, train their batch communication and lastly, allow them to train teamwork and cooperation with others, as well as bond together as a batch.
Year 2 Batch Activity
Inspection + PT
The Year 2s were split into 2 groups, before they started their concurrent inspection + Physical Training (PT) segment. Each group will do either inspection or PT first, before switching with the other group.
The group doing inspection first will take 3 配备s from 团部. In the meantime, those doing PT will warm up. The first group will do inspection for the duration that the second group does PT, to ensure that the second group does not take their own time to complete the PT. However, to ensure that the group doing PT is not overly exhausted, the group doing inspection will be given a total of 10-15 minutes. The groups are to complete as much PT as possible within 15 minutes.
The time that one group takes to collect logistics would be the time given to the PT group for warming up, which will be led by a Year 2.
Similarly, the roles will be reversed after the first 15 minutes.
First layout: Own layout, for the Year 2s to decide among themselves
Second layout: Year 4 ICs will provide the layout and appoint 1 Year 2 to read it out
Third layout: Year 4 ICs will appoint another Year 2 and ask for the same layout, which is to be flipped
Reflection from a Year 2 on Inspection:
On the 集合 last Friday, we did a series of activities, one of which included inspection. When we were told to pack a 配备 for inspection, many of us were stunned and confused as we weren’t familiar with the contents in it. It was a complete mess as many of us crowded together in 团部, struggling to find the different items since we were unfamiliar with our 小队箱. For the first inspection, a layout was not given to us and one of our batch mates actually took the initiative to step up and lead the batch. After that, we were told to pack everything back into the 配备 and many of us took a longer time as we scrambled to place everything into it. However, we managed to improve our speed and communication skills for our subsequent inspections. This inspection made us realise that as Year 2s, we should be more familiar with the items in a 配备 as we would have to set an example and lead the Year 1s soon. Most importantly, we realised that we should not be relying on our seniors all the time to guide and teach us since we are no longer new to Guides.
PT of 10-15 minutes
- 2 rounds jog around GSL level 1
- 10 burpees
- 30 seconds leg raise
- 10 star jumps
- 30 seconds planking
- 1 round lunges around GSL level 1
- 1 min 站马
Reflection from a Year 2 on PT:
One of the activities we did during 集合 was Physical Training (PT). We had to do circuit PT which included: lunges, planking, star jumps, 站马 and leg raise. Because we did the PT as a batch, we cheered a lot and that kept our morale high. To me, doing PT as a whole batch made me want to push myself harder because it made me think that if other people could do it, I could do it too. I was touched when one of my batch mates came over and encouraged me when I felt really tired. Through this 集合, I learnt that doing the PT the improper way could hurt our backs or legs and that we must always do the proper PT as not only does it make us fitter, it also makes us all have a sense of achievement at the end of the day.
Creative Gadgeting
After the inspection + PT segment, the Year 2s were briefed on their next activity. The groups will have to discuss among themselves what gadgets they want to build, as well as the number of logistics to retrieve. Both groups will each have to build a creative gadget in 40 minutes, that has to be in the form of what their batch represents to them. They will be given the liberty to use any 木 they want, but they have to ensure the other group has sufficient logistics too. At the end, they will have to present their structure to their fellow batchmates, which will help to build their confidence as well. There is no suggested solution on the Year 4s’ part as what their batch represents is entirely subjective.
After 20 minutes, both groups will have to swap and they will have to continue building the other group’s structure. This is to train their communication skills and to let them understand that this splitting of groups was not for competition. Rather, they are a batch and have to work together to complete both structures, not just their own.
Reflection from a Year 2:
On the whole, I really enjoyed the batch activities during 集合 as it was very fun and it brought the whole batch together even more. My favourite part was when we came up with our batch cheer as it is 独一无二 and it is part of our identity.
Creative Gadgeting gave me a taste of how it would be like leading others and how stressful it actually is as there are many things to take into consideration, such as the time limit and the manpower allocation. Even though it was tough as it was my first time leading the others, I feel that we have done very well for our first time and I am very proud of them as we not only did we manage to keep our morale high, our sense of urgency was quite high as well! There were times in which even I was clueless of what was going on but I am glad they were there for me to rely on. I am very lucky and happy to have such awesome batch mates. I hope that there will be more of such batch activities in the future :)
This 集合 also enabled us to know what we need to improve on. Through this 集合, I have learnt that communication is vital. For example, when we had to switch over and continue with each other’s structures, this would not have been possible had we not communicated. I also learnt that we should be more decisive and make decisions quickly so as to not cause any delay. We should also be more mindful of our belongings and 照顾好东西 as our 配备 and gadget poles was “kupped” multiple times. Even though we only had 40 minutes, I still feel that we should have tied our lashes much tighter as the structure was quite unstable and could collapse anytime. However, I am very proud that they were able to complete it in the time limit and not 过时. In conclusion, I really enjoyed myself during this 集合 and I hope to have more of such batch activities. Through this, I have also learnt many things that we could improve on such as to 报时 more frequently and to 照顾好东西.
Games
To promote batch bonding, the Year 2s will be split into groups of 3 to play the three-legged race. However, to reduce the safety concerns, as well as the competitiveness of the game, they will be asked to relay messages instead of competing against one another. There will be two lines demarcated, and each group of 3 will have to move from one line to the other, where the next group will be. The aim of this game is also for the Year 2s to learn to look out for one another. Each person in the trio will be told a different message, for them to relay to the corresponding person amongst the threes. This will continue for a total of 10 minutes, with a total of 2 rounds.
This will be followed by an Obstacle Course, which will be set up by the Year 4s. Throughout the entire Obstacle Course, the Year 2s will have to look out for post-its to find the puzzle pieces around the classroom as that will be their ultimate goal. The first segment of this will require the Year 2s to crawl under tables, while making use of the trekking signs on the post-its stuck around to find the correct path. After which, they will be told that “the ground is lava” and there will be chairs placed around the classroom whereby the Year 2s are only allowed to move around on the chairs, and not touch the ground. The 2s will then have to put on blindfolds and try to get through a table maze. The Year 4s will supervise and ensure that no one gets hurt. Lastly, they will have to make it out of a segment with raffia string, while constantly cheering throughout the entire duration till the last person gets out. Once the first person is done with the entire obstacle course, she will run along the perimeter of the corridor until the last person is done.
Reflection from a Year 2:
An important aspect required for the Obstacle Course and 3-legged race is definitely communication skills. During the 3-legged race, although it was challenging and difficult, as we had to remember our message from our seniors while simultaneously communicating to our partner about the timing of our steps, it was also fun, as we were also competing with the other group. The competition motivated us and as my partner and I were the first 2 people to receive the message, it also gave us some pressure. The process, however, was exciting and thrilling, and it also served to bond our batch further. In the end, although my group was much faster than the other group, we were extremely careless while the other group was much more meticulous and earned a correct answer while my group did not get any correct at all. During the Obstacle Course, the room was pitch-black, and we had to find 5 白绳s hidden in that room. Additionally, for every 3 blindfolded people, 1 person was not blindfolded, thus that person had to guide us through the tables and chairs with clear directions, further nurturing our communication skills. I was one of the blindfolded people, but with the help of a batch mate’s guidance, I managed to get out of the clutter of tables and chairs easily. However, what was disappointing was the fact that we had only managed to find 2 out of the 5 白绳s.
Batch Corner
The Year 2s ended off 集合 with batch corner. The Year 4 ICs first explained the objectives of each activity and the rationale behind it.
The ICs picked around 5 people to talk about their experience and learning points. This batch corner served for the Year 2s to slow down from the day’s activities and allow them to recollect their thoughts and reflect for the better.
Together, they also came up with 3 goals for their entire batch to work towards in the coming year. If time permits, they can state one individual goal they would like to achieve as well.
Reflection from a Year 2:
During batch corner, we played Blow Wind Blow, talked about our goals for 2018 and created a batch cheer. I was pleasantly surprised that all of us were quite bonded. When we were creating our batch cheer, everyone was working together and contributed ideas. When we tried our cheer, we cheered really loudly and I am happy that we have a higher morale this year as compared to last year. When we played Blow Wind Blow, everyone participated eagerly. We also took care of one another during the game as it was a little rough. When we were setting our goals for 2018, everyone chipped in with their own ideas and we tried to combine everyone’s suggestions together. We tried to make sure that everyone was involved in the discussion and we listened to each other. I felt that our unity really improved from last year and we were more closely-knitted than before. Even though this was quite a relaxing activity, it made me think about how we could become even more united in the future. I learn that unity is very important and having a higher morale, with everyone cheering together, makes us feel less tired.
Year 3 Batch Activity
Inspection
The Year 3s were first split into 3 groups, so as to encourage inter-patrol bonding, as well as to promote interaction, especially between those who lack interaction. Each group was to retrieve a complete 配备 from 团部, and they were given 4 minutes to layout in their own standardised formats. However, each group had to lay out their logistics at least 10 metres apart. After which, they packed up, before laying out their logistics in 4 minutes again, according to the layout given by the Year 4 IC. 3 people per group were blindfolded, and only those blindfolded were able to lay out. 2 Year 3s were chosen to be ICs and guide everyone through the layout. They then packed up again, before repeating the same layout. This time, 2 people per group were blindfolded and 3 people were unable to talk, and only those blindfolded were able to lay out. Additionally, another 2 Year 3s were chosen to be ICs. They packed up all logistics afterwards.
Reflection from a Year 3:
In all honesty, inspection was something I didn’t like in Guides, as it was always so chaotic and messy when we are laying out our logistics. I found it almost impossible for everyone to standardise to the same layout, especially during the short time frame given. Hence, I was very surprised when I was appointed to be an IC, and did not feel very thrilled about it. During the few minutes of being the IC, I found out that even though I yelled out the instructions as loudly as I could, nobody could hear me properly. I finally got to fully understand what the seniors meant when they always tell us to keep quiet during inspection as no one will be able to hear the ICs when everyone was talking at the same time. Furthermore, I noticed that the communication between each group was quite weak, and no one bothered to check if everyone was standardising to the format as everyone felt stressed under the time limit. Some people did approach me to refer to the drawing, because almost no one was listening. It was very hard to get the layout across the batch, and many chose to come up to us ICs and look at the layout themselves, which was not the most efficient way but nonetheless, still effective to some extent.
Station Activity
The Year 3s then proceeded on to the station activities in their respective groups.
Station 1:
Here is the storyline for Station 1: Hello Year 3s. For this station, you will be revising your basic lashes and be tested on your sense of urgency as well as your creative thinking. In order to complete this station, all of you will have to work very fast and depend on each other as you cannot complete this station alone. Constant cheering and 报时 is required. For every time a lash is loose or there is no constant cheering or 报时, there will be a member pulled out to do a punishment in the form of PT.
You will have to build a gateway that has to be taller than your shortest member and you have to incorporate a heart into your structure. You will have to make do with the logistics provided. Another requirement is that you cannot use any A-架s, tripod or quadpods. You have 30 minutes to build your structure. Good luck!
PT penalty:
-1st time: 10 jumping jacks
-2nd time: 10 burpees
-3rd time: 1 min planking
-4th time: 20 star jumps
-5th time: 2 min leg raise
Suggested solution:
Reflection from a Year 3:
This station not only tested our creativity, but also our speed. It was much harder to come up with an idea for the mini gateway as we could not use any tripod or quadpod. Instead, we made use of our surroundings and tied our structure against the railing. We split into 2 groups and one group tied the heart whilst the other tied the mini gateway. Everyone had a rough idea of how the gateway was going to look like but since there wasn't anyone stepping up, the overall tying process was slow. We managed to complete the structure in time, with a time extension granted to us. We realised that we could have split our manpower more efficiently by getting more people to tie the gateway instead of the heart and there was also a need for someone to step up and give instructions. Even though our structure was different from the proposed solution, I was still proud of my group for being able to build a mini gateway.
Station 2:
Here is the storyline for Station 2: Hello Year 3s, welcome to Station 2. In this building, there are many timebombs which are going to explode soon. To find the bombs and deactivate them, all of you will have to work together. To start off, all of you will have to complete a task to get some post-its which will give you clues that can help you find the bomb and deactivate it. So 3 of your members are now injured casualties and they each are holding on to post-its with clues which will lead you to deactivate the bomb. In order to get the clues, you would have to treat the injury that the member has. Also, take note that on the post its, there are a list of tasks to be completed and you have to prioritise well. Each task is represented by a number and upon completing all the tasks, you will receive all the numbers which then forms a code to deactivate the bomb. Upon breaking all of you off, the bomb will explode after 30 minutes. Do take note that you would have to carry your logistics while completing the tasks.
Injuries and treatment:
Injury
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Treatment
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Choking
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Hyperventilation
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Closed fracture
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Sprains
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Head wound
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List of activities (Year 3s to decide on the prioritisation)
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Numbers
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Build a shelter for the logistics
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5
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List all of things that can be found inside a standard 配备 (without opening up the 配备)
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2
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Arrange the gadget poles according to height
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6
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Run 3 rounds around the block
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8
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Sing 1 Chinese Guides song
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0
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List the birthdays of the group members from oldest to youngest
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1
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Upon receiving all the numbers, the group would be given a post-it with the following:
“batch, people, year”
With these instructions, the code should be: 502618, as all of the Year 3s are in the 50th batch, with 26 people and it is the year 2018.
Reflection from a Year 3:
At the first aid station, there were three casualties whom we needed to save.The station, however, clearly showed my unpreparedness as I did not familiarise myself with the first aid notes beforehand. That was disappointing as our seniors had already reminded us to do so. As a result, I was unsure of most of the steps needed to treat my casualty and if this happened to be a real-life situation, it would be extremely unfavourable to us. We were also told to build a shelter for our 配备 and water bottles, as well as to do a set of PT along the corridors. Sadly, we chose to do the PT before building the shelter. On the other hand, if we were to build the shelter first, we would not need to carry the 配备 while doing the PT and this would make it less tiring. Therefore, we should have put in more consideration and be smarter in our decision making in future. Another area of improvement would be our communication skills as we did not convey the message to the rest of the group members after obtaining the information from our seniors. However, on the brighter side of things, it was rather heartwarming to see that our group members would look out for one another most of the time. They would also take the initiative to offer help to those who are carrying the 配备 and would constantly remind one another to 等人. Hence, I feel glad to see that our group was able to work well with one another as teamwork is important, especially during the upcoming Patrol Leaders Training Camp (PLTC). Apart from that, another good point was that we tried to make the most out of our surroundings as we did utilise the railings to build our shelter, allowing our shelter to be built more easily.
Station 3:
Here is the storyline for Station 3: Hello Year 3s. For this station, you are required to build 2 creative gadgets in 15 minutes. Only two tripods / quadpods can be used in total, and at least one of your gadgets must include netting and two mickey mouse lashes. But first, you will have to find the logistics hidden around the GSL. Trekking signs are stuck on them, so choose wisely and avoid the banned logistics. If you need more logistics, you can choose to do some tasks to obtain them.
The group will be given 7 minutes to find logistics that are hidden around GSL. There will be post-its containing trekking signs stuck to each pile to inform them of the logistics they are allowed to take. If they wish to get “prohibited” logistics, they will have to complete a PT or answer a question related to Guides stated on the post-it. They will also have to come up with two creative gadgets in the same time limit. They are then given 15 minutes to build the gadgets, with 1 person coming out every 3 minutes to answer a question.
Trekking Signs:
Sign
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Meaning
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Task
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Pass by
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15 burpees
20 jumping jacks
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Undrinkable water
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State the steps to build a water filter
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Good news
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-
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Enter
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-
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Reach place
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-
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Reflection from a Year 3:
My group first went around the GSL area to look for our logistics. We were supposed to look at the trekking signs that was left with each pile of logistics to determine if the logistics were “safe”. We intentionally took logistics that were not safe as we thought that we would not have enough logistics. However, in the end, we realized that we had extra logistics, but I think that it was better that we had extra rather than have too little. After acquiring our logistics, we started building our gadgets. We chose to build a shoe rack and a gadget to hold our logistics. We split our manpower to build the different structures and I was part of the group building the shoe rack. We faced a few difficulties as when we tied the tripod for the shoe rack the first few times, it was not tight enough so we had to keep re-tying it. I think that we could have worked faster as the shoe rack was quite a simple structure but it was rather incomplete as the netting was not completed within the time limit. Overall, I think that this station was quite interesting as it was fun to look for the logistics and build the structure, but there was still room for improvement in terms of our lash tying and working pace.
My group first went around the GSL area to look for our logistics. We were supposed to look at the trekking signs that was left with each pile of logistics to determine if the logistics were “safe”. We intentionally took logistics that were not safe as we thought that we would not have enough logistics. However, in the end, we realized that we had extra logistics, but I think that it was better that we had extra rather than have too little. After acquiring our logistics, we started building our gadgets. We chose to build a shoe rack and a gadget to hold our logistics. We split our manpower to build the different structures and I was part of the group building the shoe rack. We faced a few difficulties as when we tied the tripod for the shoe rack the first few times, it was not tight enough so we had to keep re-tying it. I think that we could have worked faster as the shoe rack was quite a simple structure but it was rather incomplete as the netting was not completed within the time limit. Overall, I think that this station was quite interesting as it was fun to look for the logistics and build the structure, but there was still room for improvement in terms of our lash tying and working pace.
Mass Station:
This station had the objectives of training the batch teamwork of the Year 3s and allow them to work together and forge tighter bonds, as well as emphasizing on the spirit of “waiting for others” and “leaving no man behind”.
The batch has to draw post-its and accomplish the task on it. Each post-it represents a box on the bingo and they can only stop drawing more post-its after they reach a line on the bingo.
Bingo Board
For juniors:
Barong Run
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Shoe Mix
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PT III
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PT II
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Group Jump Rope
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Pictionary
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Guess the Knot
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PT I
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Group Drawing
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Detailed description of activities:
Barong Run
Batch to run up and down the MRL while passing their 配备s. Batch is to run in their 3 respective groups. In total, the batch is to run 15 laps (run up and down is considered one lap). Year 4 ICs to make the batch restart their lap if they fail to 等人 or do not run in a straight line.
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Shoe Mix
Batch to take off one side of their shoes and gather them all in a pile. (For those who think they would mix up their shoe, ICs would prepare masking tape for them to label their shoe.) They are given 4 minutes to lunge from the starting line to the shoe pile, find their shoe and wear it before lunging back.
(Note: Masking tape can be used to label their shoe. They should help others after they find their shoe)
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PT III
Batch is to do 50 buddha claps, 20 calf raises and 1 minute side plank.
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PT II
Batch to do 15 dips and then alternate. Afterwards, they are to do 30 jumping jacks and 10 squats.
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Group Jump Rope
Batch to jump rope in 2 temporary groups. Groups would be assigned by ICs numbering the juniors “1” and “2”, forming 2 groups. Year 4s to help turn the rope, and Year 3s to enter one by one and jump together 5 times. Restart if someone fails to join successfully or if the 5 jumps were not accomplished.
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Pictionary
Each person would be given a piece of paper, and batch is to leg raise in a row, facing each other’s backs. the first person would be given a 配备 as an object to draw and she has to draw it in 10 seconds, before showing it to the person in front, and the rest repeat the steps till the last person can guess the object. If the last member guesses “配备“ correctly, then the batch succeeds.
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Guess the Knot
Batch to 站马 in a row and all are to close their eyes. We would pass down a figure of 8 knot and they are to feel it and guess the knot and afterwards they would tie their guess on their individual 白绳. It is considered a success if ¾ of the batch guesses correctly and ties the figure of 8 correctly.
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PT I
Batch to do 20 arm rotations, do 25 crunches , and do 15 burpees.
(Note: Mattress is needed for crunches)
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Group Drawing
They would be given a pen with 白绳s tied to it, and each person is to take one and all are to draw the PP logo on a paper on the floor, while in pumping position.
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Reflections from two Year 3s:
Last Friday's mass station was extremely interesting. We were able to train our physical abilities in a fun way through games, which reduced the strenuousness of the PT. We also did it as a batch, which allowed us to motivate each other to press on even when we wanted to give up. As we were asked to do it in a straight line, this brought us to link arms, which allowed us to give each other a pull to push our batchmates to continue. All in all, it was extremely enjoyable and helped to increase our stamina and strength both physically and mentally.
During the 集合 on the 26th of January, the last station of the day was the mass station, which was a combination of various activities for all 3 groups to work together and complete a bingo sheet. The first activity required everyone to be in pumping position while using 白绳 to draw on a piece of paper. This activity emphasised cooperation as all the participants have to play their own part so as to complete the activity. In addition, we also had to look out for one another and ensure our logistics were taken care of as various people had gotten “kapped” by seniors before other people realised, and even a 配备 was taken away, which would have been disastrous had it been a real camp, as manpower would be reduced and there would be no way to access the logistics inside nor carry the rest of the logistics on hand. As such, I believe it is imperative that the batch, as a whole, learns to 照顾好人 and our belongings to prevent such a thing from happening again. The second activity required each group to line up in a horizontal line and run 15 laps across the MRL while passing along each group’s 配备, all the while cheering and ensuring no one got caught by the seniors. While it was tiring, I felt that it was rather fulfilling as not only does it train our physical abilites, it also requires us to cooperate and successfully transfer the 配备 to one another, as well as ensuring the ‘leave no man behind’ mentality, as we had to slow down each time a group had trouble and most people also linked arms with each other to prevent the seniors from catching one that was separated from the rest of the group. As for the last activity, we had to stand in 站马 position while one person, starting from the back, would draw an image and show it to the person directly in front of them briefly, before the cycle continued. This continued until the final image reached the person at the very front, and that person had to guess what the image was. Although in the end, the image was not guessed correctly, it was a unique experience as we had to pass on the image the way we interpreted it while simultaneously staying in a PT position. In conclusion, the mass station was an enjoyable and welcome experience as although some activities had been done before, a few had some twists thrown in to make it more interesting. Even though it could get tiring at times, I believe that such activities could make Guides a much more enjoyable and fulfilling CCA through combining various aspects into a single activity.
The Year 3s then ended off 集合 with batch corner and goal setting.
We hope that everyone had fun and learnt a few things this 集合!
Published By:
Arielle
49th Batch Secretary
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