Patrol Secretary Graduation, 23 June 2025

Hello Guides! As our Passing Down Parade nears, the Patrol Secretaries have penned down our thoughts on how it was as a Patrol Secretary thus far, and hence stepping down from our Patrol Secretary Duties! 

Let's take a moment to listen what some of them have to say:

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Reflection by a Y3 Patrol Secretary from P1:

My Secretary journey for P1 has been very fruitful. My seniors entrusted me with the role of the Patrol Secretary, where we are required to relay information of reflections to be done about 集合s that we attended. This is important for everyone to look back on what we have learnt and could do better. As a Secretary, we have to coordinate between us to prevent overlapping of reflections and distribute the reflections among ourselves equally so it is fair for everyone, and edit reflections from our Patrol mates. Even though it was not easy to manage many reflections at once, I managed better and it became easier each time, and was always able to submit my reflections before the deadline. In this role, although it was an additional responsibility, it taught me to manage my time well as since we have to edit the reflections, we cannot leave it to the last minute. We also have to check the reflections for wrong word phrasing carefully and standardise between reflections. It also made me realise the importance of planning beforehand, as we have to fill in a spreadsheet to indicate who is doing which reflection. I also have to give my Patrol mates early submission deadlines to prevent late submissions of reflections and give myself enough time to check and edit the reflections. I am grateful for this opportunity and have enjoyed this journey in the past year.

Reflection by a Y3 Patrol Secretary from P4:

Being a secretary for P4 made me learn many things along the way. At first, the workload of being a secretary may seem overwhelming at first. A list of reflections needed is sent and we have to edit a spreadsheet regarding the reflections. This made me realize the importance of communication and coordination as we need to ensure every secretary from each patrol have a fair share of reflections to complete. We have to make sure there are no overlapped reflections and organize our tasks accordingly. Able to manage your time comes in handy while being a secretary especially when you have to adhere to the deadlines. We also have to be detailed when checking our juniors’ reflection for wrong words or phrasing and ensure they hit the word count. Being a secretary made me learn how to take on a responsibility for my patrol and ensure that the juniors have clear understanding on how to do proper reflections. Thus my secretary journey has been a fulfilling one, even though there were challenges like not meeting the deadlines or some slight miscommunication it taught me values to become responsible and how to work better with others as well as a sense of time management and organization.

Reflection by a Y3 Patrol Secretary from P5:

My secretary journey has been a new and enriching experience. When I first got appointed as secretary, I was nervous as I was unsure of what to do. I was constantly worried that I would disseminate the wrong information or that I would forget about the reflections all together. However, overtime, I got more comfortable with being a secretary as I got used to my new role. Being a secretary has taught me the importance of organisation, especially when there are a lot of reflections to handle. Secretaries have to constantly keep track of which reflections were submitted and which were not. Additionally, we have to read through the reflections and check for any spelling, grammar or formatting errors. Thus, in order to account for all the reflections, I gradually adopted ways to sort out the reflections, such as creating folders or checklists. Being a secretary has also taught me the importance of punctuality and time management. When the tasks are given, many times people wait until the last minute to do and submit. As a secretary, I learnt how important it is to complete our reflections and tasks as soon as possible and ask for time extensions early so as to not trouble anyone. I also understood that completing reflections early also gives people time to thoroughly check them, improving the overall quality of the work. All in all, being a secretary allowed me to understand the importance of organisation and punctuality, providing me with an opportunity to learn new values and skills that can be applied in the future. 




Thank you so much for your help, Secrataries! As you venture down a new path soon, I hope your time as secretary will prove helpful!

Published by

Chan Zi Xuan

56th 届 Secretary

Values In Action @ GSSC, 2 June 2025 and 3 June 2025

Hello Guides! We are back from our yearly VIA at Good Sherpard Student Care Centre! We have gone there every year to organise activities as part of the girls' school holidays'programme, and we take much pride in seeing them light up at the activities we plan for them! We found it so meaningful and we can't wait to come back next year!  


This year, we did Craft Work, Baking as well as planned a Carnival for the girls at GSSC to enjoy! Here are some of our thoughts.. And a paper rose gifted to us by the girls at GSSC! 

From a Year 1 in P2 on Craft Work VIA:

The Crafts VIA session we had on the 2nd of June at Good Shepherd Student Care Centre was a very enjoyable and meaningful experience. My Year 2 senior and I were assigned to a group with three energetic little girls. Our task was to teach them how to make a Habit Hero badge, which we had only just learned to make ourselves. At first, I felt slightly nervous about guiding them, as I wasn’t sure how well they would follow the instructions or respond to us. The girls seemed a little distracted at the beginning and were very quiet and distracted with reading. However, our Year 4 seniors joined us and helped us. After some encouragement and friendly conversation, they slowly began to settle down and pay more attention. They gradually picked up the steps and were able to complete most of the craft on their own, which made the experience smoother and more enjoyable for us. I did face a challenge when I tried to stick the card stock paper to the badge, it wouldn’t stay in place no matter how much I taped or how hard I pressed. After seeking help from my Year 2 senior, I finally managed to get it to work. We also folded some paper stars during the session. To my surprise, the girls already knew how to fold them, which made that part of the activity much easier and more fun. Throughout the session, I also got to know them better, one enjoys swimming, and another loves playing Roblox. Overall, this VIA taught me a lot of things, such as patience and how to better connect with younger children. I hope the girls had as much fun as we did, I learnt a lot and I am really looking forward to the next VIA session next year.

From a Year 1 in P5 on Craft Work VIA:

During the VIA craftwork activity at Good Shepherd Student Care, I had the opportunity to guide Primary One and Two students in making their own habit badges. This experience was very meaningful to me because it allowed me to engage with the younger students and also help them to make good daily habits through a fun and hands-on activity. At the start, I was a little nervous because I did not know whether the children would find the crafts interesting and was worried that they would not understand the instructions that I gave them. I was also unsure if they would listen attentively. However, as the session went on, I noticed that they were very enthusiastic, energetic and eager to tell me about themselves, and they were also excited to make their own colourful badges. I really enjoyed listening to their stories and demonstrating the crafts such that they could follow the steps well and quickly.

A challenge I faced was explaining the instructions such that everyone could follow without confusion. They were confused at first, but I learned to be more patient and give simpler and clearer explanations so that they could understand what to do. In order to keep them motivated, I did not rush through the explanation and instead showed every step clearly and carefully, and also repeated the explanations when they were unsure or forgot what to do. I also encouraged and complimented them throughout the session, allowing them to continue putting in their best effort in their craft. Through this experience, I not only got better at communicating with children, but also improved my leadership skills. In the future, I will continue doing my best to guide them and will try to make the craft activity even more engaging and easy to understand for them.

From a Year 3 in P1 on Baking VIA:

My VIA baking session at Good Shepherd Student Care was a meaningful experience. When I first arrived, I was quite nervous about meeting the children. However, after getting to know them better, I was more at ease and casual. As my partner arrived late, I had to start by myself first. I first instructed the children to take turns pouring the ingredients into the metal bowl accordingly. They were very energetic and all wanted a turn to pour the ingredients in. As soon as everything was poured in, we began mixing the batter to achieve a smooth mixture for the vanilla cupcakes. It was quite chaotic as they all wanted to stir the mixture, and so they took turns doing that, but they stirred a little too vigorously, causing the batter to almost spill out, and I needed to remind them to stir gently. We then proceeded to pour the batter in the cupcake moulds. They started doing math to see how many cupcakes each of them would get, and as they were pouring, batter started spilling everywhere, which we cleaned up after that. Some even wanted to try to make heart shaped cupcakes but it did not work. Since we still had some extra batter left, we decided to make another batch of cupcakes. Finally after pouring two batches of cupcake batter, we were able to put them into the oven to bake. In the meantime, I sat them down to do the reflection sheet. They were very creative and managed to draw all kinds of cupcake designs, and with some guidance, they managed to reflect and write their responses on the paper. After about 15 minutes, the cupcakes were finally done, so we set them aside to cool down before eating. The children were very excited to finally eat their cupcakes. When it was cool enough, I brought it to the table and distributed it to them. After splitting the cupcakes among themselves, they tried their cupcakes and were all very proud of what they had made. This VIA session was very fulfilling as we got to interact with the children and patiently wait with them for the cupcakes to be done while we chatted with each other. I hope to see them again next year for the next VIA session.

From a Year 3 in P3 on Baking VIA:

On 3 June, I had a fulfilling time at Good Shepherd Student Care. Together with the students there, my activity was to bake some simple and delicious cupcakes. As I was allocated to the later shift in the morning, when I had reached, the cupcakes were already ready to serve. Thus, I took the initiative to help wash the cupcake trays and the various bowls and utensils used during the baking process. The process of washing the dirty cupcake trays was surprisingly challenging for me, as much of the stains and batter drips had hardened, and thus was difficult to scrape off using my bare fingers. However, after a while, it got easier for me and successfully, I finished washing and cleaning all the cupcake trays alongside a Year 4. And soon, it was time for the next batch of students and my shift to begin. Before the actual baking process, I remember feeling slightly nervous as I am not a very talented baker, and having to teach it to the students who were much younger than me, felt daunting. I was afraid that I would not be able to interact with them and guide them well. However, my worries soon dissipated as the baking began. I was allocated to a table of Primary 5 and 6 students. They were extremely enthusiastic and lively, making me feel more comfortable and confident in guiding them. Throughout the baking process, I guided them as they combined and mixed the ingredients together. Furthermore, I engaged in meaningful conversation with them, talking about their hobbies, interests and family. As we talked as a group, I got to understand them better and be able to interact with them more comfortably. Easily, we bonded together and got to know one another better. Afterwards, we baked the cupcakes and they turned out well, making our baking process a success! The students each took a few cupcakes home with them after completing their reflections and more casual chatting with me. Towards the end, I had gained such a meaningful experience from the activity, being able to put in my contribution and being a part of the successful Values In Action session. 

From a Year 2 in P6 on Carnival VIA:

We went to GSSC to help to organise and carry out a carnival for the children there. We first arrived and met up at Cadelcott MRT station. Once everyone had gathered, we all started to make our way to GSSC. For my patrol and the people who signed up for extra sessions, we had to split up into groups of two or individually, and set up our booths. There were the game booths, like “Beanbag Toss” and activity booths, like “Charades”. The children were supposed to get eight stamps from eight different booths, and after collecting the stamps, they could exchange their card for prizes, like Oreo cookies and a packet of cute erasers. I was in charge of the “Poster-making” booth, and our goal was to ask the children to draw and write a poster, showcasing five of their good habits. However, as we were on a time limit, me and my partner quickly decided to adapt to the instructions, and instead of five good habits, we decided to let them write and draw one to two habits. The children were quite adorable and creative, but at certain times, some if them got a little confused by how to spell some words, and we just gave them a helping hand with their spelling. It was understandable, as most of the children who needed our help with their spelling were at the Kindergarten 2 or Primary 1 age. There were a lot of laughter, and i sincerely hope that we did a good job to help put a smile on the childrens’ faces. I hope that they enjoyed the “carnival” that we set up for them. We did have to clean up after that, and later the children said a nice “Thank you” to us, which i felt was really cute and sweet. Overall, this was an engaging and eye-opening event that I have learnt from.

From a Year 2 in P4 on Carnival VIA:

On the 2nd and 3rd of June, a VIA Carnival was held for the primary school children at GSSC (Good Shepherd Student Care). I was stationed at Booth 6, the poster-making station, for both days. The task at this booth was for the children to create a poster on the topic of good daily healthy habits. They were asked to draw, write, and colour five healthy habits they could practise every day, making the poster as colourful as possible. As the carnival started at 1320, the patrols reached the Caldecott MRT at 1300 and made our way there earlier to start preparing for our respective stations. On Day 1, the flow of children was smooth and manageable. We communicated well and divided the work effectively, to make sure both of us weren’t too burnt out. However, Day 2 was more challenging. I was the only one stationed at Booth 6, and with the large number of children coming by, I had to repeat my instructions many times and manage the crowd alone. This required patience, resilience, and quick thinking, but it also gave me the opportunity to step up and practise leadership and self-discipline. Although tiring, it was heartening to see the children putting in their best effort. Some even shared that they had just learned about healthy habits the day before! It was a joy to see their interest in drawing and how naturally talented many of them were. Time passed in a blink of an eye as I became fully engaged with the activity and the children. Towards the end, many children went to the redemption booth to collect their prizes. Surprisingly, the eraser packets, as they were food themed, were so popular that they eventually ran out! It was rewarding to see the children excitedly working through the stations to earn their Oreos and eraser packets. Throughout this VIA experience, I saw how meaningful interaction and encouragement from the heart can foster positive relationships, even in a short amount of time. Although we were not allowed to ask for their contacts, we still enjoyed ourselves and created lasting memories. All in all, this carnival not only gave me the chance to connect with primary school children, but also helped me grow in time management, independent problem-solving, and adaptability.

We've had so much fun at VIA.. Don't forget us, GSSC! We will be back soon!

Published by

Chan Zi Xuan

56th 届 Secretary

Guides and Scouts Combined Skills Training, 16 May 2025

Hi Guides! Today was our first Combined 集合 with the Scouts this year! We did many Station Games, where both Guides and Scouts elements are incorporated into the 集合 to showcase both our uniqueness as well as connections between both CCAs! 

We learned alot from one another.. It was yet another memorable CCA session. Let us share it with you!

Reflection from a Year 2 in P3 on the Fire Pits and Outdoor Fire Altars Station:

On 16 May, we had a Combined 集合 session with the Scouts, and one of the highlights was a hands-on Fire Starting activity. Although I was initially nervous about handling fire, this experience turned out to be one of the most impactful ones I have had so far. The objective was simple, to start a small fire using matches, kindlings and teamwork. However, the execution was anything but easy. I got the chance to light the fire and it took me more than 10 tries. The process required a lot of patience, coordination, and critical thinking. The fire kept going out as there were strong winds that day. It made me realise that I had to protect the flame in the process. I am glad I got the chance to try setting the fire as it is not every day that I get the chance to do that in urban Singapore. What really struck me that day was how we all had to support one another, especially during the frustrating moments. The fire would not start even after multiple tries, and I could sense tension building. But instead of blaming one another, we chose to encourage and offer suggestions. This strengthened our teamwork and reminded me how important communication is in high-pressure situations. This is also significant as some of us were apprehensive, or better put, it was not comfortable working with the Scouts as we were not used to it. The experience brought us closer together and I feel that alone is an achievement. I also learnt the value of resilience. Fire Starting is a delicate process that often does not work out on the first try. It reminded me that, in life, things do not always go according to plan. But if we stay calm, keep trying, and learn from each attempt, we will eventually succeed. Emotionally, I went from being anxious to hopeful, then finally excited when we saw the first flame. That small success gave us such a big sense of accomplishment. It reminded me that even small victories matter, especially when they are earned through effort and perseverance. This experience taught me that with the right mindset, even challenging tasks can become opportunities for growth.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P1 on the Fire Starting Station:

On May 16th, there was a Combined 集合 for the Year 2 Scouts and Guides, which included Station Games which allowed us to put important skills learnt from both Uniformed Group CCAs to use. One new skill that I learned from the Scouts in this 集合 was digging a Fire Pit, which we then used for Outdoor Cooking in the same session. This is new to me as in Guides, we build Indoor or Outdoor Fire Altars for Outdoor Cooking instead. To dig a Fire Pit, I learnt that the wind direction has to be taken into account and the Fire Pit should be rectangular, with the shorter side of the pit facing the wind. The depth of the Fire Pit is dependent on what it is being used for, which in that 集合, it was used for Outdoor Cooking. A "slope" is used in the Fire Pit, and the fire is placed at the deeper end of the Fire Pit, further away from the wind direction, so that the fire receives more oxygen to burn from the wind. This differs from the Outdoor Fire Altar used by Guides, which elevates the fire with Gadgeting and a Zinc plate. To start a fire in the Fire Pit, the twigs are bent to form a round shape, then a lit match is placed under the twigs, which I found was similar to starting a fire on a Zinc plate using an Outdoor Fire Altar. When I was digging the Fire Pit with my Combined 集合 Patrol, we took too long to dig the pit and had to use the pre-dug pit by the Scouts' seniors. This is likely due to our inexperience in digging Fire Pits as it was the Guides' first time and introduction to Fire Pits, and also because we did not have a sense of urgency. In conclusion, I learned about a different way the Scouts light a fire from the Guides and how they do it. I hope to learn more such skills from other CCA sessions in future Combined 集合s, and I will also improve on my sense of urgency. 

Reflection from a Year 1 in P4 on the Gadgeting Station:

We participated in combined 集合 on 16 May, and it was such an unique and interesting experience for all of us. I remember seeing all the different Guides and Scouts gathering together in such a wholesome way. During the combined 集合 activity, we participated in gadgeting together. At first, we were all shy and afraid to share our opinions. However, as we worked together, we started opening up and giving ideas more willingly. We had to create a shelter for surviving in the wild, and had to think hard as to what to create. Once we settled on the structure, we started tying the 木 together with 白绳. It was such a different experience working together with the Scouts during gadgeting as we had very different knowledge on lash tying. The Guides were more familiar with basic knots and lashes such as the clove hitch, while the Scouts struggled with those but excelled in others like the pioneering lashes. I also remember teaching some Scouts how to tie the clove hitch. Although they did not seem as attentive, they got the hang of it and helped to build the structure. We put together our diverse field of knowledge and managed to brainstorm and build our structure. We divided our manpower well and managed to finish building the structure in time, although it was not very stable. We definitely could have communicated more clearly to save time and energy, and there were sometimes a few zuobos as we were unclear what to do. We also could have tied our lashes tighter as our finished structure wobbled when the Year 4s tested it. Next 集合, I would definitely try and be more enthusiastic and confident when working with the Scouts. Still, while we did not communicate much other than discussing the structure and logistics, I definitely felt a stronger bond with them and would look forward to working together again.

We are glad to have this chance to work with the scouts! 

Published by 

Chan Zi Xuan 

56th 届 Secretary 

Total Defence Badge, 9 May 2025

Hello Guides! Today, the Year 1s and Year 2s went to get their Total Defence Badges! 

It was quite an experience..

Reflection from a Year 1 in P4:

Us Year 1 Guides went on a learning journey to the Singapore Discovery Centre together with the Year 2s on 9th May to learn more about Total Defence and acquire our Bronze Total Defence Badge. It was truly an eye-opening experience for me. It was one of the first few excursions I had gone on as a Year 1 and I remembered a buzzing air of excitement among my peers in the bus on the route to the SDC. When we got there, we were briefed on the six pillars of Total Defence in Singapore. This allowed us to deeper understand the uses of the different Defence Pillars, and familiarise ourselves with the relatively new sixth pillar, Digital Defence. I enjoyed sitting amongst my fellow Year 1 Guides as it gave me a chance to interact more with those who were not from my patrol. Next, we got to experience an interactive exhibition in which we were shown significant events in the past that had shaped Singapore’s defences and which Pillar of Defence applied to the situations. This exhibition educated me on many bits of history that I was not aware of, for example the 1983 cable car accident and the konfrontasi attacks across the country, notably at the McDonald’s House. After a short break, we played a Total Defence-themed game. Playing the card game with my friends was a fun and engaging way to learn about uniting the nation amid a crisis. The game also gave us an opportunity to bond with our batchmates. Overall I would definitely try to apply what I have learnt from this learning journey in daily life and appreciate Total Defence Day activities a lot more. The memories we made here were captured in our many photos taken at the Singapore Discovery Centre. We even took a picture outside the centre as an entire batch, so this experience would certainly stay in all our hearts for a long time to come and I am definitely looking forward to going back there again next year.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:

On the 2nd and 3rd of June, a VIA Carnival was held for the primary school children at GSSC (Good Shepherd Student Care). I was stationed at Booth 6, the poster-making station, for both days. The task at this booth was for the children to create a poster on the topic of good daily healthy habits. They were asked to draw, write, and colour five healthy habits they could practise every day, making the poster as colourful as possible. As the carnival started at 1320, the patrols reached the Caldecott MRT at 1300 and made our way there earlier to start preparing for our respective stations. On Day 1, the flow of children was smooth and manageable. We communicated well and divided the work effectively, to make sure both of us weren’t too burnt out. However, Day 2 was more challenging. I was the only one stationed at Booth 6, and with the large number of children coming by, I had to repeat my instructions many times and manage the crowd alone. This required patience, resilience, and quick thinking, but it also gave me the opportunity to step up and practise leadership and self-discipline. Although tiring, it was heartening to see the children putting in their best effort. Some even shared that they had just learned about healthy habits the day before! It was a joy to see their interest in drawing and how naturally talented many of them were. Time passed in a blink of an eye as I became fully engaged with the activity and the children. Towards the end, many children went to the redemption booth to collect their prizes. Surprisingly, the eraser packets, as they were food themed, were so popular that they eventually ran out! It was rewarding to see the children excitedly working through the stations to earn their Oreos and eraser packets. Throughout this VIA experience, I saw how meaningful interaction and encouragement from the heart can foster positive relationships, even in a short amount of time. Although we were not allowed to ask for their contacts, we still enjoyed ourselves and created lasting memories. All in all, this carnival not only gave me the chance to connect with primary school children, but also helped me grow in time management, independent problem-solving, and adaptability.



Published by 

Chan Zi Xuan 

56th 届 Secretary

Skills Training, 9 May 2025

Hello Guides! Today, only us Year 3s and Year 4s participated in the Station Games, as our fellow Year 1s and Year 2s have gone to get their Total Defence Batch. It was yet another interesting CCA session!

Reflection from a Year 3 in P5 on Orienteering Station:

During the 9th May 集合, one of the stations we played was orienteering. The task was that we were given a compass and bearings and we were required to find the locations based on the bearings given. Before embarking on the journey, we were first given a chance to practice reading the compass by trying to find locations plastered throughout the hostel canteen walkway. In spite of starting off with a bit of confusion and hesitation, my group managed to accurately find the bearings and the locations during the practice round so we began playing the station feeling confident about our abilities. Throughout the course of the activity, we managed to both quickly and accurately find the locations, finding one point and the next with ease. However, we were always a few steps off, likely due to me taking slightly wider steps during the measuring of pacings. This allowed me to understand the importance of consistency when measuring pacings so if I ever did this activity again, I would take note to keep my pacing distance as consistent as possible, to ensure we arrive at the accurate location. At one point, we had to retrace our steps and retake the bearings as we were required to walk in a straight line but the path curved which resulted in us following the path and curving away from the location instead of walking in a straight line. Despite all these mishaps, my group managed to arrive at the final location within the fastest amount of time, underrunning by 20 minutes. All in all, orienteering was an extremely fun activity that I enjoyed while learning about this survival skill. Now, I am more confident about the functions of the parts of a compass and my ability to navigate using it. 

Reflection from another Year 3 in P5 on Inspection Station:

On 9 May 集合, we played station games! One of the stations was inspection. Under short time durations, we had to work together as a group to complete a layout. The first layout was one that we were used to, all 配备 logistics on a poncho that was folded in a hexagonal shape. We learnt the importance of communication as we had to work together to make the layout a successful one. I also learnt that one person should step out and look at the bigger picture to ensure that the poncho was indeed a hexagonal shape before continuing with our inspection. This ensures that we do not have to re-fold our poncho after the logistics are laid out, which would be a waste of time and effort. The second stage of the station was to complete two layouts, one by the Year 4s and the other one by the Year 3s. Our competitive spirit went up as both teams wanted to be the first to complete their layout. Through this stage, I learnt that even though we wanted to complete our layouts in the shortest possible time, it should not compromise on how compact and neat the layout is. I also took better care of logistics and asked for cupped logistics back. As a team, we also ensured that our logistics were all on the poncho to ensure that our logistics do not get dirty. Overall, I think both teams did a great job with their layout. The third stage was to create our own layout on the spot. Both teams had to be creative and think on their feet. We strategised and decided that the IC would plan based on what logistics we needed to layout next, allowing us to work better as a team. The last stage was to complete a layout while wearing socks on our hands. From this stage, I learnt that without having our fingers, completing a layout was difficult without the luxury of grip.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P1 on the Kitchen Table Station:

For 集合 on 9th May, Year 3s had a separate 集合 planned compared to the Year 1s and Year 2s, and we had Station Games. We were first put into our Patrols, which consisted of a few Year 3s and Year 4s. For the Standard Structure Station, we had to build a Kitchen Table by a specific timing. We started by appointing a Patrol Leader, and then started building after that. We started by tying the tripods with constant 报时 to ensure that we would not 过时. We also kept the morale high by cheering from time to time. Since our Patrol Leader looked at the big picture and gave us time limits for our lashes, we were able to tie our lashes tightly and quickly. After tying the tripod, we tied the 定脚s and made sure to 顶 our tripods properly so that our tripods would be in an equilateral triangle shape, and be stable. We asked for time extensions before we reached our time limit, and tied as much of the structure as we could. Though our Kitchen Table was still unfinished by the time we could not ask for more time extensions, we received feedback that we tied tight lashes and we tied the structure quite quickly, maintaining our sense of urgency, and morale while we built our Kitchen Table and also 照顾好人，照顾好东西, so that our logistics would not get Kapped. The next time I need to tie a Kitchen Table, I will have a high sense of urgency and 报时 constantly to ensure that I am on track.

Published by 

Chan Zi Xuan

56th 届 Secretary

Batch Activity, 28 April 2025

Welcome back, Guides! Today, we did Batch Activity.

Let's see from our Guides what we did today!

Reflection by a Year 2 in P3:

Batch activities are rare sessions where we spend time as a batch, not a patrol. For this session, the Year 2s were split into four groups, with each group being told to collect a certain amount of logistics. The collection of logistics did not run very smoothly, as not many of us remembered the logistics required and we were missing quite a few logistics which we realised after starting on our structure building. In our groups, we were tasked to build a creative structure. This time, I was working with another group of batchmates which did not include my patrol mate, which made this session unique as I was able to work with other people and build bonds with them too. Although we had to run back and forth to 团部 to get more logistics, we managed to build great structures and this session gave us a lot of learning points and things to take note in the future to improve on. This was a great learning opportunity and a unique 集合 experience. I managed to bond with my batch mates, learning lots on how they work and getting a better understanding of their strengths. We also managed to create memories as a batch, as Year 2s. Through this 集合, I gained so many takeaways. I am looking forward to future batch activities with other people too. Furthermore, I am looking forward to the Annual Training Camp where I can work with more of my batch mates and get to further improve and apply my skills through it. 

Working with our batch alone allows us to look out for one another, and forge stronger bonds, so that when we come back to work inter-batches in our Patrols and as a 团, we will be even better!

Published by

Chan Zi Xuan

56th 届 Secretary

East Division Day, 25 April 2025

Hi Guides! Today, we are proud to have represented Dunman High Guides in participating in various Comms for East Division Day! 

We have participated in the Recycled Fashion, Newsletter, Dance, Snack Making, as well as Mini Gadgeting! It was such a fruitful and eye opening experience, as we tested our limits and let our imagination run wild!

Here are some of our experiences we would like to share with you!

Reflection from a Year 3 in P6 on Recycled Fashion Comm:

For East Division Day, I participated in the recycled fashion competition. I believe the preparation for the competition was extremely fun. We had to use recycled materials to come up with the outfit that not only resonated with the theme but also looks visually appealing. Our seniors came up with a beautiful design that we felt really looked like a greek goddess’s costume. They had come up with the idea to roll paper to make the skirt and then stick strips of bubble wrap that would be coloured half blue and half pink to match the theme of gender equality.  They had also come up with the idea for something that looked like a weighing scale and I felt that that part really matched the theme of the competition. Unfortunately, it was very hard to meet up to prepare for the competition as there were many public holidays during that period and we were unable to meet up on certain days. Sometimes some of us would join late as we had extra modules to attend. Luckily, we were able to get everything ready for the day of the competition. When we were painting the pieces of bubble wrap, we had to be really careful such that the paint did not get everywhere. The paint was very messy and got stuck to many of our hands, turning our hand blue and pink. As we hurried to cut the strips and paint, we realised that the weighing scale had to be fixed as it kept slanting to one side. Luckily, we were able to fix that with some tape! We hurriedly dressed up our model, Xuan Ni in the costume and placed the flowers as the finishing touch. We thought it looked really pretty and amazing. To our surprise, we actually won first place! We were so happy and I am so grateful to our seniors for helping come up with the design!

Reflection from a Year 2 in P4 on Newsletter Comm:

We had our East Division Day on 25 April 2025, and it was a wonderful new experience for me. My friend and I took part in the EDD Newsletter, along with two Year 4 seniors, Frederika and Hui Wen. We took the bus to Bedok View Secondary School, where we spent the rest of our day supporting our seniors and gathering information for our Newsletter. We went around the school to search for the different competitions being held. There was the Recycled Fashion competition, Mini Gadgeting competition, and Advocacy Booths. For our Newsletter, we decided for our topic to be based on Recycled Fashion. We collated all the photos that we took in a Google Doc and wrote about the experiences of the competitors in Recycled Fashion; how they felt and how they looked. We then picked out the most relevant and interesting photos to add into our Newsletter and added it into Canva. We always kept in mind to adhere to the Newsletter requirements, such as the word count and number of pictures, while remembering to show the emotions of the competitors and the atmosphere. For the Canva theme layout, we chose to go with the colors blue and yellow. Not only were the colors bright and eye-catching, but they also represented Guides. We also put in some elements, like a blue hat and a yellow scarf, to include more details to make our Newsletter appealing and engaging. We even added the Guides emblem to the blue hat to make it more apparent that it was the Guides hat. We were constantly checking and changing the size, font, and color of the words and changing the size of the elements, as we were extremely determined to win the Newsletter competition. In the end, we won third place! I was really joyful when I heard about our results, but I thought that we could have gotten second place. Nevertheless, it was still an accomplishment and an amazing experience for me and my friend, since it was our first time participating in EDD. Working alongside my seniors was fun, and I learned how to make a Newsletter. I would definitely like to take part in EDD again!

Reflection from a Year 3 in P2 on Dance Comm

I was super excited to do EDD dance as i had already choreographed 2 dances with the same group of people for ATC campfire and WTD and they were both just as fun! We chose the song "Dear Future Husband" as we thought it fit the theme on Gender Inequality that we chose. The song is about a more traditional approach to relationships where the woman offers domestic duties in exchange for chivalry and gifts. Choreographing the dance was a tad bit hard as it was difficult to come up with a move for the literal meaning of the lyrics so we had to interpret and try to convey the lyric, which took more time. Some of our actions were also too complicated to carry out during a part as the song is quite fast paced, being an upbeat song. So we either had to swap it out for something less time consuming or just dance really fast which we pulled off so well! It was also difficult to find a day where everyone was free to choreograph and film so we decided to choreograph on a HBL day and film the video on a school morning where everyone was free but this meant that we would have very limited time and we would have to work fast. This gave us quite a bit of stress but it made us work faster and the laughs we had during the whole process made it so much less stressful and worth it! We managed to finish choreographing on a HBL day as we are so productive. It was so fun to choreograph as we were giving funny looking suggestions and the atmosphere in the group was so lovely and I love everyone in EDD dance group everyone was putting in effort to learn the dance and put in so much energy during recordings of the dance video even though we had to re-record it multiple times on a school morning where everyone was tired. Our efforts paid off though as we got our well deserved 1st place!

Reflection from a Year 3 in P1 on Mini Gadgeting Comm:

For East Division Day 2025, I participated in the Mini Gadgeting Competition. I had wanted to try Mini Gadgeting last year as well, but by the time I went into the spreadsheet, there were no more open slots. I found Mini Gadgeting interesting as it was almost the same as normal CCA sessions, where we tie either Gadgeting or Pioneering structures. However, I later realised that Mini Gadgeting was not as easy as it looked. Because the string we used to tie our structure was extremely thin, I struggled to tie the Clove hitches and Half hitches, taking almost the same amount of time to tie them and the rest of the lash. We also could not 抽 too hard as the string breaks easily, and we would have to restart the entire lash if the string was too short to complete the lash. However, the tiny string broke a few times when tying as I forget we should not 抽 too hard and I use my normal strength to 抽, resulting in frustration due to having to tie again. We were also confused at times as the measurements of the sticks we needed to cut kept changing, but I am glad we knew what to do on the actual day. On the actual competition day, we started off quite slowly as we had originally planned to only take 5 minutes to cut our string and sticks, but we had 过时 by 5 minutes. That gave us 5 less minutes to tie quite a complex structure, so we were pressed for time. We also had to split into pairs to tie a frame together, which was also quite difficult as the frame was small and 2 people had to work on it at the same time. We worked much faster towards the end of the 1 hour we were given, barely managing to finish our structure. Although we were missing a few small details, I am quite proud of us as we managed to finish the structure with a functional sliding ladder. I am happy we won 3rd place in the competition, and hope to give Mini Gadgeting another try in EDD next year.

Published by
Chan Zi Xuan 

56th 届 Secretary 

Honours Day Contigent, 12 April 2025

Hello Guides! We Year 2s did our best in this year's Honours Day Contingent, and let us tell you all about it!

Reflection from a Year 2 in P2：

Before honours day, we had a few sessions of rehearsals. I had missed the first session of rehearsals thus I was very scared for the second session of rehearsal as was very scared of messing up and not being able to be in the sync with others, thus I made sure to check with my batchmates on what they had practiced on the first session and had a rough idea on how it would be like. During the second honours day rehearsal, we had strict attire check. I then realised that my scarf was done badly and had to have bigger diamonds and have less creases. I also had not sewed on my buttons to clip my scarf in place thus i had to sew them on in place before the actual day. We practiced the drills and I was able to keep up thanks to the help of my batchmates. Towards the end of the session, they asked for a volunteer reserve guide and I volunteered as I was not very confident in myself and thought the others could do better and they had for for one more session than me.The last rehearsal was on honours day itself. We had multiple run throughs with the drills. We had another round of strict attire check and this time had my buttons sewed in and tried my best to prepare a good scarf with big diamonds. In the last run through, there was a sudden change in the formations and I was put back into the contingent. Thankfully I practiced with them when I was a reserve so I knew what to do. The actual honours day contingent came and I think we all did really well. I learnt to be more confident and believe in myself more.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P3：

This was the actual day of the Honours Day Contingent. We were made to do drills over and over again for at least 3 sessions prior and I knew that this was an important occasion that everyone had spent lots of time and effort on, and that it would finally be over today. All four Uniform Groups were gathered on a Saturday morning, everyone looking neatly dressed in our uniforms for the occasion. However, I had left the house in a rush and ended up forgetting a badge that was supposed to be pinned on my uniform, and that sent me in a panicked state, asking around of what I should do. I was eventually saved when one Year 4 found an extra one for me. I was punished for leaving my badge at home and was told the importance of the badge, a reminder for me to take it seriously and to not make the same mistake of leaving it out again. We had a catered breakfast set which tasted quite good and we also ran a few last drills to ensure we were fully prepared. We had to stand for quite a while for one run so I was hoping we did not have to do too many runs. Finally, it was time for the actual Honours Day event that we had prepared and worked so hard for. I hoped really hard that I would be in sync with the others and not mess up any step. I listened extremely carefully for every command so as to not miss anything out or lag behind, and to my relief, everything went smoothly, just like the practices. We ended a little earlier and I could feel the air lighter once everything was over, as our hard work had finally paid off.

This was a very important session for us to train our Contigent Skills, and we definitely found it very different and more tiring than expected from our normal CCA sessions. Nonetheless, we will uphold our tradition of and take pride in forming the Contigent for more Honour Days to come!

Published by 

Chan Zi Xuan

56th 届 Secretary

Skills Training, 4 April 2025

Hi Guides! For today's 集合, we did a standard Pioneering Structure which was a Box Tower.

It was a good refresher for our memories.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:

I still remember the impression it left on me, especially the emotions I felt and the lessons I gained from the experience. The activity involved building a Box Tower, which required us to think about not just the usual things like the steps to build it, but more importantly, teamwork because, as always, nothing can be accomplished alone. It was a challenge that tested not only our physical coordination but our ability to work together under pressure. There were moments of confusion, especially for me, overlapping instructions, and uncertainty about how to proceed. But what stood out most during those times was how essential clear communication and decisive thinking was. Working as a patrol and team meant that we all had to communicate well and take the initiative to help one another so we can get the task done. Furthermore, the activity reinforced my mindset of the 不是跑就是飞 idea and to constantly 报时. While these ideas are not foreign to me, I think that each session is a reminder of their importance when we try to get things done. I still remember feeling frustrated during the activity. When things did not go as planned, like whether the structure was not stable or a lash was not tight, I felt like giving up and not giving it my all. But seeing everyone pushing forward helped me find the strength to keep going too. In the end, what was important to me that day was not the success of the activity which, as shown by my memory, is not what one remembers, but rather the process itself which was memorable and meaningful. The experience or rather what I gained from it was teamwork, patience, and resilience. It showed me how important it is to support one another, especially when facing new challenges. I also learned that even when things do not go as expected, there is always something to gain, be it the lesson, the laughter and smiles we share, or the change in mindset. In conclusion, though as I mentioned earlier, I do not really remember the details or what precisely happened that day, I emerged stronger as always when faced with challenges.

Let us continue upholding our standards in Pioneering!

Published by 

Chan Zi Xuan

56th 届 Secretary