Hello Guides!
Today marks the exciting Uniformed Group Day, celebrated by all 4 UG groups. We celebrated this remarkable day by participating in games and activities with our other fellow UG members. This was definitely a great time for us to get to know each other better and make new friends. For the Year 4s, we were mostly tasked to be Group Facilitators, where we had to host the games for our juniors. It was also a great learning opportunity for us to plan and organise events with other UG members. Here are some thoughts from our juniors about this year’s UG day celebration.
Broken Telephone:
We kick started today’s series of activities with a familiar game, Broken Telephone. Since this was a game well-known to everyone, the juniors managed to settle in quickly and participated in the game actively. The game goes as such: The first person will be given a phrase, which will then be passed down to the next person, and so on. The last person would have to try to interpret the phrase and repeat it as accurately as possible.
Reflection by a y1:
The broken telephone activity is really the best part about UG day! It has been quite long since I last played Broken Telephone so I was really looking forward to it. The game was actually much harder than I expected it to be. The last time me and my friends played it, we nailed the game. I think what made it really challenging and really fun was that all of them are tongue twisters and you will not understand the sentence unless you articulate the words extremely clearly. However, our group kept talking and laughing when trying to interpret the tongue twisters so we did not manage to catch the words clearly. Even though we all had fun joking around during the game, the fact that we did not manage to get the sentences accurately caused us to lose points. It also put us at a disadvantage while we strived to be the group with the highest point to win a prize. Although our group did not do well for Broken Telephone, it is the most memorable part of UG day. The other activities were also very fun and interesting. In addition, UG day is very cool as you get to meet other people from other UGs. I will definitely look forward to the next UG day celebration!
Reflection by a y2:
I felt that the Broken Telephone game was a very fun game in helping us to break the ice and bond better with our fellow schoolmates from other UGs. At first, we faced many difficulties in deciphering what the sentence was and we even had to ask our facilitators to repeat the sentence. Moreover, we were not communicating very well as a group. This led to us losing quite a few points due to this miscommunication. Even after we understood what the sentence was, we had to learn how to communicate this to our group mates and memorise what the sentence was . Throughout the process , we were able to bond with our group mates better and communicate our ideas to each other more clearly. We also learnt the importance of communication as a group and got closer to the people that we do not usually talk to. We also gained an insight on what the other UGs did normally. For example, the St Johns were extremely well versed in their medical skills. This led us to share information between groups and better understand the other UGs in Dunman High as a whole. Overall, the Broken Telephone was the most enjoyable game in UG day and it is actually my favourite game too. It was memorable and also quite funny as some of our group mates said the wrong words which turned it into a funny sentence. All in all, the Broken Telephone was a good game to improve communication as a group. This would definitely help us during normal CCA as we would be able to better communicate with our patrol mates which we do not have much of a chance to talk to normally. Moreover, this game is a good game to break the ice between people that you have never communicated with. In a nutshell, I feel that the Broken Telephone game is a key part in enabling group mates to be more bonded which would contribute to the success of the other games and also boost the team’s morale. In total, I enjoyed this game greatly and it also helped us to know other UGs better and our group mates. I definitely look forward to the next UG Day where we play some fun games together!
Reflection by a y3:
On Friday, we had UG Day, where we got to spend time with the other uniform groups and engage in fun activities with them. One of the activities was the Broken Telephone activity. In our respective groups of 4, we had to stand in one line, and the first person in line would receive a phrase or sentence which would be passed down from person to person. The last person in line would then have to announce what they heard the sentence was, and the group would be awarded points for every correct answer given. As we were in groups with new people from other uniform groups, we had a hard time communicating efficiently with them at first due to our awkwardness and unfamiliarity. However, as time went on, we became familiar with not just the game but the people we were playing with as well. The Broken Telephone activity ended up being very fun and interactive, and it was exciting to see what the sentence would turn out to be when it reached the last person at the end of the line. Some of our teammates could not understand the sentence properly and deliver a funny answer, which made the game even more fun and engaging. It also allowed us to bond, from strangers to feeling more comfortable with each other. All in all, we had fun playing the Broken Telephone activity while also getting to know the people in our groups, and we hope that the next UG day activities will be equally interesting and engaging. I also feel that this game is a good game to train us to communicate well with each other and to enunciate our words clearly, which is a useful skill. All in all, this was a memorable game that I enjoyed a lot.
Pictionary:
For the next game, we played Pictionary, which was also a simple but fun game. The words given to the juniors, for them to draw, were related to the activities of each Uniformed Group. We could see a sense of familiarity when some juniors instantly recognised what the activities were, and excitedly started drawing. When faced with activities that were unfamiliar, the juniors also had the opportunity to learn more about what the other UGs do during their CCA sessions. As to how the game should go, the last person in the row would need to guess what activity the drawing was about.
Reflection by a y1:
The Pictionary game, along with all the other games, was very memorable and I learnt more about other Uniformed Groups from it. I have not played it for a long time since Orientation, so I looked forward to it. Through this activity, I learnt that we all have our own strengths but due to our differences, we may face difficulties in communications. One of my group members was exceptionally good at drawing and she was able to draw very well. However, since all of us in the group come from different Uniformed Groups, it was still hard for us to interpret what she was drawing. Despite this, there was also a guy in my group who was able to guess the drawing as he was an enthusiast of that activity. Another thing I learnt is that whatever knowledge I knew, I should not assume that everyone also has the same given knowledge. When it was my turn to draw, I chose my theme as Guides, since it my CCA and I am familiar with the activities in Guides, I was told to draw Gadgeting. As I expected people from Scouts to understand what that was, I felt that it was weird when my group member from Scouts was actually confused about what I am drawing, despite prompting him about what the smaller version of Pioneering was. It was then I learnt that Scouts rarely do gadgeting and I should not have assumed that they knew what it was. Through this activity, I learnt that I should give clearer instructions and set lower expectations on others, since I should not have expected people to have understood my drawing if I stood from their perspectives. In the future, I would make my instructions as clear as possible and be more patient towards others. In conclusion, the Pictionary activity was a fun and fulfilling activity and I learnt a valuable lesson and knowledge about other Uniformed Groups.
Reflection by a y2:
Through the Pictionary activity, my group managed to find out more about each other's CCA, and what we do during CCA. I learnt some items the NPCC uses like "drill rifle", and the people from other UGs also learnt more about Girl Guides, for example, we have to wear canvas shoes with our 全制 or 半制 everytime. In Scouts and Girl Guides, we also do outdoor cooking. My group got one question correct even with clues from the senior, but we still had fun. The game also gave us an opportunity to draw as we had to copy each other's drawing, and improve on it so it will be clear for the person to guess or pass on. It also helped us to be more bonded, because we had a good laugh over how much change the drawing went through from the first person's to the last person's drawing. I actually could be more clear about the drawing right from the start, for example like instead of just drawing the canvas shoe, I can also draw a Guide so that it was more obvious. However, we only played three rounds of pictionary due to time constraints. Overall, it was a really fulfilling and fun game as everybody learned a lot through it and it was very amusing.
Reflection by a y3:
The Uniformed Group Day activities were all quite enriching, especially Pictionary. During the game, we were split into groups of four. One person was allowed to see the phrase or word regarding a certain Uniformed Group activity and had thirty seconds to draw it out. The next two people had to see the drawing and try to interpret what the phrase was, then draw it out in thirty seconds, while adding their own elements. The last person had ten seconds to see the drawing done by the person before them and guess what the phrase was. Although some of the phrases were not any Guides related activities, I was still able to guess the activity as my group members were very clear in their drawings and added elements that were useful in helping me guess the correct answer. Moreover, my group found a way to make the guessing of the phrase easier, which was to write out the word or part of the phrase in the Guides Code. My group members from other Uniformed Groups were intrigued to learn about the Guides code. After showing them how to use it, they were very fascinated by how we were able to communicate in code. This allowed for a skills exchange among the four Uniform Groups, which made the activity rather fulfilling as we were able to teach other Uniformed Groups our Guides knowledge and activities, while also learning how they conducted their CCA sessions. Pictionary also taught us the importance of effective communication, be it speaking or drawing. It is paramount to ensure that what you want to convey is clear and concise, such that the recipient is able to exactly understand the message that you are trying to bring across. All in all, Uniformed Group Day was a memorable one as we were not only able to learn about other Uniformed Groups, but we could also bond with our batchmates from the different Uniformed Groups.
Escape Room:
For this game, the juniors would be required to work together to find a piece of paper, with 2 digits written on it, to complete the Escape Room. In each classroom, there were 4 groups of participants. In each group, there were two participants blindfolded, and they were required to adapt to such restrictions to find a piece of paper hidden in the classroom. When all 4 pieces of paper were found, the groups needed to discuss and arrange the numbers on the paper so that it forms the correct phone number of the Escape Room IC. Through this activity, we were heartened to see the juniors from different UG Groups working together and participating in the Escape Room actively.
Reflection by a y1:
During the Escape Room activity, I was the one blindfolded. Thus, I could not see anything. My role was to find the missing paper with the clue on it while my group mates guided me to it. At first I struggled a lot trying to navigate the area while blindfolded, but after much needed guidance from my patient group mates. I managed to get used to it after a while. My group mates that weren’t blindfolded took quite some time themselves. They looked high and low and in every nook and cranny of the classrooms. It took them quite some time and several hints to find out where it was, but in the end, they found it. One of them led me to the teacher’s table where the paper with the hint on it was hidden. Next we had to work with the other groups to find out the phone number in order to finish the game. We took numerous tries but to no avail. After we had strategically planned, we were able to easily decode the phone number. From this activity, I learnt the importance of not only teamwork, but also cooperation with others. I felt that this activity was quite enjoyable.
Reflection by a y2:
On Friday, we had UG Day activities. During the Escape Room activity, we were blindfolded and there was to be one person to instruct us on what to do to find the missing puzzle piece. As a team, we had to find the puzzle piece. However, the person that was not blindfolded was not able to take the puzzle piece, only the ones blindfolded could take it. I was the one that was not blindfolded and it took me quite awhile before I could find the missing puzzle piece. The other group members tried to help but they were blindfolded and it was quite difficult. When I found it, I tried to give one of the other group members directions to get it but it was not successful. I then took hold of the person's hand to help her get to the puzzle piece. Afterwards, when we tried getting the phone number, our group tried doing it the normal way and failed to do so because of the countless possibilities. The Group Facilitator then allowed us to try it in Wordle style because we all knew how to play Wordle, and we were having a lot of difficulties getting the phone number. After trying it in Wordle style, getting the phone number was a lot easier. We got the phone number not long later and celebrated our victory. I had a lot of fun during this Escape Room activity because I was able to bond with the other people in my group, learning to trust one another while we found the puzzle. We also learnt teamwork through helping each other find the piece, creativity through getting the phone number and collaboration skills by working together on a combined goal. In a nutshell, I had a lot of fun during the Escape Room activity.
Reflection by a y3:
For UG day, one of the activities was Escape Room. Everyone in the room had to work together and find 4 pieces of paper which had different UG logos printed on them respectively. Behind those pieces of paper, there were 2 digit numbers. Together, they formed a phone number which we had to text to escape the room. Two out of four players had to be blindfolded and they could touch the papers. The other two were not blindfolded but they could not touch anything, therefore, they could only guide the blindfolded players towards the paper. Since I did not know anyone in my group, I felt that this was a great opportunity to get to know each other better through communication. Communication was really important, and the others had to describe the direction of the papers well so the blindfolded person had confidence and knew what to do. I was the blindfolded person and I felt really scared when I was walking with the blindfold on. I was unsure of where I was going but my groupmates reassured me which made me feel more relieved. The paper was quite high up and I had to actually jump. My group mates encouraged and cheered me on and eventually I successfully retrieved the piece of paper. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I managed to reach the paper as well. After each group found a paper in their areas, we discussed with each other and tried to put the numbers we had found together. The number order was based on the order on our UG shirt. I feel this is something that people do not really take notice of as many of us did not know the order and we had to keep guessing. It was also quite enjoyable and fun as we got together to piece the puzzles. We cracked a few jokes and laughed together. When we solved the number correctly, we all cheered and I really felt we became closer. Overall, the escape room was really fun and it was a great activity for us to bond with new people from our group.
Snakes and Ladders:
Before we ended off today’s games and activities, we played Snakes and Ladders with a twist. On the game map, when a group member's piece landed on the spaces like “sabotage”, “power up” and “forfeit”, the group would need to spin a wheel to decide on the respective actions they should carry out. The addition of these new elements to the traditional game made the juniors more excited when playing the game. This game also fostered some team spirit as the groups strategized on how they could reach the finishing line first and become the winner.
Reflection by a y1:
We played Snakes and Ladders as the last game during UG Day. When I first heard that we were going to play Snakes and Ladders, I was curious as to how this game would help us in building team spirit and forging stronger bonds between my group members from other Uniformed Groups. Nevertheless, it had caught my attention and I listened carefully to our Group's In-Charge as he explained the rules. As we started to play the game, we each had to write our initials on the board to be used as the pieces played in the game. We played a fully digital snake and ladder game, complete with an online die roller to minimise physical contact due to the Safe Management Measures. Our group started off well, with quite a few Forfeits and Sabotages already done to the other group. It included some Physical Activities, like push-ups, and also dancing to a song. Not only that, we had also received two Power Ups, one having the ability to reflect the other’s groups Forfeits and Sabotages back onto themselves, and another to block Forfeits and Sabotages. However, the other group had managed to surpass us in terms of speed as they were way past our group, nearing the finishing point. After we used up our Power Ups, the next turn we got a forfeit from one of the other groups, which was to do 5 push-ups. One of our group members could not do push-ups, and one of my group members immediately volunteered to help her do it in her place. I could not do push-ups really well so my group mates cheered me on until the end. It was really stressful as everyone was watching me do the forfeit and I was glad that I had my group mates beside me. There was once when my group also had to dance to a song, and though it was quite an embarrassing experience for me, my group members and I had a good time laughing about it, and at the end of it all, I was glad that I had not backed out cowardly and joined in the fun. In the end, the tide took a turn. The other group had managed to get all their pieces to the end before us. We did not manage to win, and despite being disappointed, we comforted one another and told ourselves that we did our best. We agreed that the process was more important than the results, and most importantly, we had shown good team spirit and persevered till the end. I was also glad that I had made new friends and learnt to be a better team player. This game, Snake and Ladder, was the most memorable game for me.
Reflection by a y2:
UG day was on 1 April, Friday. One of the activities was a game of Snakes and Ladders. The activity had PT exercises as penalties, and we can get these penalties if we landed on a penalty square or if any of our opponents landed on a sabotage square. I thought the game’s tweaks were excellent. In my opinion, I think it was really fun, and was a great way for students from different UG CCAs to bond and get to know each other, since this game requires a bit of strategizing within teams. During the game, we also conversed with students from the other team. I was glad to be acquainted with them, and the conversations we had during the game were very interactive, helping me to get to know more about other students from other UG CCAs. I felt that my teamwork and my group’s ability to interact even though we did not know each other was great. During the game, there were no conflicts or quarrels and everybody got along. Another thing I thought that I did well was that I successfully strategized with my groupmates during the game. There are many things I thought I could improve on, though. For one, we could have been more enthusiastic to participate, and encourage those who are more passive to talk more. I also thought our teamwork had room for improvement. There was once when I wanted to say something, but stopped because I was not sure whether they would think it was a good idea. I also felt awkward to join in the conversation when there were others from the same CCA or class talking to each other. Overall, however, I think we mostly did well, seeing this is the first time most of us had seen our groupmates. I enjoyed the game, and learnt of some of the aspects of teamwork and communication I could improve on.
Reflection by a y3:
I felt that it was very fun to play the Snakes and Ladders game during UG day. Although it was a simple game, we could bond and exercise at the same time when we had to do forfeits. It was very funny how we sabotaged one another and the Year 4s were really entertaining. However, we still lost in the end because we did not have much luck in rolling the dice and kept getting sabotages and forfeits. It was still really fun nonetheless, and I would love to play this game again one day. This game also trains our sportsmanship to cheer for the opposing teams that won even if we did not win. Even though it was mainly rolling of the dice and moving steps in the game board, the power ups, forfeits, and sabotages made the game much more interesting. I find it innovative that they added those different aspects to the game, as a normal game of Snakes and Ladders usually does not have those. I also love how they planned what the power ups, forfeits and sabotages would be so we would not have to come up with them on the spot. In conclusion, it was very interesting and engaging. I enjoyed playing this game with people from different Uniformed Groups. I do hope to play more games similar to Snakes and Ladder in the future. Our Year 4 was also really nice because when we needed to do our forfeits, he offered to do it on our behalf. Even though in the end we all had to do it together, he tried his best to prevent it. The other group was also friendly and outgoing, so it was not too bland playing with them because they were always joking around. I had a whale of a time playing this game.
All in all, we hope that everyone enjoyed today’s activities and managed to forge new friendships. Happy UG Week!
Published by:
Pok Jing
53 届 Secretary
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