Year One Induction, 14 February 2020

Hi Guides! :)

On Friday, we welcomed the Year 1s into Girl Guides with their very first 集合! This year, we have 24 Year 1s, whom we were all very eager to welcome into our Guides family. While the Year 1s were briefed about our CCA through a lecture, the patrols were at GSL building a creative gadget that either represents Guides or their own patrols. After the Year 1s 集合-ed with the rest of the 团, we gathered at 2 locations (due to the current COVID-19 situation) and the patrols put up a performance for their new Year 1s. Then, the Year 1s learnt how to tie lashes from the Year 4s while the Year 2s and 3s tied a net, which they used in a game of Captain's Ball! Finally, we ended the 集合 with a Food Corner, where food was given out while we sat at Patrol Corner, and got to know one another better.

Year 1 Lecture
The Year 1s were briefed about basic 礼节 and the activities in Guides before joining the 集合 so they would understand the expectations there are in Guides and know more about our traditions, from cheering to how to 敬礼.

Gadgeting
After retrieving logistics, each patrol was given 5 minutes to discuss what creative gadget they wanted to build. Then, they were given 50 minutes to complete their structure. This allowed us to showcase our gadgeting skills to the new Year 1s so they would understand more about what we do in Guides.

Reflection from a Year 2:
We did creative gadgeting to represent our patrol or Guides in general. We chose to represent our patrol, P2. We made sort of a creative baggage rack with a 2 on top to represent us, P2. I feel that although we managed to tie our structure ahead of time and it was rather stable, we did not have a high morale. We had to be reminded by our seniors many times to 报时 and cheer with the 团. We also had a lot of 绳尾 which we did not shou and had the seniors remind us. I feel that since we have been in guides for at least 1 year, we should be more proactive and do so promptly. Despite the fact that the structure was quite stable, some lashes were still quite loose. The Year 1s came in already and we will have to teach them, so I think we should quickly brush up on our lashes to be able to teach our juniors well.

Reflection from a Year 3:
For the first part of 集合, we had to come up with a creative gadget which represents guides or our patrol. In the end, we came up with a gadget that is able to hold our trophies, badges, mini gadgets and Guides uniform. In order for it to represent our patrol as well, we use 白绳 to make a letter 5 which meant Patrol 5 and also made a heart using full bamboos which shows the bond between us. I feel that we did very well on completing this structure as we managed to complete everything we had planned in the given time and our lashes were also very tight. Furthermore, we were having constant cheering and we 报时 quite often which was something that was good. Hence, we should keep up this sense of urgency for our future 集合 so that we can ensure that we complete our structure within the standard timing with tight lashes.

Then, the patrol put up a performance for their new Year 1s!

Lash Training
The Year 1s tied their very first lashes on Friday, as the Year 4s taught them the basic hitches as well as square and diagonal lashes. As time was tight, they briefly learnt it, but will definitely practice more with their Year 2s and 3s when possible!

Captain's Ball
After building a net to be used during Captain's Ball, the patrols began playing against one another.  To score a point, the team needed to throw the ball into the net successfully. Three passes were required before scoring, and each round was 10 minutes long.

Reflections from a Year 2:

This was the first activity with the Year 1s. However, before that we had to build a structure, which is a Netball hoop. We were fairly slow with the tying of the quadpod , we significantly slowed down the entire process. Fortunately, we were able to “gain” back our time by allocating manpower to certain parts of the structure in order to work efficiently. We also 报时 and cheered constantly which is good as not only can it boost our morale and inform us on the time, we also set a good example for the Year 1s to follow. The lash training also helped the Year 1s to learn their lashes and set their foundation. The seniors were patient and able to explain the steps to the Year 1s clearly. Overall, the game was extremely fun and inclusive of the Year 1s. We were able to bond better with the Year 1s and it’s was nice to see the Year 1s enjoying their time. It did, however, get a little chaotic as we were all eager to score for the goal.

Reflections from a Year 3:

During the netball/lash training, I have learnt how to adapt to new things. Firstly, we had a shortage of certain types of 木 so we had to make do with our resources. We also had to take into account the size of the ball and the usage of our gadget. It was fun to get to know our Year 1s better while bonding with our Year 2s. We managed to guide our Year 2s in teaching our Year 1s how to tie the diagonal lash, and I hope to guide my juniors to learn to teach the new batch of juniors.

Finally, the patrols had patrol corner and chatted with the new Year 1s! After that, they took their very first patrol picture together.

We hope the Year 1s had fun on their very first 集合 and we welcome the 54th 届 of Dunman High Girl Guides into our 团! :)

Published by:

Heather

51st Batch Secretary

Patrol Activity, 10 February 2020

Hi Guides!

Here are some reflections from the Year 2s and Year 3s about this week's Patrol Activity.

Reflections from a Year 2 of Patrol 1:
From the PA on Monday, I noticed that I should 报时 and cheer more to boost our morale as our morale was not very high at first and such we were working slowly but then after that we cheered more, making us more motivated to work faster. On the first structure the Year 2s were supposed to tie, which was the ladder, I noticed that I should work more on tying tight lashes, as some of the lashes I tied were loose, and also take note to make sure that the base was parallel to the ground and that the top of the ladder should not be wider than the base. I could have also worked faster so as to complete the structure within the given amount of time. From the second task I was given, which was to build a water holder, I learnt that I should work on my sense of urgency as I tend to work quite slowly so as to not waste time. I also learnt about how we should have built the mainframes first, which is something new, as those are what supports the whole structure. As for the rafting, I learnt that we should not have tied our lashes very close to the end of the 木 as it is very easy for it to come off. Overall, I found the activities fun during PA and I hope to be able to improve more on my skills.


Reflections from a Year 3 of Patrol 1:
For PA, we were tasked to plan 2 creative structures that we had to build to collect berries and water with. We were given 13 minutes to plan the structures and we had to make use of the logistics given to us. It was a unique experience and it has emphasised the importance of being prepared. At first, it was tedious as we had to allocate the logistics needed for the structures in total but soon realised that we lacked some of the gadget poles needed. We adapted to our current situation and quickly got over it. We were also expected to draw the proposal of the structure and had some difficulties in it, and realised that we still needed more practice on drawing proposals. When we started building, we struggled to lead our Year 2s as we could not give very clear instructions to them, but over time we got slightly better and things went on smoothly. The activity has also helped us learn to step up more and look out for our Year 2s, for example when we give them a time to complete the lash by we should ensure that they keep to it otherwise there is not any purpose in giving them a time. Through the patrol activity, I have also learnt how to identify the mainframes of a structure. Overall, I feel that things like lashes, patrol morale or sense if urgency can still be further improved as it will definitely help us in completing stable structures on time.

Reflections from a Year 2 of Patrol 2:

During PA, we did lash training and gadgeting. During lash training, our lashes were relatively tight, but we can improve them by having tighter frappings. During gadgeting, although we did cheer a little, I feel that our morale is still relatively low and we should cheer more. Our manpower allocation and sense of urgency was also low, so we need to improve in those areas. Since we 过时 quite often, we should 报时 more so that we can keep track of time better. We should also have taken better care of our logistics by putting them closer to us where we can see them to avoid having them being kapped. I also learnt that by tying the frame of a structure on the ground, it ensures stability of it when it is placed upright.

Reflections from a Year 3 of Patrol 2:
For Monday's PA we had lash training where we were tested on our tripods, square lash as well as diagonals. After that we had to build a dome tent, a structure to hold our water bottles and a structure to protect ourselves. It was creative gadgeting with soft skills such as multi tasking and allocation of manpower put in place. It was my first pa as a Year 3 and we failed to complete most of the tasks given. We stumbled as seniors stepping up to lead our Year 2s. We also had almost all our logistics kapped. I felt that our overall patrol morale was not up there and the sense of urgency was not present in this PA. This pa really reminded and hit me hard that I'm a Year 3 already and really have to step out of my comfort zone to lead more and be more ready as a senior. We should also not take for granted for all the time extensions our seniors give us. I think that we still have a lot of room for improvements.

Reflections from a Year 2 of Patrol 3:
During the PA, I learnt to have a better sense of urgency and put in all my effort during guides. I realised that I need to tie my lashes faster, tighter and not overlap. In order to teach my juniors the right thing, I need to practise and memorise the guides notes well. I need to 报时 and cheer more to boost the moral. When tying structures, we have to understand and incorporate the our basic understanding of diagonals and 顶角 into our structures to make them stable. We must also improvise with the amount of 木 and manpower we have. When the new juniors come into guides, we have to be friendly and be a good role models to them.

Reflections from a Year 3 of Patrol 3:
PA was a good opportunity to learn how to work better together as a patrol, and how to coordinate when we were split into two groups to make a table and a creative structure chair. We also learnt how to properly use diagonals in our structures and how to stabilise them or make them more even such as carbon-copy. And during lash training, we also improves our speed and the quality of our lashes, like how not to overlap. I think we could've improved our speed when it came to building the structures as we took quite a lot of time to plan them out but one thing I think we did quite well was that although we had less 木, we improvised and came up structures that didn't require a lot of 木.

Reflections from a Year 2 of Patrol 4:
From today’s patrol activity, all of us have benefited a lot. We started off by tying square lash, diagonal lash and tripod within the standard timings given. This allowed us to know our areas for improvement. For example, in order for our lash to be tight, the frapping should not overlap. We must also remember not to lose tension while tying. Next, we built a cube. While building the cube, we were able to communicate with each other, so as to understand how the cube should be like. At the same time, we were able to practise our lash skills. Before we ended our patrol activity, we set goals for our own batch, and discussed about how we were going to teach the new Year 1s and reflected on areas to improve ourselves such as by being able to take more initiative. In conclusion, we learnt how we can tie better lashes. We hope that we are able to achieve our goals by the end of this year.

Reflections from a Year 3 of Patrol 4:

The PA was a really great opportunity for us to train on our lashes before the Year 1s join us and also, for us Year 3s, it serves to help us revise our lashes as it is very basic yet necessary so that our structures would be stable in PLTC. Having to tie a cube require us to have foresight as we’ll need to be able to have an idea in our minds of how it should look like, which lash to use, as well as which 木 to use. our communication skills were tested because we need to communicate the idea we had in our minds to the others, allocate manpower, and also, after the Year 2s got to look at the drawing of the structure we’re supposed to build, they had to communicate it clearly to us.

Reflections from a Year 2 of Patrol 5:
From Monday's PA, i feel that lash training allowed us to have a better sense of how tight our lashes are and what we need to improve on before the Year 1s join us. I feel that gadgeting allowed us to know that our sense of urgency was not there, and we should work on the main frame first in the future. As we forgot to measure the height of the connecting 木, our whole structure became lopsided. In the end, we did not manage to finish the structure which was quite disappointing. During patrol corner, we were able to reflect on our mistakes made and know what we need to improve on and do the next time. We set goals for ourselves and what we wished to teach and show to the Year 1s when they join us the next 集合.

Reflections from a Year 3 of Patrol 5:
We lash training during the first part of PA. This enabled us to see our standards of tying lashes and trains us on how fast and tight we can tie the different lashes. As for gadgeting, I felt that we did not do well on building the structure. We started off on a wrong note as we tied diagonals instead of tying starting on the main frames. By the time we had realised, 10 minutes had passed and we only had 25 minutes which was too late to redo the structure. Due to the first step, we had many other errors in the structure such as our 短木 was not long enough as we did not measure the main frames because we started on the diagonals first. Due to our bad time management, we were not able to complete structure on time which led to our structure not being stable enough. I feel that we should have a better sense of urgency so that we can work faster and complete the structure on time as well as revise on our structures so that we would know which steps to do first. Lastly, we set goals for ourselves and what we wanted the Year 1s to think of guides when they join us.

Reflections from a Year 2 of Patrol 6:
This PA, we were assigned to build a gate. after retrieving all our logistics, we discussed about what we were going to build and how we were going to build the gate. The Year 2s were assigned to make the gate, while the Year 3s built the structure to support the gate (2 tripods). While building, our Year 4 seniors gave us different scenarios to work with and we had to alter our structure design due to the scenarios. I feel that during this PA we did relatively well and we were faster and our lashes were tighter. However, I feel that we (Year 2s) can step up more and contribute more to the patrol. Instead of simply listening and following what our Year 3s say, we could perhaps politely suggest improvements to the structure if we have an idea that seems feasible. during this PA, I learnt to think on my feet and to have leadership skills. Since the year ones are coming this Friday, I think that PA was a good chance for us to practice to tie tight lashes and to take up the role of leading the new batch of Guides.

Reflections from a Year 3 of Patrol 6:
For last week's PA, we were given the task to built a gateway that prevents "infectious patients" from entering the safe zone. The interesting thing about this PA is that the Year 3s will rotate to be the PLs, and as PLs we can only stand at one side while giving instructions, the other Year 3s will be muted. this activity is very different from any of the other activities which have done as we are used to discussing and making decisions together as a patrol/ batch. This allowed us to grow independently and trained our decision making.  Additionally, we got to use the PVC tubings which was something we were not exposed to much. At the end of the day, it was a very fulfilling PA because we managed to be creative in dealing with the challenges the seniors posed to us during the session and finish our gate.

We hope everyone learnt something and is excited for the Year 1's first 集合 on Friday!

Published by: 
Heather
51st Batch Secretary

Skills Training, 7 February 2020

Hello Guides! 

For this week's 集合, the Guides worked in batches to accomplish the different tasks. To ensure the Year 2s were prepared to teach lash tying skills to the new Year 1s who would will be attending their very first 集合 next week, they had lash tying. Next, they built 2 gadgets after revising their basic lashes. Finally, they had inspection with their 配备. At the MRL area, the Year 3s had 配备 inspection, followed by pioneering.

Year 2

1. Lash Practice

The Year 2s were split into 3 equal groups, and revised their square lashes, diagonal lashes and tripod lashes. They tied each lash twice and were given the standard time for each lash to complete them. After each lash was tied, the Year 4s would check the lashes and ensure they were up to standard and give some tips and point out some errors, such as overlapping the 白绳.

Reflections from a Year 2:

On Friday, we started off our 集合 with lash training. The lash training has definitely given me an opportunity to brush up on my lashes. After we have tied our lashes, the Year 4 seniors also went around to check on our lashes and even gave us individual feedback. I feel that the lash training and feedback has been useful as it has helped me learn more about how I can improve when it comes to tying lashes.

2. Gadgeting

Each group was then given 40 minutes to finish tying a slightly modified baggage rack and a clothesline. The drawing of each structure was passed around to the Year 2s before they began. Each group was to send someone to report the group's progress to the ICs every 10 minutes. 

Reflections from a Year 2:

After lash training, my batch was then split into three groups and were tasked to build a baggage rack and a clothes line. Since my batch is not very bonded, this was also a good opportunity for us to bond more with each other. Furthermore, this time round, instead of relying on our Year 3 seniors to ask for time extensions or to report the progress, we had to do them ourselves. As the Year 1 juniors would be joining our Guides CCA sessions soon, this has given me the chance to learn how to lead my juniors in the upcoming 集合s. 

3. Inspection

In total, the Year 2s had 4 rounds of inspection. For the first 2 rounds, each group had to layout all logistics in the 配备, and an IC to lead the inspection according to a layout given was selected. For the next 2 rounds, no IC was assigned, so someone from the batch had to step up and lead the 6 patrols in arranging a new layout in 3.5 minutes.

Reflections from a Year 2:

I think the inspection was more difficult as we did not have our seniors to guide us through and had to do it ourselves, but I think this is a good opportunity to learn and improve as a guide as well as a senior to the new Year 1s that are coming soon. This will allow us to better guide them to excel by improving ourselves first. I think the inspection was also not as hard as I expected it to be as without the seniors, I thought we would not be able to manage but instead I think it actually is quite manageable. The instructions were given across quite clearly and we were able to almost complete the inspection a few times. I think we can improve by 报时 more and cheering more so we can better keep track of time. I also think we can stay a little quieter when we split into our pairs so as to ensure all the Year 2s can hear the instructions.

Year 3

1. Inspection

For inspection, the Year 3s in each patrol had to layout all items in the survival kit and the 青头s in addition to all the other logistics in the 配备 in 4 minutes. For the next layout, they had to standardise a new layout and improve according to feedback given. In both rounds, no IC was selected to encourage them to step up on their own.  

Reflections from a Year 3:

I felt that on Friday, we did not perform very well for inspection. First, we did not 报时 very often and we 过时 many times. Secondly, we did not standardise our layout across all patrols. Instead, there is a clear distinction between P1-3’s layout and P4-6’s layout. I think we should work more on our batch synergy instead of just focusing on our small little patrols. Thirdly, when the QMs went to ask for time extension, no one stepped up at first. However, after few reminders, there were people stepping up and I feel that it is a great improvement. Lastly, some manpower were kapped, so in the future, we should 照顾好人 because every patrol member is important. As we are moving to become the 领导层, we should start to look at the bigger picture and think for the whole 团 and not just our patrol.

2. Pioneering

During pioneering, a drawing of the quadpod was passed around the batch before they were given 15 minutes to work in 2 groups and each build a quadpod. One person in the batch was called out to look at the linked structure that was to be built. The purpose was to encourage communication and for the batch to take turns listening to one another. She was told that they would be building a bridge and the quadpods needed to be facing each other. She was also told to inform the rest of the batch to 集合 anytime within 5 minutes to the IC when they thought that they were ready to start on the full structure.

Reflections from a Year 3:
On Friday we did creative pioneering and we were split into 2 groups at first to build 2 quadpods. This was a batch activity and splitting us into 2 groups was to test our batch synergy and if we would help each other and come together as one. I was happy that our batch worked on it together and took into consideration that we are building the same structure, hence standardising the lengths of our structure as well as helping each other along the way. Also we changed the smaller hearts to using gadget poles as the spars would not fit. I really learnt a lot from this 集合 in terms of adapting to the new situation, as well as the chance to step up and convey instructions, but most importantly bonded as a batch.

We hope everyone learnt something during this week's 集合!

Published by:
Heather
51st Batch Secretary