WAGGGS Activity, 23 February 2024

 Hello Guides!

Today, the Year 1s and Year 2s did badgework in their patrols, while the Year 3s did WAGGGS Activities.

Badgework:

For badgework, the Year 1s and Year 2s completed the Speaker Badge, Entertainer Badge and Basket-Maker Badge.

Reflection from a Year 1 in P3:

Our CCA session on 23rd February was my first badgework in Guides. We had badgework with the Year 2s, and we were tasked to do crafts, a performance, and a speaking activity. For crafts, we weaved some baskets with newspapers. During this activity, I found it quite difficult to weave the basket as the instructional video provided was very fast and our newspapers were too thin to weave without it tearing. However, with the help of the Year 2s, we were able to finish weaving two baskets within the time given. Next, for the performance, my patrol performed two songs, Roar by Katy Perry and Fight Song by Rachel Platten. It was quite scary to sing in front of everyone there, but the Year 2s sang confidently and we had a successful performance. Other patrols performed other songs and skits. Lastly, for the speaking activity, we had to have a conversation with one of the Guiders. For us Year 1s, it was Ms Chang. This conversation included a short reading-aloud passage. It was similar to an Oral examination. It was quite fun talking to Ms Chang as she was very friendly throughout the activity. She asked about some current affairs and I had some trouble answering the questions as I am not well versed on this subject, but with her help and guidance, we were able to have a nice and informative conversation. Overall, my first badgework was very fun and I was able to learn a lot from it. I also earned three badges and had the chance to bond with the Year 2 seniors. It was very calm and free of stress compared to the normal 集合 sessions we have. All in all, I enjoyed this badgework activity and I am looking forward to the next one!

Reflection from a Year 1 in P5:

During CCA on 23 February, my batchmates and I made a basket in order to earn our craft badge. As it was my first time weaving a basket, I was very excited yet nervous about how my basket would turn out. For starters, I watched a video tutorial on how to wove the basket. Feeling confident, I thought it was an easy job so I started folding my newspaper to create the base of the basket. However, things did not go as I expected. The newspapers kept moving despite the amount of glue I applied to them and immediately after I started working on my second layer of the base, my newspaper tore which meant I had to start all over again. Frustrated, I decided to take a break by drinking some water. During that period, I reflected on how I could have done better. Indeed, I should have been more careful when handling the thin newspaper and paid more attention to the video. If I had analysed more detailedly, I would have noticed that the different strips of newspaper were supposed to be side by side and not have a huge gap in between them. Tips were even given on how to weave the newspaper more easily. Lucky for me, it was not too late as I still had some time to finish weaving my basket neatly and properly. Overall, I am thankful for this experience for me to learn a new skill - how to weave a basket by using recycled materials, which was more eco-friendly. Although I faced a few challenges, I am glad I was able to overcome them. This was the first badgework activity that I have done with my batchmates and definitely enjoyed it. 

Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:

During Badgework, the Year 1s and Year 2s got a chance to perform together and accomplish our given task, which was to make baskets with recycled materials. It was quite an eye-opener for the Year 1s as they got the opportunity to expose themselves to creative craft as it requires creativity and adaptability to make something out of the materials they brought along. It also taught us the importance of recycling, about how such simple actions could contribute to being eco-friendly. We had a lot of fun creating baskets of different types, for example, woven baskets. Even though some of us did not know how to weave, we taught each other new skills and all of us learnt something new. We also forged stronger bonds with each other while making the crafts and planning the performance such as making jokes and planning what songs to sing. We had a good time together and realized how much joy we could bring to each other. We got to know our Year 1s better and they got to know us better too. The performance was picked by our different tastes and preferences merged into one and it was a very enriching experience for us that I think we should cherish. We also completed the Speaker Badge in which we were required to read out a passage and answer some questions relating to general knowledge. It helps us to be more vocal and confident in speaking. The question also helps us understand more about the Singapore Budget and I realized that I have been missing out on this vast topic, thus it is a reminder to read the news and understand our country better. I believe that badgework really brought about many benefits to us, be it fostering bonds with each other, learning a new skill, or widening our perspectives and knowledge.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P6:

Badgework was a good experience for us to bond together as a batch and become closer and more familiar with the Year 1s. For badgework, there was the basketmaker badge, the speaker badge, and the performance badge. For the basketmaker badge, it was a good opportunity for us to interact with one another in the patrol. We could help one another to make the basket so that we would be able to finish the basket on time. The speaker badge allowed us to learn more about current events and things that are happening not only in Singapore but also around the world. We were able to check if we were informed enough about the things happening in other countries. This is also important as it helps us to step out of our comfort zone more and interact with other people by keeping them engaged for three minutes, helping us build our confidence and speaking skills. The performance badge was a good opportunity to bond more with one another. We had to decide what to perform and as we were picking, we were able to learn more about one another’s preferences and dislikes. By performing in front of other people, we were able to step out of our comfort zones again and have fun together performing in front of others. It also allowed us to be more relaxed and comfortable with one another. In conclusion, badgework was a beneficial and fun experience for us as it helped us to bond and grow closer to one another.

WAGGGS Activity:

Aligned to the theme "Our World, Our Thriving Future", the Year 3s completed a few activites that widened their insights related to environmental issues. 

Reflection from a Year 3 in P1:

On Friday, the Year 3s engaged in games and discussions related to the World Thinking Day theme – mostly emphasising environmental sustainability. For instance, we played a plastic sorting game that involved shuttle runs between 2 points in a race to sort various types of plastics into their corresponding piles. Plastic is a common material, and this activity served as a reminder that many items in our everyday lives can be easily recycled instead of thrown away. ‘Technology’ was later introduced to the gameplay, where each person could carry 2 articles of plastic with them to be sorted with each shuttle run instead of the initial 1. As a result, the whole process was much faster than before. This was an analogy for the efficiency that technology brings to us in terms of recycling, demonstrating a significant positive effect of our relentless pursuit of technology on the environment. However, advanced programmes and machinery have cons as well, and we were tasked to list both the benefits and detriments of technological developments. During this portion, I believe we could have been more focused on the subject of discussion instead of ricocheting into multiple tangents that ultimately distracted us from the crux of the conversation. Other than that, many of us were able to provide various insights that expanded our understanding of technology and its impact on the environment. Hence, it was still a rather fruitful discussion. Afterward, we were tasked to each draw an image representing our projected visions of a thriving future before combining them into a collective artwork depicting our hopes for a sustainable future. As a group, we arranged the sheets of paper together before drawing a big globe – such that each sheet had one portion of ‘Earth’ to fill in. The result consisted of drawings that delineated environmental sustainability in various industries such as food and education. Overall, this was an insightful and fun session.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P5:

We spent WAGGGS doing a variety of games that have to do with Our World, Our Thriving Future which calls us to center our focus on the environment and gender equality. We played two games, one of which was sorting out plastic according to its type and also making drawings that encapsulate the sustainable future we want. First, we were split into three groups consisting of two patrols each, and P5 was partnered with P6. We were then each given a piece of plastic that was labelled either PPE, PP, PVC, or PET. We had to race with other groups to reach the final line, sort our plastic by its type, and then run back before the next person could go, like a relay. We had to go more than once. Then, the next round was for us to each put two down at one go without sorting the plastics, so we each only had to run once. This was to teach us about the difference between technology and by hand, whereby hand was slower and more tiring, yet we could sort the plastics for recycling and reusing according to their different properties and types. On the other hand, the technology simulation was much faster and completed with less effort but was unable to be sorted out accordingly for proper recycling. Upon reflection, we proposed that both technology and the ability to sort out the plastic be implemented for the plastics to be sorted out faster and accurately. The next game was the drawing game. In each group, we were supposed to draw according to a reference picture but add more sustainable and interactive drawings that we want to see in the future that we call home. My group was tasked to draw a neighbourhood with many trees, animals, and people. We were given 6 different papers and were supposed to do the drawings individually with different aspects each, but then link it all together afterward. I learnt the essence of teamwork, innovativity, and most importantly, the importance of a sustainable future, which our future generation would have to live in the world we create due to our actions of today. We have to be more careful of our actions and not hurt the environment.

Hope everyone learnt something new and bonded well with their patrolmates and batchmates today!

Published by:

Chin Yan Tong

55届 Secretary