Year 1 Induction and CNY Celebrations, 15 February

Hello Guides!

15 February was the day that the Year 1s joined us! We had multiple fun activities to welcome the Year 1s, as well as a ‘reunion dinner’ afterwards in celebration of Chinese New Year!

Performance

Before the Year 1s arrived, they had to have a briefing. During this time, the patrols had to plan a performance for them. The performance could be a skit, a song or a combination of the two. They also had to be related to Guides as they would serve as an introduction into what Guides is all about for the Year 1s.

Reflection by Year 3s:

On Friday, our new Year 1s came for the first time and each patrol prepared a skit/dance/song for them. Our patrol started by brainstorming ideas or whether we wanted to do a skit or a song. In the end we decided to act out ‘three little ducks’. 2 people were charge of the singing part and the rest were to act as the ducks. However, when we rehearsed the whole thing out, we realised that it was only 40 seconds which was quite short. Our Patrol Leader Raenn then told us to sing the song much slower and we added 'kookaburra’ and 'gako the frog’ in too. To make the whole performance seem more interesting we thought of saying out the lyrics of 'kookaburra’ word by word with each patrol member taking turns saying each word. Through this performance, I learnt that communication is important and only through communicating efficiently can we ensure that the performance goes well. I felt that there was one flaw in the performance which us suddenly forgetting the lyrics at a point of time. We should have recited the lyrics more often so that we will not suddenly forget the lyrics suddenly, like the Guides motto: be prepared.

During Friday’s 集合, we welcomed the new Year Ones by preparing a performance showing them what guides was like. We were given 20 minutes to think of ideas and practice before the year ones came. my patrol was very excited to meet the Year 1s and we wanted to put up a good performance for them. We decided to sing two songs with actions, which had relevant lyrics to our guiding journey. The first song we sang was “count on me” by Bruno Mars and we had changed some of the lyrics to fit the theme. Next, we chose the song “you’re a girl guide” with actions as it is a cheerful song about guides and we thought it would be suitable for our performance. We had a lot of fun deciding on and rehearsing the actions together and changing the song lyrics of “count on me”. Although I was slightly worried that I might forget the actions due to the short amount of time we had, I was still glad that we were given this opportunity to show the Year 1s a short fun performance to welcome them into Guides.

Treasure Hunt

After the performances, we had a treasure hunt! The Guides were given a set of clues which would bring them to different locations. At these locations, the Guides would either have to perform a task or answer a question, all of which would be related to Guides. As such, this was another opportunity for the seniors to teach the Year 1s more about Guides. The winning patrol of the treasure hunt would also receive a prize.

Reflection by Year 3s:

After the Year 1s arrived, we had a treasure hunt, in which we were required to find post it notes with questions or tasks and answer them to gain points. Along the way, we got to introduce the Year 1s to some of the basic things in Guides, such as the items in a 配备 and the PS in each patrol. I feel that this was a fun way for them to learn more about their new CCA. In addition, the treasure hunt provided us with an opportunity to bond and work together as we had to solve many riddles as fast as possible. Overall, I felt that the treasure hunt was very enjoyable and it's a great activity to break the ice. At the same time, we could bond more as a patrol and it provided us with a sense of pride and accomplishment whenever we completed a task. I hope we can have more of such activities in the future.

For treasure hunt, the Year Ones joined us and we were to find post it notes, and complete the tasks written on them. I feel that we did quite well as we managed to find quite some post it notes, and also tried our best. The year ones were quite cooperative and enthusiastic in joining in the activity, even when we taught them maboleh and chek chek goleh. Even though we were last place, it is the process that matters and not necessarily the result. It was also a great opportunity to get to know our Year Ones and interact with them as well as train our teamwork because the tasks had to be completed by most of our patrol. I feel that the Year Ones were not as shy as I thought they would be and the activity was very fun overall.

After the treasure hunt, we headed to the canteen to have something similar to a reunion dinner. There, we got to know some of the Year 1s a little better, and could discuss various topics with them.

Hope that the Year 1s had fun with us today!

Published by:

Hoong Yu Ning

50th Batch Secretary

Initiatives, 22 February

Hello Guides!

On 22 February, the Year 1s and 2s had an initiatives session where they did activities to earn their badges, while the Year 3s and 4s worked on the WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) badge for World Thinking Day 2019, with the theme of ‘Leadership’.

The Year 1s and 2s worked individually on their Language for the deaf badges for 20 minutes, before working on their Artist badges for the remaining time. During this period of time, the Year 1s were also called out, one by one, to work on their Speaker badges.

Language for the deaf badge

1. Submit your pictures of people demonstrating the guides law
2. Write a short letter applying for a job, or asking a friend to tea, or telling a friend something she will be pleased to hear.

Artist badge

1. Draw your school bag and design the background
2. Draw someone in the room
3. A campsite 50 years from now  (An imaginative drawing)
4. A wallpaper design (guides related)

(All drawings must be coloured)

Speaker badge

1. After a short time for preparation (10 min) , read aloud a passage provided by the tester.
2. Share with the Guider an interesting experience over CNY holidays/an interesting experience in DHS

Reflection from Year 1s:

Although I find this activity(Language for the deaf badge) interesting, I feel that it can be improved in many ways. These ways include focusing more on the main purpose and objective of this activity (thus making it more meaningful) and include more content to it. This would perhaps make the activity more fun and attractive! Besides some tiny improvement points to focus on, I feel that this activity was quite well-planned. I would also like to thank the Seniors for their hard work in planning this whole activity for us! Thank you :D

The speaker badge was not simply just a test to me. It was wonderful recalling my personal events and experience I had in Dunman High for the past two months. For example, the first day I stepped into Dunman High, I was welcomed by seniors who where friendly and caring towards us. In just the three days of orientation, I got to know so much more about my classmates and also students from other classes. I would definitely cherish the memories and time I spent together with my peers. Therefore, I was delighted to be able to share my experience and thoughts through this speaker badge.

Reflection from a Year 2:

During the 集合 on 22/3, we were given different tasks such that we could earn our badges. One of the badges that we had to earn was the Artist badge. We were given four different things to draw under a time limit. I was quite happy about this task as I enjoyed drawing. However, I was worried as I was bad at it. When the timing started, I was quite at a loss of what to do. The things we had to draw all required a bit of imagination and innovation to draw, thus time was spent on thinking on what to draw. One of the things we were required to draw was a picture of a person in the room. I took the most caution in drawing that picture of my friend. This is because I really valued the friendships that I forged during Guides, be it seniors, batchmates or juniors. These kind of 集合s are really meaningful to me as they really make me reflect and expand my creativity.

Meanwhile, the Year 3s and 4s were to play a game unique to this year’s World Thinking Day, called Leadership: 110 years of adventure. Before that, however, they had to make preparations.

Step 1: Build your time machine

The Year 3s and 4s were split into their respective patrols, which would be the teams they would play the game in. For this part of the prepration, each patrol had to construct a ‘time machine’ out of recyclable materials they had brought beforehand. This time machine would be used as the token they would need to play the game.

Step 2: Start the conversation

While building the time machine, each patrol has to discuss and come up with a manifesto and what they look for in a leader. They would have to write this out in a paragraph.

Step 3: Play the game

Finally, it is time to play the game. The teams will take turns to play and will wait for the current team to complete their activity before the next team can take their place. There are three types of cards that will be arranged in a spiral on the floor- past, present, and future. Each card has a leadership challenge written on it. During the game, the playing team will have to choose a particular card with a leadership practice they want to aim for. They will then throw their time machine, trying to land on the card they are aiming for. If they land on a card, they must take the card, complete the activity on the other side of it, and keep the card. If the time machine misses the cards, the team must complete a Lost in Time challenge from a list the facilitator will have. The team must complete the Lost in Time challenge and follow any instructions it gives them. When the time is up or all the cards have been taken, the team with the most number of cards wins the game.

Reflection from Year 3s:

During 集合, we participated in the WAGGGS activity. Firstly, we were tasked to build a time machine using the recycled materials we had brought, as well as to write about what kind of a leader we wanted to be. My patrol had a lot of fun coming up with ideas for our time machine, and eventually decided on building a rocket like structure. We decorated it with coloured paper and patterns. Next, we had to choose post-its on the floor to aim for by throwing our time machine and landing on a specific post-it. We chose the post-its based on what we had written in our reflections about what kind of leader we aimed to be. Once we had successfully landed the time machine on a post-it, we had to complete an activity according to which post-it we had chosen. We had to fold an origami dove, which represents love and peace. When we landed on another post-it, we had to cheer as a batch, so we cheered our batch cheer, which was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the activity very much as it allowed me to think and reflect on what kind of leader I want to be and my aim in leading others, especially since our batch will be taking over the company later this year.

For the WAGGGS activity, we first built a time machine out of the recycled materials we brought, and list down some qualities we would like our patrol to have. Then, we would have to aim our time machine at one of the post-its on the floor. Each of the post-its contains some leadership qualities, and we were supposed to throw at whatever we agree with most. Then, we would have to complete the task the Year 4s gave us. For my patrol, one of the activities we had to do was to guess which statement was true or false. And through that activity, I managed to learn some new facts about guides which I never knew of before. Overall, this activity was rather interesting, since it was rather different from what we usually do in 集合s.

We had a World Thinking Day activity today and we used our creativity to build a time machine out of recycled materials. I find that this activity further bonded our patrol batchmates and improved our communication skills through a fun and interesting activity. I also enjoyed myself when we played the game together. We also got to understand our patrol leadership goals better as we brainstormed about what qualities of patrol leadership we wanted to achieve when we become the leadership batch this year. Overall, I felt that it was a fun session where we got to bond with one another as a patrol batch.

On Friday's 集合, the Year 3s were separated from the Year 1s and 2s to do our own batch activity. We were supposed to build a time travelling machine made out of recycled materials for a challenge organised by WAGGGS. Our patrol made it out of two plastic bottles connected by a toilet roll. After making our time machines, we were supposed to throw it onto a card and answer a question based on the past, present or future. I think the activity was meaningful as we were able to discuss what type of leader we wanted to be which is important since we will soon be taking on our leadership roles very soon. It was also a good chance to bond with my patrolmates as we got to talk and laugh together. Overall, this activity taught me that a good leader can come in many forms but only when working together can they succeed.

Hope that everyone has enjoyed this 集合!

Published by:

Yu Ning

50th Batch Secretary

Patrol Activity, 4 February

Hello Guides!

On 4 February, we had Patrol Activity(PA)! Here are some reflections from the Year 3s:

Reflection by a Year 3 from Patrol 1:

During this week’s PA, we were split into 2 groups and I was the PL of group 2. The 2 PLs were asked to come up with structures for specific purposes and we were supposed to switch structures twice during the time given. I learnt that fast and clear communication is very important between the two PLs because it would affect how fast the patrolmates can start building the structure, and it ensures that the 2 groups were able to build the structures in the way that the PLs wanted them to be. I also learnt that communication between the PLs and the patrolmates was equally important because if the PLs do not tell the patrolmates what they were going to be building, the patrolmates would not be able to build the structure well and contribute ideas to make it better. The patrolmates should also have the initiative and the responsibility to ask what we were building and how we were going to build it so that the PLs would not feel as stressed. I think that overall, we should have tied faster and tighter lashes and should familiarise ourselves more with basic structures such as tripods, especially the Year 2s, so that less time will be wasted on tying these structures.

Reflection by a Year 3 from Patrol 2:

For PA, we did a station games/storyline activity. We were competing against Patrol 3. The first thing we did was read trekking signs to see if the 木 was safe to take to use for our structure building. It tested our tracking sign knowledge and I feel that I was not very good with that so I have to brush up on my guides knowledge and read the guides notes again. Next, we did creative gadgeting and I had been assigned PS. We were to build a shelter faster than the other patrol. I suggested to build three tripods connected in a triangle and with a groundsheet over it as the only requirement was that all the patrol members could stay under it. I feel that as PS, I should have stepped up more and encourage them to tie faster as the structure we planned to build could have been built within the given timing and that if we tried harder, we could have finished it without asking for time extension. After this, we played an invasion game, which was like ice and freeze mixed with capture the flag. Although we tried to win and had a plan, we still could not beat the other team. However, it was fun and helped us bond as a patrol. It was okay that we did not win, its was the playing of the game that counts. Overall, I feel that this PA was quite enjoyable and informative.

Reflection by a Year 3 from Patrol 3:

Our patrol combined with P2 for this PA. I felt that this PA was quite well thought out as it tested on both out lashes as well as our knowledge on tracking signs . Overall, I felt that this PA was quite fun as we got to have fun with our structure after building it. During this PA, I felt that we worked quite slowly as we took a really long time to tie 3 tripods. Since we took such a long time, we did not have enough time to complete the forth tripod. This caused our structure to be really unstable as we did not tie the 顶角s for that tripod. I feel that we should re-revise on our tracking signs as we we unfamiliar with the signs during PA which caused us to retrieve lesser logistics. In addition, I feel that our patrol should take better care of our logistics and be more aware of our surroundings. Many things were taken away by the seniors and we had to do forfeits in order to get them back. This caused us to waste time on forfeits when we could have used that time to complete put forth structure. Overall, I really enjoyed this PA and hope to have more PAs like this.

Reflection by a Year 3 from Patrol 4:

During Monday’s PA, we had to find clues write on post its that were related to the logistics we needed, which were written in guides code or trekking signs. After solving all of the clues, we received our logistics. Then, we were split into two groups and a PL for each group was assigned. we had to split the 2 logistics amongst the two groups quickly without knowing what each group needed, so we decided to split them as evenly as possible. Our PL then told us that we had to build two different structures and that one group’s PL had to give the other’s PL instructions to build their structure without revealing what it was. As I was PL for my group, i had to communicate with the other PL every 10 minutes to give the next set of instructions or exchange logistics of needed. As I was unfamiliar with how to build the structure, my group did not do well, as we kept having to change certain parts of it such as the 顶脚  due to miscommunications. As I was unfamiliar with how to tie a catapult structure, it was difficult for me to tell the group members what to do. I think I did not do well as a PL as my group members were often confused and did not know what to do next. We were unable to complete the structure in time despite being given time extensions, so I felt quite disappointed in myself. I think we could have worked faster to tie lashes within a standard time as well as to give instructions in a clearer manner, especially when a short amount of time is given.

Reflection by a Year 2 from Patrol 5:

I found Monday's PA extremely useful as we rarely get a chance to build a quad-pod and we also got to practice many different types of lashes and structures. It also gave the Year 2s chances to experience how being a leader felt like and gave us opportunity to take up more initiatives by being a leader. Through this PA, we learnt to 报时 and cheer more consistently. We also realised that we are not very familiar with the inspection layout, however we practised it 3 times during PA and we are clearer now with both the layout and the names and quantities of the different things that are in the layout. As we 报时 more frequently and work much faster this time, and even though we lacked manpower, we managed to complete all the tasks 30 minutes before the end of the PA. Furthermore, we also played some games which made it really interesting and allowed us to forge a stronger bond within our patrol. Through this PA, we had lots of fun and at the same time also allowed us to be more confident in our basics, so we can lead the future Year 1s better. We hope that with the skills we acquired in this PA, we can do a much better job during 集合.

Reflection by a Year 3 from Patrol 6:

For patrol activity on Monday, my patrol started off with mass change. We mass changed 4 times in total, the first one into Guides uniform in 5 minutes 30 seconds with 30 second time extension, the second one changing back into PE attire in 4 minutes 30 seconds with 1 minute time extension, the third one in 5 minutes 30 seconds and fourth one in 4 minutes 30 seconds, both with no time extension given. Initially, I was quite worried that we may 过时 as I'm not sure if we could change fast enough especially during the last two mass change. However, from this sessions, I realised that I have the capability to change quickly with a high sense of urgency. In addition, it also taught me to look after my juniors better and to help one another out as we are all in this together. I felt that this experience had bonded us as we were constantly reminding one another to remove black watch when in guides uniform etc. Our second activity was PT, which I thought that it had helped in training my stamina and improving my fitness overall. It also served as a common activity for us to bond over and the constant cheering kept our morale up, which enabled us to push on quickly as a patrol. In the end, we managed to complete it faster than the timing given. I personally felt extremely accomplished and satisfied as I usually have a hard time when doing PT. We then had to stand in a line and answer the questions from our guides notes asked by Lydia. Although I managed to answer the two questions she asked correctly, I feel that I still need to familiarise myself with the guides notes more as I am still unsure of the tracking signs and some other stuff. We did PT again as we got some questions wrong. Afterwards, we had a 40 minutes long patrol corner as we were underrunning. During the patrol corner, I felt that we were given a chance to truly get to know our juniors and seniors better. We talked about stuff related and not related to guides and I felt that it was extremely meaningful and heartwarming. Overall, this PA was very satisfying as we were given more opportunities to bond with one another and at the same time hone our soft skills. 

Hope that this was an enriching experience for all!

Published by:
Hoong Yu Ning

50th Batch Secretary

Skills Training, 8 February

Hello Guides!

On 8 February, we had another skills training session, this time aiming to improve the Guides’ physical standards, their bonds with each other as well as their initiative and leadership skills. At first, the Year 2s and 3s would be separated to do different stations, later combining together again for other activities.

Capture the flag

The first station is Capture the Flag, which the Year 2s will play first before switching with the Year 3s. The batch will be split into two teams and the goal of the game is to successfully bring the other team’s flag back to where the team’s own flag is. Flags have to be placed at both ends of the playing area. Each team will get either a duct tape or masking tape, taped onto the sleeve of their shirts. When the opposing team manage to tear off the tape on a member’s shirt, the member will have to go to the “jail”, which is “guarded” by the station masters. Members in “jail” will have to stay put for 1 minute before they are allowed to answer the question given by the station masters. If they answer the question correctly, they will be allowed to leave with a new tape. But if they fail to correctly answer the question, they will have to wait for another minute before they have a chance to answer another question. At any one point in time, not more than 4 people are allowed to protect their own flag, and must be 3 metres from their flag. Should anyone be seen engaging in rough play, the Year 4s will send them to “jail” as well.

Capture the Flag’s Flag

Reflection by Year 3s:

When we played capture the flag, we were split into two teams, each team wearing a different colour of duct tape on their sleeve, which the other team could attempt to tear off. My team had 4 people defending the flag at our “base” where the flag was kept to prevent it from being taken by the other team. We had a lot of fun playing this game and it was a good opportunity for our batch to bond during this 集合. When our duct tape is torn off, we would have to answer questions related to Guides asked by the seniors in order to get a new piece of duct tape. I also think this game allowed my team to have better communication, so we would know when we were supposed to defend our flag from the others. We also improved on our teamwork as we had to work together to keep our flag safe and attempt to capture the other teams flag.

In the capture the flag game last 集合, we were split into 2 groups outside of our normal patrols and got to work with others from our batch. This was a fun activity as it involved the competitive spirit among our batch and was a opportunity for us to bond. My team managed to discuss before the game started and decided to place the flag underneath cones such that it was harder for the opposing team to obtain the flag. I was proud that we could think ahead and foresee the possibility that out flag could be stolen easily in the open and hence thought of ways to counter this problem. As a whole, it was very interactive and could involved everyone from the batch as we each played different roles such as the defenders, attacker and peace makers! 

Physical Training

The second station is Physical Training(PT). In this station, the batch will conduct a series of PT outside the Media Resource Library(MRL). The PT, to be done in order, are as follows:

1. Run 3 rounds around the MRL
2. 20 burpees
3. Run 4 rounds around the MRL
4. 1 round of lunges along the MRL

Should there be anyone who cannot do any of these PT due to various reasons, it will be replaced with 2 sets of 30 buddha claps, 2 sets of 1 minute of 45 degrees leg raise, 3 minutes of 90 degrees leg raise or 20 squats.

Reflection by Year 3s:

On Friday, for the first part, we had PT. During PT, we at first had to run 2 rounds around MRL in  six minutes after doing some warm up. In my opinion, I felt that it was rather manageable and quite easy as the time given was reasonable. I was a little glad for the running as my stamina is usually very bad and this gives me a chance to train my fitness. However, during the second part where we had to do 1 perimeter of lunges was difficult and painful for me. I got tired pretty quickly but I told myself to push on. When we finally completed it, I felt a sense of achievement and satisfaction. In addition, I think that this PT station had enabled our batch to be closer as we cheered for one another along the way, keeping one another's morale up. Overall, I enjoyed this PT session.

Last Friday, we did PT consisting of 5 rounds of running around the MRL, 20 burpees, as well as 1 round of lunges around the MRL. The PT session was extremely tiring as it has been long since we last did PT be it as a batch or as an individual. However, I feel that this PT session has allowed our batch to be even more bonded since it was a batch PT.  During the PT itself, we cheered consistently and I felt that those cheers definitely boosted our morale while completing those PT. I felt there if given a choice, I would definitely want to have more batch PT sessions as we can be more bonded and more physically fit so as to go through tougher experiences such as PLTC together.

Inspection

After the two stations, the Year 2 and 3 batches will recombine to carry out the next activity, which is inspection. For the first part of inspection, they will have to layout their logistics according to the layout given to them. The next layout will be decided by themselves and the third layout would be a flipped version of the second.

After inspection, we had Thinking Day Contingent Practice in preparation for the upcoming Thinking Day.

Reflection by a Year 3:
We had our World Thinking Day contingent rehearsal today. I benefited much from this rehearsal as the last time I was in a contingent was last year's Uniformed Groups Day, and hence without this rehearsal, I would not be able to understand the commands given and the appropriate time to do some things like the checking and turning. Through this rehearsal, it refreshed my memory of the sequence of things to do during the contingent. I was also able to practise on my marching. I found this a very fun and enriching event, which was beneficial to not only me but many people to refresh their memory from last year's contingents.

Hope that everyone gained valuable experience from this!

Published by:

Hoong Yu Ning

50th Batch Secretary