In preparation for our CCA Exhibition for the incoming Year 1s, we had our Orientation Preparation ‘26, where both the Scouts and Guides 团s were divided into a few committees, such as Lounge, Creative Structure, Gadgeting etc. and I was assigned to Lounge! On the first day of OP’26, we started with some icebreaker activities to familiarise ourselves with one another. Then, we first collected our logistics for the various venues, starting building the Lounge, taking small breaks and lunch breaks in between. Since it was our first OP’26 session, our In-Charge (ICs) gave us more leeway for making mistakes because we were not as familiar with the structure just yet. The first session was also for finding errors and solutions. Hence, we had spent most of the time understanding our mistakes. For example, we had encountered one problem because our floor boards on the structure were not stable when we stepped on it because all the pressure was only on one 木, making it dangerous to step on. Hence, our solution was to add more 粉红木 to spread the pressure across more points of contact. Other than that, I learnt that even if we are 做不-ing, we should always still take the initiative to take some awareness to our surroundings, seeing if we could do other tasks, for example, 清理场地, 收麻绳, even if the ICs say that there is nothing to do at that moment. Due to us not managing our time properly, we had 过时-ed and by not doing so, we could have been much more productive in the building of Lounge and hence, would not 过时. Fast forward to our second OP’26 session, since we had already 困-ed the 木s we needed, it was much easier to collect logistics. This time, we were more productive, finishing the structure much earlier than expected. This session was also much more smooth-sailing and well done. However, our sense of urgency and 报时 could have been improved, especially during 拆掉. Since we finished earlier than expected, a lot of us were complacent and started to slow down the pace. Moreover, we could have 报时 more often since our lack of 报时-ing made us lose our focus and sense of urgency. During the third OP’26 session, we, the Year 3s, would 集合 a while before the Year 2s and Year 4s did. During this period of time, we had some of us take charge. Under this leadership, although we were slightly lost at times, we worked with a sense of urgency and immediately identified our mistakes and quickly fixed them, which ensured that our structure was stable. When the Year 2s and Year 4s 集合-ed, we were already done with the main structure, left with only the table, seats and floor boards, which was great progress. The next 2 hours were to complete the structure and to make sure our structure was up to standard. Although during the tour on the actual day, the Year 1s were scared or shy to go into the Lounge, seeing that some of them still took the courage to step in and see that the structure was so stable made me feel a huge sense of accomplishment and pride in the structure and our committee. From OP’26, I had learnt many things from my Year 4s on many aspects of Guides, such as leadership, including how to better 集合 the 做不s, how to stay organised, and on soft skills like communication, teamwork, adaptability etc. I felt that OP’26 also gave me the opportunity to better bond with my Year 2 juniors and I was very heartened when they came to me for help or to clarify things they were unsure of or even just for small talk while we were tying lashes. Other than that, I learnt how our sense of urgency, 报时 and proactiveness in everything we do are all interconnected to make sure we stay on task. My favourite part of OP’26 was not just bonding with my juniors, batchmates or seniors, but also being the pillar of support for them, assisting them in every way possible. One thing I think really helped me identify my weaknesses and strengths was the debrief session at the end of every OP session, as it really helped us reflect on what we could have done better, not just individually but also as a whole committee. Hence, OP’26 was a very enriching experience for me and a great platform for me to bond with my fellow Guides.
For my Creative Structure committee, we were tasked with building a Food Truck for Orientation Preparation ’26. At first, I felt extremely nervous yet intrigued when I saw the layout of the Food Truck, as it appeared quite challenging to construct. Since OP’26 was my first ever OP, I had little idea of what to expect. I had heard from my seniors that OP was both demanding and enjoyable, which made me look forward to the experience. During the first session, we set personal goals and planned how to work towards achieving them in the following sessions, such as tying our lashes within standard timings and ensuring that their quality met the required standards. Initially, I struggled slightly to keep up, as it was the start of the year and it had been a while since my last CCA session. Nevertheless, I persevered and gradually managed to adapt. Over the next two sessions, we focused on constructing the main frame of the Food Truck and completing the decorations as well as the front of the truck. By the end of OP, the Food Truck was finally completed, and the end product looked amazing. We felt a strong sense of pride as we had built the Food Truck together as a team, and seeing the final result made all our hard work worthwhile. We were also excited to display it to the new batch of Year 1s during our CCA Exhibition. On the actual OP day, the Food Truck served a variety of treats such as popcorn and s’mores. After experiencing my first OP, I felt that I worked relatively well with my committee members. Despite the challenges and difficulties faced, it was a fun and meaningful experience that allowed me to apply the skills I had learnt from Guides. From this OP, I learnt the importance of persevering during hard times, and to increase my sense of urgency as well as improve my hard skills. I also learnt how to be good manpower, to ask my seniors what to do when I finish my task so that I will not be a 做不 and to help the whole team or committee to finish the structure on time. Moving forward, I will continue to improve on my hard skills and apply the new skills I have learnt in future OPs and 集合s.
As expected, building an Orientation Preparation structure was not easy and pushed all our limits. We spent two and a half days building our Food Truck structure and making sure it was presentable to the Year 1s. During the process of building, we started off quite relaxed and lacked a strong sense of urgency especially during the first OP session. There was a severe lack of 报时 and our lashes were not well up to the standard time and tightness. Most of us also failed to live up to our “不是跑，就是飞” motto, as we should not have been walking even when we were asked to 集合 or gather logistics. Another thing I learnt in OP is that every lash counts. In the words of a teacher I heard this from, “a single loose lash can affect the whole structure”. Regardless of whether the OP session was ending or if our lashes were part of the main frame, they should be tied neatly and tightly. Every lash reflects our commitment to making sure OP is a success. As such, we took the feedback from our seniors and ICs to heart and worked harder during subsequent OP sessions. It was all thanks to the blood, sweat and tears, literally for some and figuratively, that we got the structure up on time and made it presentable. Looking back, some things that could have been improved aside from our sense of urgency could have been our cautiousness as we had many casualties during the OP. Something both us Guides and Scouts have to remember is that we are all in this together and we should look out for one another because 团的力量大. It is not just about ourselves but ensuring everyone can get through OP safely. We should work together and also help one another more. I hope to carry all these lessons learnt during OP to future 集合 sessions because regardless of what we are doing, a sense of urgency, a mindset to try our hardest, and teamwork to not just work together but make sure everyone is safe, is key to being a strong patrol, team and 团 as a whole. All in all, I am still proud of the Food Truck structure we built and how far we had come together because at the end of the day, we worked hard together to build the structure to the best of our ability. This experience, though very demanding and challenging, showed us how much we can accomplish by working hand in hand. With that in mind, I look forward to going for OP next year, albeit that time as 领导层.
Gadgeting during Orientation Preparation ’26 was a fun and memorable experience, even though there were many challenges along the way. I was in the OP’26 Gadgeting Committee and I really enjoyed the process because it allowed collaboration between the Scouts and Guides, to put our creativity to work, and also apply practical skills that we had learned during past 集合s. I had also made some new friends along the way, as we had to constantly cooperate and rely on one another, not only for support but also for encouragement, and help one another when we faced difficulties. Seeing our structures gradually come together was very satisfying, and it felt rewarding to know that we built something impressive, functional, and fun with our own hands and abilities. However, the process was not always smooth-sailing. One of the main challenges we faced was our Rotating Display Stand structure. It kept 飞脚-ing, which made it very frustrating to deal with. Every time we thought we had fixed it, it would 飞脚 again. We spent a very long time trying to adjust and secure it properly. This tested our patience, critical thinking skills and teamwork, as we had to keep communicating with one another to identify what had gone wrong and how to better improve it. I kept being tasked to 顶 and to retie the same lash over and over again as we had to readjust. During this process, we also had to encourage each other not to give up, which taught me the importance of perseverance and supporting one another when things do not go as planned. Another challenge was one of the Cornhole game structures we built. We realised that the dimensions of the two sets of Cornhole games were not the same, which made it inconsistent for use. We hence had to retie and adjust it to make it more consistent and standardised to the first one. This took much longer than expected and required several attempts before we were satisfied with the result. From this, I learnt the importance of long-term planning ahead and planning carefully, measuring accurately, and checking our work early to prevent larger problems later on. Despite these challenges, I still found OP’26 Gadgeting fun and meaningful. Overall, I learnt a lot from OP’26 Gadgeting. Firstly, teamwork is very important and communication is key, especially when facing difficulties. Secondly, patience and resilience are very crucial as things do not always go smoothly and might not be up to our expectations on the first try. Thirdly, a strong sense of urgency, proper 报时, and tying tight lashes are crucial for the stability of our gadgets, hence I would need to improve on the tightness of my lashes and 报时 more often. All in all, it was a very fun and enriching experience, and I had a great time working with my seniors, batchmates and fellow Scouts.
During Orientation Preparation ’26 and the rehearsals, I was apart of the Performance Committee and we built two structures, which were the Fireman’s Ladder (FML) and the 绳桥. We first built the FML by tying three 青木 to two 红木 using square lashes. Next, we tied the 绳桥 by first tying two A-架s, using the 营绳 to tie the two A-架s together. After finishing the two structures, we started to practice our performance stunts. Starting with the FML, we took turns to flip over it. Through this, I learnt certain techniques such as keeping our legs together when flipping to ensure that it does not bend when flipping so as to make sure that we do not get hurt from the stunts. Next, we practiced 绳桥. I learnt more unique techniques such as moving my hands and legs at the same time so that I do not get stuck. From these practices and rehearsals, I had many takeaways. First, I learnt that I could cheer much louder, especially during the actual performance, so that high morale is maintained throughout, and it also shows the Year 1s our enthusiasm. During the rehearsal, the anchor at the end could barely hear us, also due to the music being louder than our cheers. Furthermore, if the rest of the 团 cannot hear us cheer, they will not be able to cheer with us. This will make the performance appear awkward and silent. Secondly, safety is not just important but should be our first priority. During the rehearsal, the FML was leaning to one side. This makes the performance dangerous and unsafe. We should have 顶-ed the FML properly and use three points of contact to drive the 木 into the ground so that the FML would not sheer. Another example is, during the 绳桥 performance, the rope was not taut. This is dangerous as the performer may fall. Furthermore, when a performer reaches the end of the 绳桥 we can tell them when to turn so that they don’t hit their head or their leg when turning. When the performer is reaching the end of the 绳桥, the people on the other side can also pull harder so the climber can turn easier and safer. Also, I could have had a better sense of urgency. Thirdly, “不是跑, 就是飞”, we took a long time as we walked to our positions instead of running. This causes us to take more time to perform and it also makes the performance sloppy. Hence, we should have a better sense of urgency. Our actions should be sharp and quick, like through 集合-ing faster so it looks less sloppy. In future 集合s, I will practice 顶-ing better and also cheer and 报时 louder. Last but not least, I learnt that I should tie my lashes better, tie it once and tie it right. During 集合s, I will also work on the tightness of my lashes so that I would not have to 重抽 them so many times. In conclusion, OP’26 was a really exciting, fun and enriching but tiring first experience for me.
Being in the Performance Committee for Orientation Preparation ’26 was a truly memorable experience. For the Performance Comm this year, we carried out 绳桥 and the Fireman’s Ladder (FML). I was also part of the Performance Comm during OP’25, but we only did the FML then. As a result, I was really looking forward to attempting 绳桥 this year. Throughout the many OP sessions, we set various goals to work towards. During the first session, we familiarised ourselves with the building of the FML and 绳桥, as well as the techniques required for flipping and climbing along the rope. Over the following two sessions, we focused on refining our techniques while also improving our speed and timing. These structured goals gave us a clear vision of what we were aiming to achieve during OP and what we wanted to showcase to the new Year 1s during the CCA Exhibition during the actual Orientation Day. I felt that this made the entire process more fulfilling and well-organised. Initially, I was unsure and quite afraid that my performance for 绳桥 was not up to standard. However, through consistent practice and encouragement, I was able to improve my timings and climbing techniques. There were several areas we needed to work on from the start of OP, such as our cheering volume, the way we 顶-ed the structure, and our overall sense of urgency. With constant reminders and encouragement from our In-Charges (ICs), the Performance Comm showed significant improvement over time. Although not all our dry-runs showed major progress, with some hiccups along the way during practices, such as incorrect mat arrangements or the FML being set at an inaccurate height, we managed to persevere, overcome these challenges, and stay positive by trying again. There were moments when I felt exhausted and overwhelmed, but my committee members always found ways to cheer one another up, whether through random comments or humorous jokes that made all of us laugh together. These moments made OP far more enjoyable, and everything felt much more manageable as a result. Overall, I was satisfied with my performance, and I feel that the OP’26 Performance Comm was highly committed and put in our best efforts during every session. I will make sure to apply all the learning points I have gained, such as constant cheering and maintaining a strong sense of urgency, during normal 集合s. From my perspective, OP’26 was a great success and an excellent learning opportunity.
I remember being extremely excited when I learnt that I had been assigned to my favourite committee once again, Outdoor Cooking. As I had prior experience, I looked forward to creating new dishes and interacting with the new committee members. During the first session, we introduced ourselves to one another, and the Year 4 In-Charges (ICs) presented the new dish items that we would be serving to the Year 1s. After going through the recipes, we immediately got to work and began constructing our improvised Indoor Fire Altar (IFA). Initially, it was rather challenging as we lacked manpower, and it had been a long time since we last tied lashes. This explained why our structure was loose during our first attempt at building the IFA. However, we quickly adapted, and my Year 4 ICs appointed me as the Patrol Leader in charge of building the IFA. This greatly helped the committee in terms of speed and organisation, and we were able to construct the structure more efficiently. We then recapped our fire-starting skills and moved on to food preparation. It was a truly thrilling experience to manage the fire while cooking appetising snacks for everyone. Over the next few sessions, we continued refining our recipes, and our structure gradually improved in stability and tightness as well. On the actual CCA Exhibition during the actual Orientation day, everyone worked together and successfully provided sufficient food for all the Year 1s who were interested in our CCAs. It was heart-warming to see the smiles on their faces as they took a bite of the popcorn and s’mores we prepared. Although things were rather hectic at times, we managed to persevere, which ultimately led to our sweet success. Overall, OP’26 was an enjoyable experience as it provided me with opportunities to lead my committee members, allowing me to further hone both my soft and hard skills. While there were some hiccups along the way, I am proud of my committee for believing in one another and never giving up. There were many moments when I felt exhausted from constantly switching between food preparation and managing the fire, but my committee members were always there to support me. They lightened the mood by cracking jokes, experimenting with unusual food combinations, and laughing together, which made the experience even more memorable. I believe that I performed well and did a good job working closely with my other members, and I will definitely apply the skills I learnt in my daily life and future 集合s, such as leadership skills, problem solving, critical thinking and effective communication with others.
