Hello Guides!
The theme for ATC’22 was Valour: Shine Under Pressure
Here is the overall storyline:
One day, a new, unknown substance is discovered on earth and is spreading rapidly around the world. It is rumoured that this substance is known to be explosive and poses immense danger to earthers! But fret not, after all, these are just speculations and hypotheses.. Or not! Six researchers then bravely volunteered to conduct various experiments on the substance for research. As researchers, get ready to undergo several challenges that may be extremely pressuring… Be careful not to crumble under the pressure, and continue your altruistic ways of bravery. Do the Dunman High Laboratory proud. The future of the world is in your hands!
For ATC’22, we aim to allow the trainees to have the experience of working under pressure, and through this allow them the opportunity to find methods to rise to the occasion and carry out their tasks efficiently while maintaining a clear mind, which would enable them to make logical decisions faster and think critically, as well as to foster bonding between the 团. We also aim to improve the trainees' hard skills such as the timing and quality of their lashes and their speed and to also give them the avenue to push themselves in terms of their skills. We hope that through this year’s ATC, the trainees will be able to achieve higher standards of performance in Guides.
For ATC’22, we have 6 patrols:
P1 Solenyx 企鹅
P2 Diamanti 星座
P3 Illumibon 钻耀
P4 Edelweiss 天狼星
P5 Saphir 寶石
P6 Heliotrix 韧博
0.1 Pre-Camp Lecture
Before actual ATC started, counsellors conducted a Pre-Camp lecture where trainees were informed on the proposals they had to do.
0.2 Camp Preparation
After the Pre-Camp Lecture, trainees were given a few days to do their proposals, test out their structures as well as collect the necessary logistics for ATC and pack them in their toyogo boxes and 配备.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P1:
The making of the patrol identity, banner and flag were meaningful as we created all of those ourselves and spent lots of time preparing the designs for all three, especially when I was greatly involved in creating most of the designs. Even when it seems like we were just drawing and colouring stuff, it was a very meaningful bonding session as a patrol as we talked about things we had in common and managed to know a lot more about each other on a personal level. This also helped make us become closer as a patrol. To me, I felt like every part of the decoration and making process was really important to me as I wanted to wear a patrol identity that I would be proud of and a flag that would stand out among the rest so I put in a lot of effort helping to design. However, I realised that my drawing skills were not the best so I decided to help out with the patrol mealbags. Even so, it was also quite challenging as I never dealt with book wrap (to waterproof the mealbags) so I had to ask my other patrol mates for help. I had to force myself to have the patience to neatly paste the plastic wrap around the bags while squeezing out the air bubbles and I was sure I made a lot of mistakes along the way. That was when I also realised that I had to be careful when cutting the book wrap. Alas, we then realised that there were some details we missed out along with the other patrols and the dimensions of the mealbag were not standardized but we knew we did not have a choice but to move on—we have completed making most of the mealbags already. Through this, I learnt that before doing anything, I should check with my other patrol mates and other patrols, or anyone to prevent myself from being less forgetful.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P2:
In preparation for ATC, we worked together in our newly assigned ATC patrols and completed the many preparations needed for the highly-anticipated camp. One of the things we did was to write proposals on things that would happen during ATC, like what to cook for Outdoor Cooking during the camp. For the proposals, I think that we, as a patrol, could have done better for that part. I think we could have cooperated better with one another and divided the work more efficiently, and should not have pushed most of the work onto one or two of us. Teamwork is very important for a patrol, and we should have all contributed equally to the proposal writing. The proposals we wrote were also not up to standards, and we were reprimanded by our seniors for our lack of effort in our proposals. We should not have rushed through the proposals last minute, which resulted in the drawings not looking accurate and aesthetically pleasing, and many things not being standardised with other patrols. Also, despite the many times our seniors talked to us about what we could improve in our proposals and told us we have to put more effort into the proposals, we failed to meet the standards. We should have put much more effort into it and taken it more seriously. In the end, we managed to write acceptable proposals, but I feel we could have done so much better. Another thing we did was to make waterproof mealbags for the whole patrol, including the seniors. We stayed back a few days to make the mealbags, but a few days before the pre-camp inspection, we found out that the size of the mealbags had been changed, and had to redo them. I think we could have communicated better with the other patrols who were already notified of the change. Communication is not just important in patrols but also in the whole 团. Camp Preparation has taught me how to improve the way I do things and how to communicate with my peers better.
0.3 Pre-Camp Inspection (团 Inspection)
Pre-Camp Inspection was held on 14 November. Trainees had to lay out all their logistics in their toyogo boxes and 配备. This is to help trainees check whether they had all the logistics needed for camp. This also provided a good opportunity for new patrol mates to bond and understand each other better.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P3:
When I got home that day I was sore and feeling guilty. For me, Pre-Camp Inspection was an important milestone. It made ATC feel so much closer that on the night before Pre-Camp Inspection, I was half-treating it as if ATC were tomorrow, between the panicky attempts to memorise the layout and the half-hearted start of my packing for ATC. Truth be told, despite trying to memorise the night before, when I was walking towards school the morning of the Pre-Camp Inspection, my mind still pulled a blank at many regions of the layout. To make matters worse, I partially designed the layout and thus definitely should have been able to memorise it. The only reason I did not, an embarrassing and self-derogatory one, was that I procrastinated memorising the layout. I did not prioritise and utilise my time efficiently, opting to learn Chinese Guides songs instead of memorising the layout as I should have. Achingly, throughout the Pre-Camp Inspection, I was reminded time and time again of how unprepared I was. Failed to report in the expected braids, failed to recall the layout, failed to recall patrol song and cheer; even the failure to collect logistics properly as I ground the toyogo box’s wheels flat and irreparably. My patrol was forced to perform forfeit at basically every station. I believe that Pre-Camp Inspection was a wake-up call for not only me as a reminder that especially as a Guide, such irresponsible behaviour was unacceptable but also a reminder to my ATC patrol that our sparse communication which resulted in how some aspects of preparation were missed out would mean an even harder time during the actual ATC and so we had to start communicating better with one another to achieve our goals as a patrol.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:
On 14 November, we had Inspection. Before this, we were supposed to memorise the layout for the Toyogo Box and 配备. We had planned to split the memorising of the layout between the members of our patrol, however, some people were absent and we only could complete part of our layout. Hence, we could only refer to other patrols. Furthermore, we did not have all the items in our 配备 as, during camp preparation, we did not put our logistics in the right place and hence could not find them when packing our 配备. We could have taken note of that and put the logistics for 配备 together in one place to ensure easier packing. We also did not have 麻绳, which we should have packed during camp preparation. It was tough for us as we had a lack of manpower and it was hard to carry the Toyogo Box, 配备, patrol banner, patrol mealbag and patrol identity to and fro. We standardised the place where we wanted to 靠 the ponchos to, and that was a good thing. This was our first CCA session in a long time and it reminded us to 照顾好人，照顾好东西. We could have tried to make the labels face the top as well for clearer Inspection of logistics. Through this Inspection, we found the logistics we had not labelled and took note of it. Even though our standardisation was not the best, I could see it gradually improving throughout the rounds. We learnt that we could help other patrols too as this is not a competition between patrols, but a 团 effort. Overall, this activity improved our communication skills within our patrol and within our 团. It also improved my relationship with my patrol as we have never worked together in such stressful conditions where we had to work quickly and effectively.
0.4 Pre-Camp Inspection (Patrol Activities)
After 团 Inspection, each patrol was assigned one classroom each and counsellors moved around classrooms to conduct each station. All the stations were designed to prepare trainees for ATC.
0.4.1 Station 1: Adaptability
This station enforces the importance of adaptability in high-pressure situations. Trainees were instructed to invert their layout horizontally and pick 2 options presented at different time intervals when doing the layout.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P5:
This station tested our ability to remember our Inspection layout for ATC. We were asked to revise our proposals the day before we came for Pre-Camp Inspection as so my patrol mates did. At first, we were very quick and completed most of the layout. However, we did not remember certain logistics places such as the First-Aid Pouch, 配备 and 青头. In the end, we mixed up the positions. The counsellor told us that we were not sufficiently prepared for ATC, and thus needed to do another round of Inspection. In the second round, we finally managed to complete our Inspection layout correctly. We promised the counsellor to familiarise ourselves better with our proposals so that we will be up to standard during ATC. I felt that this Inspection as a patrol of 4 people was different to other Inspections that we carry out as a 团 as it was less messy and much quieter. We did not have to listen out to and had lesser people getting kapped. We could lay out our logistics as we planned in our proposals and thus were not completely in the dark of the layouts as we were in Inspection as a 团. However, I felt that the minus point of having Inspection in our patrol alone is that we cannot look at other patrols to ensure that our layout is accurate. We could not compare our layouts and thus could make a mistake that none of us might have noticed. Through this Inspection, I still feel that Inspection as a 团 is still more meaningful as we can improve our sense of urgency and our teamwork, which are important qualities to have as a Guide.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P5:
For this station, we had to invert the Pre-Camp layout that we had previously memorised. My patrol found this station quite challenging as we had split up the memorisation of the layout among members. However, some of our patrol members were not participating in the station hence some parts of the layout were not fully memorised. One way that we could have combatted something like that would have been to allocate our manpower with that possibility in mind. For example, we could have allocated the memorisation of the layout such that two or three people memorised the same section. This station tested our ability to adapt to certain situations, and in the future, we could use these takeaways to improve our performance. One area that my patrol could have improved on would be our time management. During this station, my patrol found it hard to manage our time properly as a lot of time was spent figuring out the best way to go about the station. One way we could have changed this would be to ensure that we are already extremely familiar with the original layout so that inverting it would be much easier. The person responsible for memorising each section of the layout could also take charge of that section to make the inverting easier. I think this station has taught me a valuable lesson about being prepared for all possible situations. Of course, it is impossible to predict everything that can happen, but there are many things that could be done to increase our preparedness. Also, just preparing for the changes or setbacks is not enough, we must also be able to think on our feet and come up with ways to go about certain challenges. To me, this station was extremely valuable as it enabled me and my patrol mates to think quickly and make use of what we have learnt from the past few years or so in Guides.
0.4.2 Station 2: Songs and Cheers
This station tests trainees on their familiarity with the patrol songs and cheers they had come up with. Trainees have to take turns leading the songs and cheers, however, if they skipped their turn, the patrol has to do a forfeit.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P3:
I remember staying up until late at night, days before the submission, with my patrol members, as we planned our songs and cheers. To begin with, we started a Zoom video call and discussed in great detail the criteria for our songs and cheers. After sorting out the basic criteria on how we should write them, we then proceeded to spend a long time racking our brains for ideas as to what our lyrics and tunes should be. It was, I admit, a very challenging and tiring task. It was difficult to write the songs and cheers in both English and Chinese, and even more difficult to know where to start. However, once we found our inspiration, things went quite smoothly from there. The English song was rather easy to write, as we found a song that related to the theme after a few searches, and just tweaked the lyrics to our liking. Writing the English cheer was lots of fun, as we just had to find words that would start with the same starting letter as our patrol name. I remember when we recited the English cheer on Zoom, we all giggled because of how fast we spoke and how everything rhymed. As for our Chinese song, we had a bit of difficulty as we were unsure of which song we should choose to base our Chinese song off of. We managed to get our desired results in the end though when one of my patrol members came up with a really great Chinese song that fits with the theme perfectly. Lastly, our Chinese cheer was probably the hardest. With a bit of help from the internet, my patrol members and I thought of Chinese phrases that were similar to our patrol name. We ended up with a myriad of good phrases to use, so we incorporated them into our cheer. By the end of all this planning and writing, it was already well into the night. I remember going to bed with a light and happy heart because of the sense of accomplishment I felt after reading through all four of my patrol songs and cheers. Though this might have been a tough task, overall this was a memorable experience as I got to bond with my patrol members even more.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:
On 14 November, 3 days before the Annual Training Camp (ATC), we had Pre-Camp Inspection. Pre-Camp started off with 团 Inspection, to check that we had all the necessary logistics for ATC. Following that, we had Patrol Activities, which consisted of each patrol going to various stations that mostly tested them on their preparedness for ATC. For Station 2, patrols were required to sing or cheer their respective patrol songs and cheers, created by the trainees themselves. The purpose of this station was to foster a sense of identity amongst the patrol, as such patrol songs and cheers would greatly help to boost morale during ATC itself. For this station, my patrol had trouble recalling the songs and cheers we had proposed, which consisted of 1 English and Chinese song and 1 English and Chinese cheer. The songs and cheers had to be sung or cheered as a patrol, as the whole patrol was supposed to have memorised them beforehand. However, some of us in the patrol had been unaware of the fact that the songs and cheers had to be memorised, and were thus unfamiliar with our own patrol’s songs and cheers. Hence, when the senior asked us to go down the line and recite our songs and cheers, we had some trouble doing so. There was also much awkwardness at the start. Therefore, we had to do forfeits, which consisted of physical training. From this station, I learnt the importance of always being prepared and knowing what to expect. Patrol songs and cheers are integral to a patrol and it goes without saying that these would need to be memorised, as they symbolise the patrol’s identity and will always help to boost spirits and morale - an essential in Guides, as it ensures we work to the best of our abilities as a patrol.
0.4.3 Station 3: Physical Training (PT)
This station aims to improve trainees’ stamina to prepare them for ATC. It also gives trainees a chance to bond. Trainees had to pick a number from a bag which corresponded to the amount of PT they had to do.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P6:
For one of the stations after we had 团 Inspection during Pre Camp Inspection, we had PT, which is the short form for physical training. The purpose of Physical Training is to help us build our stamina and resilience which will help us greatly in the future. Before we did PT, we were given a pouch with a few pieces of paper inside with numbers one, two and three written on it. The numbers that were written on the pieces of paper represent the number of sets of a certain exercise we have to do. For example, 1 set of jumping jacks consisted of 15 jumping jacks that we had to do together as a patrol. The number that we drew out of the pouch was the number of sets we had to do. We were constantly reminded that we have to 等人 when doing the different PTs, especially when we were running around the block and doing the burpees. We also had to constantly 报时 in order to keep track of time to prevent 过时-ing. In addition, in order to boost our morale while doing the exercises, we also had to cheer constantly. From this station, while we persevered and cheered one another on when we were tired and I think that we could have cheered more as, towards the end of the station, our morale became lower than it was at the start of the station which in turn affected our performance. The seniors encouraged us to use the cheers we came up with for our Annual Training Camp instead of using the usual cheers we usually use during normal 集合s as we put in the effort to come up with the cheers. Using the cheers we came up with gives us a sense of identity and belonging to our ATC patrol, helping us bond together as a patrol.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P6:
For the PT station, we had to draw lots and see how many sets of each PT we had to do. There was running, jumping jacks, burpees and buddha claps. For each PT there was a different number of repetitions we had to do. For the PT, I feel that we should have all counted together as a patrol and also 等人 because some of us were extremely tired and had to rest between each PT. We should have also counted together as a patrol to know how many repetitions of the PT we had done and also to make sure that everyone is able to catch up. We should also have 等人 as we are in the same patrol together and are supposed to support and help each other as it is important that no one gets left behind despite what happens. Moreover, we should have remembered to tuck in our scarves if we were wearing our scarves. We should have remembered to do so without our seniors having to remind us so frequently. During the more strenuous PT like running, I feel that we should have cheered more and louder using our ATC cheers to raise morale so that everyone would be able to push through to finish the PT. We should have used the ATC cheers more as we were in our ATC patrols and this gives us our common and shared identity as a patrol as we made it ourselves. I feel that we should also have familiarised ourselves with the cheers more before Pre-Camp as it was crucial that we had something to bond us together, like a shared identity from a cheer and to raise morale during this difficult time. We should have familiarised ourselves more with all the PTs as we were already in Guides for some time. Overall, though I feel that we are still lacking in many areas, we were still able to push through and complete the PT and I feel that that is something that we accomplished together as a patrol.
0.4.4 Station 4: Completeness
This station tested trainees on their familiarity with the layout they had submitted to the counsellors as well as their accuracy of it.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P5:
This station was the most surprising and unexpected station. After we were given a short amount of time to complete our standard layouts in our proposals, we were asked to then quickly invert the layout such that everything was placed in the opposite format. My patrol was dumbfounded at first, but then we recovered quickly and chipped in to help complete it within the given time. One person was sent to help look at the big picture to try and ensure that the layout was correctly inverted, while the rest of us helped move each logistic to its inverted position. As there was some confusion at first, we took a lot of time trying to fix the wrongly placed logistics, which resulted in our need to ask for time extension. The person who was looking at the big picture was also kapped, and thus resulted in a delay in the time taken to complete the station. After we had clarified our doubts and continued our inversion of the layout, we finally managed to complete it with the correctly inverted layout. Our counsellors praised us for being quick in our actions and that we adapted well to a change in the usual Inspection layout. However, we were advised to ask for time extension earlier and to 照顾好人 照顾好东西 better in the future, which was the basic 礼节 of being a Guide, and an important thing to note during Inspection, as part of being responsible for our patrol members and logistics during ATC. Adaptability was an important skill we cultivated throughout Station 4 as we needed to adapt to the sudden change quickly without hesitation and doubts of our ability so that we can do well despite the change and not let change which is the only constant to set us down.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P5:
During Pre-Camp, we had a segment where we had to complete an Inspection. However, for this Inspection, it was different from what we usually did as we had to do the Inspection based on a layout we drew out and planned beforehand. We were to memorise the layout and have 2 ICs appointed to ensure that all the Inspection layouts were completed and standardised. However, it was challenging due to the fact that many did not memorise the layout or had memorised the layout but were unclear about where some things were. Many things were also kapped as we did not 照顾好人，照顾好东西 properly. Some manpower was also kapped and there was also one time when a whole toyogo box kapped. I feel like we can definitely improve in this as it is extremely important in Guides as without our logistics and manpower, we cannot complete our tasks properly. There were also times when our ICs were kapped and took a significant amount of time for someone to step up. I feel like we can also improve on this as we need to step up whenever we see the need and take initiative. Another thing is that I feel that we also need to improve on the standardisation of our layouts. We should have taken the time to memorise the layout, but apart from that. Also, we could have tried to make our layouts neater as when we did the layouts, they were all a mess and we overlapped a lot of things, hence we could not easily see what was missing which is the point of Inspection. Overall, I feel like there are some things that can be improved and we can definitely do better in future Inspections.
0.4.5 Station 5: Attentiveness
For this station, station masters will be more strict on kapping. This station tests trainee’s on their 照顾好人照顾好东西 and their attentiveness to their surroundings.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P6:
On Monday, 14 November 2022, we had Pre Camp Inspection. After we had a few rounds of Inspection as a 团, we had Inspection as a patrol with the same logistics we used for the 团 Inspection. Even though we already had a few rounds of Inspections before doing this station, we feel that it is still very important for us to do Inspection as the purpose of Inspection is to make sure that we have everything we need for our Annual Training Camp (ATC). We had to follow instructions and place the items according to the layout. The items include 麻绳, Mess Tins, Ground Sheet, Poncho, Survival Kit, 原子蜡, Rubber Mallet, First-Aid Kit, 原子炉, 青头, 白绳 pouch, 青头 pouch, Newspaper, Kindlings, Arthurs, Flag Kit, 白绳 Box, Duct Tape, Metal Mallet, Cutting Board, Plates, Bowls, Spoons and Forks, as well as our Patrol Identities and Mealbags. This Inspection layout included the logistics from the Toyogo Box, so we had more logistics that had to be included in our Inspection layout, which is different from the usual 配备 Inspection layout. We could have had a better sense of urgency as we felt that we were not working fast enough and we were taking our time to complete the layout. We think that we should have worked faster and communicated better in our patrol. If we had a better sense of urgency, we could have completed the Inspection within the amount of time given to us at the start of the Inspection. The time given for each round of Inspection is very short, so in order to finish on time, we have to pay attention to the instructions given and make sure that the items are placed properly. Throughout the Inspection, we need to 照顾好人，照顾好东西. During that round of Inspection, our flagpole was kapped because we did not really 照顾好人，照顾好东西 and we were too focused on finishing our Inspection layout. Through this round of Inspection, I learn to work better under pressure and as a patrol to complete the Inspection layout.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P6:
In this station, we were being trained on our Inspection and 照顾好人照顾好东西. While we were doing Inspection in this station, we did not manage to 照顾好人照顾好东西 and the senior managed to kap a few of our stuff. We were quite disappointed in ourselves as we knew we did not look out for our things and only focused on completing the Inspection. We were all quite shocked that we did not notice that our things got kapped and realized that we should take care and keep a lookout for our stuff every second. Next time, we would put our belongings nearer to us and keep them in sight as we do our things to prevent them from being kapped repeatedly. If our things were kapped, we should not hesitate to ask for them back as we only have 10 seconds to do so. I feel that for Inspection, our sense of urgency could be improved and we should also take note of the basics of Inspection such as looking out for overlapping things, making sure that the 麻绳 is 收-ed properly and to also take note of the orientation of items such as the handles of the mess tins. We should also tuck in the extended poncho so that the layout looks neater and more compact. On top of that, our 报时 can be improved and we should ask for time extension at least 30 seconds before the time is up. We could cheer the cheer made for the Annual Training Camp more often to boost our morale and to feel a sense of identity and belonging so that we could do things at a greater speed and also feel more energized. One thing that I think we did well was that we 收-ed our stuff into the 配备 very quickly and did not have to ask for time extension. Overall, I think that there is definitely room for improvement in terms of our 照顾好人照顾好东西, cheering, and 报时-ing.
0.4.6 Station 6: Rationale
This station tests trainees whether they know the rationale behind their patrol logistics. Using a game of “Duck Duck Goose”, trainees are picked to answer the different questions given by the station master.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P3:
As a patrol that had difficulties “clicking”, to say the least, due to the overall inward nature of the patrol members, we struggled with deadlines at first. I remember that when a face-to-face meet-up was finally organised, we met in the library with empty hands and very little of a plan. I grabbed my PLD and started typing down the things that we had to do, while the rest of them listed them from the shared lecture notes docs. As there were members that were arriving late, we were apprehensive about making decisions right there and then about the dishes for Outdoor Cooking, so we moved on to make the banner, identity, meal bag, and flag designs first. We heavily based our designs on the idea of penguins and crystals, as our English and Chinese patrol names meant. To avoid letting our rationales feel repetitive, we added subtle variations in the actions that the penguins were performing, word placement, and even the side accessories like gem sticker types. However, in hindsight, that definitely made life a lot harder when we were asked about our rationales during station games. Having been overly ambitious, I had written a lot about our banner design; I had rationales for even the closeness of the letters and “eye shape” that our Chinese patrol name was written on in white, so I could not remember what I was rationalised enough to give a definitive reply when asked about the rationale behind having the penguins link arms on the front design of the banner. Supportively, my fellow trainees urged me on from being frozen in place by reminding me of our patrol goals: to foster better resilience, determination, and teamwork, and become more confident. They knew that we had based our rationales around our patrol goals and thus the answer to the counsellor’s question had to be related to them. Thinking through the process, it suddenly struck me and I answered the question. All in all, though the experience of writing and recalling the rationales was not exciting, it did help to foster bonding and also taught us that we should not be long-winded in our rationales and simply stick to a few memorable and truly impactful ideas.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:
On 14 November, we had patrol activities and one of the stations was to test us on the rationales we had written for the patrol logistics proposal. Everyone had to answer one question related to our rationale written for the patrol identity, mealbag, flag, and banner. To decide the order, we played Duck Duck Goose. This game helped to build our anticipation and suspense and was a fun way to choose someone to answer the questions. We formed a circle and closed our eyes as the IC of the station tapped our shoulders while walking in a circle around us. When the IC tapped each of us, she said: “Duck” until she finally said “Goose” while tapping on my junior’s shoulders. She then had to answer a question related to our rationale. My junior then repeated the Duck Duck Goose game with me and another Y2. The other Y2 got chosen. After she answered a question given by the ICs, it was my turn to answer a question. Even though we did not know the accurate answer to the question, we still got the general idea of the answer and I felt that was good. The aim of this station was to test our familiarity with our proposal and show us that it was essential for each and every one of us to contribute to our proposals. Even if we did not write that certain rationale, we should have at least read through it. This activity also showed us the importance of our rationales. Since the patrol identity, mealbag, flag, and banner represents our patrol, it is important to know the rationale behind it as it shows our goals as a patrol. Overall, this activity helped to bond our patrol members together as we were further familiarised with our shared goals and aims.
1.0 Day One
1.1 In-Camp Inspection
Trainees had to do their personal logistics layout to ensure they had all their necessary logistics for camp. This gives the Year 2s a chance to step up and lead the 团 and for everyone to work in their unfamiliar patrol.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P3:
The day before the ATC camp was stressful. I spent most of the day packing and labelling the items needed for personal Inspection. I could not sleep as well due to being too anxious about the personal Inspection. I was afraid that I did not memorize the layout well enough and that I did not bring all the required items. During the Inspection itself, my mind blanked out and I forgot most of the Inspection layout. Therefore, I tried to refer to the layout on my left. However, I still was not able to complete the Inspection layout and my bag was also kapped. I told myself that I would try harder the next Inspection layout, 照顾好人照顾好东西, and have a higher sense of urgency. However, during the second Inspection layout, it was not the layout I was familiar with. In addition, I was not able to hear the IC clearly so I referred to the layouts beside me once again. However, the two people beside me also did not hear the IC clearly and had two very different layouts, and there was an overall lack of standardization. I tried to stand up to look at other people’s layouts, but nothing was standardized and I just had to trust the person on my left. If we redo the second Inspection again, I think we can have better communication so that everyone knows what is happening and everyone can just follow one layout. During the Inspection, I was too occupied trying to lay out the items that I constantly forgot to 报时 and my sense of urgency decreased. Therefore, I tried to 报时 more in the third Inspection. I was able to get more of the layout done this round. However, as I did not memorize the original layout well, my brain was not able to picture the flipped format well too, which caused some confusion. In general, I think I could have done much better in the Inspection layout. I think I can work faster in the future and not take my own sweet time taking things out one by one. I could also 报时 more and make sure my fellow trainees and items will not be kapped. I hope that in future Inspections, I will be able to improve on these things.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:
One of the first things we did during ATC was Inspection. This Inspection was different from our usual Inspections as we had to lay out our own personal logistics by ourselves. Before this, we were supposed to memorise the layout for the personal logistics. The first round of Inspection was to lay out our items according to the layout that we memorised. I tried to remember the layout but it was difficult as we were in a rush of time. I still remembered most of the layout and could finish the layout after referring to other people’s layouts. The second round was to flip the layout that we had memorised. Although I was confused at the start, I still managed to flip my layout. For the third round onwards, ICs had to step up and make a layout. However, since we were spread out, and my patrol was near the end, we could not hear the ICs very well and that resulted in our layouts not being standardised. I felt that we could take note of that and ask the ICs to stand nearer to the ends, or split up and divide themselves amongst patrols. Unfortunately, my 制服 got unclipped and I had to run to the toilet to clip it back. When some people went to the toilet to clip their 制服, their logistics got kapped. Even a whole bag was kapped. This made us realise that we did not 照顾好人，照顾好东西 and we should take note of that instead of only focusing on laying out our own logistics. Even though those are not our own logistics, this is a 团 effort. Since it was different from normal, we took a slightly longer time to lay out our logistics since we were not doing the Inspection as a patrol. We therefore could have helped each other more when we saw others struggling to lay out or pack their logistics.
1.2 Camp D
Camp D is to build a functional campsite for the Trainees and Counsellors during ATC. It also aims at highlighting the inter-patrol communication skills of Trainees when working with fellow Guides and ensuring trainees’ hard skills and Guides' knowledge are up to standards.
Trainees were required to build:
Dome Tents
Kitchen Shelter
Outdoor Fire Altar
Flagpole
The counsellors also built their Dome Tents and the Company Flagpole
Reflection by a Year 1 in P6:
On the first day of our Annual Training Camp (ATC), one of the many activities we had was Camp D. We had to build a Kitchen Shelter in groups. We in general were not familiar with the steps of building a Kitchen Shelter. With a lack of communication as well, we had to spend a lot of time trying to standardise the direction we 起 the Kitchen Shelter in. Because of this, it resulted in us having to restart many times as some patrols would end up not having enough space to 起 the Kitchen Shelter. Communication was a big issue throughout the building of the kitchen shelter especially when we had to 抽 the main guylines. Some groups did not communicate properly when we had to 抽 the main guylines which resulted in us having to 重抽 the main guylines and that took us a lot of time. Another problem of not communicating properly is that some of us did not know how much time extension was given. We did not take ATC very seriously when building the Kitchen Shelter and had conversations disregarding ATC which in turn, caused us to take a longer time to complete the Kitchen Shelter. Not having a sense of urgency when building the Kitchen Shelter was a major problem as we were taking a lot more time than required to complete things that should not take up a long time like laying out the main guylines. We also did not 照顾好人，照顾好东西 well as many logistics and manpower were kapped by the counsellors. 照顾好人，照顾好东西 is very important because some groups were already lacking manpower and with manpower being kapped, they would not have enough manpower to complete the Kitchen Shelter. We did not 报时 and cheer enough and had to be constantly reminded to do so, and our morale was not very high throughout the building of the Kitchen Shelter.
Reflection by a Year 2 in P6:
On the first day of ATC, we had to build a Kitchen Shelter at D-area as part of our Camp D part 1. Initially, the ICs had given us 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete the entire structure. However, due to issues with the logistics that were used and the lack of sense of urgency from the trainees, we were only able to complete it in over two times the time that was given to us, which caused us to be unable to have time to build the other structures that we had planned to build during Camp D. I believe that if all of us had chosen more suitable logistics at the start, as well as allocating manpower better at the start so that we could have 起 our structures much faster as well as working at a more efficient pace. I also think that one of the main reasons that most of the trainees were working at a slower pace was due to the low morale most people had at the time. However, after getting knocked down by the counsellors and having lunch, there was an obvious boost in morale amongst all the trainees, and most of them also worked at a much faster pace. There was also an issue of unsuitable 木s being used to build the structure which could have been easily resolved if the groups have chosen more suitable ones during the time allocated to kun the logistics. We could have helped reduce the number of 做bos by reading up on our Guides' notes and familiarise ourselves with the structures, if there was nothing else to do, the 做bos could have helped to make sure all the lashes were tight to ensure that there would be no problems when they 起 the structure. I think that if the patrols had also cheered their own ATC cheers more often while building, the morale would have been slightly higher. Overall, building the Kitchen Shelter during ATC has helped to show areas that would need improvement that the trainees would have to take note of and avoid in the future.
Reflection by a Year 1 in P2:
During the first day of ATC, we were tasked to carry out Camp D which includes building an Outdoor Fire Altar. As we have only built Outdoor Fire altars a few times, we were all a little unsure of some parts of the structure, especially us as Year 1s who have only spent less than a year in Guides. In my opinion, I feel that we should have read up more on the Guides notes before ATC to ensure that we are familiar with the structures beforehand. Thankfully, our Counsellors were there and they guided us when we were unsure about the structure and how to build it. While we were building our structure, we faced multiple challenges. One of the challenges that we faced was the soil. It had rained on the day before ATC, which caused the soil to be watery, muddy and soft. Hence the 木 that was 打进 in the ground could not stand up as steadily as it needed to. However, we were able to make it steadier by hitting the ground near the 木 to make the soil around it tighter. This caused our structure to be shaky and also caused all of our shoes and 白绳 to get muddy and dirty. I still felt that we need to have tighter lashes and 报时 more often without the Counsellors reminding us. We also could have improved our sense of urgency and tied our lashes faster. After we finished our fire altar, we went to help other patrols that have not finished their fire altar. I think this was a very good way that we can look out for other patrols and the 团 as a whole. Through the building of an Outdoor Fire Altar, my patrol was able to bond with each other and work together as a team.
Reflection by a Year 2 in P2:
During Camp D on 17 November ATC, each patrol was required to build an Outdoor Fire Altar to carry out Outdoor Cooking the next day. My patrol started working on our Outdoor fire altar quickly after we finished our Kitchen Shelter as a group. At first, all 4 of us in the patrol were working on the Outdoor Fire Altar together and efficiently managed to 打井 all the 青木 together and start on the lashes. However, the Counsellors then told us that we should allocate some people to work on the Patrol Flagpole first. Then we allocated one Year 1 and one Year 2 to work on the Patrol Flagpole while the other two Year 2s completed the Outdoor Fire Altar. One challenge we faced during the building of the Outdoor Fire Altar was the quality of the soil that day. On that day, the soil was extremely wet and muddy. This caused the 木 that we 打进 to be very loose and also caused our shoes to get very dirty. Because of this, our morale went a little down. However, we managed to hit the soil around the 木 to make the soil tighter. We cheered together as a group to raise morale. Another thing that I felt we could have improved on is our sense of urgency. During some parts of the building of our Outdoor Fire Altar, we were not really focusing on the building but instead we were chatting or getting distracted. Thus I think we should have 报时-ed more to ensure that we were on track and keep up our sense of urgency. I also think that we as Year 2s should help the Year 1s familiarise themselves with standard structures more. Overall, I think our patrol did not do a bad job building the Outdoor Fire Altar and this activity allowed us to bond as a patrol.
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1.3 Company Games
Here is the storyline for Company Games:
As you continue your research, researchers from other organisations are keen on stealing the substance for themselves as they believe it would be of great value. As a result, 3 scientists have infiltrated your lab in order to steal the substance and sell it at a high price. In your patrols, you will need to find clues around the school and take the scientists out. Each patrol will be given 3 water balloons and find clues around the school to uncover the identity of the scientist, which will be one of the Y3s.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P2:
On the first day of ATC, we had Company Games. During the games, we were required to go around the school looking for clues about the three evil scientists, and 3 of our Counsellors and find out who they are. Each patrol was given 3 balloons to throw at the 3 evil scientists to take them out. We also could throw water balloons at other patrols’ counsellors and steal the water balloons from them to get more balloons to throw at the scientists. We could also earn balloons at the MRL by answering questions related to our patrol. The first patrol to throw water balloons all 3 evil scientists win. Our patrol’s strategy was to walk faster than the other patrols so that we could get the clues before them. We assigned one person to protect our counsellor so that we would not lose any water balloons. Although we were in front of the other patrols, we were only able to find a few clues. On the other hand, the patrols behind us found a lot of clues. Our patrol’s morale went a little down when we realised that our strategy was not working at all. However, we persevered and the first clue we found was “Genshin impact character name”, we all immediately thought of Amber. But we were so focused on getting more water balloons that we forgot that we were supposed to throw the water balloon at Amber. We only remembered to throw the water balloons at her when we saw other patrols throwing them at her. Sadly, we were only able to figure out one of the evil scientists. The counsellors told us that P6 had won. Although we were kind of disappointed that we did not win, we all had a fun time playing and bonding with each other.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P2:
During ATC, on 17 November, we all took part in Company Games. We needed to strategise and use our thinking skills to figure out the clues that were carefully placed around the school to work out the Counsellors that we had to hit with the water balloon. During the game, my patrol quickly strategised to look for the clues first and solve them along the way to maximise the time. At first, some of the clues mislead us to the wrong Counsellor, causing us to waste a few water balloons and sometimes trying to catch the wrong Counsellor. However, we then used another strategy, which was to compare clues with other patrols to ensure more effective and efficient looking for the correct Counsellors. This strategy allowed us to find 2 out of 3 of the Counsellors. With only the last Counsellor remaining, all 6 patrols were racking their brains together to figure out the meaning of all the clues together. In the end, each patrol eventually came up with their own predictions of who the Counsellors were and it all came down to who was the fastest to find her. Eventually, we narrowed the Counsellors down to 2 people and we were racing with another patrol to figure out which one was the correct Counsellor. We both suspected the same Counsellor so we were running to find her. We let the other patrol hit her first and we found out that it was not actually her. But before we could figure out the correct Counsellor, we were called back to 集合 with the 团 and the activity ended. Although our patrol did not win, we still had a great time together and bonded overall as a patrol and as a 团 as well. The Company Games were definitely one of the most memorable activities we took part in during camp.
1.4.0 Night Games
Here is the storyline for Night Games:
[Researcher 1]
Holds a torchlight and walks around the area
Eugh, this building is disgusting, I can’t believe that I have to go into such a weird building for some stupid research.
[Lost Soul 1]
Grabs the researcher in front of her
Are you one of us?
[Lost Soul 2]
Walks around the researcher
Why have you stepped foot into this place? Do you know what danger awaits you? Or are you just…curious, just like all of us before we suffered our terrible fates in this house?
[Researcher 1]
Now panicking, she tries and breaks free from the lost souls but fails.
I…uh…please let me go!
[Lost Soul 1]
Refuses to let go, gets eerily close to the researcher
Why let you go now when you haven’t met her? Let’s bring you to see the Witch, and you might be blessed to come out alive, if you’re lucky.
Lost souls laugh in unison and pull the researcher away
[Researcher 1]
AHH!! What are you doing?! Help me! Someone Help me!
[Lost soul 1]
What are you still doing here, do you also want to be taken? Run away before any of us get to you!
1.4.1 Station 1: Finding Items
For this station, the patrol has to find 4 items that are red/orange in colour or shiny. Some of the items are purposely placed to trick the Trainees.
Here is the storyline for this station:
A kind soul appears in front of the patrol
[Kind soul]
Hello, I have been trapped in this place for a long time, and I have some information that may be useful.
The kind soul looks around such that no one is looking
[Kind soul]
In a whisper voice
You all have torchlights, but all the hallways of this house look the same. In order to not get lost, I have added red or orange items, as well as some shiny items such that I don’t lose my way in the dark. Here is an example:
She shows a red handkerchief that she has in her pocket
[Kind soul]
That area you guys are going to explore doesn’t have such items in them. To ensure that you are all safe and know your way back, you have to find such items to aid you in your journey. Do be fast though, the Witch is going to arrive soon, and you do not want to be seen here!
Reflection from a Year 1 in P5:
For this station, we had to find different items (red baskets, paper clips, and slips of paper) around the area outside the auditorium. We were given ten minutes to complete this station.
As the area outside the auditorium was quite well-lit, my patrol was able to complete the station quite quickly. However, we did face a bit of difficulty, especially when finding the last item. We looked everywhere for the item as it was very small and we had overlooked it and did not think that the paperclip was our last item to find. Although we were able to finish early, this station taught me a lot.
Throughout this first year in Guides, there have been many times when we would face a roadblock, and spend a lot of time trying to solve it with complex solutions only to realise the answer was right in front of our eyes. Through teamwork and resilience, all problems can be solved. This station has taught me to not only look at the bigger picture but to also look closer at small details. An example is during Camp D .At the time, the ground was very muddy and it was very hard to properly secure the Kitchen Shelter. My patrol ended up spending a lot of time trying to find ways to shift the structure to avoid the muddy ground, which was not the best plan of action. In the end, one of the YA Mentors suggested using bricks and stones to weigh down the ground around the arthurs. Looking back, if we had put our heads together and brainstormed more about possible solutions, we could have saved a lot of time in the building of the Kitchen Shelter. All in all, this station was extremely eye-opening and enjoyable.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P5:
At Station One of the Night Games which happened to be one of the last stations, we were tasked to find some things at the entrance of the auditorium. We had to find some things that were either red, orange or shiny. We found the first few things relatively quickly as they were things that were noticeably out of place such as 2 red baskets. This trained our observation skills as without our observation skills, we would not have been able to find the things. However, although the first few things were easier to find as they were bigger, the last thing was challenging to find as it was extremely small. We looked high and low for it, expecting it to be a small sticker or a small tick tack, however, it turned out to be a paper clip that we had overlooked earlier as it was placed at a very prominent spot and we did not know that it was what we needed to find. It was also not as easy to find as it was neither red nor orange, instead it was black. This taught me not to overlook the small things and not to overthink as most times the most important things are more obvious and to find them you do not need to overthink. Since the paper clip was also small, we still needed to be more observant as we needed to look for it by paying closer attention to the smaller things even though it ended up being in the most obvious place. We also learnt to be meticulous and careful when completing tasks as when we are doing things like Gadgeting and Pioneering, although looking at the bigger picture is important, we must also pay attention to the smaller details like the lashes and the type of 木 that we choose as these play an important role in the stability of the structure and are as equally important when building structures.
1.4.2 Station 2: Crossing the Rope
Trainees had to cross between the tables through the string to reach the other end. The raffia string will be taped to two tables using duct tape, and trainees have to get everyone across the corridor in a certain amount of time.
Here is the storyline for this station:
Witch’s assistants stands on the other side of the corridor
[Assistant 1]
Oh wow look at what we have here, do you really think that you are good enough to pass through this corridor and continue your journey?
Assistant 2 kicks the string lightly
[Assistant 2]
There is almost NO way that you all will be able to walk past these. Even if you do, you will need to take care of your other patrol members as well…You all have ONE chance to try and go past this corridor without touching the string, and if you fail, you will be trapped in this room forever…Only one of you are allowed to cross at a time, so do make it quick…
Reflection by a Year 1 in P4:
The Night Games during ATC comprised six stations in the canteen inspired by the theme of Halloween. Counsellors and Young Adults took part in the activity as ghosts to scare us throughout the game and it made things very fun. They did things like creating sudden loud noises, coming up from behind us suddenly to give us a fright, and spraying water on our necks or legs. To add to the atmosphere, we were asked to link arms and look down, so as to allow us the unpredictable “arrival” of our Counselors and Young Adults.
Personally, I think this game required quite a bit of creativity. The game is played by trying to get through strings attached to tables and chairs in the canteen without touching them. I was the last in my camp patrol to go and I decided to get through the game by crawling on the floor to get through because I was not sure how big or small the gaps between each of the ropes were. After I got through the game, I was kapped. The two others in my patrol were tasked with getting through the “maze” with different methods within a time limit. When they successfully did that, I was allowed to be reunited with my dear fellow patrol mates. This game trained our ability to navigate our way through obstacle courses and our flexibility too, in some ways.
I think the game was a successful one, where everyone had fun and where the theme was a pretty cool one, both while we knew it was just a normal Girl Guides activity where we still had to 记时，报时 and 照顾好人，照顾好东西. During this station, I realised that I have to be at least semi-alert at all times, expect the unexpected.
Reflection by a Year 2 in P4:
During this Night Game, my patrol and I had to crawl through some arranged tables while linking arms to one another and then crawl back to the start a different way. It was actually very challenging as we had to stay connected while working our way through the narrow space. We tried cheering to keep up our patrol morale and encourage each other through the station, which definitely made things a lot more enjoyable. I think we could have worked on being more familiar with our cheers before the camp so we could use them in more activities like this, cheer louder and have a better sense of patrol identity. Some other challenges we encountered included the difficulty in 报时ing since we had to move with essentially three limbs, trying not to bump into the tables and each other too many times, and the darkness of the canteen making the tables harder to navigate through. My patrol ended up moving slowly but steadily throughout the maze. It was actually a lot of fun and a great way to build teamwork and bond with my new patrol mates.
I think we could have looked at the path before so it would be easier to find our way there and back, and improved our teamwork and communication on where to move as we were a bit confused sometimes. We could have been more careful to make sure that everyone was keeping up with each other and no one got left behind in the maze, although I think we overall did pretty well on that. This activity definitely gave us a chance to practise working together and looking out for each other, two very important aspects for a patrol to have. In conclusion, although we could definitely have completed the station more efficiently, it was quite a fun bonding experience for us.
1.4.3 Station 3: Escape Room
The patrol has to find 7 post-its with riddles on them and 1 puzzle that when joined together, gives an answer, and tells all the answers to the station master in order to succeed.
Here is the storyline:
Fortune teller grabs one of the trainees
[Fortune teller]
Well my little dears, are you all lost? Do you perhaps…want some assistance? Maybe I can help you by reading your fortune…but that comes with a price!!
Fortune teller lets go of the trainees and walks around the patrol
[Fortune teller]
I know you all like escape room games, so let’s see how you all fare in this one. Each riddle will give a clue that you must use to solve a mind-boggling puzzle. If you fail, well…your souls will be trapped here forever…
Reflection from a Year 1 in P5:
During ATC'22 we had a haunted house themed station games. This was held in the canteen after we showered and had dinner. We were required to only look down when going about in the all lights offed canteen. It was also wise to link arms so that one of us would not stray off of our patrol. As we went around the canteen, ghosts, who I believed to be the Young Adults and our beloved year four seniors, were dressed in ponchos. Some were going around the canteen with a gong and a frying pan, hitting it to make a loud noise to scare us, and some wore sunglasses with their hair down, once again attempting to scare us.
Station 3 was the escape room challenge. We had to find pink post-it notes with a riddle on them and solve them. Some had math equations while others had a play on words. We were required to use our torchlights to look for them as the room was really dark. If we did not complete the challenge in time, we had to a forfeit. We all had to work together. While some were looking for the post-it notes, others had to find out the answer to that particular riddle. Seniors were around trying to scare us too. They made loud noises and use a torchlight to scare us.
Overall, I think that this particular station allowed us to put our teamwork as a patrol to the test by working together to complete the station. It also tested us on our mathematical knowledge, scientifical knowledge, and street smarts. Even though the riddle on coal had our patrol stuck, we did not give up. However, we still were not able to complete it. That was definitely an area we had to work on.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P5:
At Station Three of the Night Games which happened to be one of my last stations, we were tasked to first find the post-its stuck around the station and then we had to answer the questions or the trekking signs on the post-its. For the finding of post-its, although it does not seem difficult due to the fact that we had to find 6 post-its in a confined space, it was more challenging to find them as we needed to find the post-its all the while linking arms. This meant that we would have to go everywhere together and were unable to find the post-its individually or else we would risk getting kapped by the Station Master. This meant that even though we found all the post-its, all three of us had to pick them up one by one together. Thus we had to exercise our teamwork and communication so as to prevent two people from pulling in opposite directions. The fact that we had to pick up the post-its one by one also meant that we would have to do it at a faster pace due to the time limit hence although the task may have seemed easy, there were actually many hidden challenges. Secondly, the answering of riddles and the naming of the trekking signs. We were able to answer most of the questions but there were still some questions that we found difficult to answer overall. I think we still need to brush up on our Guides notes and knowledge and the meanings to some trekking signs because we struggled slightly when we were answering some of the questions. Overall, I found this station to be very fun and the atmosphere added to the haunted house theme as it was done at a stairwell in the dark. I feel it helped us train our teamwork and communication skills as well as our Guide's knowledge.
1.4.4 Station 4: Morse Code
For this station, The patrol is separated into two. One group has to use flashlights and morse code to give instructions to the other group on how to cross over. The group of Trainees that are receiving the code are provided with a pen and notepad to decode the message.
Here is the storyline:
Counsellors split patrol into 2, and lead the other patrol to the other side of the fitness corner
The adventurer enters the scene
[Adventurer]
SHH guys…are you all trapped on opposite sides of the room? I know a way out, but you guys have to be quiet, you don’t want to wake up the Witch!
Adventurer hands one group of the patrol a sheet of paper with morse code written on it
[Adventurer]
Use this and your flashlights to transfer the message to the other group, and the other group has to do the action stated by your patrol mates! Quick! Take this pen and notepad! The Witch will come here soon!
Reflection from a Year 1 in P4:
During the morse code station, my group was split into two. I was part of the group to translate the morse code into letters and guess the action. At the start, the other group tried to represent the length and spacing of the letters using different colours and intensities of light. However, it was hard to understand as when they change from one colour to another, they might “pass by” another colour which makes it hard to understand. In the end, we settled on using the motion by which they flash the light (long stroke versus just turning it on and then off) which makes it easier to understand. However, we did not have much time to flash and translate the remaining letters. Our communication became unclear as we were two letters behind what they are flashing. It also did not help that I constantly zoned out while they were flashing and that we took very long to search for the letter they were trying to flash. In the end, everything became jumbled up and we had no idea what the action was as everything seemed like gibberish.
Even though we did not manage to guess the action in the end (and the witch came to eat us), it was still a very fun experience and one of my favourite stations. The counsellors randomly coming to scare us using pots and pans, singing, and screams definitely made the station more engaging. The witch growling every now and then also created anxiety and excitement for my group. If we redo the station again, we would try to communicate better and I would also try to zone out less. We would also find out ways to ask the other group to repeat what they flashed if we did not understand and not carry on and get lost.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:
On the first night of the Annual Training Camp (ATC), we had Night Games. This was by far the most enjoyable and interesting activity of ATC for me. The seniors were wearing ponchos and running around the dark canteen, scaring the trainees by banging on pots and popping up when we least expected it. Trainees were instructed to keep their heads down and use their torchlights to navigate around the dark canteen, moving from station to station simultaneously. Such requirements helped increase the scare factor of the entire activity, and it was amusing to see my batchmates screaming whenever they got spooked by one of the seniors. The seniors also pretended to be wicked witches or ghosts, showing the trainees another side of them that we usually did not get to see, which was really fun. It was clear how much effort the seniors had put into this activity. For Station 4 of Night Games, the patrol was separated into two. Along with a patrol mate, I had to use a flashlight to send morse code signals to my other patrol mates across a distance without communicating with them verbally. This station thus tested us on our teamwork skills and also adaptability, as seniors would intermittently pop in and use their own flashlights to interfere with our signals. I found myself having to constantly repeat the signals as my patrol mates had trouble figuring them out due to the distance and non-verbal rule. They thus adapted by shining their own flashlights to better make out the signals. Unfortunately, my patrol was unable to finish deciphering the code and act out the given action within the time limit. Nevertheless, we had lots of fun and it was a fresh experience. From this station, I learnt the importance of good teamwork and a sense of urgency, as both would benefit us greatly and ensure we complete things on time, be it station games or Guide structures.
1.4.5 Station 5: Pin the Body Parts
For this station one Trainee will be blindfolded, and the rest of the patrol has to guide her to place the body parts of the person in the correct places on an image. They will have to solve a puzzle using the Guides’ code and find the ring that the woman requests.
Here is the storyline:
[Woman]
Oh no, dear…Who is going to keep me company now?
Grabs one of the Trainees
[Woman]
Can you help me? My husband is lost, but I am sure that he's out there somewhere! Can you help me find him? You just need to put these things on the drawing over there…
Woman hands one of the Trainees the pictures to place on the image as well as a blindfold.
[Woman]
Hurry! I think time is running out. One of you has to put on the blindfold and paste them on the image! The rest can help her, of course.
[Woman]
Oh no! It seems that I have lost the ring that was supposed to be on his finger! He can’t return without it! May you be such kind souls and find them as soon as possible? Maybe 4 minutes?
Reflection from a Year 1 in P4:
The game of pin the body parts, which was a game during the super fun and awesome Night Games, was pretty entertaining as it required us to communicate effectively as a patrol when one of us was blindfolded and tasked to fit all the body parts, which had blue tack under them to allow them to stick onto the board, on the body. The person sticking the body parts on was surprisingly successful in estimating the position of each body part, but we had quite a bit of trouble communicating with her in the parts where she got the body part at the right place, but it was in the wrong position. For example, she would have to move an arm ninety degrees anti-clockwise so that the body would not look odd. In another case, she would have to move the leg a hundred and eighty degrees so that the foot of the printed body would not be attached to the upper body. I think we did a pretty good job and got all the body parts attached in the right position, direction, placement and all that right in a short amount of time and I am pretty proud of the good teamwork that we had accomplished in the short span of time we’d been working together.
This game was successful in training our skills of effective communication, and teamwork, and for the blindfolded, touch without sight. I think that it was all these kinds of games, that is, games requiring communication and teamwork, that brought all of us closer to our camp and patrol mates, these kinds of games that made us more comfortable with each other and allowed us a berth and the need to trust each other. Overall, I loved this game and the way everyone in my patrol actively participated to help articulate each other's thoughts more clearly, and help to achieve the final goal, piecing together the entire body of that man.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:
For this station, one person from my patrol had to be blindfolded and the rest were to guide that patrol member into placing the different cut-out body parts of a paper person in the right places. I was the one chosen to be blindfolded. Instead of using just verbal cues to guide me, my patrol chose a more creative and effective method—by simply taking my hand and moving it around the board to pick up the pieces of paper, and back to the correct spot. However, it was still hard to get the right positioning. I am not certain exactly how, but the way I put the limbs was more incorrect than correct most of the time. It was definitely a lot tougher than I initially thought. Originally I had the impression that the activity would be easy, but I was wrong. It made me realise how much I depend on my sight to get things done. I think we could have communicated with each other better as I was quite unsure about what to do and what exactly I was doing wrong as I could not see the board, and hence it took much longer than I expected as well. Other than that, we did not 报时 at all during this station. I think we could have improved on that for this particular station, by allocating manpower better. Perhaps some patrol mates could have guided me to pin the body parts while the others kept track of the time. This station also taught me to trust my patrol mates more as I could not rely on myself to get the job done and had to depend on others to make up for my weaknesses. It helped all of us exercise interdependence on each other which I believe also made us more bonded.
1.4.6 Station 6: Blindfold Shapes
For this station, all members of the patrol except one person are blindfolded, and have to hold on to a portion of a 麻绳 bundle. The one member that is not blindfolded has to give instructions to the blindfolded Trainees to form 3 shapes (square, diamond, star) within the time limit so that they succeed.
Here is the storyline:
[Butler]
What are you all doing here?! There is a deadly ghost lurking in this house!
Counsellor tells Butler that they are there for exploration in search of knowledge
[Butler]
Exploration for a noble cause…you guys need to be careful. If you guys want a protective barrier, you will have to form shapes using this 麻绳 bundle. However, only one of y’all will be able to see, and the rest have to be blindfolded! Hurry, before the ghost arrives!
Reflection from a Year 1 in P2:
On the first day of ATC, 17 November, we had Night Games. The Night Games were like station games just that there were seniors constantly trying to scare us. At one of the stations, station 3, only one person from the patrol was able to see and the others were blindfolded. We were supposed to form shapes with 麻绳 by listening to the instructions given by the person that was not blindfolded. This activity was a bit difficult as we were unable to see the 麻绳 and make the shapes ourselves and the unblindfolded person had a bit of a hard time trying to give us clear instructions to follow. Some challenges we faced was that we were unable to find the exact point that the person not blindfolded was talking about. However, we were able to overcome this challenge as the person not blindfolded was patient and was able to give very clear instructions for us to follow. While making the shapes, there were also some distractions such as the seniors scaring us and the loud noises coming from other stations. These distractions caused us to be unable to hear that person clearly and for some of us to be distracted. However, when we told the unblindfolded person that we could not hear her, she was able to raise her voice and give directions over the loud noise. This activity really challenged our communication skills as well as our teamwork and cooperation. This activity also allowed one member of the patrol to step up and lead the other patrol members to give instructions on the shapes. It was a chance for them to improve their leadership skills and their initiative. Overall, I felt that this station was able to bond our patrol and improve our communication skills with one another.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P2:
During ATC, on 17th November, we had Night Games. The Night Games included multiple station games with seniors with ponchos that were scaring us in the dark. The Night Games were set in the canteen with the lights off and all of us had to link arms and look down. Many YAs and Year 4s were running around in ponchos trying to scare us and delay us. A Counsellor would be following each patrol and lead them to their next station. One of the stations, station 6, was called blindfold shapes and it required one person in the patrol to be unblindfolded while the rest of the people were blindfolded. The task was to use 麻绳 to create 2D shapes while holding them. For example, we were required to form a square, a star and more. During the activity, I was the unblindfolded person that had to guide the blindfolded people. At first, I kept messing up and found it difficult to instruct them. However, after a while, I got used to it and managed to help them form all the shapes correctly. The Counsellor in charge of the station even praised us saying that our star looked the most like a star so far. But one of the issues with this station was that I took a very long time to decide how to instruct them on how to form the shape and this caused us to waste a lot of valuable time. I also think we should have cheered more to keep the morale higher. Some of us were also distracted by the Seniors constantly trying to scare us. This station definitely trained our communication skills and cooperation skills and also helped us to bond as a patrol. It also trained my phrasing skills and taught me to step up. Overall, I think this station was very fun.
1.4.7 Mass Games (Part 1)
The patrols have found the elixir. However, they are all still trapped. As trainees search for clues to escape from the Haunted House of Candies after retrieving the information, the witches' evil apprentices try to stop them by distracting them. Trainees have to find out who are the apprentices before it is too late!
1.4.7 Mass Games (Part 2)
The Year 2 trainees were kidnapped by the evil apprentices. They have been locked in a cell and in order to break free, they will have to solve the puzzle to the lock and unlock it. After unlocking the lock, you must solve the puzzle of a part of the spell in order to escape the Haunted House of Candies. Meanwhile, the Year 1s must hurry to find clues to solve the other half of the spell.
The apprentices grab one Y2 each
[Apprentice no. 1]
HAHAHA…do you think that YOU could stop us so easily? How are you going to escape this place without your comrades?
[Apprentice no. 2]
Exactly! You guys have been relying on one another so much, but once your fellow friends have been taken away, are you going to be able to successfully escape? Or are you going to be stuck here forever, with us?
[Apprentice no. 3]
You guys will NEVER escape this place, and there is no way that you will be able to find the spell that allows you to escape! How are you going to do it when you guys are separated?
[Apprentice no. 1]
laughs evilly
You guys look so pitiful like this, so maybe we’ll give you a chance to escape. 6 puzzle pieces. Y1s have to find them to obtain the first part of the poem. In the prison cell, Y2s are to unlock a code to obtain the other half of the poem. Say the poem out loud within the time limit to be able to escape successfully!
[Apprentice no. 2]
13 minutes. Unlucky number 13. Let’s see if you are lucky enough to escape this nightmare of a house! If not, then it’s a great feast for us!
(if Trainees succeed in saying the spell in the time limit)
[Apprentice no. 2]
Oh no! What is happening?! How DARE you do this to us!
[Apprentice no. 1]
Stop it! Now’s not the time to complain! Let’s get out of here!
2.0 Day 2
2.1 升旗
In the morning, trainees and counsellors changed into their 全制 and gathered at the track for 升旗. After Guides 排马蹄, the Company Flag was raised followed by the patrol flags.
2.2 Outdoor Cooking
For Outdoor Cooking, trainees had to use the ingredients provided to make their proposed dish with the Outdoor Fire Altar they had built on Day 1. The food cooked will be their lunch for the day.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P6:
We had to cook our own lunch during outdoor cooking on the second day of our Annual Training Camp (ATC). It was a very interesting experience as, most of us, were not very used to cooking food using fire we had to start using kindling, which consists of 木麻黄, thin twigs and thick twigs, as well as palm leaves which were meant for transporting fire. We learnt many things from this Outdoor Cooking experience. Before this Outdoor Cooking experience, we did not know what to do with the palm leaves we collected and were quite puzzled by what it was used for when we were told to collect them. However, we were taught that it was used to transport fire from one patrol to another. We also learnt that we had to line the mess tins with toothpaste and aluminium foil to prevent staining and to make washing off the soot an easier process. We learnt that thin twigs are used to start a fire in outdoor cooking and thick twigs are used to sustain the fire as they burn longer. 木麻黄 is also used to start the fire together with the thin twigs as they burn out faster and aid the twigs to sustain the fire for our outdoor cooking. The sand is used to extinguish the fire at the end of the outdoor cooking when everything has finished cooking. We feel that we could have had a better sense of urgency when doing the Outdoor Cooking and allocated our manpower properly. Some of us took a very long time to wash the plates and mess tins and we could have allocated our manpower in a way that there is one person preparing the ingredients, one person sustaining the fire and another washing the plates and mess tins. This way, we could have finished cooking our dishes faster within the given time and prevented ourselves from 过时-ing.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P6:
On the second day of ATC, we did Outdoor Cooking (OC). At the start, there was a problem of many patrols not being able to find the food that they had passed to the seniors to be cooked during this time. Due to this issue, many of us were unable to start cooking. However, the seniors had then allocated this time to allow us to 重抽 our 火结s to make our Kitchen Shelters more stable and less likely to fall. After we were done tightening the lashes on both our Kitchen Shelter and our Outdoor Fire Altar, the seniors also advised us to just start cooking with whatever ingredients that were available to us currently, such as the Maggi mee and the chicken breasts and fillets, this was to ensure that the trainees would not be too hungry as the food from the OC would serve as our lunch of the day. The food that was missing was eventually found, which allowed us to cook the food that we had originally planned to cook. Most patrols did not have any issue with both starting and maintaining the fire, which is a good thing as it shows that the trainees are familiar with the necessary steps to do both things. We would still need to take note of making sure that more suitable kindlings such as those that are not wet or twigs that are not hollow and waxy. This allows the fire to be started more quickly and to be sustained for a longer time. However, there was another major issue of 照顾好人，照顾好东西. While most of us were panicking over all our missing food, we failed to realise that we were also not taking care of the other stuff items s This is a major issue that should not have occurred if we were taking care of our logistics. Overall, there were not many problems that stuck out other than the issue of not taking better care of our logistics which could be very much improved upon.
2.3 Obstacle Journey
After eating their lunch, trainees changed into their OJ kit and started OJ. OJ consisted Inspection and 6 stations.
Here is the storyline:
In your journey of finding out the new substance, you venture around the school only to find that 正心园 has turned into a huge forest. There stands a huge man-eating plant that tricks you into entering the forest promising you that you will be able to find more clues about the substance. Little did you know that it was all a lie and you get sucked into the centre of the forest and can only await your death as the man-eating plant preys on you and your fellow researchers. However, it agrees to let you out if you and your team complete all of the challenges. Beware, the clock is ticking and the man-eating plant accepts nothing short of perfection.
Inspection
Inspection aims to train trainees' sense of urgency, attention to detail and also emphasises the importance of teamwork and communication between the 团. It is also a good opportunity for trainees to step up to lead and coordinate the patrol and 团.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P1:
As one of the OJ activities, we carried out Inspection to check that we had all of our logistics with us for our other OJ activities. For Inspection, we had to have two ICs step up and instruct the rest of the patrol on how to arrange their layout, and there were three rounds of Inspection overall. For the first round of Inspection, we were panicking a lot and took quite some time to unpack and lay it out properly. There were also many of my patrol mates who looked confused. At times, my patrol could not hear the ICs properly and did not know where to arrange certain logistics. As a result, a year 2 senior had to go ask the ICs to repeat and ask other patrols where they were putting that particular object. Unfortunately, we did not manage to complete the layouts for our first round of Inspection. However, for the second and third round, we gradually improved as we started to get used to the pressure, worked together more efficiently, and was able to hear what the ICs were saying better, which is something that I thought we did well. For the second and third rounds, we managed to finish our layouts, even though they were not perfect. I think that we could have compacted our layouts more, and taken better care of our logistics. We also should have not been so loud when talking, as that was likely the reason why we could not hear the ICs at times, since they seemed to be trying their best to shout as loud as they possibly could. Cooperation and sharing information on where to put the logistics could also have been improved, as some patrols had different layouts than others. Overall, I think this activity was a great way to train our sense of urgency, and the ability to work together with one another.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P1:
Overall, I think that there was a general improvement in Inspection despite the numerous challenges. One of the most prominent challenges for most of us was the lack of manpower. We already had scarce manpower and we still needed to allocate 2 Y2s to be the ICs. This made it really difficult to complete our Inspection layout while remembering to 照顾好人照顾好东西 and also 报时-ing. However, as we received feedback after each layout, we started to improve and take note of minor details that would make our layout neater. We also learned the importance of 团的利益, helping one another. As a very prominent team CCA, we should always look out for one another both within the patrol and across the whole 团. I think that we improved in this the most as we started to help distribute logistics, sending over manpower to help others when we were done with our own layout and also helping to pack logistics. On the other hand, there are definitely areas of improvement. A noticeable and constant problem is the lack of urgency. We took about twice the standard timing for the first round of Inspection which should not have been the case. Though, moving on, we did take less and less time to complete our Inspection which I think is due to us taking in feedback and also having higher morale. Another problem is incomplete logistics. Many of us did not have all the logistics needed and it may have been due to us packing things in a hurry and thus leaving some logistics in other places. Moving forward, I think we should definitely try being a lot more organised as all over logistics are crucial in various activities and this also makes it easier to take care of them. A way is to split manpower. Some people can be responsible for the items in the 配备 and others can be responsible for the items in the Toyogo Box, each “team” packing the various items that belong in their respective “storage container”.
2.3.1 Station 1: Physical Training (PT)
Trainees have to complete as many sets of PT as possible in this station. PT helps to boost morale within the patrol while helping trainees to improve their standards.
Here is the storyline:
The man-eating plant is starting to doubt your physical abilities and is thinking of removing the chance of escaping from the forest for your team as he no longer deems your team as a suitable opponent. As such, to prove it wrong, you decide to do a series of exercises. You will thus be doing the following exercises for the PT circuit: 10 burpees, 2 minutes leg raise, 15 jumping jacks, and crab walk back and forth from both sides of the open area in a line while passing the 配备 from one person to another until the end of the line.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P1:
For the first station game, we had to do Physical Training. We were tasked to finish two sets of exercises within a certain time limit in order to finish the station without any forfeits. Some of the exercises we had to complete were burpees, crab walk, jumping jacks and leg raise. During the station, my patrol did the exercises together, counted together and 报时 together. This allowed us to keep track of time and ensure that we were all doing the exercises at the same pace. When some of us in the patrol started to feel tired and almost gave up, we cheered together in order to boost our morale. My patrol cheered both the ATC’22 cheers and the Guides' cheers. However, at the end of the time limit given, my patrol did not manage to finish two complete sets of the exercises assigned. We did not manage to finish a set of burpees and crabwalk. Hence, we had to do a forfeit. This forfeit reminded us that we had to constantly 报时, multitask and do things quickly. One thing I feel that my patrol could have improved on was the speed at which we did the exercises. Doing the physical training exercises, we had not done it fast enough and thus had to do a forfeit. So, I think that my patrol could have worked faster and completed the task given quicker in order not to have to do the forfeit. All in all, this station allowed us to exercise and learn how to do the different physical exercises properly and well. The station also trained us to 报时 and cheer constantly, as well as to complete the tasks given to us quickly.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P1:
For Physical Training, I think we did a relatively good job. For my ATC patrol, we only had two people doing PT as the others were feeling unwell. I think this led to a dip in morale as our team seemed so small. However, we made up for this through constant cheering. For instance, when we were doing the crabwalk, we cheered really loudly which in a way made us sound strong, boosting our morale. This helped to boost morale and give us numerous boosts of energy to what seemed like an impossible task. In total, we did 4 minutes of leg raise, 30 jumping jacks, 4 laps of crab walk and 20 burpees, all in under 12 minutes. This proved to be draining but we pushed on with the support of one another. We would also encourage one another and also comfort one another, saying things like “加油”， “almost there” and overall 等人, pausing to take a short break when we feel that the other person looks really tired. This team effort and care made the station a really comforting one even though we were exhausted at the end of it. This station in particular also made me feel really proud. When the senior gave us an overall debrief, we were commended for doing all the PT correctly, having constant 报时 and cheering. I think we all felt a great sense of pride as in a way it was done almost perfectly and as a team. Even though two of our members sat out, they helped to constantly 报时 and encourage us. They also passed us our water bottles after we were done with the PT circuit. These small actions and team effort made this a very memorable experience and also perfectly reflect our patrol name: Edelweiss. A flower that thrives under pressure and also 天狼星: two stars that shine together in the night sky.
2.3.2 Station 2: First-Aid (FA)
For this station, trainees have to answer FA-related questions while they treat a casualty. In the middle of the station, trainees have to make a weapon with logistics provided. This station tests trainees on their FA knowledge, in both practical and theory.
Here is the storyline:
(Part I)
As you were venturing into the wilds, you suddenly realised that you have dropped your first-aid pouch, and it is currently with the plant! In order to get back your first-aid pouch, everyone has to answer questions related to first-aid. Every question answered correctly will allow one item of the first-aid pouch to be returned back to you.
(Part II)
As you were completing the challenges, you were suddenly attacked by the neighbouring evil trees and plants, causing 2 of your patrol members to be injured. You realise this was all a plot by the man-eating plant in an attempt to slow down your team. You want to get revenge on it but treating your patrol members is more important right now. One of your patrol members has sustained more severe injuries while protecting the other members, and she has a head injury and a fractured arm. Another patrol member has a sprained ankle as they fell down while trying to fend off the attackers
(Part III)
The man-eating plant has returned to attack your patrol once again! To protect yourselves, you have to make a shield using the logistics provided and logistics from your 配备 to fend off the attackers!
Reflection from a Year 1 in P4:
When we were at the station, we were told that 1 Y1 and 1 Y3 has sustained an injury one had an ankle injury and one had a head injury. This made it difficult to manage as we only had one Y1 and one Y2 to work on the First Aid. At the start, we were confused as to which bandage to use for the head and ankle which caused us to waste a lot of time, which could have been faster if we had a better understanding of it. To make it even harder, there was a surprise challenge that we had to quickly make a shield with a zinc plate, with only a few minutes left. We decided that I would work on the shield and the other Y2, would work on the First-Aid. The shield was a frame connected to the zinc plate, although the lashes could have been tighter as the shield was very flimsy. In the end, we managed to finish, but with time extensions.
During station two, I feel that we could have better managed our time and tied the lashes even tighter for the “shield” and 报时 more often so that we can have a better sense of urgency. Furthermore, it took us quite a while to think about what to do and how to treat the injuries when we should have been quicker as if it was a real-life situation, it would be much more critical. However, we were able to communicate with one another and quickly decide who does what with our shortage of manpower which was an improvement. For the quiz on First-Aid, we were able to manage and get all questions correct about possible symptoms. All in all, the station was fun and allowed me to bond with my ATC patrol mates while learning valuable lessons.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:
On the second day of camp, we had Obstacle Journey, one of the stations being about First-Aid. First, we were tested on our theory knowledge of First-Aid, for example how to treat an ankle sprain and symptoms of a heart attack. Having also gone through a First-Aid course earlier in the month, the theory part was relatively easy for Y2s as we were still quite familiar with our First-Aid knowledge. Therefore, as a patrol, we finished the theory part quite quickly. After that, however, was the practical section where 1 Y1 and 1 Y2 were to act as casualties while the rest of the patrol members were to use bandages to treat the “injuries”. Acting as one of the casualties, I was unable to help the rest of my patrol mates much during this section. Halfway through this section, we were also required to use a zinc plate, some given 木, and sufficient 白绳 to create a shield. I was still unable to help as my “injuries” had still not been treated, and thus the other Y2 in my patrol went to work on the shield with one of the Y1s, while the other Y1 helped to treat my “injury”. However, she was still slightly unfamiliar with the steps of tying a head and jaw bandage, thus it took longer than expected for her to finish up and we had no choice but to make the shield simpler due to the lack of time. In the end, we did make a functional shield in time, but I think we definitely could have improved on our sense of urgency during the First-Aid sections, allowing us to have more time to make the shield. We were also more unfamiliar with practical First-Aid compared to the theory part of it, thus I think that is also something both Y1s and Y2s can improve on.
2.3.3 Station 3: Mini Pioneering
For this station, Y2s are to step up one at a time and give instructions to the patrol on how to tie a 2-dimensional structure. Trainees are not allowed to talk to each other and are to only communicate with hand signals when necessary. This is to let trainees step up and communicate with each other.
Here is the storyline:
As the man-eating plant not only wants to test your hard skills but also see the teamwork and communication between you and your teammates, he has set up this very special challenge!
Reflection from a Year 1 in P2:
On the second day, we did Obstacle Journey (OJ). One of the activities in OJ was Mini Pioneering, station 3. We were required to form a 2D structure with spars and 麻绳 while referring to a drawing. However, there was a twist that only one year 2 could see the drawing of the structure at a time and they had to instruct the rest of the patrol on how to build the structure according to the picture. The year 2 that was looking at the drawing also could not touch the structure. The other members of the patrol were not allowed to talk and could only communicate using body language. The year 2 would rotate every 3 minutes and we were given 12 minutes to build the structure. At first, we struggled to communicate with the year 2 that was giving us directions and listening to her instructions. However, we got used to it after a while and were able to communicate quite well with one another. One area we were lacking in was constant 报时 and cheering. We did not have constant 报时 and needed the counsellors to remind us numerous times before we 报时. Our patrol was lacking morale and we did not cheer very often. In addition, we did not have a good sense of urgency, which caused us to be unable to finish the structure within 12 minutes and when the seniors went to check our structure, they found that the lashes were very loose and were not up to standard. I think that we should have 抽 harder and done more lash training to improve our lashes. This activity improved our communication skills with one another as well as allowed us to bond well with each other. Overall, this station was quite fun and enjoyable.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P2:
During the second day of ATC, 18 November, we all took part in Obstacle Journey (OJ). We all had to mass change into our OJ kits and take part in station games as a patrol. We were required to bring along our 配备 and 2 青木s with us as we moved around from station to station. One of the stations, station 3, required us to form a 2D structure with spars and 麻绳. However, only one Year 2 could see the drawing of the structure at a time and the rest of the patrol could not communicate with each other verbally. The Year 2 that was looking at the drawing also could not touch the structure. We were given 12 minutes to complete the structure and the Year 2 would be switched every 3 minutes. One challenge that we faced during the activity was a lack of manpower. Our patrol only had 3 people so with one Year 2 looking at the picture, there would only be 2 people forming the 2D structure. Another area of improvement was that we should have worked faster and the Year 2 that was looking at the drawing should have given clearer instructions. When it was my turn to look at the drawing and instruct the others, I saw that the structure was really large and I was overwhelmed with what I should tell them to do first. And so I wasted a lot of time deciding how to go about continuing the structure. However, I also feel that we could have tied the structure together better and faster. We also could have 报时-ed and cheered more often to keep up the morale and our sense of urgency. Overall, I think there were a lot of areas of improvement that should have been improved during this activity.
2.3.4 Station 4: Creative Gadgeting
For this station, Guides have to build a creative structure that can shelter them from the rain with the given logistics they are limited to. This station puts their creativity and hard skills to the test as they have to think on the spot of a stable and effective structure to protect their patrol from the rain.
Here is the storyline:
As you were walking in the forest to find and complete the various challenges, it started to rain and you realised that there was no nearby shelter. As such you have decided to build your very own structure. You will need to build a structure that is big enough to fit at least three members of your patrol and all of your logistics. You can make use of your surroundings to build the shelter as well.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P1:
Station 4 was the last station my patrol did but nonetheless, not an insignificant one for me throughout the Annual Training Camp. During that station, we were tasked to build a shelter and make use of everything in the room. After much thinking, my patrol decided that we were going to tie two 长木 to two chairs each and tie a groundsheet on two edges of the groundsheet as a shelter as we did not have a poncho. On the other side, we decided to place the groundsheet on the table as we decided to make use of the tables around us. Although this seemed easy, I found my Gadgeting skills a little rusty and I took way longer than normal to tie a basic clove hitch. My patrol was plagued with a lack of manpower, which only made things worse. We also had very little time so we were pressured to speed up but we also took longer than normal to plan our structure. Even so, with a rocky start, we picked up our pace and eventually sped up in our knots. We also improved our communication and solidified our plan so we could do things more efficiently. In the end, we managed to complete the entire structure and it was most useful if used in real life. From this, I learned that it was important for us to know what we are doing and be very familiar with the structures we are building, such that we could clearly visualise the structure in our minds. I also realised that hard skills, such as knowing how to tie the necessary lashes are important and that I needed to practice them. I also learned that it was crucial for my patrol to be able to communicate well, especially if we are facing difficulties such as member shortages and the lack of logistics.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P1:
I think Creative Gadgeting is a station where we need much more improvement. From the start, we were already faced with a huge problem in that we did not have our 白绳 pouch. This was a major problem as 白绳 is needed to tie the structures together so we were unable to do anything without it. This problem was due to the negligence of our logistics during pack up. We had probably kept it in another place by accident and this served as a reminder that we should be organised and look out for our logistics more carefully. Luckily, our senior helped us to borrow from another patrol and we were really grateful for that. Another problem was that we failed to think ahead. We made the structure in the middle of the classroom, far from the wall. In hindsight, we should have moved closer to the wall as we needed to tie an A-架, which requires us to 定 to the wall. Being closer to the wall would enable us to 照顾好人 more, which is really important. Another issue was that our whole A-架 飞脚, which should not be the case. We should have picked a longer 木 and checked that the height was appropriate before attaching it. Another area for improvement was that we should have heeded our senior’s advice to not attach our structure to the top table as that would make it very unstable. Overall, I think we learned a lot from this station, both soft and hard skills and also humbled us in a way, reminding us that there are a lot of things that we failed to consider. However, I think that one good aspect was our manpower allocation. There were not really a lot of 做 bos and everyone had things to do most of the time.
2.3.5 Station 5: Trekking Signs and Guides Notes
For this station, trainees have to answer the questions written on the post-it notes. This tests their familiarity with their Guides' Notes.
Here is the storyline:
For one of the challenges, the man-eating plant has trapped you guys in a tiny room filled with vines and humongous trees. Follow the signs in order to find the way out. There are 6 post-it notes hidden in this classroom. The post-its contain directions or a clue in the form of a trekking sign leading to the next post-it, while the last one will contain the exit code.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P4:
Station 5 was a little bit harder as we were all stumped by the trekking signs and we should have revised the Guides’ notes better such that we would be able to tell easily what the trekking sign was instead of having to think for a long time. Because we should be able to recognize the trekking signs on the spot as it is an important and valuable life skill. But the station was still fun and enjoyable, working with my patrol mates to figure out and try to remember the answers. During the station, we were shown many different symbols which made me realize that I have only been skimming the Guides notes and should read them more carefully. One of the trekking signs that we were presented with was a month, November. There was a curved moon, a sideway 3 of some sense and 水 at the bottom. From the moon, we could tell that it was a month, but the other symbols were confusing and we did not manage to answer the correct month in the end. However, we took it as a lesson learn and to revise the notes better next time. Another symbol we were shown was three dots, which were arranged with two dots placed vertically on top of each other and one more on the left of the top dot. This trekking symbol was the direction left. I remember when we were presented with a very long message of the Guides code, which we managed to piece together one by one by communicating with one another and thus managed to find out the answer “Shining Under Pressure”. Overall, I think that even though some trekking signs can be guessed and interpreted, it would be much easier to memorise them such that we can recognize them in an instant.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:
One of the stations during OJ, station 5, was mainly for us to recap on the trekking signs part of the Guides Notes. Like most of the other stations, this station was in the classroom, and we were required to find post-it notes. On the post-it notes, there were drawings of trekking signs, and we were supposed to find 6 of those post-it notes before we could get the last post-it note, on which was a phrase written in Guides Code for us to decode. We were given an amount of time to find the first 6 post-it notes, but in the end, we were only able to find 5 of them, and the last one was hidden in a box in between the curtains. In the end, we were still given the last post-it note to decode, and the phrase was “Shine Under Pressure”, which was the tagline of this year’s ATC. I think it was actually a nice reminder for us to press on and not give up, as it was nearing the end of the 2nd day of ATC and many of us were reaching our physical and mental limits, but the note encouraged us to persevere. For the earlier post-it notes, it was mostly the Y2s figuring out what the trekking signs are as the Y1s were still mostly unfamiliar with the Guides Notes. We knew what most of the trekking signs meant, but even as Y2s, there were still quite a number of signs we did not remember the meaning of. Thus, I think all of us could have been more familiar with our Guides' knowledge despite not being able to revise beforehand, which would allow us to be faster in that station, and we might have been able to find the last post-it note.
2.3.6 Station 6: Gadgeting
For this station, trainees are required to build a Shoe Rack. This station aims to improve the standards of the Trainee’s lashes during Gadgeting and to test the Trainee’s hard skills and physical endurance.
Here is the storyline:
You find out that the man-eating plant is in cahoots with his acquaintance–the thousand-legged worm and he has been having little trouble with storing his many shoes. In an attempt to help his friend and test your knowledge, he has demanded that you build a shoe rack. In addition, the man-eating plant also wants to test your critical thinking skills.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P1:
During the OJ gadgeting, we were tasked to build a Shoe Rack. We were motivated and soon found ourselves scrambling to build the shoe rack. We ended up overrunning the given time even though we were given many time extensions. Therefore, I think we definitely could have improved our efficiency, teamwork, and sense of urgency. The activity also served as a reminder of the many standard structures that each of us was expected to know how to construct. I was a little confused between a Baggage Rack and a Shoe Rack, but after watching my seniors build, I am now quite sure of the steps to build the structure. Throughout the activity, we were also given compromising options to choose from every 4 minutes, such as losing manpower or cutting down each member’s effectiveness. Through the haze of panic, we managed to take care of more of our logistics by moving them within view, which helped to minimise the number of times our logistics were taken by our seniors, which I thought was something we did well. As pointed out by the station master, however, we did spend unnecessarily excessive amounts of time completing uncomplicated parts of the structure, such as the quad-pod. I feel like we needed to have a better sense of urgency, especially when we were building the quad-pod. Even though only one or two people can work on the pod at the same time, the rest of us should have helped to 报时 or do something else so that we could increase our efficiency. Regrettably, we did not manage to complete the full structure. I think that we should have put more effort into building the structure. On the bright side, however, this was a precious learning experience.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P1:
For station 6 of our OJ activities, we did Gadgeting, and we were tasked to construct a Shoe Rack. This is one of the activities that I think my patrol could definitely have done better at. Looking back, our shoe rack was badly done. We failed to take care of our logistics and check that we had everything we needed in the first place. While building the structure, we found out that we did not have enough 白绳 to even complete the structure, which left many of us anxious. I think we definitely could have improved on that and checked in the first place. While building the structure, we did not take note of the spacing between the two layers, which resulted in the structure being extremely unstable. My patrol could have revised our Guides' notes more, so that we would be more familiar with the structure, which would have saved us a lot of time with hesitating, and being unsure of what to do next, and also prevented the situation where we did not take note of the two layers in the structure. We also ended up having to ask for time extensions to complete our structure. We should have increased our efficiency and sense of urgency when building the structure. This has been a valuable experience for me as I realised the importance of constantly revising our Guides' notes so that these mistakes will not be made again. In the end, we did manage to complete our structure, but it was not even close to the standard of what the quality of the structure should have been. In the future, we should take note of the logistics we have by checking and making sure that we have everything we need, revise our Guides' notes and familiarise ourselves with the steps of building the structures, and also have a better sense of urgency while building the structure.
2.4 降旗
After OJ, trainees changed into their 全制 for 降旗. After 排马蹄, the Company Flag was lowered followed by the patrol flagpoles.
2.5 Campfire
After dinner and shower, it was time for the ATC’22 Campfire! This year’s Campfire was planned by our beloved Young Adults (YAs) The Song Leaders lead and performed the songs for us and everyone sang along. Each batch also presented 2 performance items which we all thoroughly enjoyed. Towards the end of the Campfire, our Guider, Ms Chang, gave the Campfire Yarn which we all took a lot away from. This Campfire would not be possible without everyone’s effort, thank you!
Reflection from a Year 1 in P6:
One of the most interesting activities we had during the Annual Training Camp (ATC) was the campfire we participated in on the second night. While walking through the gateway, we saw the many activities the Y5s had that we were never able to experience or had never experienced in our guiding journey yet. The fire was lit up when the ball was set on fire and slid down a string into the fire pit and the campfire had officially started. When the campfire was lit, it instantly evoked feelings of togetherness and promoted an atmosphere of being together in an intimate, closely acquainted setting that is unique to the people who are present. From the campfire, we learnt many new songs like Ging Gang Goolie and BP Spirit, as well as Chek Chek Goleh when the song leaders were leading everyone in singing the campfire songs together. As year ones, it was our first time having a campfire and it was certainly a wonderful experience. We were also very lucky to be able to participate in the campfire as our seniors were not able to in the past due to the pandemic. We are also very appreciative of the efforts of the Guiders and seniors to make the campfire possible. Through this campfire, the bond between us grew stronger and this means that we will have a stronger sense of friendship and love that unites us together as a batch. Throughout the campfire, our morale was kept as high as we could as we cheered quite a lot and were very enthusiastic when we were singing the campfire songs together. Through the campfire, we were inspired to keep our hopes ablaze and burn strong and bright against the darkness of uncertain times, foster stronger friendships and make wonderful memories together.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P6:
The campfire was definitely the most fun and memorable experience in the Annual Training Camp. Since it was our first one since we did not get to experience it last year, I think all of us truly enjoyed it a lot and will be looking forward to it next year. The campfire was also the least stressful and most enjoyable experience we had. Preparing for the campfire was also an experience as we rehearsed together and tried to improve on the performance. On the day of the campfire, we all did our best and were proud of ourselves with the performance we had put up with. At first, we walked through a gateway that the YAs had built that hangs many of their memories and experience in Guides that we have yet to experience and I thought that was extremely meaningful. Seeing the performance put up by the Year 1s, Year 3s and YAs brought us much joy and excitement and it felt good seeing everybody enjoying themselves. I think what really amazed me was the start of the campfire when the ball of fire dropped and lit up the campfire. Through this campfire and the process of preparing for the campfire performances, we bonded really well and made more memories together as a batch. It was also then that we were extremely grateful to the Guiders and seniors who had planned this whole Annual Training Camp where even though it was tough and tiring, there were still moments that were worth remembering and our happiest moments. The campfire really serves as a bonding time for all the Guides as we get to laugh and smile together and enjoy others' performances and also get to perform our own. We realized how much we grew as a batch and we cannot wait to make more memories like this.
3.0 Day 3
3.1 Morning Evacuation
Trainees were woken up earlier than the time the counsellors have told them for Morning Evacuation. This is to train their sense of urgency as well as to prepare in case of a real emergency
Reflection from a Year 1 in P2:
On the last day of ATC, 19 November, we had Morning Evacuation. The counsellors woke us up at 6 am. They told us that there was a lightning alert and told us to quickly pack up all our things in the tent and bring it to the Indoor Sports Hall (ISH). We needed to take everything out of the tent and go to the ISH. Everyone was half awake and very tired, so most people had a hard time gathering all their things and heading to the ISH while feeling very sluggish at the same time. Everything was very chaotic as everybody was rushing to pack up their things and hurry to the ISH within the time limit of 2 minutes. I found it hard to keep my sleeping bag as it was hard to compact it to fit in the bag. When I was done packing up my stuff, I helped my patrol mates to pack up their stuff as well. This way, we were able to evacuate faster. After bringing all our stuff to the ISH, we realised that we had left some stuff in the tent, hence we had to go back to the tent to retrieve them. In my opinion, we should have checked the tent thoroughly before leaving it. If we had checked more thoroughly, we would have saved time and would not have needed to walk all the way back to our tent to retrieve the items. I believe that we should have improved our sense of urgency. We should have packed up our things as quickly as possible and run towards the ISH. However, some of us were strolling towards the ISH and this caused a great loss of valuable time. The morning evacuation taught me the importance of a sense of urgency.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P2:
During the last day of ATC, 19 November, we all had to take part in Morning Evacuation. We were all awoken by the Counsellors at 6 am in the morning. They were all rushing us to run to the Indoor Sports Hall (ISH) with all our personal belongings in a short time of 2 minutes. Everyone started packing their sleeping bags and piling everything into their arms and it was literal chaos. Everyone was trying to hurry but also feeling very sluggish and tired. Originally, I thought that the evacuation was for random personal belongings Inspection. However, we were then got informed that we were asked to evacuate our tents because there was a lightning alert. Those who reached the ISH first continued packing their belongings and making them neat. Others who already finished packing also helped those who had not. I helped another batchmate to fold up her sleeping bag and neaten her things. When everyone was accounted for, the Counsellors then told us to send some people back to their tents to ensure that everything in the tents was cleared because of the lightning alert. I think it would have been better if we had checked the tents before leaving and we would not have needed to rush back to the tents to check whether there was still anything there. We should definitely have double-checked before leaving. Another issue with our standard of Morning Evacuation was our sense of urgency. Some of us were not only not running to the ISH, but we were also strolling and not hurrying up. I really think that we should have 报时 more even though we were very exhausted to ensure that we were faster. This caused us to be slower and need to ask for time extensions. Overall, I think there were a lot of areas in the morning evacuation that we could have improved and a very new experience that most of us got to experience.
3.2 Strike Camp
As we near the end of the camp, trainees are to 拆掉 everything they have built in the past few days for Strike Camp.
Reflection from a Year 1 in P4:
Strike Camp was definitely not easy but we managed to learn many important skills through it.
The first thing that comes to everyone’s mind is to have a better sense of urgency and I agree that we need to improve on that greatly too as it is very important. We always say that we need to improve our sense of urgency every 集合, but how can we actually do it? Firstly, we can 报时 more. This comes across as a common thing in Guides, however, it is to improve our time management. With the consistent 报时, we will all know how much time we have left and work even faster to give the adrenaline rush. Secondly, we can help one another. Some Guides may be carrying many logistics at once while others are carrying very little. The Guides who are carrying lesser logistics compared to the others can help one another out so that we can run faster. Lastly, we can make better use of manpower. In our patrol, we must assign what to do more effectively and help out actively. This way, everyone can be doing something and no one is left behind.
One thing that I think we did well is our perseverance and communication. Although it was raining and we were all tired, everyone one of us still put on a raincoat and walked through the muddy grass together while trying out best to work effectively and efficiently. I think that this is something that we should all deserve to feel proud of as Strike Camp was definitely not easy but we still made it through.
Our Strike Camp experience has further allowed us to bond as a 团 which is what made our experience memorable. I am really happy that we all persevered and made it through to the end together.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:
On the third day of ATC, after breakfast, we had strike camp, which was essentially the 拆掉 of Camp-D, plus the cleaning up of the field, or 清理场地. It had rained a little in the morning, causing us to have to evacuate our tents at 6 a.m., and it had started drizzling again before we had even started strike camp. We tried to proceed with strike camp while wearing ponchos, but we were only able to 倒 the Kitchen Shelter and 拆掉 the gadgeting structures when it started to rain heavily and we were unable to continue with strike camp. Thus, we had YA segment and patrol corner, until it was raining less heavily again and we were able to finish up strike camp. As it had rained, all the 木 and almost all the 麻绳 were wet, making it even more difficult than usual to 拆掉 the Kitchen Shelter. We tried to use 青头s from the 配备 to pry the 麻绳 away from each other, but in the end, we still needed help for the Y3s and YAs during Strike Camp. All of us were also in a rush as we had already been overrunning due to the rain, but there were a few patrols with only 1 or 2 trainees, and even though the Y3s did remind us to do so, I think it was nice that many people went over to help the groups with visibly less manpower, and I think there was a significant improvement of 照顾好人 照顾好东西 compared to the first 2 days. In the end, it was not even clear who was from which patrol, as everyone was just taking whatever belonged to Guides and returning them to where they belonged, and despite strike camp having been extremely physically tiring, I think it was actually a nice way to end ATC as the Guides spirit among us was very evident and strong.
3.3 End of ATC’22
As ATC’22 comes to a close, everyone gathered at Humanities Room for Prize Presentation. This year’s winning patrols are:
1st Place: P6 Heliotrix 韧博
2nd Place: P4 Edelweiss 天狼星
3rd Place: P1 Solenyx 企鹅
Good job to all patrols for putting in all their effort for ATC!
Thank you to all YAs and Guiders who have been helping us throughout our entire ATC journey. ATC’22 would not have been possible without you!
Here are some overall thoughts about ATC!
Reflection from a Year 1 in P5:
ATC’22 was a fruitful and memorable experience for us. Firstly, it allowed us to bond with our ATC patrol mates as we were required to work together to finish the proposals, and we also had to spend the 3 days of ATC with one another. We feel that our ATC patrol mates definitely made it easier for us to persevere through ATC as we encouraged and cheered each other on whenever we felt exhausted. Secondly, doing the proposals allowed us to learn the importance of proper communication, both within our own patrols and with other patrols. We think that if we had communicated and clarified our doubts more with the other patrols, we could have done better with the standardisation of all of the proposals. ATC also allowed us to strengthen our hard and soft skills. For instance, we were given the opportunity to improve our teamwork as we had to do things within our own patrols, as well as in groups that included other patrols. We also familiarised ourselves with how to build the standard structures and the standard timings for different lashes. We feel that there was definitely room for improvement, such as our sense of urgency and 照顾好人，照顾好东西. If we had worked faster, we would not have 过时-ed so much for activities like building the Kitchen Shelter. We could have also familiarised ourselves more on how to build the Kitchen Shelter so that we could do things much quicker.
We enjoyed ourselves immensely during ATC, especially when playing the games. Through playing the different games, we were able to bond and have plenty of fun, while being given the chance to recap our Guides' knowledge. We also had Outdoor Cooking, which was exciting and interesting as we got to cook and eat delicious food with our patrol mates. As we do not do Outdoor Cooking often, we definitely had a whale of a time doing it during ATC.
Overall, even though ATC was extremely tiring, we feel that it was a fulfilling and memorable experience which allowed us to improve in many ways.
Reflection from a Year 2 in P5:
ATC was an extremely eye-opening and memorable experience. It taught me many new skills. When we first started writing the proposals for ATC, I learnt to be more meticulous and particular about standardising the work. When the first day of ATC finally came, I was very excited about the opportunity to get to know my ATC patrol mates better, as well as being able to stay overnight in school. The first thing we did was an In-Camp Inspection. The Inspection was very unique as we had to lay our personal logistics out. Through the Inspection, I learnt to 照顾好人，照顾好东西 better. Then, we went to build a Kitchen Shelter. We could have had a better sense of urgency as we 过时-ed a lot and were unable to build the other structures. We should also have allocated manpower better as there were a few 做bos here and there. We then had Company Games. The storyline was very unique and interesting and we all tried our best to find clues to discover the evil scientists. The last activity for Day 1 was the Night Games. There were six stations in total and it was very exciting and enriching as we managed to put our Guides' knowledge to use.
On Day 2, we had Outdoor Cooking first. I was the most excited about this as we had planned out our meals. There were some problems, such as missing food, and I learnt to take better care of the logistics. We then had OJ Stations, which also allowed us to showcase our Guides' knowledge, especially in First-Aid. After that was my favourite part of the day, the Campfire. It was a time when we could watch performances from different batches, and it was so fun to see our seniors dancing and having a good time.
On Day 3, we had to wake up early as we had Morning Evacuation. We packed our things in a hurry and went to the ISH. We should have checked before we left as there were things left behind in the tents. Lastly, we had Strike Camp, where we had to 拆掉 the structures we had built. It started to rain but we did not let it dampen our spirits. Overall, I enjoyed ATC thoroughly and it is an experience I would never forget.
ATC’22 was definitely not an easy one as we all move to post-covid settings. There were many new things we encountered and had to learn along the way. We are very grateful to have YAs and Guiders patiently teach us. Although ATC was very tiring and many unexpected things happened, it was still successful! Hope that everyone enjoyed and reached their personal best through ATC. We are all so proud of you!
Published by:
Yuanxin
54th 届 Secretary
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