Patrol Activity, 15 August 2022

Hi Guides, 

Here are some reflections on the Patrol Activities done today! 

Reflection from a Year 2 in P1:

On 15 August, we had our Patrol Activity. For the Patrol Activity, we did Pioneering. We did Pioneering Lash Training first, and then we had to build a Kitchen Table since we did not manage to finish our Kitchen Table during the 集合 because one of the tripods we built was loose and was a safety hazard. We were given 50 minutes at first to finish the structure, but because of time constraints, it was shortened to 40 minutes. I think during both the lash training and the building of the Kitchen Table, we could have worked with a higher sense of urgency, because we took too much time for the lash training, and that resulted in us not having enough time for the Kitchen Table. I and my batchmate’s lashes were pretty tight, and we felt proud. However, some of our juniors’ lashes were not very tight. We can give them more guidance when they tie the lashes, like reminding them to hold tension. When we were building the Kitchen Table, we could have allocated our manpower better, and gotten everyone to work on one tripod first, since we were lacking manpower. We took very long to get the two tripods, and we should have 顶脚 properly for the tripod while we were tying the lashes on it, as it concerns our safety. In the end, we didn’t finish the Kitchen Table in time and had to do a forfeit. 

Reflection from a Year 2 in P2:

During Monday’s Patrol Activity (PA), our patrol did Pioneering. We built a swing and we appointed Natalie as the Patrol Leader and me (Kayla) as the Patrol Second. We had to build the swing within an hour and although we originally thought that the amount of time given was too much, we were struggling to keep within the limit. We took 20 minutes just to get our tripods standing and we had to retie our tripods multiple times. With less than 40 minutes left to finish the swing, we quickly finished up the 定脚 for the tripods. However, that also took longer than expected. It was very apparent that we were not going to finish on time and that we needed to improve our sense of urgency by a lot. We started to 报时 more towards the end of the PA. After the tripods, we needed to stand on a canteen table to lift a 黄木 onto the 2 tripods. After much struggling to get the 黄木 up on the tripods, we managed to do so and we then needed to use a quadpod lash to connect the spars to form a seat. By this time, we had already exceeded the time of 1 hour. When we were finally finished with the swing, we were all extremely satisfied with the result even though the swing was not 100% tight and was a little loose. We took a photo with the swing and we all tried to sit on it. During Monday’s PA, I learnt that a sense of urgency is extremely important when it comes to building structures, especially Pioneering. I also learnt that 报时-ing is not just for the sake of it but for reminding us that we have to hurry up. It was overall a very fulfilling PA. 

Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:

On Monday, we had Lash Training first. After collecting all the logistics needed, we started tying square lash, diagonal lash, A-架, and tripod. We tied each lash two times and our goal was to make the lash tighter and tie it faster the second time. The lash training allowed me to know which lash I was weak in and so I could practise on that lash more during Friday morning lash training. After that, we were tasked to build a structure that represented our patrol, P3. After brainstorming, we decided to make a tripod that had 3 定脚s. It looked like a tree, which sounds the same as three. The first layer of 定脚s represented the Y1s, the second layer represented the Y2s and so on. The Y3s were at the bottom as they are the main support and foundation of our patrol. We also did netting on the first layer, which had three strings. However, P3 is more than just a number. It also looked like a shelter too, symbolising how P3 is like our family and we find comfort in spending time with one another. Fortunately, we managed to keep the time limit of 30 minutes due to constant 报时. We also had high morale due to cheering often. After 拆掉 and return of logistics, we played some games. The first game’s rule was to form a circle and hold hands with the person opposite you. After that, we had to try to untangle ourselves to form a circle. We tried for a long time but eventually gave up because it was too difficult. The next game was mafia game. We had played this in the last PA session too. Our seniors even got us drinks and we had a lot of fun in this game. Overall, this PA session was definitely a memorable one as I got to improve my relationship with my patrol through various fun activities. 

Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:

On Monday, we built the Fireman’s Ladder (FML), an interactive Pioneering structure. I was looking forward to it as we do not get to build it often. It was also only my second time building the structure. First, we started with Pioneering lash training. We tied the square lash, diagonal lash and tripod lash. Although I 抽ed quite tightly, I lost tension sometimes, making my lashes a bit looser. We could have maintained tension and also not overlapped the frapping. Then we started to build the FML! For once, I think we had a good sense of urgency, asked for time extensions on time, and had quite constant 报时. However, we did not step out to look at the bigger picture and the ladder ended up a bit slanted. When it was time to try the ladder we noticed the gap between the highest rung and the middle rung was too big, making the ladder a bit harder to climb. We all tried the ladder and had high morale as we cheered our patrol mates on when they tried it. In a nutshell, the FML was a fun activity and a good chance to practise our Pioneering lashes.

Reflections from a Year 2 in P5:

During the 12 August Patrol Activity, our patrol did Pioneering. Our Patrol Leader told us that we would be building a swing. We were excited as we have not built a swing before. I (Vivian) was appointed as the Patrol Leader (PL) for this activity. I was nervous as it was only my second time stepping up to be a PL for the whole patrol. After getting our logistics, we started building the swing. At first, our sense of urgency was there and we took around 15 minutes to get the tripods up. However, we took quite long to finish up the 定脚s as we had 2 people build the seat of the swing. Hence, there was a lack of manpower when finishing up the 定脚s. After we were finally done with the 定脚s, we were going to connect the 黄木 to the two tripods. However, we realised that we had only taken one 营绳. We had to get someone to run back to go get another 营绳. However, the frontier was locked and we were unable to get the 营绳. At this point, we were already exceeding our time given. We had to make do with what we had and use one 营绳 instead. We finally started tying the lash connecting the 黄木 to the tripod. However, we were already 过时-ing, and we did not have enough time to finish the structure. Overall, I felt that even though most of our lashes were tight, we could have 动作快一点 and could've built the 定脚s faster.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P6:

For the Gadgeting that we had done during Monday's PA, we were tasked to build a structure similar to a catapult. The structure was tied together with a mess tin as the part of the “catapult” to launch the tennis balls provided by the Y3s. We were also challenged to hit as many PVC pipes that were placed on the ground by the Y3s, and were given 7 minutes to get the highest score possible, with the winner getting a snack bought from the drink store as a prize. This activity was quite engaging as we had a lot of fun while attempting to shoot the tennis balls with our structure. However, the lashes that were tied onto the structure itself were not the tightest. This could have improved on to prevent the need to tighten our lashes again, and given us more time to play with our structure. We can make use of the Friday morning Lash Training more effectively to revise and familiarise the lashes that were not so greatly tied and need improvement on. I think that our sense of urgency was not too bad, but could still be improved on and brisk walk more instead of strolling slowly to collect the logistics and going back to the place where we are building the structure. Therefore, this PA has allowed us to have a time for us to bond as well as enabling us to look out for areas to improve on.

Hope everyone got a chance to bond and have fun! 

Published by:

Yuanxin

54届 Secretary 

WAGGGS Activity, 12 August 2022

 Hello Guides,

For today’s 集合, the Year 1s and Year 2s were doing Badgework while the Year 3s were participating in the WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) activities. This year's theme is“#GirlsSpeakUp” to enable Girl Guides and Girl Scouts of all ages to have their say in our global youth consultation in celebration of International Day of the Girl 2022. We were very excited to share our feelings and thoughts through this activity today. After that, we had Mass Games.

Badgework

Basket-maker Badge

The Year 1s and Year 2s had to weave a basket by themselves using different materials to earn this badge.

Reflection from a Year 1 in P1:

On Friday, we did badge work. One of the badges that we had to earn was the basket-maker badge. To get the Basket-maker badge, we had to make 2 baskets or mats which include weaving. As I only brought stationery, I had to borrow materials from my patrol mates and our supplies were very limited. Hence, I found it difficult to make the baskets and mats especially since they had to include weaving, which is something I do not do often. However, after watching the videos shown to us, I practised and quickly picked up on how to weave. After learning how to weave with paper, I made a mat. I also folded the paper multiple times to make it sturdier and longer-lasting. I recalled how I used to fold paper boxes at home and made a waste-paper basket. In addition to that, I taught my patrol mates how to make the waste-paper basket. At the end of the badgework, I managed to complete the task and earned the badge. All in all, I feel that this activity allowed me to improve my crafting skills and creativity. This also allowed me to bond with my patrol mates. I had a lot of fun earning the basket-maker badge.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:

On 12 August, I went back to CCA after resting for 2 weeks after getting Covid-19. During CCA, we did Badgework and then played Mass games. We completed the Basket-maker and the Handicraft badge. For the Basket-maker badge, we were required to make 2 products, with at least one of the bases hand-woven. I made a mat and a basket, with the mat being hand woven. The mat was made of recycled newspaper and a basket of plastic straws. I had never weaved anything before, and thus weaving the mat was my first experience for me. It was quite hard at first, but I slowly got used to it and could weave faster. However, we only brought scissors, tape, glue and colouring materials, when we also needed newspaper and plastic straws. Hence, we had to borrow from other patrols. This reminded us of the importance of sharing and giving, especially because we were on the receiving end. All in all, completing the Basket-maker badge was fun and fulfilling. 

Handicraft Badge

Year 1s and Year 2s were able to exercise their creativity in making useful or ornamental products. This is a platform for Guides to apply general knowledge that they know such as how the materials are prepared or obtained.

Reflection from a Year 1 in P6:

Last CCA session, on the 12 of August, we did Badgework and played games after we were done with Badgework. For Badgework, we were told to fulfil the requirements for the Basket-maker and Handicraft badge. I enjoyed completing both the badges but I enjoyed the process of completing the Handicraft badge more. We had to make an ornament and a useful item each to fulfil the requirements to get the Handicraft badge. We only had a limited number of straws and newspapers to work with so it was challenging to complete the tasks. When making the ornament and the item, I had to be very patient because the straws could not stay in place and I had to redo it a few times. Through this week's Badgework activity on Handicraft, I realised that Handicraft can help to stimulate creativity and imagination, encourages communication and socialization, increases the capacity for concentration, encourages participation and teamwork and reduces stress and anxiety. We were also a bit confused with the instructions given so we consulted the friendly seniors who answered all our questions patiently. In a nutshell, I enjoyed the Badgework activity and learnt a lot from it.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:

During this activity, we unleashed our creativity by using materials such as plastic and newspapers to make a hand-carried bag, a mat and an accessory by weaving the materials together. At first, we did not know how to weave the materials together and we did not have that many plastic straws like other patrols. So we decided to use recycled paper for the hand-carried bag and mat. For the boxes, we cut the paper into strips and pasted them in an overlapping and repetitive manner which was considered weaving and we did the same for the mat. For the accessory, our patrol used a plastic straw or plastic bottle to make either a ring or a bracelet, and folded it or pasted things on it so that it looks like weaving. Even though we faced some difficulties as we did not know how to weave with the materials at first and because of the time, we still managed to make decent products and were able to receive the Handicraft Badge. This activity was really fun because we got to sit down and chat with our patrol mates which were different from the other 集合s. Not only that, but we also bonded with other people from other patrols. In a nutshell, this Handicraft Badge activity was fruitful as we learnt to make stuff out of recycled materials.  

WAGGGS

For WAGGGS, the Year 3s sat in a circle to discuss how International Day of the Girl (IDG) has empowered girls and young women to shape the world they want to see. Year 3s will be able to live out the theme of this year’s IDG and inculcate the same values in the Y1s and Y2s by being role models for them. 

Youth Consultation

For Youth Consultation, Year 3s discussed what Girl Guiding meant to them and what skills, topics and issues they would like to explore at Girl Guides that they think would be handy for you as you grow older. The feedback was also passed on to WAGGGS to inform the initiatives that WAGGGS develops for the future to ensure that Guides is a truly girl-led Movement.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P4:

On Fridays 集合, we did WAGGGS activity, which is Youth Consultation, where we had to come together as a batch and decide some things we wanted to achieve before we step down. Every patrol had to say a few things and together as a batch, we looked through some of the things we wrote and recognised each other's goals and dreams in CCA. This is a very meaningful activity as we set up some goals we wanted to achieve at the end of our 领导层 and we could work towards that goal together after that session. I am grateful we had the opportunity to sit together and work out our goals as it is extremely important for us, the Year 3 batch, to know very clearly what we needed to work on as we take over the CCA. Furthermore, we could target each batch's weaknesses and work on them so we can plan more meaningful CCA sessions in the future. This Youth Consultation was meaningful as I could recognise the other batch's weaknesses so that our CL and ACL could talk to us and communicate as a batch as we are lacking in communication as a batch. Hence, with this youth consult, it made us better leaders and we are clearer about what we need to improve on as we just stepped up as 领导层, and we are still very unsure of how to smoothly plan out CCA sessions for our juniors so that our juniors can have a fun time but still keep up the standards for their future batches to come. I would love to have another one of these opportunities to have meaningful conversations with my batch mates as we rarely have the time to come together as the whole batch due to other priorities and this hinders us from executing our well-thought-out 集合 sessions.

Three Scenes

Some of the Year 3s volunteered to improvise a scene. The setting of this scene is that Guides are at a party and the story is completely up to them. Afterwards, Guides have to act out the same scene but be uncomfortable and scared the second time and feel safe, confident and brave for the last time.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P1:

For our WAGGGS package activity last Friday, we played a handful of games to get different messages across the batch, and one game that stood out was the “Three Scenes” game. Our batch mates would sit in a circle, surrounding the five performing volunteers. The three scenes had the same description of “being at a party”, with the differences being how the volunteers have to act differently in each round. The first round was a normal party scenario, where the volunteers danced together and fought each other. I thought this was a very common party scenario, where there are fights and dancing at a party. The second scene had the volunteers acting out “being scared and timid” in the party scene. The volunteers would huddle together away from others, looking frightful at the aspect of communication. To me, this scene was well played out with the focus cantering around “introverts” and “fear of communication”. The third and last scene had the volunteers acting out “being safe and brave” in the party scene. This time, I volunteered to act out the scene albeit a little timidly. I thought of what made one “safe and brave” and decided to initiate some swaying as part of our acting. It was meant to come off as “being comfortable with others”, but from the outside, we looked like “drunks swaying together”. After the acting out of the scenes, the reflection questions had us thinking about the purpose of the game. “How did the different scenes make you feel?” The purpose was to encourage an environment where one would feel safe and brave, tying in line with our WAGGGS package activity purpose. I believed that this WAGGGS activity package was an eye-opener for my batch, and with a solidified pledge in mind, we will strive to be better 领导层 by first “allowing anyone to share their opinions freely in a safe and brave space”.

Going on Up!

Year 3s are to think about what Girl Guiding means to them and have to reflect on how Girl Guiding makes you feel and what they have learned in the Movement. As a group, Guides had to decide on a creative way you want to convey their answers and present them to their batch and explain their answers.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P5:

I enjoyed planning and acting out a commercial about how we feel about Guides with my patrol mates. It was really fun as we brainstormed on how to act out what we love about Guides, as well as how we have grown and learnt new skills in guides. We acted out a commercial where we interviewed each other on a few questions— what Guides mean to us, what Guiding has taught us, and what we feel about Guides. The activity allowed us to bond as a batch, understanding our opinions and thoughts about Guiding. We chose to do a commercial, and make it a humorous one, to engage and capture the attention of our audience. It was also fun to act these scenes out in a comedic way that would resonate with our audience, making the performance more interesting and engaging to the audience. We talked about how guiding means sisterhood, a home for all of us, as well as how proud we are to be in this “family”. We also shared the skills we learnt, such as Gadgeting, Pioneering, First Aid etc. The audience seemed entertained through our skit so it was likely a successful performance. Moreover, we were able to link all three questions in a connected storyline, so I feel that the overall storyboard was done well. However, one area of improvement could be our improvisation and coordination through more thorough planning of the stage actions and script, to deliver a more smooth and organised performance. The element of commercials could also have been stronger. This could be done through making larger and more expressive movements, or speaking in greater varied tones. Overall, the activity was quite new and I liked how we were given the opportunity and guide to reflect more on what our Girl Guiding means to us, beyond just a CCA, thereby reinforcing our purpose and motivation to lead as 领导层 by organising activities for the company.

Roll Up to Speak Up!

Guides have to come out with a big list of skills that they would like to learn through Girl Guiding as well as a list of topics or issues they want to learn more about and take action to improve by discussing in their small groups the 5 categories: Teamwork skills, Interpersonal skills, Practical skills, Personal skills and Local or Global issues.

Reflection from a Year 3 in P2:

Through the activity, “Roll up to speak up”, I was given the opportunity to think about the different skills I would like to develop in the future in Girl Guides as well as how I should go about doing so. I was given interpersonal skills and I found this skill very apt to my now situation as I am now part of the 领导层, for us, it is important to always maintain good relationships with the juniors and also be strict enough to keep up the standards. After the round of sharing, I realised that many of my batchmates had the same thought as I did and we were all curious as to how to be a better senior to aid our junior’s growth. As such, we brainstormed together and through the discussion, I obtained some very interesting ways to develop this very important skill. Without this activity, I might not have thought of such ideas and thus, I found this discussion extremely useful. After discussing within our small groupings, we gathered together as a batch and summarised our discussion to other groups. Some of the ideas provided by my other batch mates were interesting and possibly effective in helping our juniors to grow. This sharing also allowed me to understand some skills that my batchmates hope to develop and how they hope to do so. These skills that we plan to develop will be useful for our 领导层 journey as we are still considerably new to this role. Through this, I will know how to help them with developing their desired skills and be able to do so when planning future sessions for my juniors. Hence, I found this discussion activity extremely useful as usually we would not have time to sit down and brainstorm about such things as a full batch. 

Pledge Making

As leaders, Year 3s made a pledge today that when they plan their Girl Guide activities they will #ListenToGirls so they can make sure that their activities are always Relevant, Exciting, Accessible and Learner-Led (REAL).

Reflection from a Year 3 in P6:

On last friday’s 集合, the Y3s had taken a part in this year’s WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) activity pack, which was to promote the involvement of girls and girl-led movements through Guiding. The activities were centered around providing a safe and comfortable environment in which girls would be able to  voice their opinions and be confident, which I felt was very meaningful in its contributions to modern, healthy feminism. Through these activities, we could bond as a batch and strengthen friendships through our discussions and activities in which we could be honest and be ourselves. One of the last components of the WAGGGS activity we had done that day was the Pledge To Keep It R.E.A.L that we had to make, which was to promote a safe environment for girls to thrive in Girl Guides. While Company Leader Chloe and Assistant Company Leader Hui Ning had to do a slightly different pledge, my batchmates and I had to come up with the values that we would adhere to in providing a safe girl-led space for fellow Guides. When I was notified that our pledge would be sent in video form to the WAGGGS Headquarters, I decided to put in more sincerity in whatI truly believe in.Now that I have stepped up as 领导层, I ultimately felt the responsibility to be supportive and take care of my juniors. Personally, this was an affirmation for me to become the best senior that I can be in my leadership journey, and it motivated me to do better for the sake of my juniors. From now on, I hope that my juniors can feel safe and comforted in the Guiding environment, and I will do my best to be there for them as a senior.

Mass Games

Mass Games played were Scissors-Paper-Stone game and 老鹰捉小鸡. These games allowed Guides to bond with different batches and different patrols. The games were fun and helped to make Guides more enthusiastic and have an enjoyable time.

Reflection from a Year 1 in P2:

On Friday, we played Mass Games. It was the first time we ever played Mass Games so we were very excited. The first game we played was Scissors-Paper-Stone game. If you lost to someone in a game of Scissors-Paper-Stone, you would have to get in line behind them. However, there was a twist. Before playing, we had to say “left left right right front front back back” while jumping in that direction. Only then could we play the game. We also could not play against people from our own patrol and/or batch. This allowed us to interact more with people from other levels and patrols and bond with them. In the last round of this scissors paper stone, Yanching won. The second game we played was 老鹰捉小鸡. We got to play 3 rounds, with different patrols and including one round with our own batch. The year 3s also joined us in both games. It was very fun though we think we spiralled so much that we got very very dizzy. It was chaotic as we were running in circles for minutes straight, and we also struggled to keep up with the speed of the people in front of us. This game also helped us to bond with other patrols. However it was still a very fun experience overall.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P5:

During 集合 last friday, we played two games within the 团 and our batch - a Scissors-Paper-Stone game and 老鹰抓小鸡 respectively. For the Scissors 

-Paper-Stone game, we were required to play Scissors-Paper–Stone with people who were neither from our patrol nor our batch. The loser would have to stand behind the winner and as the game continued, more lines would be formed. Eventually, there would only be two lines left, and the people at the front of both lines had to play Scissors Paper Stone with each other. The winner of the Scissors Paper Stone would then be the overall winner in the 团. The game was very thrilling and we had a lot of fun playing it. Moreover, it was a great opportunity for us to step out of our comfort zone and interact with seniors and juniors who we have never spoken to before. The second game, 老鹰抓小鸡, was played within our individual batches. We were split into three groups, each group consisting of two patrols. It was an exciting game as we were given the chance to bond with our fellow Year 2s from other patrols. There was also a lot of cheering and laughter, hence we felt that the morale was very high. All in all, everyone had lots of fun playing both of the games as well as interacting with one another. This was definitely an amazing and memorable experience which has allowed us to become closer to Guides from the whole 团.

Hope the Year 1s and 2s enjoyed earning their badges and the Year 3s gained some valuable experience from the WAGGGS activities. Hope everyone had fun!

Published by:

Yuanxin

54届 Secretary

Skills Training, 5 August 2022

Hi Guides! For today’s 集合, we built a Kitchen Table!

Kitchen Table

Through this activity, Guides are able to recap this standard structure. This is also a chance for Guides to refine their Pioneering hard skills as well as a chance for the Year 2s to step up and lead the patrol.

Reflection from a Year 1 in P1:

On Friday, we built a Kitchen Table. While taking the logistics from the backstore, a lot of people were crowding at the back store which made it a lot more difficult to bring the logistics back which I think we can work on. After everyone started building, my patrol realised that one of the 红木 had a big hole in it which we had to replace. That made me learn that we should choose our logistics more carefully. While building the kitchen table after finishing tying both the tripods, my patrol realised that one of the tripods was really loose and we could not use it for the kitchen table but there was too little time to tie another tripod again so we had to take it down and while the other patrols were finishing up with their Kitchen Table, we only had one tripod and we could not do anything about it, so we decided to help the patrols to finish up their Kitchen Table. In the end, my patrol was the only patrol who was not able to complete the structure which made me learn to check the lashes properly before tying other lashes. While putting back the logistics, there were many people playing basketball and the basketball court and in order for us not to get hit by the ball, there were many seniors there warning us to not walk on the court but there were still many people who did, I will try to help by telling other people not to walk through the basketball court when I see them instead of letting the seniors warn them themselves, and I myself will listen to what my seniors say. Overall the activity was fun, engaging and educating and I enjoyed it.

Reflection from a Year 1 in P2:

On Friday's 集合, we did Pioneering. We were assigned to build a Kitchen Table. Through the seniors' feedback, we understood that we took a long time to collect the logistics as we lacked a sense of urgency. As a result, we 过时 by a lot. We also took too long to tie the two tripods and to 起 the tripods. Not only did we take a long time but the lashes were also extremely loose. Also, while tying the other lashes, we forgot to 定脚. Because the tripods we tied were too loose, it was too dangerous for us if we did not 定脚 as the structure could fall and hurt someone. As we took too long to tie the tripods, we had very little time to tie the other lashes, causing us to 过时 again by like a lot. During 拆掉, it was very dangerous for us as the tripods were extremely loose and had the potential to collapse if we didn't 定脚. The tripod was slanting while we 拆掉 and almost toppled. Fortunately, our seniors stepped in to prevent the structure from collapsing entirely.  From this 集合, we learned to have a better sense of urgency and we learned to always 定脚.

Reflection from a Year 1 in P5:

On 5th August 集合，we built a Kitchen Table. Firstly, we were given time to get our logistics, but had to ask for a few time extensions. When we finally broke off to start building our Kitchen Table, we were given 55 minutes. Patrol 5 was off to a good start, as we had allocated manpower well. Within 15 minutes, our tripods, which we used 红木 to build, were up. We were the only patrol with tripods up. Then, we tied 顶脚s with 6 青木s, with some of us supporting the 木s while others tied square lash for the 顶脚s. Afterwards, we used 2 other 青木s to tie on the tripod and thus used that to put our table on it. We have measured it well, and thus our table fitted nicely. By this time, we had been granted time extension, and we knew we had to have a greater sense of urgency. Next up were the “seats” for the table. We used 2 红木s for each side of the table and used a super square lash. We had not finished the super square lash by the time the Year 3s had asked us to 集合, so we had no choice but to leave it unfinished. However, due to many patrols not finished, they had granted us yet another time extension. Finally, we were the first patrol to finish our Kitchen Table! We decided to help other patrols. In the end, we were very satisfied with our Kitchen Table as we were one of the few who had completed it well, and also because we had lesser manpower at first. Our lashes were relatively tight, but some needed to be 重抽ed, so we could definitely have improved our lashes. Our sense of urgency at the start was good, but we could have kept it up throughout the building of the Kitchen Table. We could have cheered and 报时 a little more.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:

It has been a very long time since we build Kitchen Table which is one of our basic standard structure for Pioneering. Firstly, collection of 木 could actually have been faster and we should practise constant 报时 instead of being repeatedly prompted by our seniors. Secondly, during the building of the Kitchen Table, we definitely need to tie tighter lashes for one of the tripods because after multiple tries our lash was still loose, but we still manage to tie a super tight one after 30 minutes. This caused us to be much slower than the other patrols. Not only that, the other tripod after finishing the structure was a little loose. So one thing we need to improve on was tying tighter lashes because it could affect the whole structure and waste a lot of time. However, one thing I find commendable is that we still managed to be the fastest patrol to finish the entire structure and our lashes were actually quite tight. One thing was also could improve on is actively checking out for loose lashes to 重抽 without the seniors telling us. Lastly, the returning of logistics could have been faster and we should not cut across the basketball court when our seniors told us not to do so as respect is a very important thing in Guides. The 麻绳 also should be returned properly into the 麻绳 barrel not tangled up. Overall, even though this 集合 was tiring but we still managed to recapped on our Guides knowledge and improve from our mistakes.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:

We spent Friday’s 集合 building the Kitchen Tables (KT) across the 6 patrols. Since there was very little manpower in my patrol, we combined with Patrol 3 to build the KT. First, we tied the tripods. Surprisingly I tied that lash quite fast, and we started working on the 顶脚s. However, the other tripod kept having to be retied which took up a lot of time. Instead of everyone just working on the 顶脚s, some people could have gone to help with the other tripod. I also think we could have allocated manpower better during that time as there was only one person tying the lash on one tripod while everyone else worked on the other one. Our senior suggested having one person constantly check on her so she would not get kapped. I think that was a great idea and will use it during future 集合s too. Most of the structure actually went without many problems. However, although we only had 50 minutes to build the KT, we took about 1 hour 20 minutes. We definitely could have had a better sense of urgency. Also, there were some loose lashes that could move up and down. We could have used more strength to 抽 it, and frap more times so the lash will be tight if the 麻绳 is too long. Building the KT was quite fun and gave us a chance to work together with Patrol 3.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P6:

For the KT that we did in the last 集合， I feel that we should have had a better sense of urgency while tying the KT. We should also have listened to the seniors after they told us not to cut across the basketball court and not repeat the same mistake again. We should have taken note of ABCDEO better and listened to them. Moreover,  we should have told the other people at backstore how much time extension we were given. We should have also allocated our manpower better to enable us to return the logistics at a faster rate so that we would not 过时 that much. We should have also not taken so long to put the 麻绳 barrels back to frontier. Also, we should have returned the logistics better than we received them by untying the knots in the 麻绳 to aid our next 集合 sessions with pioneering so that we are able to tie faster. We should also have taught our juniors and also familiarised ourselves with more songs so that we are able to have a large variety of songs to choose from. All in all, I feel that we must definitely improve on our standards and our sense of urgency. Hence, we have to make use of the Friday morning sessions to improve out standards. We should also definitely take note of our ABCDEO. In conclusion, this 集合 was a session that enabled us to take note of what we have to improve on.

Hope everyone learned something new today!

Published by:

Yuanxin

54届 Secretary

Patrol Activity, 1 August 2022

Hello Guides!

Here are some reflections on this week's Patrol Activity! 

Reflection from a Year 2 in P1:

I had a lot of fun during this Monday’s Patrol Activity (PA). We built a mini gateway which actually reminded us of a very similar structure we made earlier this year before the Year Ones joined us. It was a particularly memorable PA as that was the PA where we performed quite well, being on time and tying particularly tight lashes. Thus, we also aimed to continue the “legacy” of tying tight lashes which spurred everyone on to do their very best. During the process, we could constantly check for loose lashes and 重抽 them. We also cheered quite a far bit, ensuring that everyone had a chance to start the cheer. We even learned a new cheer! Normally. Our patrol only cheers two of the three types of cheers there are as we were not very sure of the lyrics of the third type. During this PA, however, we decided to learn and try it (with the strong encouragement from our seniors) and I think we all had a lot of fun doing so. Apart from having a joyous time, me and my batchmate also learned more about macro-management. The completed structure was a little slanted and that was due to us micro-managing and not stepping out enough to see the full structure. After this, however, we would be sure to pay more attention to the larger picture especially when we are assigned the roles of Patrol Leader and Patrol Second. To end off, we played truth or dare which let us discover some interesting facts and opinions we had about one another. Overall, this PA was extremely fun and helped us bond a lot.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P2:

I think that Patrol Activity on Monday was fun. We had station games. We played Just Dance at a station. I feel that it was a good opportunity for us to bond together with the Year Ones and the rest of the Year Twos. For the location of our next station, we had to guess the name of a song played and I felt that that was quite interesting. We also had the chance to play musical chairs and we were also tested on our Guides notes knowledge there as we were told to queue up in the order in which we were eliminated and then given questions to answer. We also had a station where we had to play broken telephone and pass down the message on the structure to build. Although our final structure was correct, we tied some extra lashes that were not needed. I felt that this station was a good test of our communication. We also had to build a structure and hide a secret message in the structure for the other patrol. Although we did not really manage to hide the message but it was a very fun activity. I feel that we could have made our lashes tighter and had a higher sense of urgency.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P3:

On 1st August, we had Patrol Activity. Firstly, we gathered logistics for the building of a Baggage Rack, a structure made up of two A-架s. As this would result in less stability of the structure, the 定角s for the structure had to have especially tight lashes. Most importantly, the diagonals had to be tight enough as those were the base of the baggage rack and had to support the entire structure. We also ensured that the diagonals 动地 so that it could support the structure properly. To make things more efficient and prevent 过时, my patrol tied the top and bottom horizontal 定角s simultaneously. Throughout the entire process,  my patrol took note to cheer and 报时 constantly, though of course, we still required a few reminders from the seniors. After the building of the baggage rack, we carried out 4 rounds of Inspection. This Inspection was slightly different from the ones the patrol normally carried out, as setbacks were introduced throughout the inspection process, which obstructed our progress. Thankfully, my patrol still managed to successfully complete the Inspection, noting that the base poncho had to be compacted by folding in the edges to make it look neater. At the end of the inspection, our patrol decided to play a few rounds of “Mafia” (killer game) before 全团解散。

Reflection from a Year 2 in P4:

My patrol combined with Patrol 6 for Patrol Activity where we did Creative Pioneering. This was only our second time doing Pioneering without our seniors building the structure with us. 

We had to construct a bridge consisting of two quadpods and 木 hanging for us to walk across and were given 45 minutes to do so. However, the quadpods took 40 minutes to get up. We took some time to rearrange the 木 so the heights would be similar for each quadpod, and the 麻绳 kept getting tangled and was hard to pull in between the 木 as there were knots. Next time, we can choose better 绳. After we were done tying one quadpod, we realized that the 头 and 脚 were the wrong way and had to retie the lash.

We worked a lot faster once the quadpods were up. Still, we could have worked faster by allocating manpower properly and 报时ing more. Due to time constraints, we got to simplify the structure. We also should have looked at the bigger picture as the quadpods ended up being different sizes. There were also a lot of 鸟绳 and a few loose lashes that we could have tucked in and tied tighter. Every few minutes we would have to stop and make a decision based on what the seniors told us. I think we chose the better options but could have considered the Year 1s opinions more too. 

There was a lot of room for improvement but some things we did well, such as cheering. Our cheers were quite loud and frequent. Overall, we could have worked faster. It was a good opportunity to bond with my patrol mates as well as P6.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P5:

On the 1st of August. We had our Patrol Activity (PA) and it was a unique experience as it was a competition between us and P2. I felt that it was meaningful and that we bonded not only as a patrol but inter-patrol. It was the first time we had PA with another patrol and hence I felt that it was a memorable experience from running from one classroom to another, to the Station Games itself. The station that left the strongest impact was the Just Dance station where we had to form 2 groups with at least 2 people from each patrol and dance to the selected song using the app just dance. It was memorable as we have never encountered such an interesting station before and hence it was memorable and unique. Also, there was the musical chairs station where we were to play musical chairs. However, it was stressful as we had to compete against each other and the Guiders were watching us, making it even more stressful. Another thing I felt was interesting was the way the seniors gave us the clues which were through having to guess a song as I have never encountered Station Games being conducted like that before. All in all, I felt that this PA is definitely a new experience and one that will be remembered by us.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P6:

During 集合 on Friday, we did Creative Pioneering. We learnt to collect thicker logistics and also those less damaged ones. We were supposed to build a bridge-like structure and play with it in the end. However, we could not complete building the structure in time and did not have a chance to play with the structure. I think that our time management and urgency could definitely be improved. We could also allocate our manpower more evenly so that everyone would know what to do and we could complete our structure in time. We should also include the Y1s more and give them an outline of what the structure is supposed to be like during the building process so that they would not feel so lost. We 过时 by a lot and I think that we should work on that area. Additionally, we should also take note of the time and ask for time extension at least 30 seconds before the time is up. Everyone in the group should be clear on how much time they are given so that they will act with a sense of urgency. Overall, I think that this Pioneering activity is a time where we learn a lot from. From the collection of 木s to time management, I think we have to work on many things in order to have a better outcome the next time. Pioneering was still fun and enjoyable but I hope we would have a better sense of urgency in the future. 

Hope everybody got to bond and know their patrol better today! 

Published by:

Yuanxin

54届 Secretary