50th Anniversary Campfire, 14-15 July 2018

Hello Guides!

This year, the Girl Guides of Dunman High celebrated the 50th Anniversary of their creation. For this, weeks of effort were put into preparing for the campfire on July 14, ultimately culminating in one of the most enjoyable events of the year. This year’s campfire had the theme “By the guiding light”, or “童军精神”, to represent how far we have come from our beginning.

Campfire Preparation:

Before the campfire could take place, however, the Guides had to first prepare the the various decorations, structures and performance items. The entirety of Girl Guides was split into different committees: Programme, Pioneering, Publicity and Decorations and Souvenirs. Each committee was responsible for a different aspect of the campfire, and put in their best effort to make the campfire as successful as possible. Furthermore, there were also dry runs held to ensure the performance items could flow smoothly, and feedback would be given to further improve the performance on.

Reflection from Year 2s:

For this Campfire, I was allocated to the Decorations Committee. On the first day of Campfire Preparation, many of us were excited as this is our very first Campfire Preparation for all of us. First up, we had to paint some white boards the blue colour of our uniforms. It was not easy to get the correct shade of blue, and when we needed more paint of that shade, we had to mix the blue and white paints again. Next, we attempted to paint white borders around the board, but it was tricky as we could not paint it a rich white colour. As we did not have long rulers, we improvised by using unwanted cardboard and cutting them into strips to act as our rulers so that we can draw straight lines. Overall, I am glad that the Campfire was a success and I had learnt more about planning and organisation through the Decorations Committee.

During the second campfire preparation, I was transferred from the Pioneering Committee to the Decorations Committee. At the Decorations Committee, the people there were very warm and welcoming and I instantly got along well with my batchmates there. We painted and did some touching up on the sign boards and booths' boards. Due to excess manpower, some people from the committee, including me, were sent to the Pioneering Committee to help out. There, we were tasked to tie some lashes, such as square lash and diagonal lash. In addition, we helped to 搬木 to the library area when it rained. We also had a mini patrol corner (but for our committee) where we could chat and bond with one another. At the end of the ten hours of campfire preparation, I was exhausted but I felt a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction as I had put in my best effort in whatever I do. I look forward to the next one as I wanted to do my best in making this campfire as memorable and enjoyable as possible.

During the third campfire preparation, I was in the Decorations Committee, where we prepared signboards and other types of decorations used for the campfire. We organised the old patrol boards, and repainted them as some needed a touch-up. We grouped up into smaller groups and completed smaller tasks, such as painting and drawing different designs on boards and props for the photo booth. The seniors asked us to complete our individual tasks by certain time limits and we tried our best to keep within the time allocated and not 过时. When we finished painting and other boards, we asked our ICs if they were acceptable or whether we needed to redo it. I was very grateful that my ICs were very patient with us when we faced difficulties such as not being able to find the right materials. We tried our best to make the signboards look nice and appealing, especially for the booths. We also practised gadgeting for the reception area with structures such as a mini table for a photo album and a poster stand. Overall, I think the third campfire preparation was quite fruitful and we tried our best and had fun to create decorations for the campfire, and we enjoyed it very much. Despite it being 10 hours, I enjoyed bonding with my committee members in the Decorations Committee.

It was the fourth campfire preparation. In other words, it was the second-last campfire preparation before the actual campfire itself. On this day, as usual, we (those in the Programme Committee) went to the music atrium to run through the campfire script and to practise all the songs for the campfire. We ran through the songs and the emcees’ speeches till it was time for lunch, after which we had a dry run at the music atrium with all the batch performances. Then, we went back to practising the songs again, especially those that we were still not that good at, till the end of the campfire preparation. Though I went home feeling tired after it all, I could not help but feel excited at the fact that I was going to perform during the actual campfire, which was held on the following Saturday.

In the fifth campfire preparation, I had been in the Publicity Committee. We had finished up the props for the photo booth and some of us were assigned to repaint some signs for the trophy display for the Decorations committee.The rest of us who were not doing much were sent to help other the other Committees. I helped the Decorations Committee in building a simple tent-like structure and we had to tie extra diagonals as it had been quite unstable. There was a batch practice for the campfire performance which I feel we could perform better on. I feel that I need to improve on my sense of urgency, communication and tie tighter lashes.

Campfire, 14 July:

On this day, the campfire would finally be held. Before that, every committee had to finish up all their remaining tasks before lunch, every person putting in their best efforts to make sure the campfire could go smoothly and all participants could enjoy it. After lunch, the Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 batches participated in a dry run with the Programme Committee in the both the Multi-Purpose Hall, the venue in the event of wet weather, and the stage set up at the school’s track and field, where the campfire would take place if the weather was fair.

Finally, after the dry run, each committee put the finishing touches on their respective works and prepared to receive the guests. The reception area and the ushers were welcoming to the many alumni of Guides and other guests and the Decorations Committee set up various booths filled with photo albums for the guests to visit and look at.

When all the guests finally arrived and were seated, it was time for the campfire to officially start. The song leaders were ready to hype up the audience and make the campfire an exhilarating experience for everyone there. The campfire was started with blue and yellow flames, the colour that represents the Girl Guides, before it continued on with the familiar red and orange colouration. The song leaders were introduced and ready to showcase the fruits of their labour. With the brightly burning flames of the fire and the enthusiastic singing of the song leaders, the members of the audience could enjoy themselves to the fullest.

Next were the batch performances. Each of the performance items were related as they told the story of a young guide who, together with her fairy godmother, ventured to both the past and the future, then back to the present, to see the development and the legacy of guides. The Year 4s would perform the scenes in the past, the Year 3 would take the scenes in the future and finally, the Year 2s would act out the scenes in the present, alongside the young guide. In between each performance, there would be more songs sung by the song leaders, as well as a lion dance performance by the school’s very own lion dance troupe from the Crane Scouts.

After the batch performances, the audience were encouraged to actively participate in the next few songs with the inclusion of Thousand Legged Worm, where many of the audience got up from their seats to run around the campfire, singing loudly and having fun all the while. It was truly a time of bonding and fun with friends all around.

The campfire had to come to a close before long, and the performances came to a close with a few final songs. The alumni were also invited upstage to share their experiences with the current generation of guides as well as other members of the audience, and many lessons were learnt from them. Finally, the campfire came to a close as the fire was put out and the guests left.

Reflection from a Year 2:

I think the campfire on Saturday was quite successful. Many of the past guides, alumni and other uniformed groups showed up to support us and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. The performance also went quite smoothly with the Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 performances. Although the sound system was faulty and the sound was not very clear, the performers and song leaders did their best to try and speak louder so that people sitting further away could hear them. The was also a high level of participation with many guides, scouts and alumni enthusiastically singing along with the song leaders. The fire in front of the stage helped to hype up the mood even more with its crackling sounds and shining warm light onto the stage. The campfire ended on a high note with sharings by the alumni and guides and I could see that everyone had enjoyed the campfire by the happy looks on their faces.

Reflection from a Year 3:

I feel that the campfire was a great success. Everyone gave their best during camp preparation and the performances were also well executed. Many of the guests, which included the other Uniform Groups and some alumni, were enthusiastic and excited during the campfire, and the alumni also looked quite happy when reminiscing on their time in Guides. Since this year’s campfire’s theme was based around the legacy of Guides, I think that through passing down the memories and experiences of the Guides before us, we have also succeeded in passing down our ‘legacy’.

Clean-up, 15 July:

With the end of campfire also came the time for clean-up. As some items had already been cleared the night before, the workload was less than it originally was and everyone got to work quickly. Structures were taken down and all the decorations were stored away for the next time they would be used and all other wet logistics were laid out to dry and later to be kept. With the conclusion of the clean-up, this year’s 50th Anniversary Campfire officially ended.

Although time passes and batches pass down, the legacies we leave behing and the memories of our time in Guides will always remain. Let’s look forward to the next anniversary campfire!

Published by:

Yu Ning

50th Batch Secretary

Skills Training, 29 June 2018

Hello Guides!

After Standard Training Camp(STC) and Passing Down Parade(PDP), the Year 3s have officially become the next leadership batch. To further improve their ability to guide the juniors, the Year 3s organised a 集合 only involving them for Skills Training. During this 集合, the new CL and ACL planned out various activities that encompassed most of their skills, but also put aside some time for them to prepare for the Guides’ 50th Anniversary Campfire.

Firstly, the Year 3s were given about 30 minutes to practise for their campfire performance, as well as attempting a dry run to ensure that every person knew their positions and lines and that the scenes could flow well.

Next, the Year 3s had to split into two groups, after which they had to build an alternate version of a baggage rack that had different designs in both groups. The two groups had to cooperate and discuss what designs they were using as there were limited logistics to use for the baggage racks. After discussion, both groups split off into different areas and started working on their structures. Eventually, both groups came back together while finishing their individual baggage racks for ease of checking later. Afterwards, both baggage racks would be checked by the CL and ACL for quality and one person from each group would explain their respective baggage racks, before an evaluation would be given.

Reflection:

Through this gadgeting activity, I discovered that there were still many ways for us to improve. Although we managed to complete the baggage racks, we barely did so on time even with time extensions, which means that we still have to work on our sense of urgency. In addition, while most of our lashes were tight, a few of them could still be considered slightly loose, though this can be easily corrected. However, what was most important was the fact that while a good portion of my group were tying the lashes for the structure, a few stood aside and started chatting. Although there were no other lashes for them to tie, a point was raised that they could have also 报时ed or cheered, but they did not do so. I feel that this reflects badly on our batch dynamics, and we definitely need to fix this before another similar situation occurs.

After 拆掉 of the baggage racks and returning of logistics, the Year 3s went back to their original patrols to begin inspection. The layout was decided by the Year 3s themselves on the spot and each succeeding inspection had less time given to complete the layout. During the inspection, each patrol had to watch out for both the patrol members and the logistics, as well as making sure the overall layout was neat and standard across all six patrols. After each inspection, the layout would be checked and evaluated and about 1 minute would be given to pack up the logistics before the next inspection.

Reflection:

For this inspection, I feel that there are still some aspects we can still improve on. For each inspection, despite reminders, there would be some patrol members or logistics that were not looked after and as a result were taken away. This reflects badly on how we treat others and our belongings,as we carelessly allowed them to be taken. In addition, despite our best efforts to standardise, some parts of the layout were different, especially since some logistics were taken, not to mention that certain parts were messy and not kept properly. For this, we definitely have to improve ourselves, especially for taking care of each other and our logistics.

Once inspection was completed, due to time constraints, the order of activities was rearranged to prioritise what was more important. Hence, a short game of ‘Running Man’ was arranged to go first instead. This was mainly for the Year 3s to build up stronger bonds in the batch as the lack of bondedness was a problem that they had to work on. The Year 3s were once again split into two teams and received a piece of masking tape to paste on their backs, and about 20 minutes were given for the game. Afterwards, both teams split off to prepare for the game. Unfortunately, the game was cut short in favour of the next activity, pioneering.

For pioneering, the Year 3s were separated into two groups and had to each build a kitchen table. This activity would last until the end of 集合, which meant the faster the kitchen tables were completed, the earlier 集合 could end; but the slower the kitchen tables were completed, the later 集合 would end. Knowing this, the Year 3s tried to complete the structures as quickly as possible, before they would start over-running and cause 集合 to end later.

Reflection:

For this pioneering activity, one major problem was the lack of a sense of urgency. At the beginning, progress was slow, partially due to the fact that there were a lack of lashes to tie. Afterwards, although the working pace became faster, a lot of time was already lost and despite our efforts, a couple of time extensions had to be asked for in order to complete the kitchen tables. Some of the lashes were even loose, which would have been disastrous if anyone had sat at the kitchen tables. All in all, our work ethics definitely need to be worked on if we want to lead the 团 to greater heights, especially our pacing and sense of urgency.

Eventually, both kitchen tables were completed and 拆掉 commenced. This marked the end of the Year 3s-only Skills Training and their preparation to lead the 团.

Published by:

Yu Ning

50th Batch Secretary