Year 1s Welcome, 26 February 2021

Hello Guides!

Today is the big day where we welcome our new Year 1s into our Girl Guides family! The Year 1s started off by listening to a Guides lecture, while the Year 2s and Year 3s used this time to do Gadgeting. Everyone then got the chance to observe Outdoor Cooking and participate in the station games organised. At the end of the session, we had patrol bonding to get to know one another better.

 

Gadgeting

During this gadgeting activity, a standard Fire Altar as well as other creative gadgets were built in order to showcase it to the Year 1s. 

Reflection from a Year 3

During Gadgeting, we were tasked to build a creative structure which is representative of guides to show to the Year 1s later on. Since we had to present our gadgeting structure to the Year 1s, it was slightly more pressuring than usual as we really wanted it to be up to standard. At first, we wanted to build a bridge but later found out that our structure was too similar to a fire altar and had to modify our design a little. We build a swing as the final product. We could have tied our tripods much tighter as it was moving slightly when we were tying our dingjiao which should not be happening. We could raft a lot faster as we took quite a bit of time trying to raft. We could also decide on a structure more quickly as we took up almost 10 minutes trying to decide what we should build. We could also 报时 more often without the senior’s reminder. Overall, our lashes have improved significantly during Gadgeting and we hope to improve more gradually.

 

Next, everyone got the opportunity to observe the Outdoor Cooking and structures.

Following that, we had station games!

 

Station 1: Introduction to 团部 logistics

This station is a simple introduction of our CCA to the Year 1s as well as to help the Year 2s and Year 3s recap on the logistics we usually use during our CCA.

Reflection from a Year 3

At station 1, we played a modified version of broken telephone. The patrol was split into two separate groups and each group was to form a line. A year one had to be at the start of the line while the rest of the group could randomly arrange themselves. The year one was then shown a picture of an item that is commonly used in Guides and was asked to draw each. The drawing would be shown to the next person in line and the next person would have to draw it. This continued until the last person had to guess the item. I found it a very fun way to introduce and explain to the year ones some of the things we use in guides such as 白绳 and the cotton crepe bandage. It was very fun for me to see what the guesses were as some of the pictures were very accurate while others were very different from the original item.

Station 2: Creation of simple MV for Guides song 

In this station, Guides would have to create a music video for the given Guides’ song. This is also a chance for the Year 1s to learn the Guides song.

Reflection from a Year 3

I personally really enjoyed the station where we created a Guides song MV. To start off, we played 3 station games. Out of all the games, the most memorable one was when we had to film an MV with the guides song. As the Year 1s are not familiar with the song, we spent time teaching them and singing together. We all had lots of fun thinking of actions that will match the song lyrics. We thought of creative ways to film the MV, such as playing with the camera angle. In the process, we got to interact with each other, allowing us to get to know one another better. This activity also helped to reduce the awkwardness with the Year 1s. Definitely, all of us will look forward to the next few 集合s with the Year 1s joining us!

Station 3: Dodgeball

In this station, the Guides will be playing the game of dodgeball. When the ball hits you or you stepped out of the border lines, you will need to pick up the ball, bounce it and catch it. Afterwards, answer the question on the ball that is facing you.

Reflection from a Year 3

Friday’s CCA session was an exciting one as we got to meet our new Year 1 juniors for the first time. We played 3 station games and one of which was dodgeball. Dodgeball is quite a common game which everyone knows how to play. Hence, our patrol could start the fun immediately. Dodgeball was a fun game to bond with our new Year 1s as we attempted to throw the ball at our patrol mates’ legs. Unfortunately, I was hit twice and had to step out to answer a question from the senior. The question I got was my first impression of guides when I first joined. I managed to share with my patrol mates how I felt about guides when I first joined. Another of my patrol mates had to also share about her first friend in Guides. Through the game, we got to share some of our thoughts about guides to our new Year 1s. Hence, the dodgeball game was very exciting, and can showcase to our Year 1s what kind of fun activities we do during station games. 

Lash training

This was an opportunity to teach the Year 1s the basic lashes we usually tie in Guides as well as to brush up on the Year 2s and Year 3s hard skills.

Reflection from a Year 3

This 集合 we welcomed the Year 1s into Guides. Similar to the past years, we first introduced square lashes to them. Although the time was a little short, my Year 2 junior was able to demonstrate a tight lash for the Year 1s and they were able to try tying the square lash. I feel that this was a great opportunity for us Year 3s and the Year 2s to revisit our lashes and especially work on our soft skills. The Year 2s led the Year 1s and were able to effectively teach the Year 1s. This lash training also served as a platform for us to bond as a patrol and get a chance to talk to our patrol members and understand them better. This also allowed the Year 1s to learn the most important lash and gave them a try at something Guides related. In addition, this helped the Year 1s warm-up and be less shy. While the Year 1s found it foreign at first, I think that it is a good introduction for them. Overall, lash training was beneficial to us as a patrol and also as individual batches. I learnt to be more focused and look at the smaller details when tying square lashes to point out to my juniors to take note.

Patrol bonding

This is a time for the patrol to get to know one another better.

Reflection from a Year 3

For Friday's 集合, it was quite exciting for me as I looked forward to the arrival of the Year 1s. To introduce ourselves, we had to share our names and classes, as well as a hobby of ours. I felt that this was a good opportunity to learn a little bit about the Year 1s as well as my other patrol mates. It was also a good opportunity for the Year 1s to share about themselves as they were quite shy and had to speak up a little. Then, we played the game Splat. I feel like this was a fun game as I got to test myself and try to remember the names of the Year 1s. It was a nice icebreaker game as the Year 1s also got to know our names, as in the first round, we would move around the circle if we did not answer fast enough, so as to cover a wider area of people in the patrol and overall get to know each other better more efficiently. Overall, the 集合 was really fun.

 

Overall, I hope everyone enjoyed this 集合 and that the Year 1s felt really welcomed into this family!

 

Published by:

Cefina 

52届 Secretary

World Thinking Day Celebration, 20 February 2021

Hello Guides!

As World Thinking Day is approaching, we had our World Thinking Day Celebration activities on Saturday! To start off, we had our Contingent Practice. Next, we had our virtual activities such as the Scavenger Hunt as well as the Formal Segment which was held all over Singapore. Last but not least, we also played Running Man!

 

Contingent Practice

This is so as to recap on the basic contingent drills in preparation for the upcoming World Thinking Day Contingent.

Reflection from a Year 2

During last Saturday's World Thinking Day celebration, we had contingent practice. It was also our first time as Year 2s trying out forming contingents and following commands from our seniors. On Saturday, we learnt about some basic commands such as "baris sedia" and "baris senang diri" and some more advanced commands such as "baris keluar baris". We learnt to follow the timings for the commands and tried our best to follow them during contingent practice. As we are not very familiar with contingent practice as we had just learned it, sometimes we were too slow in reacting to the commands. However, the seniors were still patient with us and taught us how to do it properly. We should learn from our mistakes and practice more whenever we can to improve our standard for contingent. We should also approach our seniors when we are not sure about something so that we can also grow and improve. Although Saturday's contingent practice was tiring, but we learned new things about Uniform Groups and marching, and throughout the learning we also had fun and it was an enjoyable process for all of us. I hope throughout our journey in Girl Guides we can learn more new things and also be able to improve and grow as move forward as a 团.

Reflection from a Year 3

On Saturday’s World Thinking Day celebration, we started off with practicing food drills for our contingent. We were initially quite confused and unfamiliar with the commands due to the fact that we did not practice any foot drills last year because of the Covid-19 situation. Hence, our seniors ran through the commands with us again, and we kept on practicing the steps. At first, we were not synchronised and our arms were not raised at 90 degrees. Also, initially, we could not differentiate between “ke kiri pusing” and “ke kanan pusing” and made many errors. After much practice, we could more or less get the commands and steps right, and our coordination improved slightly. Then, we proceeded to have the dry runs by forming the contingent with our seniors. We were a little uncertain about the foot drill steps, as the place we stood in the contingent was different from where we stood when we practiced as a batch earlier. Through the dry runs, we could get a better sense of what will happen on the actual day when we form our contingents. Although Saturday’s practice was short, it helped us to refresh our memory on the foot drill commands in preparation for our contingent on Thursday. Hence, I feel that this session was essential such that on the actual day, we will not get the steps wrong.

Virtual Scavenger Hunt

During this Scavenger Hunt, we were given several clues which would lead us to finding a place. The clues would include time frames, MRT stops and many more!

Reflection from a Year 2

The virtual Scavenger hunt was a great and fun way to let us know what World Thinking Celebration is about. Our seniors explained that usually, they would take the train to many different places in Singapore during the Scavenger Hunt. From the scavenger hunt, I got to know about new places which I have never heard of before. However, I was a little confused at the start as I was unsure if all the clues were for one place or each clue is for each place we were supposed to find. Although I did not manage to understand some of the clues, my kind seniors patiently explained to me. Hence, I feel that this Virtual Scavenger Hunt allowed me to interact more with my seniors. It was a fun and engaging activity as we were trying to solve the clues, and we felt really accomplished and happy when we managed to solve the clues. I feel that the emcees and everyone who planned the Virtual Scavenger Hunt were very creative to think up of the Virtual Scavenger Hunt and the clues for it too, making it so much fun! Besides, I really hope that the pandemic situation would be better so that we can have the actual Scavenger Hunt during World Thinking Day celebration, and I look forward to that interesting experience!

Reflection from a Year 3

During the World Thinking Day celebration last Saturday, we had a virtual Scavenger Hunt where we were tasked to find a place in Singapore that holds a significant value to us Guides, based on a few clues. I feel that the virtual Scavenger Hunt was a very memorable experience due to the fact that it was very different from the previous years’ celebrations since this year it has been made virtual. The Scavenger Hunt gave me the opportunity to sit down and to bond with my patrol as we could take turns to voice out what we think the possible answers may be, and this allowed us to engage in heartfelt discussion on World Thinking Day. Although this year, the COVID-19 situation has made it difficult for us to have a celebration just like the previous years, I am glad that I still had the opportunity to connect with other guides from all over the world through the treasure hunt and the live stream. Everyone was still able to be brought together through the activity and we all had the chance to enjoy the treasure hunt while reminiscing our journey in guides so far. Therefore, I feel that this year’s virtual treasure hunt has been a fruitful experience.

Virtual Formal Segment

During this segment, we got the chance to sing along to the World Thinking Day song and we also recited the Guides’ promise. Furthermore, we received well wishes from Girl Guides all over the world which made it very heartwarming.

Reflection from a Year 2

This year’s World Thinking Day celebration was, in a way, more muted because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, and as such, some of the celebrations were held online. It was also the first World Thinking Day celebration that I experienced, with last year’s being cancelled because of Covid-19. Nevertheless, it was quite an interesting and fun day to celebrate with other fellow guiders. The virtual segment I found was very innovative and creative as it managed to come up with meaningful and fun videos for me to learn, as a relatively new Guide compared to the other seniors, what the normal celebrations would be like. For the World Thinking Day video, due to the safe management measures, we could not sing the World Thinking Day song.The organisers were creative in a sense that they used placards to show the lyrics of the song. It was very exciting to try it out too. Lastly, I thought it was heartwarming for the guides from all over the world to also wish us "Happy World Thinking Day". The celebrations this year had to be muted this year because of the pandemic, however, I still felt that it was very meaningful and worthwhile to recall.

Reflection from a Year 3

I found the World Thinking Day 集合 enjoyable as we got to participate in an event with so many other guides from around the world and from other schools. This year, I also found it quite unusual compared to previous world thinking days as we did the activities online through a live stream. I find the original World Thinking Day events more meaningful as it is the standard practice on the day, but i still enjoyed this year’s one. I loved the video with guides from around the world as I never thought they were so many different places with guides. Singing the World Thinking Day song and learning the goal of guides was inspiring as I learnt that we aim to give girls around the world a chance to shine and learn together. I also learnt the value of the World Thinking Day pennies as I never knew they supported such a big organisation that helped to improve the lives of so many others. Through this segment, I better understand the meaning of being a Girl Guide and the values which we uphold wearing our uniform. Overall, it was a memorable learning experience.

Running Man

We hope that through this game of Running Man, we would all get to forge closer bonds with our CCA mates and have lots of fun!

Reflection from a Year 2

On Saturday, we had our World Thinking Day celebration in the lecture theatre. Through the celebration, we not only were able to bond as a patrol and also learned even more about Girl Guides. Next, we had the Running Man game to end the day. We played three rounds of it. Running Man is played with everyone getting one piece of scotch tape and having to place it on their shoulder. When one gets her scotch tape taken off, she will have to go down to answer a Guides’ question and get a new one. It was a very fun game even though we lost. With the lack of manpower, we had to strategise. This game also taught us how to 照顾好人 and not leave anyone behind. We also revised many of our guides laws and knowledge which was helpful. As a result of losing, we had to perform maboleh as a result of losing but it was very funny but we also managed to bond together as a result of it. The Running Man game was fun but also reinforced our concept of 照顾好人和东西 and guides knowledge. Overall, we really enjoyed the day as it was really fun. We really look forward to the next world thinking day!

Reflection from a Year 3

The Running Man game we played during the World Thinking Day celebration was extremely fun, and we were able to bond as a patrol as well as enjoy ourselves. The game is played by having a duct tape stuck to our sleeve and if it got pulled off by the other patrols, we would have to go down to answer questions to get a new one. We tried to strategise, but due to our lack of manpower, we were outnumbered and unable to defend ourselves well against the other patrols. We could have strategised better instead of going ahead with the game as playing without a definite plan, as this would have increased our chances of winning. Sticking together would have also helped us as the other patrols usually took advantage of us not being together and “attacked” us. Even if we did not win, I still found that we could bond as a patrol through this activity. We also refreshed our knowledge about guides by answering the questions.  Overall, it was a very fun game and we hope that we can get the chance to play it again.

We hope that everyone had fun during today’s World Thinking Day celebration activities and managed to learn something new and interesting about Girl Guides! Last but not least, Happy World Thinking Day my fellow Guides!

Published by:

Cefina 

52届 Secretary

Patrol Activity, 8 February 2021

Hello Guides!

Here are some of the reflections from patrol members of this week’s Patrol Activity!

Reflection from a Year 2 of Patrol 1:

On Monday, we did pioneering for our Patrol Activity. At the beginning, we had to collect logistics like spars and helmets to build our Kitchen Shelter, but we were too slow and there were too few barrels, which resulted in the other patrols taking them first. In the end, it took us 20 minutes to collect all our logistics. Even though we collected everything, we forgot to check the quality and quantity. We only took one metal mallet and the canvas sheet’s hole was torn causing more time to be lost. Although we did this with our patrol before, our lashes were still not up to standard and we had to check the measurements of the 青木 five times. Even though we did 过时 for 15 minutes, it was worth it and satisfying when we saw the completed structure. However, we should work faster and more efficiently in future. Overall, I had learnt something from it and I feel that it was a very fruitful Patrol Activity.

Reflection from a Year 3 of Patrol 1

For Monday’s Patrol Activity, we were tasked to build a Kitchen Shelter. I feel that it was a very meaningful Patrol Activity as it has allowed us to refresh our memory on how to build a proper Kitchen Shelter. Moreover, we always face difficulty building a Kitchen Shelter and we would tend to 过时 a lot. Hence, Monday’s Patrol Activity was a perfect opportunity for us to practice building it. I’m glad that my patrol managed to complete the Kitchen Shelter, despite having a rocky start as the collection of logistics did not go very smoothly. Nevertheless, I feel that we still have a lot of room for improvement. For instance, we should have a greater sense of urgency in the future as the standard timing for a kitchen shelter is 45 minutes, yet we only completed our Kitchen Shelter after an hour. We could also have 报时-ed more as we needed numerous reminders when it came to 报时-ing. Therefore, we will try to improve on this in the future.

Reflection from a Year 2 of Patrol 2

During Patrol Activity, we were instructed to build a Kitchen Table. We had to collect logistics but since our patrol did not have many people and we could only brisk walk, we did not collect our logistics very efficiently. After we collected our logistics, we had to build the Kitchen Table in 40 minutes. However, we had to 重打 several times as it had been a while since we built a Kitchen Table. Throughout the 40 minutes, not only did we lack a sense of urgency, our lashes were not tight. In the end, we had to stop building our Kitchen Table and instead do lash training. We were instructed by our Year 4s to tie different lashes on the spars that formed a ladder shape. We will definitely revise our lashes and structures, as well as improve our sense of urgency.

Reflection from a Year 3 of Patrol 2

For Patrol Activity on Monday, we were supposed to 集合 at D area to build Kitchen Shelter but due to the lightning alert, we had to build a Kitchen Table instead. Unfortunately due to the lack of time we were not able to complete the Kitchen Table. We managed to improve on the tripod lash and it was quite tight so we did not have to 重抽，however we did not have a sense of urgency while tying it so it took quite long. We were also confused whether we were tying the tripod on the 头 or 脚 of the 木 and that wasted a lot of time. After we tied the tripod and 顶角，we had to 拆掉 the tripod and do lash training instead since we could not tie it fast enough. We had to arrange 青木 and 红木 to form a ladder and tie square lash in 3 minutes. I felt that we could have 报时 more while tying as we 过时-ed a lot because we were all busy tying the square lash. Overall, I still feel like it was quite a fun Patrol Activity as we got the chance to practice our lashes. We also could practice stepping up as Patrol Leader Training Camp is coming soon and we would have to lead the new batch of Year 1s and the Year 2s. 

Reflection from a Year 2 of Patrol 3

During Monday’s Patrol Activity, we did lash training and Creative Gadgeting led by the Year 3s. For lash training, we were given 20 minutes in total to tie 4 types of lashes. 5 minutes per lash. First, we started with tying a square lash. For me, the square lash I tied was still a bit loose. I realised from one of my seniors that using thin 白绳 would cause my lashes to be loose, thus I changed my 白绳 to a one. I managed to tie the diagonal and A-架 lash correctly and up to standard which made me feel accomplished. However, as it was my first time tying the tripod and quadpod lash without my seniors’ help, I found that it was still quite difficult for me. Hence, I will practice these lashes more in future. The next activity we did was to tie a Creative Structure. With the few Year 2s who were present, we had to complete the structure designed by the Year 3s within 55 minutes. That was a valuable experience for us Year 2s as we were not under the guidance of the Year 3s. Our feedback was that we had to 报时 and improve our sense of urgency. At the end of the session we had patrol corner discussion about that day’s session and news that the Year 1s would be coming to guides in two weeks. Overall, the Patrol Activity was extremely memorable and I learnt a lot of new things from these new experiences.

Reflection from a Year 3 of Patrol 3

I found Monday’s Patrol Activity very meaningful as I got to have a taste of what it is like to be planning a 集合. I now know that my previous estimates of timings were highly inaccurate and if it were actual planning for 集合, things would not have run smoothly. I now understand that in order to execute the plan properly, I must also pay more attention to how the juniors are allocating their manpower and try not to help so much. I will work on my planning skills too as, as I’ve said before, the timings I allocated were very inaccurate. I also think that for the planning process, we could have planned faster and had a better sense of urgency as we were writing quite slowly and only started going faster when time was running out. Moreover, I feel that I need to improve my structure drawing skills as my drawing was very messy. Overall, I found Patrol Activity to be insightful.

Reflection from a Year 2 of Patrol 4

I think Patrol Activity on Monday was quite interesting as it was my first time doing Creative Pioneering with my patrol. It was also a good opportunity for us Year 2s to brush up on our pioneering lash skills, especially the tripod lash which we are still not very familiar with, before the new batch of Year 1s join Guides. I think it also helped me to be more familiar with pioneering structures and lashes like the super square lash. I also learnt the importance of choosing a 麻绳 that is thick enough to tie lashes more specifically the tripod lash as it can really affect the tightness of the tripod in the end. I think I also got to bond with my patrol more through this Patrol Activity as we usually do pioneering together as a 团. Overall I feel that Monday's Patrol Activity was quite enriching and was a great opportunity to brush up on basic lash skills for pioneering. I also enjoyed the Patrol Activity and the time spent with my patrol.

Reflection from a Year 3 of Patrol 4

The Patrol Activity on Monday was very meaningful. We built a Creative Structure with spars. The design was similar to a bridge. Even though we did not manage to complete the structure, I still feel a sense of accomplishment. In my opinion, the entire patrol improved significantly. The Year 2s took more initiative and tied tighter lashes. As Year 3s, we were able to plan ahead and were better at looking at the bigger picture. For instance, we thought about the next step when the Year 2s were tying their lashes. This helped to make things more efficient. However, there is still room for improvement. We learnt the importance of tying tight lash, and picking the suitable 木 and 麻绳. For the 麻绳, we learnt that we should not pick a 麻绳 that is too thin one or the lash will be loose. In conclusion, we enjoyed this Patrol Activity a lot and benefited from it.

Reflection from a Year 2 of Patrol 5

During Patrol Activity, we felt that during Gadgeting, we could have had a better sense of urgency and 报时 more as we did not manage to complete the structure within the time given even with time extensions. We should also plan our structure properly and allocate manpower evenly. We also learnt that it is important for the diagonals to touch the floor so that the structure will be more stable. During Inspection, we should voluntarily step up more and we learnt that we should speak louder and give clearer instructions as during actual inspection, it will be very chaotic and people might not be able hear or comprehend what we are saying.  We should also help out and 照顾好 other patrols who might be weaker and cannot keep up. Overall, Patrol Activity was quite alright and we learnt quite a lot especially during inspection like we have to coordinate well with the other person stepping up.

Reflection from a Year 3 of Patrol 5

For Patrol Activity, we did lash training, Creative Gadgeting and an Inspection with a twist. In order to prepare us for our Patrol Leader Training Camp, the Year 3s were tasked to become the Patrol Leader for the Creative Gadgeting section. We were given the proposal, and we were to instruct the rest of the patrol without tying any lashes. I felt that this was very meaningful as I got to experience what it is like to be the one giving instructions. It also gave me a chance to better understand what is going on and how I should always look at the bigger picture, instead of relying on the seniors to point out the mistakes. For the Inspection, as it was a Patrol Activity, the seniors formed another patrol to join us for inspection. They were to be “problematic” and we had to help them out. Everyone took turns to become the in-charge for every layout. I learnt the importance of 照顾好人 and 照顾好东西, and that we should always look out for the rest of the company, instead of focusing on our own layout. Overall, I felt that this was a very meaningful Patrol Activity and it was a memorable one.

Reflection from a Year 2 of Patrol 6

During Patrol Activity, we did Pioneering and it was the first time we took 木 without our Year 3 seniors. Although we forgot to bring a box of helmets, the collection of logistics went smoothly. We were tasked to build a Creative Structure that only our Patrol Leader could see the layout of. Our seniors worked on one tripod while 3 Year 2s worked on the other one. We finished tying the tripod quite quickly but the one the Year 2s were doing had to be 重抽-ed three times. Even after we had the 定脚s up, we had to 重抽 them a few times. We could start cheering again and although we still had to keep our volume down, it felt more like normal 集合s. Overall, our pioneering this time was better than the last time we did it, in terms of speed and tightness of lash. One thing I think we could have improved on is to 报时 more frequently as our seniors had to remind us quite a few times.

Reflection from a Year 3 of Patrol 6

During Patrol Activity, we had to do Pioneering. During the collection of logistics, we had forgotten to take our helmets. Helmets were one of the key things to allow us to do Pioneering safely. We had chosen one or two 木s that were too thin or too cracked. We decided to just use the 木 as we were already running out of time. Our tripod lash has improved significantly from the last 集合 but it can definitely be much tighter. We had to 重抽 the tripod lash and even after that it was still loose and not up to standard. We also had to 重抽 our square lashes quite a few times as it was not tied properly the first time. We lacked a sense of urgency as we took more than 5 minutes to tie each lash. Some of the Year 2s still did not know how to tie the 定脚s for the tripod thus this was a good time for them to learn. We were reminded to 报时 frequently but towards the end we 报时 more frequently.  Overall, our lashes have improved but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

We hope that everyone had fun during this week’s Patrol Activity!

Published by:

Cefina 

52届 Secretary