Hello Guides!
Today is the last day of our Annual Training Camp. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to conduct ATC Day 3 physically. For today’s activity, we built a Kitchen Table, Bridge, conducted lash training as well as Creative Gadgeting.
1. Kitchen Table
As our last pioneering session was a few months ago, building a Kitchen Table was a good chance for our juniors to brush up on their pioneering skills. It also helped them recall how to tie a standard structure. Through this activity, the Year 2s had the opportunity to step up and lead their Year 1s in tying the structure. The storyline for Kitchen Table is as follows: “It’s your first day at Hogwarts and it’s now time for lunch. But you realised that your seniors had a food fight and destroyed all the tables in the lunch hall. Your next lesson is starting in 1 hour and you need to think of a solution fast to settle your lunch before the next lesson.”
Reflection from a Year 1:
For ATC today, one of the activities we did was Pioneering. We built a kitchen table with our ATC patrols. We all were able to bond better with our batchmates and seniors that we would have never interacted with if not for ATC. Although we have built a kitchen table before, it was a whole different experience building a kitchen table with people whom we barely knew as we were not able to bond over the zoom sessions we had for the previous 2 ATC sessions in November. However, after a while we were able to get to know each other a little better and be more comfortable with each other. Thus, we were able to build the kitchen table with minimal miscommunications. I have learnt both soft and hard skills from building the kitchen table. Some of the soft skills I learnt were how to communicate better with people I barely know. I learnt how to have better time management as we had to build a kitchen table under limited time which was set by the seniors. We also learnt many hard skills such as how to tie many of the more common lashes that are used in pioneering. Although I already learnt the lashes through building the kitchen table before, however, since it was quite a long time before we last had a physical 集合, I was a little rusty and forgot some of the lashes that were used for pioneering. However the seniors were very helpful and taught us how to tie the lashes as they have more experience in tying the lashes. At the end of the building the kitchen table we all felt very accomplished as after about an hour of tying, lifting and building we were finally able to finish building the Kitchen Table.
Reflection from a Year 2:
On our last day of ATC, we were required to build a kitchen table. We used 红木 to make two tripods for the kitchen table. The lashes for the tripod had to be tied tightly as a matter of safety precautions. Hence, we tied the lashes as tight as possible to prevent having to 重抽 and this helps us save time. Once that was done and the tripods were up, we went on to continue the rest of the structure. As a senior to the Year 1s, we had to teach them how to tie the Timber Hitch. As we have not done pioneering in a long time, the Year 1s have not gotten that much practice in tying pioneering structures and need revision on things such as the Timber Hitch. We also tried to ensure that our lashes were up to standard even though we have not had physical CCA in quite awhile. I feel that our lashes could have been tighter, and we will improve in this aspect. At the start, we had a mix up with another patrol on the logistics collected, so we had to spend some time retrieving more logistics from the back store. We ended up starting the structure later than the other patrols, and hence we were unable to complete our structure. We were only almost done with it despite the time extensions given to us. Since we started building the structure late, we should have had a better sense of urgency while building the structure. The rate that the lashes were tied could have been improved a lot. Thus, in future 集合s, I will be more careful while collecting logistics so other patrols logistics will not get mixed up with ours and prevent us from wasting time. I am also thankful to be able to brush up on my lash skills through building this kitchen table.
2. Bridge
Next, we built a bridge as part of creative pioneering. Since our juniors hardly get a chance to build creative pioneering structures, this was a good opportunity to apply their knowledge of shearing and bridge flexing. The storyline for the Bridge is as follows: “Today, you all will be given a chance to go to Hogwarts through the secret passage at the train station. At Hogwarts, you face a challenge. You have to cross a rapid river by building a bridge.”
Reflection from a Year 1:
During ATC on 20 December, one activity we did was Pioneering. We got to work with people we usually would not work with if it was not for ATC. Some areas we felt could have been improved was more constant and louder 报时, along with having a much greater sense of urgency as none of us managed to complete the bridge within the given time. We could also have taken more initiative such as asking our seniors what to do once we completed what we were currently doing and had nothing to do, what 木 to collect or if there is insufficient 木 when everyone was collecting the logistics. In addition, we could have been much faster when collecting the logistics as we took around 30 minutes which was well over the given time and some of the logistics got mixed up between the patrols. Although we should have been able to complete the structure, we were unable to do so as we were slightly unfamiliar with how to tie our lashes, as well as some basic pioneering knowledge. This included not knowing how to find the 头 and the 脚 of the 木. However, it was a good opportunity for us to revise our lashes and pioneering skills. We managed to learn from some of the mistakes that we had made, such as tying the lashes with one more round than we needed to as we were using spars instead of Gadgeting, and the way we were supposed to tie the 顶脚s. We also learnt that the lashes should be tied quickly and tightly as it has to support the weight of the people standing on it and also be tied within the limited time given. Overall, this activity helped us to correct our mistakes and to practise tying our lashes more tightly and correctly.
Reflection from a Year 2:
Our pioneering bridge was not very successful for a few reasons. Firstly, during the collection of logistics, we were very slow. There was also a different understanding of the number of 深蓝木 that we needed within the 团. As some originally thought that we only needed two, we found that there were too little 深蓝木 towards the end. We spent quite a lot of time trying to collect the remaining 木, also because they were quite heavy and each pair could only carry two at once. There was also a problem with the total collection of logistics as they were very messily arranged at MRL. As we could not see what each patrol had and were missing, we had to keep counting towards the end as we tried to find out what we left out. As for my patrol, we had many struggles with building one of the quadpods. It was tied quite slowly as we mistakenly chose a 绳 with many knots which made it very difficult to tie between the 木. For our first attempt, we found that there was a 飞脚 when we tried to 起 it. This was likely because when we trying to 抽, we did not 定 properly and the 木 was not straight. Hence, we wasted a lot of time redoing the quadpod till it could stand. By the time we managed it, over 30 minutes had passed which was unacceptable. Another issue was that the 定脚s of the other quadpod was tied wrongly. The 定脚 for the cross 木 was not higher than the rest and would have been a problem had we arrived at connecting the quadpod. In the end, we unfortunately could not finish our structure both due to the quadpod problems and also as our general sense of urgency was not very present. I also believe that quite a few of our lashes were quite loose and we had rooms for improvement.
3. Lash Training
Afterwards, we conducted lash training. This activity aims to help our juniors recap some of the basic lashes and perfect their lashes before they move on to Gadgeting. The juniors were taught the importance of tight lashes tied within the standard timing.
Reflection from a Year 1:
Last week's lash training allowed us to recap the standard timings and practice tying the different lashes. The seniors also gave us feedback for every lash that we tied, which was very helpful as after hearing their advice, we could realise our mistakes and improve in the future. While we had to ensure that we could tie our lashes as fast as possible, we also had to take note of the tightness and neatness of our lashes. Therefore, with the seniors' feedback, we could understand where there was room for improvement and pay more attention so that our lashes would be up to standard. Other than making sure that our lashes were tied well, the lash training session also reminded us of the standard timings for tying the different lashes. As it had been a long time since the last physical CCA session, some of us would have forgotten the information. But the lash training session reminded us of this important information that is a crucial part of many activities that require tying. The lash training session was especially useful for future gadgeting activities as it would help us finish our structure much faster and allow it to be up to par. This is because lash training helps us to familiarize ourselves with the basic types of lashes - the square lash, diagonal lash and A架. By knowing how to tie them properly and quickly, it would greatly improve the end result of the structures that we build. Even small things such as overlapping and 鸟绳 would affect the overall aesthetics of our structures. Hence, in order for our structures to be ideal, we have to ensure that we are able to complete the structure as well as do it to the best of our ability. Overall, we felt that the lash training session was extremely beneficial for us in many different aspects.
Reflection from a Year 2:
For today’s ATC, I really enjoyed the lash training activity. We revised the standard lashes: square lash, diagonal lash and A-架. It was very enriching as we not only were able to revise on our lashes, but also practice to tie the lashes tight within the standard timing. From the lash training activity, I also realised what my strengths and weaknesses were in tying lashes. I realised that I was good at tying the lashes neatly, and I managed to tie the square lash and diagonal lash tightly and neatly within the standard timing. However, for the A-架 lash, I struggled to balance tying within the standard time and ensuring that the lash is tight. This activity hence allowed me to practice and improve on my weakness in tying lashes. After knowing what I had to improve on for each lash, I practiced tying the lashes and I feel that my lashes have improved a bit by the end of the activity. I was able to tie the lashes tighter and faster compared to the first time I tied each different type of lash at the start of the lash training activity. The lash training activity was also really enjoyable because the seniors were very kind and encouraging. When the lash we tied was not very tight, they kindly gave and showed us tips on how to pull the 白绳 to make the lash tighter. The seniors also gave us words of encouragement when we were tying the lashes, which boosted our morale. I really liked the lash training activity, as it not only helped us to revise on our lashes and practice tying tight lashes within the standard timing, but also allowed us to find our strengths and weaknesses in tying the different lashes which helped us to work on and improve our weaker areas of tying the lashes, and also gave us the opportunity to bond with our seniors.
4. Creative Gadgeting (Ferris Wheel)
This activity serves as an opportunity for our juniors to challenge themselves with a creative structure that they do not have much experience with. This can help them recap and hone their gadgeting skills, especially considering how we have not had physical CCA sessions for quite a while. Besides, our juniors had the chance to work with different gadgeting mechanisms to enable a certain part of the structure to move, like in this case, a PVC pipe is incorporated into the ferris wheel to enable the wheel to spin.
Reflection from a Year 1:
Monday, 20 December was our first and last day of physical ATC. One of the activities we did was building a creative gadgeting structure. Since only one person could see the drawing of the structure, good communication and teamwork was key. I personally think that our communication was quite good and we managed to build the structure correctly. However, some of our weaknesses were that we did not assign our manpower well and we did not constantly 报时 until being told to do so by our seniors. This resulted in a slower building. Other than that, our lashes could be improved as well, to be tied faster and tighter. Some of the 木 was able to move and the structure was not very stable. We had to retie some of our lashes and wasted some time doing so. Another thing that we could improve on would be to look at the bigger picture. Sometimes, we were too focused on tying lashes and forgot to look at the structure as a whole. The Year 2s communicated well with the Year 1s to make sure we understood the instructions and that we knew what to do. We could also improve on our sense of urgency and that way, we could work a lot faster and use the extra time to check the lashes and retie them to ensure all the lashes are tight and increase the stability of the structure. There were some people not doing anything while others were tying lashes and I feel that we could have taken the initiative to ask what we could help with. We also did our best to make sure to 照顾好人，照顾好东西. In the end, our ferris wheel could spin well and it was a success. Overall, I feel that our creative structure segment was good and was a good opportunity to brush up on our lashes.
Reflection from a Year 2:
When we were doing creative gadgeting, the structure was a modified baggage rack which had a ferris wheel like structure at the top. The structure was similar to a baggage rack with netting on the bottom and a ferris wheel structure attached to a PVC pipe that is on a 木 on the top of the two tripods. As I was the assigned Patrol Leader of my patrol for my activity, I had to see what the structure was like and afterwards I had to tell my patrolmates what it was like. I feel like i had to work on my observational skills as i did not see whether the 木 was placed on the tripod and i ended up not knowing what to do and had to have the seniors help me. The Year 1s were also very confused as to what to do as they were unfamiliar with the lashes after being in physical 集合s after so long. With this, as Year 2s, we had more opportunities to step up and lead the Year 1s. I also felt that I could have tasked my patrolmates to do more things. We could not finish the structure on time as there were many things to be done within the timing. The netting and 定脚s took us the most time too. Our patrol had to overcome the challenge of not having enough 中长木 and we had to find a way to fix the problem. At first i did not know what to do and wasted a lot of time going around to other patrols to ask if they had extra 长木s but in the end, we used a 中长木 to put on the top of the tripods and it worked fine. Overall I felt that everyone could have done a better job but the structure was still fun to build as it was different from the usual standard structures.
We hope that everyone managed to learn something from the activities planned and revised on their lashes. In addition, we hope this year's ATC was a fruitful and enjoyable one.
Published by:
Pok Jing
53届 Secretary
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