Annual Training Camp Day 1, 15 November 2021

 Hello Guides! 

Welcome to Annual Training Camp (ATC) Day 1! For today’s activity, the juniors had done mini gadgeting as well as took part in the Obstacle Journey Kahoot. 

1. Mini Gadgeting

For mini Gadgeting, the juniors built a Fire Altar as well as a Creative Gadget. The Fire Altar activity allowed them to recap on the steps to build a Fire Altar, which is usually only required for Outdoor Cooking. The juniors were reminded of some of the requirements when it comes to Gadgeting, such as tucking in 鸟绳 when ending a lash. For Creative Gadgeting, the juniors built a structure related to this year’s ATC theme. The juniors were able to make use of some of their decorative materials at home, which added creative value to their structures. 

Reflection from a Y1: 

The Mini Gadgeting process has been a very fun and enjoyable experience for all of us. It allowed us to bond as a team and as a patrol. It also serves as a good opportunity for us to revise all the knots and lashes that we have learnt previously. The Fire Altar was a good way of projecting most of the lashes that we have learnt onto the structure itself, allowing us to revise the steps thoroughly and also learn to ask when in doubt. Though we managed to send in the pictures on the group chat on time, most of us were not able to finish the structures on time. Thus, we think that we could have done better in terms of time management. The Creative Gadgeting activity was also a good way of channeling our imagination in order to create a structure that represents our 团. I find that this would be very encouraging to all of the trainees as well as our seniors. We would also be able to share the different aspects of the structure and the rationale behind it, which was very beneficial to us. Overall, we felt that despite being behind screens, we could still feel the spirit of sisterhood and we also felt more united and bonded with our patrolmates.

Reflection from a Y2: 

The mini gadgeting activity on Monday consisted of two sections, Gadgeting and Creative Gadgeting. For both of the sections, I felt that I could have improved on my sense of urgency, especially towards the beginning of the activity. The pace that I initially started was a little slow as I spent quite a bit of time having to retie or find new strings as some of them broke as I tied it. This resulted in me spending way too much time on such matters. We did not 报时 often as I was very focused on the structure and was unaware of time, which resulted in us exceeding the time given. Even though it was a Zoom session and it could have been  quite awkward, I feel that I could have taken the initiative to 报时 more, as well as answering the ICs' questions in regards to the standard structure as I knew how the structure was like but I was not sure on how to explain it. However, I am somewhat happy with the progress that I managed to make with gadgeting, as I only stopped because I ran out of string to tie the sticks for the structure and it turned out better than I had expected. For the creative gadgeting part, I felt that the structure that I built, while it had a purpose, was quite unstable as I built an unconventional structure that did not have 顶角 to support it. Overall, I am not really satisfied with my performance and would work on the areas mentioned by the ICs such that when physical 集合 resumes I would have a better performance.

2. Obstacle Journey Kahoot

It is a yearly tradition to have an Obstacle Journey during ATC. This year due to the pandemic, we held the activity online through a Kahoot game. This fun and exciting activity aims to test some of the basic knowledge of Guides found in the Guides notes which the juniors should be familiar with. 

Reflection from a Y1: 

The Obstacle Journey Kahoot served as a good revision for us to understand more about Obstacle Journeying. As it was our first time being introduced to this, we felt that the seniors really did a great job in explaining all of the answers to the Kahoot, to let all of us understand the information better. This activity was also very interactive and was a great way to let everyone bond as a family. We felt as though we had the urge to suddenly learn all this new information quickly lest there is another quiz. Thus, this activity really motivated us to read up more on our Guides Notes so that we would be able to answer all of the questions asked in the future as well as pass down the information to our Year 1 juniors next year just like how our seniors did. Although we were not able to answer the most of the questions in the quiz, we were extremely driven to continue to learn more from our seniors and we felt that as a whole, this Kahoot activity has taught us that there are still so many things in Guides that we have yet to discover and learn, which certainly has made us love the CCA experience even more. 

Reflection from a Y2: 

The Obstacle Journey Kahoot quiz was a very fun experience, despite it not being able to be held in real life. This online Obstacle Journey was able to help us refresh on our Guides knowledge. For example, the symptoms of hyperventilation and the acronym for checking response, COWS. Furthermore, the quiz also included survival skills like the three steps of the edibility test and the various possible sources of water. This basic Guides knowledge was not asked directly all the time, as it also incorporated different elements of Guides. One of the hybrid questions tested us not only on our ability to recall the sources of food in addition to water, but also quizzed us on our guides code competence. This Kahoot quiz was a simple, yet entertaining and thrilling way to revise Guides' knowledge. By letting participants constantly be on the ready to answer the next questions, there was a friendly competitive environment. Although it does not have the physicality and interactiveness as an actual Obstacle Journey, it still was able to help us revise our Guides notes. Besides, it allows us to know what areas of our Guides notes we are more unfamiliar with. We will then be more motivated to take the initiative to go ahead and better acquaint ourselves with those areas. In conclusion, I feel that this online Obstacle Journey was a fun and creative way to engage us despite the many limitations of CCA being held online rather than in real life.

We hope that everyone has managed to recap some Guides knowledge and enjoyed themselves for today’s ATC Day 1!

Published by:

Pok Jing 

53届 Secretary

Skills Training, 9 November 2021

 Hello Guides! 

For this week’s online 集合 we conducted some lash training, tied a shoe rack, and played station games. The aim of this week’s 集合 is to help our juniors recap some of their hard skills and to provide an opportunity for them to bond. 

1. Gadgeting (Lash Training): 

For this activity, our juniors revised some of the basic lashes, like square lash, diagonal lash, A-架, and lastly tripod lash. SInce CCA was conducted online, our juniors had to tie the lashes using satay sticks and string. 

Reflection from a Year 1: 

On 9th November, we had to tie different lashes on sticks to remember how they were supposed to be tied. For the square lash, the standard timing was 2 minutes. We felt that it was very easy and we all knew how to tie it correctly. However we did not keep the 鸟绳 properly and our lashes were not very tight. Then, we moved on to diagonal lash. The standard timing for it was 3 minutes and most of us also did not have problems tying that lash. However, the strings were too small for us and we could not tie it fast and tightly. The next thing we had to tie was an A-架, but some of us were a little confused about how many loops to tie around each stick. We took longer to tie the lashes as the sticks and strings were small and the strings broke easily. The A-架 was definitely hardest for us as we did not remember it as clearly as the others and we struggled a little with tying it. It was also our first time tying it in a long time so we were not very familiar with the lashes yet. But we were all super excited to start tying the lashes again as it had been a long time since we last tied it. Overall the Zoom meeting was really fun and we all enjoyed being together with our batchmates!

Reflection from a Year 2: 

As we have not had the opportunity to practise our lashes in quite a long time due to Covid, lash training was a much needed activity for us to revise our lashes and brush up on our skills. Lash training with sticks and lash training with 木 is quite different due to the size difference. For certain lashes like square lash and diagonal lash, using sticks felt easier as we could turn the whole thing around the string. This allowed us to constantly hold the string tight while doing the lash, instead of having to hold the 绳, move it around and 抽 again. However, on lashes such as A-架 and tripod lash, using 木 felt easier as we are able to hold the 木 steady. Whereas with the sticks, it was difficult to 靠 them against anything and they had the tendency to overlap each other. An issue many faced is that as we are used to 抽-ing very tightly with 白绳, we naturally used similar strength on the string. However this resulted in many strings breaking, wasting a lot of time to restart the lash. To avoid this, our lashes were not as tight as they should be. Time wise, having one minute added on to the standard timing was very necessary as many faced difficulties with the clove hitch and half hitch that would not occur with 白绳. As the string was thin and flimsy, it was challenging to thread it under itself, causing us to waste a lot of time on the hitches. Overall, while we faced a few difficulties, we still appreciate the opportunity to revisit our basic lashes.

2. Gadgeting (Modified Shoe Rack): 

For this activity, the juniors were shown a picture of the modified shoe rack and they proceeded to tie the shoe rack based on what they had seen. This activity aims to help our juniors recap on their lashes where they can apply the various lashes to a structure.  

Reflection from a Year 1: 

I feel that the 集合 that we attended was fun, interesting but slightly challenging. It was quite difficult doing mini Gadgeting as the satay sticks are quite thin and the strings are really narrow. There was an incident when my string broke when I 抽 too hard. I also had a hard time tying the lashes and knots. My structures were quite loose and most kept falling especially the A-架 and tripod. However, I did manage to revise all my knots and lashes. I learnt the importance to 抽 tighter and 收鸟绳. By doing so, my structure will be more firm and secure. I also had a lot of fun doing it as it was a new experience for me. Honestly, I would rather tie the knots and lashes physically on the 木 in school as it is easier to tie. Hence, overall, I feel that I had a whale of a time in revising for my knots and lashes.

Reflection from a Year 2:

The shoe rack activity that we did during online 集合 was a new and interesting experience as we have never built standard structures fully on our own during online CCA. This time, instead of the standard shoe rack structure, we built one that was slightly modified which seemed easier. Despite this, the challenge of the activity was using Satay sticks to build the structure instead of Gadgeting poles. For instance, we have not tied a quadpod on the Satay sticks before, and tying a shoe rack is a great opportunity to practice my quadpod lash. However, one of the difficulties we faced on our own part include tying 顶角 on the structure without being able to 顶 the bottom. The sticks were extremely flimsy and every time I tried to tie the 顶角, the whole quadpod would move. Thus, this problem had to be overcome by improvising. We needed to gauge the end length of the mini-gadget poles to ensure all sides of the structure form a neat square. Although most of us were unable to finish the structure during the allocated time, the sense of satisfaction when we completed the structure after 集合 on our own was undeniable. We also learnt the value of improvisation and adaptability, as mini-gadgeting during online 集合 can be very different and unfamiliar. For example, we needed to adapt to using sticks and string instead of normal 木 and 白绳. Nevertheless, this experience was memorable and we feel that this is a form of activity that could be carried out in 集合s that we plan in the future. 

3. Station Games: 

(a) Gartic Phone:

For the station, the juniors were given a prompt to describe some of the activities they had participated in during their guiding journey and they will have to draw it out.

Reflection from a Year 2: 

I enjoyed the Gartic Phone station game very much, as it gave me the opportunity to be more creative such as coming up with the phrase and also drawing out the phrase that is given to me. I find it very interesting how the drawings of my patrol mates can vary a lot even though given the same phrase. The Gartic Phone was my favourite station as it was the most hilarious, watching the replay after the entire game was finished. It was very funny because some of my patrol mates interpreted the drawing as a totally different thing, so the subsequent guesses and drawings were totally different from the original phrase given. Some drawings were also very hilarious, as the drawing was a bit more cartoonized with some humor added to it. It was very fun to try and guess the phrase from the drawings, and the feeling when you realise you guessed correctly is very satisfying. I feel that this station game was a great way to get to know my patrol mates better, through viewing the replay of how each player interpreted the drawings differently and we were all extremely engaged in the game. Although it was a new experience for me, as we never played Gartic Phone before, it was quite simple and not difficult to be able to play the game well. I am grateful that we were given this opportunity to bond with our patrol mates in a fun and relaxing way after many months of not seeing each other. I hope to be able to play the Gartic Phone game again in future online station games or Patrol Activity as it was a very fun, enjoyable and fruitful experience.

(b) Knowledge Quiz: 

For this station, the juniors were posed a series of questions related to Guides and they proceeded to discuss as a patrol and derive an answer. 

Reflection from a Year 2: 

During our CCA session on Tuesday, we played station games. At station 2, we did a knowledge quiz where we were tested on our guides' knowledge and basic things we needed to know such as the Guide Promise and the Guide Laws. We were also tested on survival skills and first aid knowledge. As a senior alongside the other year 2s, I was responsible for leading the year 1s who might be unsure of answering the questions. Hence, I answered some of the questions myself so as to encourage the year 1s to also follow and answer the questions. This station game tested us on our basic Guides knowledge, so that we could revise it as we might have forgotten most of the Guides knowledge due to Covid and thus not having frequent CCA sessions. Hence, we were given an opportunity to revise and recall some of the important things we have to take note of as Guides. However, during the knowledge quiz, I realised that there were some questions that I was unsure of myself, which means that I did not revise the Guides notes enough and was not very familiarised with some of the survival skills and first aid knowledge. Hence I will try to read the Guides notes more often so as to revise my knowledge and be more familiar with the different skills so that if another knowledge quiz were to happen I would be able to answer most of the questions tested.

 

(c) Skribblio: 

For this station, the juniors participated in a game of Skribbl.io. During the game, they were given one word related to guides and drew it out for other patrol members to guess.

Reflection from a Year 2:   

During the 集合 on Tuesday, we played station games and one of the games was playing Skribbl.io in our respective patrols. We each took turns to draw out different Guides-related items, such as 白绳, an A-架, a tripod and the Guides 全制. We would then have to type out what we think that drawing is related to, allowing us to earn individual points along the way. This station game allows us to recap on our Guides knowledge, as well as some names of the common logistics and structures used in Guides. Since there is a wide array of logistics that we use during Guides, some of us might not be able to remember all of the logistics and structures, so this activity can help us recall the basic Guides knowledge that are  crucial during our Guides journey. Moreover, during the station game, some of my patrol mates might not be able to figure out what the drawing is about, so each of us would drop small clues so that most of us could guess the drawings correctly. In conclusion, I hope that there are more of such station games in future 集合s as this station game also allowed us to communicate better with one another. I look forward to similar activities with my patrol mates in the future. 

We hope that everyone managed to recap some Guides knowledge and had fun playing Station Games! 

Published by:

Pok Jing 

53届 Secretary

Annual Training Camp Preparations, 5 November 2021

Hi Guides! 

We finally had an online 集合 after a long time. For this week's 集合, we had ATC Pre-Camp lecture, 礼节 briefing and escape room activity. 

The Theme for ATC’21 was Expecto Patronum: Veni, Vedi, Vici

 

Here is the overall storyline:  In the Wizarding World, dementors have started hunting down and harming innocent people, causing much chaos. Legend says that there is a powerful spell able to conjure up a special patronus, a magical shield that is able to banish these dementors. This spell was written on a scroll, however, no one knows where exactly it is located at. All of you, as members of Dumbledore's Army, have been tasked to search for this scroll that consists of the spell and to perform the spell in order to save the Wizarding World.

In ATC’21, the meaning behind our theme is that one needs to keep a positive outlook in the face of adversity in order to overcome challenges. The dementors are a metaphor for the difficulties they might face along the way, while the charm represents qualities such as perseverance and optimism which are vital in helping one overcome stumbling blocks. Despite ATC being carried out online this year, we hope that our juniors are able to have an open mindset, and learn from this valuable experience. In this year’s ATC, we aim to guide our juniors to show the best of their abilities, allowing them to bond together and learn to work well as a 团. Only through being united as a patrol, batch, and even as a 团, will our juniors  be able to overcome the obstacles that they might face during ATC’21 and achieve their own goals.

 

1. Pre-Camp Lecture

Before ATC’21 itself, our juniors attended a Pre-Camp Lecture conducted by the counsellors today. They were introduced to their new ATC patrol members and were also briefed on what to include in proposals. Lastly, through the lecture, they had an opportunity to recap the basics of pioneering, such as the functions of diagonals to stabilize the structure. 

Reflection from a Year 2:

The ATC briefing was very informative and I managed to understand what we were going to do during ATC. I think that this ATC will probably be very different from my first ATC as it focuses less on hard skills and more on soft skills. This will be a good chance to brush up on my soft skills such as communication and teamwork. In addition, we have to leave our original patrols and get used to our new patrols. I was rather surprised with this new measure after going through one ATC without having to switch patrols. Even though it might be very awkward at the start, I think that this is a good opportunity to bond with everyone and learn more about others. It will also be a good opportunity to take the initiative and speak up so that the atmosphere will be less awkward and we can work better with one another. In addition, we also have to come up with our own pioneering structures. It is a new experience for me, even though I had some experience of coming up with my own structure during creative gadgeting. I am rather excited but also worried about it. However, despite failure or success, I think that this will help when I become 领导层 and will thus treasure this chance. Overall, I think there have been many surprises for this year’s ATC as well as it being the first ever virtual one. I look forward to this year’s ATC and will make the most of it by displaying all the guides' knowledge I have learnt thus far.

 

Reflection from a Year 1:

I think that the ATC briefing was very interesting, and it is the first time us guides have gathered together for a long time, due to the Covid-19 situation. It was a chance for us to bond with each other through Guides related activities. I think that the activities were very relevant, and it helped me revise Guides knowledge. The slides were clear on what we had to do, and I was glad that I paid attention, since the slides contained all the relevant information on our ATC activities. However, I think I could have prepared more, and came to the meeting earlier, since we should all arrive at the Zoom session five minutes early. I was also quite excited to wear the Guides uniform, but I had some missing badges, since I did not complete my badgework. In future, I should complete all of my badgework and turn them in. I should also have contributed more in the discussion for ATC, and not be so passive and wait for others to give their ideas. I think I did well by answering some of the questions, but I could do better. I should revise my Guides knowledge and learn what I had to do better at. I should also rely less on my batchmate for group work, and cooperate with her and the rest of the patrol, to make things easier for my seniors. I still have a lot of room for improvement, and I am grateful to my seniors for helping me. The other guides participated actively in the discussions, and it encouraged me to answer at least a few questions. I felt thankful to my seniors for spending time to plan activities for us, and how everyone helps and encourages each other in our CCA.

 

2. 礼节 briefing 

Next, through a slides presentation, our juniors revised some of the basic 礼节 which a Guide should follow. The Year 1s and Year 2s learnt more on the Guides Sign as well as what is standard attire and ABCDEO.

Reflection from a Year 2:

5th November's 集合 was  quite informative compared to past 集合s because it was more of a lecture of some etiquette that we have to follow in Guides. This lecture has brought me to realise that as a Guide, we have to uphold many values and also take our attire very seriously. During the lecture, the seniors covered some basic things that a Guide should take note of, for example standard attire, and when to 敬礼.  I found the lecture to be quite educational, because it taught me more about some rules in Guides that are usually not explained very clearly, such as ABCDEO. This lecture made sure that I could have a better understanding of those rules and understand why these rules were put in place. For example, ABCDEO was derived as we as juniors should treat our seniors with utmost respect as they had put in a lot of time and effort to plan educational, fun activities for us to participate in. Lastly, I feel that some of these values and practices are also valued in real-life. For instance, we should always try to be punctual no matter where we go. Next, respect is also a key value in which we uphold. In Guides, we often respect our seniors and appreciate the hard work they have put into planning a CCA session for us. Respect is indeed a mutual thing where both the seniors and juniors have to respect each other. In conclusion, the 礼节 briefing was very enlightening and I understood the value of being respectful and punctual. 

 

Reflection from a Year 1:

At Friday’s 集合, the seniors gave us a lecture about etiquette, general knowledge about Guides, a recap on the different knots and lashes and many more. I was able to quickly assimilate the content they shared as the slides were concise and neat. Moreover, this lecture also emphasized the importance of etiquette in Guides, and how highly the value of respect was viewed. This resonated with me as good and proper etiquette is an essential trait to have, and I am glad that I was able to learn more about that through the lecture. To have good etiquette, one must treat their seniors with respect, seeing as how they work hard to prepare for each 集合. Secondly, a Guide should not be late, and has to be at least 5 minutes early for each 集合. Punctuality is also another virtue that one should have, and being in Guides has allowed me to cultivate this better. Attire is also another thing of great importance in Guides. For example, a Guide should not have overly long fingernails, messy hair, a ruffled guide uniform etc. Though there are quite some things to note in terms of attire, especially for the Guides uniform which I wore for the first time today, I feel that being in Guides has made me pay much more attention to my personal attire and appearance. Looking neat and tidy at all times will also leave a good impression on others as compared to an unkempt appearance. Overall, this 集合 was a very valuable one, as not only did I learn more about Guides and the values it encompasses, but I also got to try on my Guides uniform, which was a very fun and memorable experience.

 

3. Escape Room 

Lastly, for today's 集合 , we played a game of Escape Room. This activity aims to help our juniors revise some of our Guides tradition, the items found in our 团部, as well as some marching commands.

Reflection from a Year 2:

During 集合 last Friday, there was an Escape Room activity where we had to cooperate to answer questions related to Guides in order to find a code to ‘escape’ the virtual Escape Room. This activity allowed us to recap on some of our Guides knowledge, especially when we have not had any 集合s for quite a while. We had to work with our patrol mates and communicate with them in order to figure out the right answer for each question. Even though this activity was played virtually, we still actively participated in the activity, gaining a deeper understanding of some of the information that can be found in our Guides notes. Some of the concepts we had to recall include survival skills and the Guides Handshake. I believe that this Escape Room Activity was very meaningful as it allowed everyone to bond as a patrol as well as learn to communicate better with one another. For instance, some of us may not be too familiar with certain Guides concepts, but after this activity, we could definitely recall these concepts better. In my opinion, the Escape Room was an interesting interactive activity since it allowed me to clarify some of my doubts during the activity with my patrol mates. Thus, this activity was beneficial to us Year 1s and Year 2s and helped us recap on our Guides knowledge. My patrol mates and I managed to work well with one another during the activity and I do look forward to similar activities in the future. 

Reflection from a Year 1:

Last Friday, we played the escape room. We found it very fun as through the activity we were able to bond with each other and our patrol mates. It was very enriching as we learnt many new things about Guides. We were also able to use our knowledge on Guides to win the game which was very fulfilling. We all feel that we should play more Escape Room games, as it allowed us to bond and also allowed us to learn new things about Guides so that next time when our juniors join us, we will be able to answer any questions that they ask us so that we will be able to pass down the knowledge to our juniors. The year 2 seniors were also able to answer the many questions that we could not answer. They could easily answer the questions and thus we strive to be able to be like them next year. We also feel that the Escape Room was a creative idea as we had to answer the questions correctly to be able to escape and thus it motivated us to get all the correct answers so that we could escape. In conclusion, we enjoyed the experience of playing escape room with our patrol and although we are not able to meet physically, we were still able to learn a lot from the 集合 and thus were able to expand our knowledge on Guides as a CCA and also as a family.

 

We hope y'all enjoyed today’s 集合 and we will look forward to the start of ATC’21!

 

Published by:

Pok Jing  

53届 Secretary

WAGGS Activity, 13 August 2021

 Hello Guides!

For this week's 集合, we did a World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) Activity! Due to the pandemic, this week’s 集合 was held online. The Year 3s completed a WAGGGS Activity and worked on earning 1 badge.

 

In support of the Singapore athletes who will be participating in the upcoming Olympics from 23 July to 8 August 2021, the Year 3s took part in the WAGGGS Olympia Badge. They had to complete 8 activities from the 3 activity types, which are Stadium(Body), Temple(Mind) and Theatre(Cultural) Below are the tasks that they completed.

 

Section 1: Sitting Volleyball

To play the game, each Year 3 would need to have a ball. Then, everyone should be at least 5 steps away from their screens while unmuted. Next, the first player will need to hit the ball up using your hands while moving closer to the screen. Once she reaches the screen, she should call out the name of the next player, who will now bounce the ball.

 

Reflection from a Year 3: (300 words)

One of the activities that I participated in during the WAGGGS activity was Sitting Volleyball. This activity was conducted online, and it required us to hit a volleyball three times before calling out the name of another person within our group to continue. We even had a mini competition with other groups, where the group with the fastest average timing would win. Although this activity was done online, I still thoroughly enjoyed it and felt that it was as meaningful as any other physical CCA session. During the time we were given to practice, we had to cooperate with one another so as to come up with the order of which we hit the ball during the activity. We originally had trouble doing so as none of us wanted to initiate the discussion. However, we soon stepped out of our comfort zones to engage in a discussion after someone stepped up to start and lead the discussion. This enabled us to successfully decide on how to go about carrying out the activity. From this, I learnt the importance of stepping up to lead others, be it in a discussion or in any other activity. The game also gave us an opportunity to bond since we do not often have the chance to sit down to have discussions or to engage in exciting games. Furthermore, I learnt that this activity was incorporated into the WAGGGS program as it represents the holistic development of the body. I feel that this activity has heightened our appreciation for ourselves, through developing the body and practicing sports such as Volleyball. This has thus, allowed me to understand more about the focuses of the WAGGGS program. In a nutshell, I enjoyed this activity as it has served as an opportunity for me to learn more about the WAGGGS program and the Olympic games as well as to work together with my batchmates.

 

Reflection from another Year 3:

As part of the WAGGGS Olympia Badge Journey, we have done the “Sitting Volleyball '' activity which is under the category of stadium (body). Through a Zoom meeting, our batch had to take turns to bounce the ball in the air before calling out the next person’s name. We did this in groups, and had a mini competition between each group at the end of the session. I think that this activity was very fun and tested the cooperation and chemistry we had between our batch. Even though we only had to bounce a paper ball in the air, I think that most of us found it challenging to do so without dropping it. In addition to that, it was also not easy for us to ensure a smooth transition between each player as some of us had faced technical issues. With it being so complicated at such a low level of play, I could only imagine how difficult it is for the sitting volleyball  Paralympian. It is definitely very strenuous and demanding for these athletes. Not only do they have to be agile to move around a large area in a short span of time, they also have to possess good communication skills in order for the team to win. After this activity, I feel very amazed by these athletes for their extraordinary skills and grit they have to get to play on the world stage. At first, I thought that it would be relatively easy to play sitting volleyball as there is not much movement involved, but after this activity I realized that it was not the case. Something that may be seemingly easy for us to do may not be the case, even more so for people with disabilities. This activity has taught me the importance of being understanding and gracious to those who may be different from us.

 

 

Section 2:Award your friend, award yourself

Each Year 3 was tasked to design a crown with online software such as Canva and Powerpoint, to uphold the spirit of awarding athletes at the Olympics with crowns made of olive branches. After that, they were tasked to send a note of appreciation to their batchmates through email, and also write an appreciation note to themselves.

 

Reflection from a Year 3: (300 words) 

For Friday’s online 集合, we did a batch activity to support our Olympic athletes. It has been quite a while since For one section, under the temple, which represents the mind, we were tasked to award one of our batchmates as well as ourselves. The temple represents the spiritual dimension of our existence, the development of our mind and the acceptance of other people’s minds and ideas. This activity, Award your friend, award yourself, is related to the spirit of the Olympic games and their history, values and symbols. It is an Olympic tradition to give crowns made of olive leaves to the winners. I found it quite interesting as even though we do not have the opportunity to participate in the Olympics and physically receive a crown, we still could carry out this tradition among ourselves on online platforms such as Padlet.  I feel that this activity was very meaningful as we get to unleash our creativity by designing a unique crown for our friend. Though giving a crown or writing a message online is not as sincere as in person, I still think that this was a great opportunity to support our fellow batchmates and ourselves. I feel that since our batch has never initiated to write appreciation letters to each other, this would be the golden opportunity for us to pen our thoughts down, and provide moral support for one another. Seeing so many designs being uploaded on a Padlet made me feel very heartened as I realized that our batch is quite bonded, and some people even took the initiative to make crowns for more than one person. During this activity, I reflected on my actions and the values I upheld throughout the year, and noted down my strengths and weaknesses. I made a crown for my friend using Canva, an online website that has pre-made stickers and templates. Some of my other batchmates even went the further mile by drawing their own crowns. It is awe-striking to see such beautiful art pieces made for one another with love. 

 

Reflection from another Year 3:

On Friday 13 August, we had CCA as a batch. Of all the activities conducted during the session, the most memorable activity would be ¨award your friend, award yourself¨. The instructions given to us was to design a crown for our friend, write a letter to them, and write a letter to ourselves before uploading it to the Padlet created. Initially, I was unsure of what I should do because we do not usually express gratitude to our friends in this manner. Therefore, I took some time to think and reflect on the past years I have spent with them. At that moment, I realized that I had a lot to write about, and I was very thankful to be able to work with them. We have come very far from when we first joined the CCA. We have worked with one another almost every week for the past years, gone through thick and thin together, and forged beautiful memories as a batch. It seems as if we have taken each other's presence for granted. As I had more than enough time, I decided to design more crowns based on my friends´ personalities. The activity has allowed us to foster a closer bond with each other. At the end of the activity, we all took some time to look through the Padlet, and it was very heartwarming to see all the positive notes of encouragement. This activity has provided all of us with an opportunity to affirm our friends, and show our gratitude towards them. We rarely show our appreciation to anyone, especially in the form of a letter and drawing. Hence, I found this particular activity extremely meaningful. If given a chance where there is more time, I would definitely choose to write an encouraging note to every Guide in my batch.

 

 

Section 3: Making a “Kimono”: 

Lastly, the Year 3s were tasked to make a ¨Kimono¨. The Year 3s would require pieces of Origami paper and follow certain steps to make their own Kimono. The Kimono is the dress that represents the spirit of the Japanese people who care and cherish everything in daily life.

 

Reflection from a Year 3: (300 words) 

Today during online 集合, we did a WAGGGS activity and one of the tasks we had to complete was making a kimono out of pieces of origami paper. This activity is part of the theatre segment, which aims to represent the balanced development of our soul, and our cultural and emotional self respect and tolerance. The kimono is the Japanese traditional clothing, and is a major part of their culture. I was very grateful to have a chance to try out this activity, as I do not have much experience with Japanese traditional culture and it was a great way to learn more about the culture of the Olympics host country. I also find it interesting that we could make our own kimono out of paper, which is readily available to us. Through this activity, we learnt to appreciate the culture of other countries from the comfort of our own homes. It was also a great batch bonding session as we all folded the kimono together at the same time, despite the session being held online and we were not physically together. The kimono was not very easy to fold, and there were many steps to follow. However I did not give up even though I failed to keep up with the steps on the first try. However, I managed to get it on the second try and I felt quite rewarded and happy. I am very thankful for the In-Charge of this activity, for guiding us through and demonstrating the steps to us, as some parts of the instructions were a little unclear. After seeing many of my batchmates also succeeding in their Kimono, I felt heartened to see everyone keeping calm and managed to follow the instructions until the end to get a beautiful origami Kimono. In total, I feel that this activity was very meaningful and I enjoyed folding the Kimono online with my batchmates. 

 

Reflection from another Year 3: (300 words)

For this activity, as a batch, we listened to the IC’s instructions and folded a kimono each. In general, I felt that making my own kimono was a rather interesting experience. Since this WAGGGS 集合 is held online, we are unable to carry out this activity face to face with our batch. Hence, no physical guidance or help was able to be provided and other than the instructions and demonstration given, we had to work on our own. As someone who rarely does origami, I managed to fold a product without any additional guidance. For this, I feel rather satisfied. I personally feel that the folding of this kimono was of a suitable difficulty for everyone. It was not too easy to an extent that it was boring, but at the same time not too hard to the extent that we had difficulties completing it. Although we were all working at different paces, in the end everyone still managed to complete their own kimonos and we took a nice batch photo with our completed product. Looking at my kimono, I felt that although it is a simple origami product, it turned out really nice and cute. Based on my knowledge, I know that kimono is a traditional Japanese attire that is worn on special occasions in Japan. This simple origami activity allowed us to explore other country’s culture which also is linked to the Olympia badge since in the Olympics, Singapore gets the chance to interact and compete with other countries. Even though we may not be physically with each other, this activity contributed to bonding our batch since everyone was working on the same task. Seeing each other folding our individual kimonos through the screen was definitely a fun experience and I am glad to learn a new thing, how to fold a kimono, through this activity.

We hope that everyone has enjoyed themselves and learnt something during this week's 集合!

Published by:

Pok Jing

53届 Secretary