Patrol Activity, 5 February 2024

 Hello Guides!

Today was the first Patrol Activity with the new Year 1s, and here are the reflections from a Year 3 from each patrol.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P1:

During Patrol Activity (PA) on 5 February, we were tasked to build a gadgeting structure that we would tie our Patrol Flag to. This would later be used for a game of Capture the Flag we would play against Patrol 4, complete with water guns. After some discussion, we decided to build a tall tripod with 木 sticking out of it at various angles to mimic spikes. This would make it much harder for the other Patrol members to reach our flag, which would be tied to the top of the structure. The tripod would also be too hefty to be tilted over, adding to the security of our flag’s position. As this was our first PA with the new Year 1s, they had some trouble getting used to the constant tying of lashes. However, after much perseverance, we managed to finish the structure, along with a frame covered with a poncho to use as a shield. Throughout the process, we could have guided the Year 1s more as they were likely feeling a little lost. During the 2 rounds of Capture the Flag, we were proud to say that our Year 1s were the ones who captured the opposing Patrol’s flag, allowing us to win both rounds. Overall, PA was a good activity for us to bond with the new Year 1s and an opportunity for us all to practice tying lashes. The use of water guns in the game was truly a fun and innovative idea, granting us all a memorable experience.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P2:

On 5 February, we had our first Patrol Activity (PA) with the Year 1s. We started with lash training to refresh the Year 1s of their lash. After that, we were tasked to build a net for the game of captain's ball. We were told that we would be combining with Patrol 5 for the game afterward, but each patrol must build its own goal. We first discussed what to do and ended up agreeing on a quadpod with 顶角s and netting at the top. We were given 25 minutes for the entire structure. We quickly tied the quadpod and the 顶角s. However, there was little time left and we still had to do the netting. Hence, the PL had to ask for a time extension and we quickly finished up the netting. After that, when both patrols were done with their structure, we played a game of captain's ball. It was very fun and allowed us to bond more as a patrol, especially when the Year 4s joined in the last game.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P3:

The 5th February Patrol Activity (PA) was our first PA with the new Year 1s. Despite having known them for only about a week, I had already developed a sense of attachment to the Year 1s; they were so committed and enthusiastic about guides, and I could not wait for us to do patrol bonding activities and get to know them better. We played icebreaker games like Splat, Human Knot, and Charades, and then we had some lash training. I learnt not only the Year 1’s classes and nicknames and through the game of Splat but also those of my batch mates and juniors. All the self-proclaimed nicknames were hilarious, and it was heartening to see all the friendships in the patrol as the nicknames were given by each other. During lash training, I saw the Year 2s step up in trying their best to lead the Year 1s, albeit a little noisily; we Year 3s were able to take more of a backseat role and focus on 收绳 and give the Year 2s reminders on the time allotted for lash training about their progress. It was an exceedingly peaceful moment, graceful in memory. In all, I was reminded of how precious those around us are. That day, when patrol activity ended, I finally understood the meaning of being a senior and was hopeful for the future of my patrol.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P4:

On 5 February, we had our first-ever Patrol Activity (PA) with our new Year 1s Guides. For this PA, we had been tasked to build a structure that would make our flagpole hard to reach, as well as a fortress. The goal of the game we played after would be to get the flag of the patrol before they got yours. As the Year 1s were not familiar with many of the lashes, we found it tough to find the balance between keeping within the time limit, and teaching the Year 1s how to tie the lashes patiently. Towards the end of the 35 minutes we had been given to build our structures, we began to panic as we were far from done, and thus, we began to give our Year 1s less to do, and they ended up being zuobos. This is definitely something we can learn to manage better. As we go on further in the year, we hope to find the balance between teaching our Year 1s new skills, and working fast enough to keep within the time given. 

Reflection from a Year 3 in P5:

For this PA, we did a combined PA - Captain's Ball with Patrol 2. It was the first PA with our new Year 1s. First, we had to collect our 木s accordingly and then do lash training with the Year 1s who are new to lashes. We took about 40 minutes for this activity and felt proud of ourselves as our Year 1s grasped the skill of doing basic lashes like Square Lashes and Diagonal Lashes. Next, we built a hoop to score for the Captain's Ball game. We decided to go with the traditional hoop by building a low tripod that has a big opening at the top. This allowed us to have a better opportunity at scoring. Throughout the building of this structure, we had a lot of loose lashes and thus were unable to make the tripod very sturdy. This definitely affected the stability of the hoop and therefore our structure was not up to standard.  This was the first PA that the Year 1s came into our CCA, and therefore we had to ensure that our lashes were up to standard the next time we built a structure. This was to set a better example for the Year 1s who are new to the CCA. We still proceeded with the Captain's Ball game, and no matter the results, we had fun throughout the entire game that we participated in actively. It was a memorable first PA with the new Year 1s. 

Reflection from a Year 3 in P6:

We had our first Patrol Activity with our new Year 1s on 5th February, Monday. Before the collection of logistics for the Fireman's Ladder, we played two icebreaker games. The first game was musical chairs, where the player eliminated in that round was to do a self-introduction which had to include a fun fact about herself.  The second game was human entanglement. We had a lot of fun untangling ourselves and getting to know one another better in the process. After the games, we collected logistics. We split our manpower into different groups to make the collection of logistics more efficient. We managed to finish collecting logistics within the time given. During the process of building the fireman’s ladder, we, as seniors, did not take note of the height of the placement of the 木s. This resulted in many of our patrol members not being able to flip over the fireman’s ladder as the 木s were too far apart. We learnt that taking measurements and making sure that they are correct is important in ensuring that everyone gets to enjoy the structure. 

Hope everyone had fun with their new Year 1s today!

Published by:

Chin Yan Tong

55届 Secretary