Skills Training, 12 August 2024

Hi Guides!

Today the Year 3s did WAGGGS and Year 1s and 2s did Badgework. 

Reflection from a Year 3 in P3 on Fishbowl Activity:

The fishbowl activity went like this: six people sat in a circle while the rest sat around the outside, listening. At any time, observers could jump in by touching a guide's shoulder and swapping places. The 'fishbowl' debated on a provided topic related to healthy food choices and personal nutrition. The 'fishbowl' discussed the topic for five minutes. During this time, each observer has one opportunity to jump into the conversation. In the first round, I was in the circle. I was hit by that mind-fog of being put on the spot, for our debate topic had been a little odd; it was a question, that since 70% of the human body was made out of water, what did the body use all the water for? We bounced from metabolic processes to waste clearing systems, and even talked about internal cell movements (cytoplasmic activity); it was then that the biology students including myself took over the conversation, and it became increasingly less like a debate and more of a brainstorm. People were tapped in and out so quickly that before the 5 minutes were up we had all been inside the fishbowl at least once. It was a new experience for the first round of this activity and we all thought it was fun and interesting. The second round was more engaging. Having gotten a better feel of how the activity should go, we talked more fluidly and the conversation flowed. The second topic was on the necessity of regular checkups, and so we debated on the effectiveness and need for such policies, weighing between regular basic checkups and major healthcare coverage - which to subsidise? Overall it was a very enjoyable, insightful activity. Besides learning more about the different topics, I also gained a new level of insight into my batchmates' beliefs; I would like to do it again, on topics that we were more familiar with and interested in.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P1 on Guess the Food Activity:

During the Guess the Food Activity, we first had to make a list of the ingredients present in our favourite dishes, before taking turns to read them out for others to guess the dish. The objective of this was to make us more conscious of what we consume on a regular basis, allowing us to determine the healthiness of such decisions. We were all able to guess each others’ favourite foods quite easily, and realised all of them included quite high amounts of table salt. Later on, we were taught about the importance of a balanced diet and good nutrition to keep our bodies working well, with a strong immune system. On top of this, we found out that eating a variety of foods is also important, and we should avoid eating the same dishes everyday. An abundance of varied vegetables and fruits is required for a balanced meal, and we noticed a lack of this in some of the foods we had listed. For example, chicken rice usually only contains a meager portion of cucumber slices, which contributes inadequately to a healthy and balanced diet. The high amounts of sodium in many of the dishes we brought up is also a cause for concern, for instance in French fries, known to be very salty. Apart from this, we should always make sure we drink lots of water every day. The consequences of not having good nutrition, which requires us to have 3 balanced meals daily, were also brought to our attention. If we do not receive the nutrients our bodies need, we may get tired and sick easily, possibly suffering from malnutrition. Hence, from the Guess the Food Activity, we were made more aware of whether our current food choices are healthy, and what we should do to improve our nutrition. Overall, it was a very educational and helpful activity.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P4 on Serious Scenarios Activity:

During our batch’s first WAGGGS activity as leaders, we participated in a series of activities centered around the critical issue of malnutrition among girls in countries such as Madagascar, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Tanzania. One of the most impactful activities was the “Serious Scenarios” exercise, where we were tasked with exploring the severe consequences of malnutrition and some of the side effects that come along with this pervasive issue. In this exercise, each group was provided with a scenario to act out, designed to illustrate the real-life challenges faced by girls growing up in malnourished conditions. My group was given a scenario that revolved around a young girl who had grown up malnourished. When she became a mother, her child was born with a weak immune system and iron deficiency. Initially, the scenario appeared somewhat amusing to us, but as we delved into it and began to rehearse our roles, the gravity of the situation became strikingly clear. We were confronted with the harsh reality that many girls around the world face, especially in underdeveloped regions. Through this activity, we learned that iron deficiency, a common issue in malnourished populations, is caused by a lack of essential foods like fish, eggs, and whole grains—foods that are often inaccessible to children in these low-income countries. As a result, these children grow up with severe developmental challenges, both physically and mentally. Moreover, we realised that these issues are compounded by a lack of education. Many of these girls are unaware of the implications of pregnancy and childbirth, leading them to become mothers when they are not fully prepared to support a child. This cycle of malnutrition and poverty continues, perpetuating the struggles faced by these communities. The five minutes we spent assigning roles, discussing how best to portray the scene, and rehearsing it were enlightening. It deepened our understanding of the complexities surrounding malnutrition and the urgent need for global action to address these challenges.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P5 on Family Menu Activity: 

The Family Menu Activity really made me understand the importance of planning a balanced and healthy meal. We split up into 3 groups, with about 4 members each. Through this activity, we had to ensure that we keep to the requirements while planning for a family's 3 meals for a whole week. At first, it had to be just a healthy, tasty yet affordable meal. We had many ideas, starting off with a good Granola Breakfast to a Salad for dinner, but we slowly ran out of ideas as we wanted to give this family we were planning for an interesting and personalised touch to every single meal. We were in a dilemma to balance out the cost of each meals across the day so that relatively more expensive meals are paired up with relatively cheaper ones in the same day, to make it affordable. However, we could not put any cheap meals like Instant Noodles as it is neither nutritious nor healthy. Thus, to strike a balance between affordability, healthy and tasty was what made this activity so thought-provoking and immersive. We realised that it was a difficult task and understood the importance of planning the week's meals out, especially for lower-income households that have to watch their expense while still wanting to provide a healthy and tasty meals for their loved ones. While we almost completed the week's meal plans, we were suddenly interrupted by our ICs - We now had to include iron-rich food as there is a teenage girl in the family! This made the activity even more complicated as we were not as familiar with what nutrients were in different kinds of food, except the bigger categories such as poultry, fish, vegetables, grains, dairy and fruits. Thus, we had to request for some help from people who are more well-versed on this aspect and they told us that iron-rich food included strawberries, watermelon for fruits, whole meal breads for grain, tofu and beans, eggs, chicken and pork for poultry, and spinach and sweet potatoes for vegetables. We then realised that many of these food were already in our planned meals before the side quest so we were glad to add on even more iron-rich food. We then completed the task well with a "Great Job" from our ICs. We are now pleased to say we are ready to plan affordable, healthy and tasty meals for our families.

Reflection from a Year 1 in P6:

On Monday, we had a 集合 where we did badgework. The seniors told us to bring some foolscap paper and recyclable materials for the activity. We quickly assembled for the  集合 and the seniors gave us instructions to go to the 1L classroom to start our badgework. We were all instructed to start the badgework by drawing. We were all supposed to draw still life, a Girl Guides friend or batchmate and our patrol flower, which in this case is a Morning Glory. After about half an hour, we were done with our drawings, the seniors instructed us to write a letter to a teacher or important person to persuade them to talk at a 集合. We were then instructed to build three useful items with at least one knot, or one braid and so on. We had to include a braid or a knot as it is linked to Girl Guides. Through this activity, we learnt to think out of the box and be creative as there are countless possibilities for the structure that we were going to build. I learnt that we each have our own sense of creativity and unique ideas. Everyones’ ideas and finished products were all very interesting. Some of us had built weaved baskets by folding pieces of paper into thin strips and others had baskets with braided handles. I made a Chapteh themed toy made up of a top of a can and also ripped some paper into thin strips and twisted them around to make the “feather” on a Chapteh. I had so much fun and I am sure my batchmates did too!

Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:

The Year 1s and Year 2s were tasked with completing badgework that consist of artistry and writing skills. Before the day of badgework, we were required to prepare recyclable materials and four foolscap papers, as well as essential items for arts and crafts like scissors and glues. The badgework was very fun as it consists of several options one can choose from to draw and write or create. It really gave us an opportunity to put our critical thinking and innovation into action. Firstly, we were given options ranging from drawing still life, your very own patrol flower, a portrait, a creative drawing, and a scenic landscape. Secondly, we were asked to write a formal letter, an essay or a poetry. Last but not least, we must create a usable or ornamental objects using the recyclable materials we possess. Various people have different strengths and abilities and the diversity of options was great to showcase hidden talents of our patrol mates. We were given a limited amount of time to complete all the tasks. At first, we took a long time deciding on which to work on, which is rather time-consuming and unproductive. Thus, we soon realised the time strain and quick work on deciding. We drew our patrol flower, the orchid together and had a whale of time coaching each other to draw various things. Though the subsequent projects are different, we worked together as a patrol and helped each other when in need. One of the Year 1s had difficulty weaving a basket, as one of the task include weaving out of items we brought. It uses our problem-solving skills as we searched for alternative material or methods to best support the criterias as well as take the limited time into considered. Since there was only paper available for weaving, the Year 2s taught the Year 1s how to weave properly, simultaneously working on their own projects. After the badgework, we showcased our works to one another during patrol corner and we all found the designs interesting. The badgework helped us to understand the importance of time management, coordination and problem solving skills which will last with us forever in our Guiding journey. 

Hope that everyone had fun during this 集合 although the batches were split. We definitely had a good time learning new facts on Girl Powered Nutrition, the theme for WAGGGS, as well as having fun attaining badges through our creativity!

Published by:
Chan Zi Xuan
56th 届 Secretary

Skills Training, 19 July 2024

 Hi Guides! Today we had Inspection and First Aid crash course! 

Reflection by a Year 1 in P4 on Inspection:

On 19 July 2024, we had our second inspection of the year. To be very honest, it was not as scary as the first time we had inspection when it was very unexpected and everything was hectic and messy. We were more prepared after knowing how the procedures were and I felt that the seniors were more inclusive this time compared to the previous one. This was our first time that we had inspection without our Year 3 seniors which felt slightly different because they were there to help us organise and do most of the things. Therefore, there was a bit more stress because we had lesser members in the patrol there to help us and that we were missing our poncho which were were supposed to have. We were given 2 minutes to do one round of Inpection, however, we 过时-ed by 5 minutes, which meant that we had to work much harder and faster. After the first round of inspection, our Year 3 seniors told us that our poncho was not spread out enough and we also took longer than the average timing, which was 3 minutes for inspection, which was a bit of disappointment. Our flagpole and a few more things got kapped and we were told that we should 照顾好人, 照顾好东西 more. In the second round, we still forgot to open the poncho up and therefore still did not have enough space for all the things. Although we still didn't finish our layout, we improved on our sense of urgency and did not 过时 this time as we 报时more during this round. During debrief in patrols, we got reminded again to open up to poncho and put our patrol label faced up for easier recognition. In the third round, we spread out the poncho more so that there was enough space for all the equipment such as the First Aid Kit and the groundsheet. We also made sure to compact with the patrols’ set up towards the ICs and checked with the other patrols how the layout was like to make sure that our layout was correct. We took less time, which was great and we were compliment by our seniors for working more efficiently and effectively. All in all, we improved much on our sense of urgency and teamwork in the patrol. 

Reflection by a Year 1 in P2 on Inspection:

During the first round of inspection, we did not 照顾好人，照顾好东西 , thus a lot of our logistics and manpower got kap and we also failed to realise our kap logistics and manpower even after a long time. It was also very stressful as we only had a short amount of time to arrange our logistics and communicate with our IC. The communication with the IC was also not planned out very well. We also failed to check our arrangement with P1 which was next to us. Thus our arrangement of logistics was very different. We also did not strategise in the allocation of manpower as us Year 1s did not know what to do thus were zuo bos. Our flag pole set also 动地 when it should not be. In the second round of inspection, we also did not take care of our logistics thus some of our logistics were kap again. The communication between the IC and the 团 did not improve too. In the last round of inspection, we improved and we had better communication with the ICs and also took better care of our logistics and there were lesser zuo bos. Although our arrangement of 配备 was not perfect, but we learnt a lot from it.

Reflection by a Year 2 in P1 on Inspection:

Last 集合, we had Inspection. I personally had not done Inspection in a very long time and since we had to do it without our Year 3 seniors, it made me worried. For the first round of Inspection, I was unexpectedly IC and had to shout out the positions of all the items for the other Patrols to check for the correct logistics. The other IC and I did not standardise what we were going to say very well which resulted in us mixing up our words and it sounded confusing. We were also not loud enough and the Guides had to keep asking us to repeat. At the start, we were moving very slowly and had to continuously ask for time extensions, and had many logistics getting Kap by the Year 3s We had to be called back to 集合 again and again as we kept hitting the time limit without finishing the Inspection. After repeating Inspection a few times, we were able to get faster each time and less logistics got Kap. All of us became more alert about how much time we were given, we needed to be aware of all our logistics and that we needed to move fast. Overall, I think that I could have done better when I was an IC by shouting out the positions louder, faster and repeating when needed. When I was doing Inspection with my Patrol, I should move faster and try to involve my juniors as well as they are more unfamiliar with the logistics. I should also have a better sense of urgency and 报时 more to keep track of time.

Reflection by a Year 1 in P6 on First Aid:

Taking part in the Girl Guides' first aid activity was such an eye-opener for all of us. It wasn't just about learning stuff,it was about facing the fact that emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere. Handling fractures and practising how to bandage someone up gave us a real sense of responsibility. It was like, "Whoa, I could actually help someone if they got hurt." Feeling the weight of the materials and seeing how they could stabilise an injury was intense. The role-playing scenarios were where things got really real. We had to think fast, figure out what to do, and jump into action. It was nerve-wrecking but also kind of thrilling to see how staying calm and knowing what to do could be a game-changer in an emergency. What made the whole experience even better was how it brought us together as a group. We were there cheering each other on, laughing at our mistakes, and celebrating when someone nailed it. It made us feel tight-knit and ready to tackle anything together. Looking back, it wasn't just about learning first aid skills. It was about gaining confidence in ourselves and knowing we could step up if someone needed our help. It was about being prepared and feeling like we could really make a difference in someone's life. Overall, the first aid activity with the Girl Guides was a hands-on, eye-opening adventure that taught us way more than just how to put on a bandage. It showed us the power of teamwork, resilience, and being there for each other when it counts.

Reflection by a Year 2 in P1 on First Aid:

During last 集合, we did First Aid on two of our Year 3 seniors. They sustained injuries like a broken arm, a twisted ankle. One of them had also hurt their head. The objective of this activity was to find out how they hurt themselves and proceed with the First Aid. We were tasked to bandage up the areas that were hurt according to the information in the Guides Notes. We successfully bandaged up the hurt areas according to pictures they showed us as clues, as we had not revised our Guides Notes beforehand. We managed to bandage up fairly well just by following the photos, and had fun in the process. Some areas of improvement were that we should have familiarised ourselves with the First Aid notes in order to be more clear on what to do when we encounter someone having an injury. We were also unsure of how to bandage up the wounds correctly and some ended up being too loose just by the photo references. I think that overall we did great but it would have been better if the bandaging was properly done. Through this Guides session, I learnt a lot more about first aid and the different methods of bandaging when facing specific types of wounds, and we need to revise our Guides Notes.

We hope this was a fun filled and fulfilling session for all of us!

Skills Training, 12 July 2024

 Hello Guides! Today was our Skills Training.

Reflection by a Year 1 in P6 on Building of Gadgeting Kitchen Table:

Overall, I am proud to say that our Kitchen Table had almost perfect length and proportions, but some lashes tied were very loose so the kitchen table turned out to be a little bit creaky and lopsided. This activity was very knowledgeable for the year 1s  as it lets the year 1s have a rough idea on how to build the Kitchen Table. This activity definitely helped everyone improve their soft and hard skills.  The seniors also had to constantly remind us to 报时, so I think we should 报时 more often instead of just being engrossed in tying our lashes, as Guides should always have a sense of awareness of time. Although most of the lashes were tight, there were definitely still some loose ones, which we can definitely improve on, as to avoid our structures being unusable when we actually need to use that structure. For soft skills, I think all of us had an improvement in our communication where we allocated our manpower properly. We completed our structure in time and I think all of us learnt a lot from this activity.

Reflection by a Year 2 in P6 on Building of Gadgeting Kitchen Table:

I believe that the 集合 for gadgeting Kitchen Table was a good learning experience for all of us. We learnt that we have to improve our soft and hard skills. When we went to collect logistics, we did not collect all the logistics required and we did 过时. We will learn to 报时 more often so that we can keep track of the time and ask for time extensions when needed to ensure that we do not 过时. We should also have a better sense of urgency and ensure that we coordinate among ourselves to 记 down the line. While we were building the gadgeting Kitchen Table, many of us were unsure of how to build it. Hence, we should revise the guides’ notes before each 集合 to ensure that we are prepared beforehand. Due to us having less year 2s, we should also learn to allocate our manpower properly. We should also always remember to 照顾好人，照顾好东西 and take care of our logistic and manpower so that nothing gets taken. We should also look at the bigger picture more often so that we can check if the structure is visually appealing and to check for protrusions and 鸟绳. Some of our lashes were also not tight enough, so we have to remember to hold tension and 抽 properly. In conclusion, it was a great opportunity for us to learn what we should improve on. 

Reflection by a Year 1 in P5 on Lash Training:

On 12th July, my fellow batch mates and I had a session of lash training during 集合. It was our second 集合 with the Year 3 seniors. During lash training, we timed ourselves when tying our lashes as well as got constructive feedback from our seniors.

We had a total duration of 30 minutes to complete at least 1 Square Lash and 1 Diagonal Lash. At first, I thought it would be a breeze as 30 minutes is a relatively long time. However since it was my first time using 中长木 and 中木 to tie my lashes instead of the usual 短木, it was rather difficult to adjust myself to tie my lashes with the longer 木. Hence, I had spent more than the allocated time tying my lashes and thus got a warning from my seniors. After reflecting on my mistakes and getting feedback from my seniors, I found myself being able to tie the lashes more quickly and properly after a few rounds of practice. I was glad that my seniors were really patient and took the extra effort to show me examples of good lashes. They even checked with one another to come up with great feedback for me. After lash training that day, I felt more confident in myself as I managed to gain a new wonderful experience. 

Reflection by a Year 1 in P1 on Lash Training:

During 集合 on Friday, it was raining so we did Lash Training. The Lashes that we had to tie were Square Lash, Tripod Lash and Diagonal Lash. At first, we took longer than the required time to tie all three Lashes as we had to move positions due to the rain. By that time, the rain was very heavy and was coming into the General Science Lab where we were originally tying the Lashes. The 团 was then split into two groups with P1 to P3 moving to level two and P4 to P6 staying at level one. We unfortunately 过时ed by 3 minutes even though we asked for time extensions and were still unable to finish tying all the lashes. Two of the Year 2s had to run up and down the stairs to ask for time extensions, but had to be careful as the ground was wet. After Gadgeting, we were given another chance to do Lash Training. We managed to 报时 a lot more and managed to finish all three lashes with some extra time to spare. We were also much faster in tying the Lashes as we had practsed tying them more during Gadgeting and also knew the timing in which we were supposed to finish each Lash. Through this Lash Training session, I learnt that sense of urgency is very important and we have to follow the timing given to finish each Lash. This was also a good learning opportunity for us to learn to tighten our Lashes and tie them correctly in the required time. 

Reflection by a Year 1 in P5 on Learning of Guides songs:

During CCA on 12th July, me and my fellow batch mates learnt some new guides songs from our seniors. It was our second 集合 that we had with our Y3 seniors. We learnt many songs, they are 南屏晚钟, Maboleh, and Cannibal King. At first I thought that that the songs would be boring, but I was wrong. When I heard everyone sing in unison, a sense of unity erupted in me. The more we sang together, the more bonded I felt with my fellow patrol mates. In my opinion, it was a really interesting experience. This was because the seniors made it really easy for us to understand the actions for the songs and because the songs were really catchy too. All the songs had actions too. I liked the song Maboleh the most required us to shake our hips and move our hands. I found it extremely enjoyable. Our Year 5 senior, also joined us too. Although the seniors had to repeat the actions a few times for us to get it, they were very patient and guided us through the challenges. We received a lot of encouragement too! Soon, we finally got the hang of it and the Year 1s and Year 2s were able to perform the song, Maboleh in front of all the Year 3 seniors. 

Reflection by a Year 1 in P3 on Learning of Guides songs:

As I walked into 集合, I felt a mix of emotions - apprehension, delight, and nervousness. We were going to learn Guides songs like Maboleh,《南屏晚钟》and Father Abraham, and I was not sure if I could do it. I have never been a good singer, and the thought of performing in front of others made my heart race. But as we began to learn the Guides songs, I felt my apprehension melt away, replaced with joy and excitement. The Year 3s were patient and encouraging, and my fellow patrol mates were supportive and kind. Together, we went through the lyrics and melodies together, laughing and making mistakes along the way. As we practised, I felt my nervousness turn into confidence. I realised that singing is not just about hitting the right notes but more about sharing the moment with others. We were creating something beautiful together, and that feeling was incredible. Looking back, I realised that I learnt more than just the Guides songs that day. I learnt that with the right mindset and support, I can overcome my fears and achieve something amazing. And that is what Guides is all about - empowering us to be our best selves. To improve from here, I will strive to keep practising my singing and performing skills. But most importantly, I hope to continue sharing similar experiences of fun with my fellow Guides, creating memories and moments that will last a lifetime. I want to thank the Year 3s and fellow Guides for an unforgettable session!

Skills Training, 5 July 2024

 Hi Guides! Today we had our first Skills Training under the leadership of our Year 3s.

Reflection by a Year 2 in P5:

On the 5th of July, we had our first 集合 without the Year 3s. I was extremely nervous. I no longer had anyone to rely on or ask what to do when I’m clueless. Instead, I have to step up and lead the Year 1s. The thought of only depending and trusting myself and my batchmates scared me. I was definitely not confident in my leadership skills. When we collected logistics from 团部, it was really messy as we were not used to collecting logistics ourselves as a 团. Usually, we would rely on our seniors to pass us the logistics instead of taking the logistics ourselves. Additionally, we forgot a few logistics and were unsure whether we collected enough logistics. This is led to one, us taking extra logistics and two, more manpower needing to make a second trip to 团部. To make matters worse, we 过时 because there was not enough people to ask for time extension. I learnt that in the future, should we need to get more logistics, we should ask someone from a patrol with more than 1 person. As it was our first time leading the 团, it was really difficult to communicate when building the structures. We did not properly allocate the manpower. At one point, there were 3 Year 1s working on a shoe rack without any Year 2. I feel that we may have been too engrossed in building our own structures and hence were not aware of the Year 1s who needed assistance. In future 集合s, we should take note of the amount of manpower we have and allocate everyone properly. This way, we would be more efficient. Most of our lashes were loose and I feel that we should always check the lashes before moving on to the next step. For example, I failed to check the tightness of one of the A-架s. This caused the A-架 to come loose when we were tying the structure, leading to the structure becoming very unstable. Moreover, morale was lacking. I felt that we should have cheered more, which would help with our sense of urgency. However, towards the end, our sense of urgency improved and we worked slightly faster. On a more personal note, I felt that I tried my best to step up and shout louder. All in all, this was an extremely enriching experience of leading the Year 1s for the first time. Through this experience, I realised I have a lot to learn.

Reflection by a Year 1 from P3:

I eagerly met up with my fellow Guides for 集合 after school. Both my Year 2 patrol mates were on Medical Leave that day! It was just me and Cherise in my patrol other than the Year 3s. That was also the first 集合 to be conducted by the Year 3s! I was super excited to see my Year 3 seniors become the leaders of the 团. We were building Standard Structures that 集合. Some patrols were tasked to build a Baggage Rack while other patrols were tasked to build a Shoe Rack. We all 记-ed down the line to remember what logistics we needed to collect from 团部 and soon enough, we were back with all the logistics needed. We had a lot of 木 and we were all ready to start building. First, I started off by helping to tie the Tripods for the Baggage Rack. It took a while but I am proud to say that my Tripod lash was tied correctly and tightly. Then, I went to help the other Year 2s out to build the Shoe Rack. It was one of the first few times that I was building Standard Structures so a lot of the lashes that needed to be tied were new to me and I certainly learnt a lot of new skills that day! I was tying the lashes for the Shoe Rack for the rest of the time and it was actually very rushed, as the Year 2s had to teach me how to tie up the shoe rack and I even tied some of the lashes in the wrong orders. Although we did not manage to complete the Shoe Rack within the time given, and some of the lashes were quite loose, I felt that it was a good first try for me and there were a lot of things for me to improve on. Lastly, we ended off the 集合 by having Patrol Corner with the Year 3s from my patrol. Cherise and I shared a lot about what we did well, what we enjoyed, and what we could have done better, and I did a very thorough reflection on myself about that day. I feel that it was a great first 集合 with the Year 3s leading the 团 and although it was shorter than our usual 集合s, it was a very eye-opening and fruitful experience. I'm excited to continue my journey with the Year 3s as 领导层.