Skills Training, 3 February 2023

 Hi Guides!

For today’s 集合, we had Trivia Quiz, Chicken fight and Physical Training (PT) Station Games!

Trivia Quiz

Guides will sit in a circle and answer as many questions as possible in the time given. This activity allows Guides to recap basic Guides knowledge as well as to clarify some uncertainties and confirm some facts about Guides. Guides would then be able to be more familiar and confident teaching the new Year 1s when they arrive. 

Reflection from a Year 2 in P6:

Before we had PT (Physical Training) station games, we had a trivia quiz in our patrols about basic guides knowledge like the spars, 木, 配备 logistics and standards timing of lashes and structures. Knowing the spars and 木s is important as they are the most basic things that we need to know and it is especially helpful when we are collecting the logistics during 集合s so that we can be faster. Being familiar with the standard timings, we will be able to work with a greater sense of urgency when tying our lashes and making sure that they are up to standard. We also need to know the standard timings of the standard structures like Baggage Rack, Shoe Rack, Emergency Shelter, Flagpole, Kitchen Shelter and Kitchen Table so that we will have a greater sense of awareness of our progress when building these standard structures.  Through this trivia quiz, it allowed me to look over some of the knowledge we should know at the tip of our fingers so that we can improve, and it also helped me learn some new things that I did not know before. We also had to take note of the amount of time given to us for the activities as some of us did not hear the time given and that resulted in confusion between patrols.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P4:

For this activity, we had to answer trivia questions about Guides to earn points for the inter-patrol games. Unfortunately, my patrol only had two people for the quiz as our other patrol mates were not there. We decided to make the best of it anyway and try to answer as many questions as possible. Some of the questions included the standard timings of each of the lashes, the different kinds of 木 and general Guides knowledge. We managed to answer almost all the questions quite quickly although we had to skip a few. Some questions we did not know included the founder of Guides and the Guides Code, which we had to make intelligent guesses about. This activity was quite useful as it helped us identify the things we were unsure of and learn them so we will be more prepared when our new juniors come in. It was quite a relaxed activity compared to the later ones and was actually quite fun, as I got to work together with my patrol mate to answer the questions. Since this meant that our knowledge of Guides was quite good and we would get points for our patrol, I was pretty satisfied with how many questions we answered correctly together.

Chicken Fight

Guides will play the game Chicken Fight and compete against other patrols. This game serves as a quick warm-up before the subsequent 6 Physical Training activities and can improve inter-patrol bonding, as well as build teamwork and camaraderie in patrols

Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:

On 3rd February, Friday, we took part in a Chicken Fight game. At first, none of us was sure how to play the game because many of us had never played the “Chicken Fight” game before. However, after the instructions were explained to us, we understood the rules of the game and proceeded to play it. Our patrol first played against P4. It was hard yet fun and by the end of it, we were all laughing and giggling. Holding up our legs for a long period of time was exhausting for us though, so we all stopped every once in a while to change legs and to catch our breaths. We managed a tight win in the first round, but unfortunately, we only won once out of the three times we played in the second round. The second round was against P1, and this time it was even more exhausting and fun than it was in the first. Due to us quickly ending the game by hurriedly shoving each other out of the square, we ended up playing three times (rounds) during the second round against P1. I think the most memorable round out of the three we played against P1 was the last one. In that round, I remember us all thinking for sure that P3 was going to win because we were left with 3 people inside the square and only 1 person from P1 was in the square. However, that person from P1 managed to push the other three P3 people out. We all thought that was very funny, and we all burst out laughing. I have very fond memories of the Chicken Fight because I remember just laughing a lot with my fellow patrol mates and my friends from the opposing patrol. I think that though the Chicken Fight game was very tiring, it was also very enjoyable, and I hope we can continue to play this game more often.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P2:

During Friday’s 集合, one of the activities we took part in was Chicken Fight. We all were required to hop around on one foot and try to shove people out of the masking tape square using our knees and the patrol with the last person inside won. We were also not allowed to put our two feet on the ground and were only allowed one second if we had to change legs. We all rotated groupings, for example, our patrol started out against P5 then was against P4 and then P1. At first, I was very excited for the game because I thought that the game would be very fun and interesting. However, I slowly realised that the game was very tiring and my stamina wore out really quickly. Despite getting very tired after only one game, we all took a break and slowly gained back the energy after each round. Although we were all very tired, we still managed to have loads of fun playing against other patrols and it also instilled a sense of pride and competitive spirit in our patrol when we won. This activity helped us not only strengthen the bond in our patrol, but we also managed to strengthen our leg strength and stamina. Overall, the game really helped us to have fun and bond with our patrol mates. 

Physical Training Station Games

Guides will carry out Physical Training in the form of fun station games. This can make the physical activity less tiring and allow them to have fun.

Station 1: Just Dance

In this station, Guides have to follow the Just Dance video shown on the screen. This station allows Guides to exercise through dance and to improve their aerobic fitness and agility.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P1:

During 集合, we played station games about PT and the first station we played was 'Just Dance'. For this station, we had to randomly pick 2 random dances to dance to. Our patrol ended up picking 'Hips Don't Lie' and 'Bang Bang Bang'. These dances were quite hard to dance to as the moves were quite complicated and required a lot of coordination. For the dance of 'Hips Don't Lie' we also had to move around at some times so it was also a little confusing at times. At first, we were quite awkward when dancing to the different songs but as time progressed we slowly loosened up. I had a lot of fun doing this station however one thing I think we could have improved on was the enthusiasm we had while dancing. I feel that we should have put in a little more energy while dancing but I still think that our patrol managed to do a good job in dancing to the 2 songs. Lastly, this station allowed us to work our bodies and exercise as well. All in all, I feel that the 'Just Dance' station was very enjoyable and it allowed me to bond with my patrol mates.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P5:

Last 集合, we had many fun PT stations, but my favourite was the Just Dance station. It was very fun as we got to pick a song that we wanted to dance to. The songs that we picked were not too difficult, but they were also some songs we had not heard of before. Hence we had to watch the video very carefully to try to learn the steps and dance at the same time. It was very funny as we watched each other try dancing. It was also very interesting watching the seniors dance with us and had fun as a patrol. We bonded a lot as a patrol through this Just Dance station as we were able to dance and have fun together. Although this is not the first time we have had this station, I still think this is one the most fun and interesting stations as it is different from what we usually do. In conclusion, I really enjoyed this station and it helped us learn to be able to adapt quickly and allowed us to bond more as a patrol. It was also quite tiring as each song was about 2 minutes long and we had to dance continuously for that 2 minutes. Hence, we were also able to exercise as well as have fun at the same time. 

Station 2: 老鹰捉小鸡 circle version
Guides will be playing 老鹰捉小鸡 but in the form of a circle. The ‘chick’ will stand inside the circle formed by the other patrol members. This can train the Guides’ stamina while running about, improve their agility and allow them to bond as a patrol while training their fitness

Reflection from a Year 2 in P2:

On Friday we had PT station games. One of the stations was 老鹰捉小鸡 but circle version. Everyone was positioned in a circle around the chick except for the eagle, who had to try and place a tape circle thing on the chick's head. In the first round, Kayla was the eagle and Natalie was the chick. It was over fairly quickly because Kayla was tall and she just reached over everyone. In the second round, I was the eagle and Yiting was the chick. As for how it felt being the chick, Yiting said, and I quote, "oh it was scary. Shiver me timbers." She also says you need a lot of stamina to run away from the eagle. Being the eagle was hard because Kayla was protecting the chick. She has an unfair height advantage. It also takes a lot of stamina to keep chasing the chick. It took a long time for me to finally be able to place the tape roll on Yiting's head and we were all sick of it at that point. After this activity, we learned the importance of both perseverance and patience. Overall it was fun and we got to bond with our patrol mates more. 

Reflection from a Year 3 in P1:

老鹰捉小鸡 was a rather interesting game. In a way, it was a creative twist on the original game. Instead of the hen protecting the chicks, all of us (except the eagle) protected one chick. In the first round, I was the chick and this was really interesting as usually, the seniors are the one taking on this protective role and this was a swap. Having said that, it was also nice to see how invested all of us were in the game and were trying our best at our various roles. We also employed different strategies. For the eagle, we tried bending down under the hands to reach for the chick and also tried to run around the circle formation before suddenly changing direction to reach for the chick. For the chick, we ran from end to end around the circle, also bending in various ways to avoid getting caught. Moreover, it was heartwarming when we all cheered for one another (especially the eagle) when they were starting to feel dejected or exhausted. This strengthened our bond a lot more and also gave us the motivation to continue. Our last round was particularly interesting as we were playing against our Patrol Leader. We had a great time forming a human wall and protecting the chick, always making sure to keep the eagle far away. All in all, this game improved our teamwork and also stamina as we had to keep moving around. I gained a lot from this game and thought it was really fun. 

Station 3: Human Entanglement

Using strings, Guides will connect themselves to others randomly, entangling themselves. They will then have to untangle themselves in the fastest time possible. This station encourages communication between patrol members and their sense of teamwork.

Reflection from a Year 2 in a P5:

The human entanglement activity was the most fun out of all the stations. We were first asked to tie a string to our right ankles, then sit in a circle, and pass our strings to the person opposite us. In the circle of five of us, we took the string from the person opposite us and tied it to our left ankles. Then, we were told to stand up and try to untangle the strings. The first round was still considerably easy as there were no complicated entanglements and was completed quite easily. After we untangled it, the people facing outwards were asked to stay in a push-up position while the people facing inwards were asked to do 10 buddha claps. However, as it was our first time trying this activity, we took a relatively long time. We were then told that we were timed and should try to do the next round as fast as possible should we want to win other patrols at this station. After hearing this, our patrol was hyped up and tried our best during the second round. We had to have better body coordination and teamwork, and although the second round was a little trickier than the first, we had better timing than the first. Thinking back, throughout the game, the small room was filled with our cheers and laughter, which was quite heartening to hear. We were also working together with each other as well to get the work done faster. We also became better in our physicals as we needed flexibility for the entanglement and stamina for the Physical Training like push-up positions and buddha claps. Undeniably, it was my favourite station in terms of Physical Training and having fun.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P6:

For 集合 on Friday, one of the PT stations that we did was the Human Entanglement. For this station, we were instructed to tie one end of the string to our right leg and stand in a circle formation, and then tie the other end of the string to the person opposite us. Another person would then tie the end of the string to our left leg. And after we were done doing this, our task was to untangle ourselves. For the first round of the game, we were able to successfully untangle ourselves with all of us facing inwards, and when we were done we were supposed to do 10 buddha claps. For the second round, we were also able to successfully untangle ourselves but this time facing outwards, and for this, we were to do a push-up position for 10 seconds. This station was to teach us the importance of communication and teamwork, and I think that my patrol was able to show these qualities during the activity as well as throughout the whole 集合. Overall, I think that my patrol had been able to successfully show our closeness and how bonded we are through the constant cheering to keep our morale high as well as the constant communication between us to get untangled successfully.

Station 4: Pass Water Game

For this station, Guides will stand in one line, each holding a plastic cup above their heads. Guides will have to pass the cup with water over their heads and behind them to the next person. This station aims to bond Guides and encourages them to work together to achieve a common goal.

Reflection by a Year 2 in P4:

This was a fun game to play together with the patrol. The game was filled with both screams and laughter because of the fear of spilling the water. Through this game, we have learnt the importance of trust and communication. These are two important values to help us work fast and efficiently.

We needed to trust that the person behind us would have the cup ready so that we could pour the water without fear. In the first round, we were a little unsure and hence, we ended up having a timing of four minutes. However, in the second round, we started to trust each other a lot more and worked with a greater sense of urgency, hence, we ended up getting a record timing of only two minutes without any spillage of water.

We have also learnt the importance of communication. As physical contact with one another was not allowed, we had to use verbal cues to communicate. This was an area that our patrol had done well in. Communication is extremely important in order to work efficiently and fast.

An area for improvement would be that we could have 报时 a lot more. We would only 报时 when prompted by the seniors but it would’ve died down slowly and eventually turn into silence. If we had 报时d more consistently, our timing definitely would have been shorter.

Reflection by a Year 3 in P6:

During this 集合, I think we had the most fun and we enjoyed each and every activity for our physical training. One of the activities is the Pass Water Game, which mainly tests our ability to trust one another and communicate with each other. The first person has a cup three-quarters full of water. The aim of the game is to pour water from cup to cup from the person in front to the person in the back without spilling. In the first round, we were able to use both our hands to pour the water. However, in the second round, we could only use our left hand. We definitely spilt more water on the second round but we still managed to keep the water level at least at the halfway mark of the cup. Our patrol had one of the fastest timing which made us really proud of ourselves. Throughout the activity, we constantly reminded each other that the person behind the pourer is already prepared to receive the water from behind and encourage one another to not be afraid to pour the water. We also kept our morale high by cheering loudly and proudly frequently. 

Station 5: Plank Game

For this station, Guides will be doing planking and training their stamina The very first Guide from the left side of the row will run to the end of the row and plank beside the last Guide. The next person who is first from the left will then run to the end and plank down. The process repeats until all patrol members have completed this at least once and the sequence is back to the original sequence.  

Reflection by a Year 2 in P2:

On Friday, we had PT station games. There were a total of 6 stations. One of the stations, station 5, was a plank game. We were required to line up and do a plank. The person at the start of the line was supposed to get up and run to the end of the line and continue planking. The next person can only start running after the previous person has started planking. When all the patrol members have completed, that is considered as one round. We had to do as many rounds of that as possible in 1 minute 30 seconds. I found the activity very challenging as I did not have much core strength. I think that I should have run faster to the end of the line instead of walking to the end of the line. I also should have 报时ed more often. Our patrol did not do too bad for this activity. This activity has taught me to persevere and not give up even when things get difficult. It also helped me improve my stamina and core strength. Overall, I enjoyed pt station games and I hope to have more of these kinds of station games in the future.

Reflection by a Year 3 in P3:

For Station 5, we had to do planks in succession and form a continuous moving line by running to the front and planking. This was followed by the next person and so on. Station 5 was thus fun and also helpful in building my core muscles. More importantly, two things I learnt from this station are teamwork and perseverance. We have to collaborate with each other by staying alert. After the person in front moves, we should get ready as well so that we can get up faster from the planking position. The goal of the game was to see the patrol which could hold out for the longest time. Thus, knowing that this was a patrol effort really helped to boost morale and patrol spirit. I think one thing we could have improved on is 报时, there was not really constant 报时 and we took really long to answer even though the seniors keep reminding us to 报时. Furthermore, we could have cheered more while doing the Physical Training to raise the patrol's morale by supporting each other as a patrol. Overall, it was enjoyable as I got to build on various skills, physical strength, and bond with my patrol. 

Station 6: Relay Race

For this station, each patrol will have to complete 6 rounds around the corridor. This station aims to promote teamwork in the form of a relay race among patrols and implement fun in Physical Training.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:

Well, it definitely was a pleasant surprise when I first found out that we would be running. That is as I was excited to put into use my sprints and the relay procedures that were taught in Year One Physical Education. (To start jogging when the next person is about to reach to decrease time wasted on the baton transfer.) And so, off we went! After each turn of the sprint, I tried to cheer, but unfortunately, the cheer could not reach the other side of the Year 3 and Year 4 block and echo satisfyingly as it usually did due to the increasingly heavier rain. In addition, shouting the "3" part of "P3" was really hard! Really quickly, we finished one round of relay, and were just about to continue on with the next and last round, when we were told to stop and move upstairs to continue the station, due to how the floor was beginning to collect water and the sprints got dangerous. I was slightly concerned about the time as I knew that each station had time limits, but to my relief, we were able to finish the station without other disturbances after moving. On a side note, as the baton was getting passed around the block, our Year 4s, Becky and Hayley, ran with us to ensure the ground was not slippery, and I think that that is really heartwarming as it was their way of showing care and concern for us! In conclusion, I am thankful for such an enjoyable Physical Training activity, and look forward to future sessions eagerly! 

Reflection from a Year 3 in P4:

During CCA on Friday, we did Physical Training (PT) Station Games, and one of them was a relay race. For our patrol, that particular station was the 5th station, and as all the other stations were related to PT, most of the patrol was already quite tired. However, when we were reminded that the amount of time we took would be converted into points for us, we were more motivated and took quite a short time for both rounds even though all of us were visibly tired after a lot of PT. Furthermore, during both rounds, there was rather constant 报时 and cheering, although we definitely could have 报时ed more and cheered louder, which is one thing to improve on before the Year 1s enter the CCA. Through the relay race, we also learnt the importance of working together, as it was not possible to get a good result alone and using the shortest amount of time possible to finish the station would not have been possible without everyone's cooperation and hard work. In this station game, communication was also important to make sure that everyone knew the game rules before starting the game so that we would not waste any time during the actual race.

Hope everyone enjoyed today’s activities and improved their stamina!

Published by:

Yuanxin

54 届 Secretary