Patrol Activity, 19 July 2021

 Hi Guides!

The following are some reflections from the various patrol members for this week’s Patrol Activity. 

Reflection from a Year 2 in P1: 

On Monday, our seniors had planned for us to do lash training on spars, play volleyball and build a fireman ladder. But we did not manage to do everything due to some problems. Four out of the six of us showed up, because of circumstances. With a lack of manpower and poor communication, it took us 18 minutes to gather our logistics, which should have been 12. Not only did we skip lash training, but we missed physical training, which was volleyball. Our seniors decided to move the agenda forward, thus we started on the fireman ladder. It took us 30 minutes to tie our lashes, but I believed it was worth it for our lashes were tight and the spars could not move. Although we still had some problems, like certain spars being too far away from each other, everyone managed to have a go. It was quite scary, but all we needed was trust in our patrol mates and the last push to jump off. Overall, although we did not accomplish what we were supposed to do, the fireman ladder was a unique experience to top off Patrol Activity, and it served as a valuable lesson to have trust in one another, even if the fireman ladder shakes.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P2: 

During this week’s Patrol Activity, we did Creative Gadgeting. We had to build a weapon, then another structure of our choice. We planned what to build quickly which saved us time. However, I could not help to build the structures as I took my vaccine, and two out of four of us could not help carry the logistics. However, my patrol mates did a great job at building the structures. We built our catapult and emergency shelter rather quickly, considering the number of our manpower. I felt we could have finished the structure more quickly if we had allocated the manpower slightly better. We also could have 报时 more. After Gadgeting, our patrol played a guessing game with cards. It was very fun and I felt that it helped us to bond more. I enjoyed this Patrol Activity a lot. 

Reflection from a Year 2 in P3: 

This Patrol Activity session was the first session that we had in semester 2, and also the first Patrl Activity session that we were alone, without any seniors to help us with the building of structures and collecting logistics. I felt I could have improved in certain areas. Firstly, on Guides knowledge. When we had to say the trekking signs, especially for months, it would often turn into a guessing game as  we were not sure. In the previous jihe, I also realised it was the case. This would be because while we studied the trekking signs, the precision was not there. Same with the remembering of logistics for standard structures. To improve from there, I think we could split up and rotate the roles on what to read up more. That way we could focus on a particular part more and remember it clearly. I would also not have to cram a lot of information and pray that I could remember all of it. I also felt we could improve on the tardiness of the structure and the tightness of the lashes as there were a few loose lashes. However, that being said, I feel that our sense of urgency was good as we could finish the structure without time extensions. It was also the first time we managed to complete a baggage rack also. We also generally did quite good in 照顾好东西 as we had little to no logistics being kapped.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P4: 

For this Monday's Patrol Activity, Patrol 5 and 4 were tasked with a treasure hunt in which we had to find post-it notes and solve the riddles and trekking signs on the post-it notes. Although we did not manage to find and solve all of the riddles and trekking signs, I think that we still did a good job as we managed to solve most of the post-its. We were also told to build a baggage rack, shoe rack and a creative structure within 50 minutes. Although we managed to complete it within the timing, I still feel that there are many ways in which we can improve. For example, we should have allocated manpower properly so that we would not have taken 30 minutes to think and complete the creative structure. Other than that, we could have 报时 more, without our seniors always asking us to 报时 throughout the entire Patrol Activity. I think that this Patrol Activity was fulfilling as I am now familiar with building structures and I get to bond with P5 and become closer with my batchmates. In conclusion, while I think that we did well, there were still areas in which we can improve on.

Reflection from a Year 2 in P5: 

During Patrol Activity on Monday, the seniors had planned a treasure hunt and Gadgeting activity for us. For the treasure hunt, we had to find post-it notes around the Media Resource Library and try our best to solve the riddles and trekking signs on them. Although we did not managed to solve or find everything in time, I feel that we did quite well as we managed to solve most of them, tried our best to include everyone and 报时 regularly. For Gadgeting, we had to build a shoe rack, baggage rack and a creative structure representing Dunman High’s 65th Anniversary. In 50 minutes, we managed to complete the baggage rack and shoe rack, however we did not manage to complete the creative structure. I feel that our sense of urgency could have been greatly improved and we could have looked at the bigger picture more often and 报时 more constantly. Our lashes could also have been improved as some of them were not tight and had to be tied again. I feel that this Patrol Activity was a good opportunity to brush up on our knowledge on standard structures. 

Reflection from a Year 2 in P6: 

During Patrol Activity today, my patrol did Gadgeting and Creative Gadgeting. During Gadgeting, we were instructed by the Year 3s to build a baggage rack. Even though we did not manage to complete building the baggage rack, it definitely helped us Year 2s and the Year 1s brush up and recall our Gadgeting skills as we did not have any 集合s or Patrol Activities for about two months. Also, the rest of the Year 2s in my patrol and I guided our Year 1s with the specific steps and communicated thoroughly with them such that they would not get confused, and I believe that this will also help to strengthen the bonds and ties between us. For Creative Gadgeting, we were told to create a structure that was never seen before in Guides but it must be inspired by a baggage rack or a shoe rack. Hence, my patrol decided to create a table and use netting to act as the table top to hold items that people would use to eat food. Creative Gadgeting allowed me to communicate more with my patrol mates and cooperate better with them. 

Hope y'all had fun for this week's Patrol Activity, and managed to bond with your patrol members!

Published by:

Pok Jing

53 届 Secretary

Skills Training, 16 July 2021

Hello Guides!

For this week’s 集合, we played some Station Games and did Gadgeting! 

Station 1: Finding Post-its

Patrol members are required to find and solve as many post-its that the station master had hidden in a classroom. Questions on the post-its are Guides-related, and for every 4 correct answers, a Guides code will be given for patrol members to decode. 

Reflection from a Year 2: 

The first station game for 集合 on Friday was the post-it station where we had to find post-its all over the classroom and subsequently solve all the questions on the post-its about our Guides knowledge, after which we would be able to get a Guides Code that we needed to decode. It was important because we have not had CCA for a rather long time, so to be able to recap our Guides knowledge like survival skills and trekking signs was a good refresher. My patrol and I had read our Guides Notes in advance so to be able to use it and apply it was very affirming and encouraged me to read my Guides Notes more as it would pay off. I was able to see what I needed to learn and memorise more and what I was confident in and that I knew. Although we have played many such games before, this post-it game was different as it tested us on more obscure Guides knowledge and also about Company-related knowledge, like naming the Patrol Leaders of the 53届. In a nutshell, the Post-It station allowed us to revise and apply our Guides knowledge and also made us learn about our Company more.

Station 2: Photo Taking

Patrol members are required to recreate as many pictures, provided by the Station Master, within a certain time. This station aims to allow patrol members to bond more since we have not met each other physically for a period of time. 

Reflection from a Year 2: 

We did photo taking for one of the Station Games on Friday. There were printed reference photos for us to imitate and we had to recreate as many poses as possible within 12 minutes. At first, there wasn't much sense of urgency and the coordination was very messy. But as time went by, some of us started stepping up more and everyone quickly finished recreating all the photos. We even managed to do an extra pose as we had extra time. This activity promotes teamwork, good leadership and communication skills. We managed to bond during this activity and look forward to more of such activities in the future.

Station 3: Lash Training

Patrol members are required to tie some basic lashes, like square lash and diagonal lash, within the standard time. This station aims to allow patrol members to make sure they are clear of how to tie the different lashes. 

Reflection from a Year 2: 

Station 3, which was lash training, allowed us to revise our lashes which we had not done in a while due to the CCA stand-down. We were given the standard timings of the lashes, square lash and diagonal lash, to individually tie the respective lash. After tying, the station master would give us feedback on our lashes. I felt that this way of lash training was a great decision as it was not as tiring and stressful as ordinary lash training, and we could get personalised feedback about our own lashes, not generalised feedback for the entire patrol. However, we could have 报时 more in order to keep everyone on task and to remind each other of the time we have left to keep us all working fast. I was able to find out the commonly made errors while tying my lashes, such as accidentally overlapping the 白绳 or having one more or one less 白绳 than required on each side of the diagonal lash. In this way, I would be more cautious when tying my lashes next time not to make the same mistakes. Station 3 was one of the more intensive stations, but I felt it was necessary and helpful in making an essential Guides skill better.

Station 4: Emergency Shelter

Patrol members are required to build a standard Emergency Shelter. The assigned PL and PS should step up to lead the patrol. Hence, it trains their leadership skills to look at the bigger picture and allocate manpower well.

Reflection from a Year 2:

During 集合 last Friday, one of the station games was to build an Emergency Shelter. I was assigned the role of the Patrol Leader for that station. Hence, I had to speak up much more and guide my patrol mates in the building of the Emergency Shelter, giving them instructions on what they were supposed to do. However, I am not very outspoken, so the Year 3s had to prompt me to suggest something to change about the structure and I plucked up my courage and continued to lead my patrol in completing the Emergency Shelter. Also, since we did not have 集合s for almost two months, this station game allowed us to recall how to build an Emergency Shelter, which is a crucial skill in Guides. When my patrol and I were building the Emergency Shelter, we also had to take note of the time that we spent on finishing each part of the Emergency Shelter and have a greater sense of urgency. Overall, I think that this station was very meaningful to me as I had the opportunity to step up and lead others. 

Station 5: Signal Fire

Patrol members are required to light a signal fire, and everyone has the chance to try and start the fire. This is a good learning opportunity especially for the Year 1s as this is their first time lighting a signal fire. This station will help the Year 1s and Year 2s to be more familiar with how to light a signal fire.

Reflection from a Year 2:

On Friday, one station that stood out amongst the rest was the signal fire station. For one, most of my patrol were afraid of fire, so we were hesitant and did not practice our sense of urgency at first. Since we were on a time limit, we picked up the matchsticks and tried lighting the 木麻黄. One obstacle was not lighting the fire easily, as the matchsticks would get extinguished. After a few tries, we managed to light the 木麻黄. Another obstacle would be 清理场地 as we and other patrols before poured too much water on the newspapers. We could only sweep the water into the drain nearby to ensure it would not splash when other patrols behind us complete this station. Overall, I believe this station boosted our confidence and courage as well as helping us recap on how to handle fires.

Station 6: First Aid

Patrol members are required to perform standard first aid on their Patrol Leader, for example arm sling, head and jaw bandage and ankle bandage. This station helps patrol members to familiarise themselves with first aid skills and allows them to try bandaging others by themselves.

Reflection from a Year 2:

The last station, First Aid, was my personal favourite out of all the 6 stations. This is because my batch mates and I had prepared very thoroughly for our First Aid knowledge and tried our best to remember it. Thus, when we were able to put our knowledge to the test and apply it to a “real-life” situation, it was very fulfilling as we were confident of our abilities and we knew exactly what to do, like the Head and Jaw Bandage, Ankle  Sprain Bandage and the Arm Sling. To be able to do something well due to our hard work was highly worthwhile and gave us the encouragement to read up more on our Guides Notes. Not only could we get to apply our skills in real life, not just in theory, we were able to get valuable feedback from our seniors. For example, for the head bandage, we could have tucked in the excess a little more so that it would not be sticking out and be uncomfortable for the casualty. Without getting the opportunity to use the First Aid knowledge in real life, we would have never found out about the hidden problems and issues that may come with it. Overall, the First Aid Station was very meaningful to my patrol as we could complete the tasks of bandaging and checking for response quickly without exceeding the time given.

Gadgeting (Indoor Fire Altar) 

This activity aims to allow Guides to practice their lashes through building a structure they rarely did before. This is a structure that is usually used for outdoor cooking. We hope that even without carrying out outdoor cooking itself, the Year 1s and Year 2s familiarise themselves with this structure. 

Reflection from a Year 1: 

Making the fire altar was rather challenging at first. If I remember correctly, there were a lot of square lashes. There was also a zinc plate, something I have never seen before. I think there were areas for improvement too. We could open the tripods wider, tie the 中短木 to the zinc plate higher so it is more functional to cook and attach the zinc plate to the 中短木 first before connecting the 2 tripods with 长木. I hope that we can improve on this in the future. I also think that the Year 3s have helped a lot as they looked for areas we could improve on. I felt quite happy that we were almost done with the fire altar and we only had the zinc plate left to fasten when the time was up. I think that we worked quite well as a team as we managed to get most of the things done. We also managed to prevent our things from getting kapped by our seniors.

Reflection from a Year 2: 

The building of the Indoor Fire Altar was an eye-opening experience for my batch mates as it was the first time for all of us to be leading our juniors to making a structure all by ourselves without the Year 3s. At first, I felt quite helpless and confused as we had very little experience making an Indoor Fire Altar. However, my patrol and I were able to overcome this and we worked together and tried our best in completing it. Although we were not able to finish the structure, it was a valuable lesson for all of us because we had not yet faced this kind of fast-paced, mass gadgeting while leading our Year 1s at the same time. I felt that it was quite difficult to get the Year 1s to 报时 as some of them were rather shy; thus, I realised that encouraging them and pushing them to 报时 more would be an effective way to get them to do it. Personally, it was because of doing it many many times that made 报时 something that came very natural to me, so I believe that it would be a good way to help the Year 1s 报时 more frequently and louder. We also learnt the importance of working quickly and with a sense of urgency, as we exceeded the time limit and yet were not able to complete the structure, something I feel rather regretful about. Overall, the building of the Indoor Fire Altar was a lesson in not just Guides hard skills like lashes, but also a lesson in soft skills like communication and a sense of urgency.

Creative Gadgeting (Catapult):

This activity allows the Year 2s to step up and lead their patrol in building this creative structure they never did before. We hope that this would be a good opportunity for the Year 2s to improve on their communication skills.

Reflection from a Year 1:

The catapult was so fun to make! It was my second time building a catapult. I liked tying the square lashes but I think I can work on making them tighter. It was fun working with everyone to make the structure even though we didn’t end up finishing it. I think that we can improve on working faster because then we would have time to finish it up. The hardest part was remembering to 报时 constantly. I can also work on my diagonal lashes as I always forget how to do them properly. The skills used to build the catapult are also handy to use in real life which adds more value to building this structure. Overall I think the catapult is a very interesting thing to build. It was fun to make and I would definitely want to build something like this again. I was glad to experience this.

Reflection from a Year 2: 
Building the catapult was a unique experience as it was a new structure that we did not build before. We were quite lost sometimes but building the structure under my patrol mate's instruction was still fun and required lots of teamwork. It was a great chance to recap on our hard skills. I think that we could have worked faster and our lashes could have definitely been more tighter. We also could have asked our patrol mate more questions on the details of the structure so that we would be more efficient in building it. We could have allocated manpower better and made sure the Year 1s had a chance to 报时 and build more of the structure. I hope that we can finish the structure next time if we have the chance to build it again. I'm sure that playing with the catapult after we finished building it would be enjoyable.  

We hope that everyone had fun while refreshing on their hard skills and soft skills from today’s 集合!

Published by:
Pok Jing
53届 Secretary

 

Passing Down Parade, 24 June 2021

Hello Guides!

It is a big day for all of us as we held the Passing Down Parade during this week’s 集合. This would mean that the Year 1s will be enrolled as the Year 4s step down. For the first part of the Passing Down Parade, we played Quizizz, a 团 game planned by the Year 4 seniors. Then, the Year 4 seniors played all the video montages made by the different batches. We also played some games, like the Escape Room game hosted by the Year 3s. Following that, the new Year 3 roles were released and the Year 2 roles were released in patrol breakout rooms. We exchanged well wishes with one another and said our final goodbyes to the Year 4s. Here are some overall thoughts on how we feel. 

Reflection from a Year 1 

This Passing Down Parade was my first one and although it was held online, I still found it very touching. When I first knew that it would be held online, I was worried that it would lack a human touch, and the whole session would be very awkward. But throughout the whole session, I could tell how much effort was put into that three hour session. From the video for each batch to the games and polls, everyone had put in a tremendous amount of effort to make things work and I think the preparation journey along with the actual Passing Down Parade was a very fulfilling one. Through the session, we also got to see another side of our seniors. Most of the time we see them as strict but during this session, they were very down to earth and were just like our family. After the Passing Down Parade, I also reflected on my guiding experience thus far. I am very thankful for all my seniors for helping me along the way and helping me feel included in the Guides family. The Passing Down Parade also made me realize how much I have gained from Guides, such as perseverance, teamwork, inquisitiveness and so much more.

Reflection from another Year 1

During the Passing Down Parade, the Year 4s were all reluctant to step down and pass their roles down to the  Year 3s, and watching the videos the Year 2s, Year 3s and Year 4s prepared, I felt really reluctant too, and at that moment really did not want the Year 4s to step down. Even though I have only been in Guides for a few months, and the seniors are often strict, I could tell that they really cared a lot about us and they wanted the best for us. And while reading the messages the Year 4s wrote for us, I almost cried. I was and am really grateful for all the Year 4s have done for us, and I really hope the best for them in their futures. At the same time, I knew that it was time for the Year 3s to take up the responsibility, and I know that they would also do their best for us. I hope to keep in touch with the Year 4s, and become closer to the Year 2s and Year 3s. 

Reflection from a Year 2

For Thursday’s Passing Down Parade , the  Year 4s stepped down and Year 3s became the 领导层. It was a very touching farewell to the Year 4s. Firstly we played a short quiz to test our Guides knowledge and the announcement of company roles and patrol roles. I think that the announcement of roles signified a new start which we all look forward to. As a Year 2, this year I was nervous yet excited to receive my role and hoped to be able to carry on the legacy of my seniors and try my best in every task I am given. Each batch also had to prepare their own performance item which made the event even more meaningful as it would allow us to send our messages and well wishes to the y4s and express our appreciation to them for their guidance and teaching thus far. Overall, I felt that it was a very meaningful event and believe that we will all continue to strive to be better and take Guides to greater heights.

Reflection from another Year 2

On Thursday‘s Passing Down Parade, we had a fruitful and fun time even though it was held online. The performances held by the different batches was interesting to watch, especially how we filmed online and compiled different clips to form the final video. I think this is a display of how we can think creatively and out of the box to solve obstacles, in this case the lack of physical meetups, that block us from our final goal, completing the performance video. I also found the Year 3s performance exceptionally unique as I had never thought of creating an escape room online. The idea also seemed feasible in future 集合s. I feel that at the end of the day, our attitude towards the performances matter a lot. How we treat our batch performance and how much effort we put into it will determine the quality of the product. Passing Down Parade is a time to not only bid farewell to our seniors and thank them for their efforts, but also a time to celebrate our new roles for Year 2s and Year 3s. I hope that along with my batch mates, we can bond and get closer, like how our seniors have become close-knitted batches. I believe that that can make projects much easier, as well as instill a sense of belonging in Guides in all of us, so we do not give up during tough times. Overall, the Passing Down Parade was enjoyable.

Reflection from a Year 3

This was the second year the Passing Down Parade was held online, and I feel that this is a remarkable milestone in my Guiding journey after the past two years. After this Passing Down Parade, it would mean that our batch would be taking over the lead, spearheading all 集合s and Patrol Activities. I feel that this is the only time where I felt truly sad about the Year 4’s passing down, as the Year 4’s are our direct seniors who had taught us many skills over the past two years. Hence, we have grown more attached to them after being cared for under their guidance. Besides, I also feel very excited about getting my new role as one of the 领导层, as the roles I will get are more significant and I will have more opportunities to contribute to the 团 whether it is patrol level or company level. Moving on, being the oldest in the company, I will need to put in more effort and time into planning an enjoyable yet educational 集合 for my juniors. Even though our batch may not be as good as our seniors, we will try our best to improve and learn from our mistakes. I look forward to the start of CCA resuming and having more chances to step up and be the In Charge of various activities. 

In closing, this marks the end of the Passing Down Parade 2021. We are very blessed to have such caring and inspiring seniors. Thank you Year 4s for the encouragement and advice you have given us, and putting in so much effort into planning activities for us. We will strive to do our best and all the best in your future endeavours!

Published by:

Pok Jing

53届 Secretary

Skills Training, 1 June 2021

Hello Guides!

Due to the new Covid-19 measures in place, we had to conduct our 集合 online. We played several games --- Quizizz, Identify the Song, Skribbl.io and Mafia. To end of the 集合, we had Patrol Corner where we got to know one another better. 

 

Quizizz

Everyone had to compete with each other to see who gets the most number of points at the end. The aim of this game was to allow everyone to recap on their Guides knowledge.

Reflection from a Year 3

Quizziz was the first activity of our 集合. Personally, I feel that this quiz was a good way of allowing us to revise on how well we know our Guides notes and areas where we could read up more on. There were a total of 20 questions that were given to us and the majority of us were able to get some questions correct. Through this activity, I realised that I was not very familiar with questions related to first aid as I had taken a longer time to answer them. Thus, I would have to familiarise myself with the Guides notes and there is still much more room for improvement. Since this was a quiz, competing with others made the whole activity much more exciting and motivated us to try our very best to complete this activity. Overall, it was an enjoyable and enriching activity.

Identify the Song

A total of 15 minutes is given for this activity where each person would have to be the fastest to guess the song being played so as to obtain points for their patrol.

Reflection from a Year 3

During 集合, we participated in an activity called “Identify the Song”. It was extremely fun as it set a more chill atmosphere to vibe to and we can all get to enjoy it despite being confined at home due to the restrictions present. Some Guides songs were pretty nostalgic as it made me recall the memories in Year 1 where we first entered Guides. We were clueless and in a complete state of confusion for most of the 集合s. The pop songs chosen were amazing too, it allowed us to explore the different genres of songs. The Year 2s were very active and answered a lot of the questions, especially when it came to the Kpop songs. All in all, I found this activity really fun and it allowed me to relax.

Skribbl.io

During this game, we split into our various patrols. We would have to take turns to draw the given Guides words and the other patrol members would have to guess the word. This not only allowed everyone to recap on their Guides knowledge, but also the common activities we usually do in Guides.

 

Reflection from a Year 3

On 1 June, we had the last 集合 together with the Year 4s. It was a pity that we could not have a physical 集合 due to Covid-19, hence it was held through zoom instead. Nevertheless, the seniors came up with ways such that we could still bond with one another. One of the activities carried out as a patrol was to play Skribbl.io. We will take turns to draw while others will try to guess a word based on our drawing. When it was our turn to draw, we chose a word and tried our best to draw it in a way everyone will understand. It was interesting to see how everyone interpreted the drawings differently. There were also a few times where we immediately guessed the word correctly. All of the words were customised and related to Guides. In this way, we are able to refresh our memory on the basic knowledge too. Overall, it was a fun and engaging activity for us, and we enjoyed playing with our patrol.

 

Mafia

This game was also played within the patrol. Each patrol member would be given a role --- Mafia, Doctor, Detective or Civilian. This was an opportunity for the juniors to bond with their Year 4s before they step down soon.

Reflection from a Year 3

Though we had a online 集合 last week due to the pandemic, we still managed to spend time and bond with each other together as a patrol through a game of Mafia. This was an interesting game as it was a physical game but was moved online. Hence, the way the game was executed was different and was a new experience of Mafia. For example, instead of closing our eyes we had to turn off our cameras  and instead of pointing out who to kill, save and check, we had to message on Whatsapp. During this game, we had fun during discussions and managed to enjoy the game as a patrol. Initially, we were slightly awkward as we have not had a 集合 for a long time and furthermore, this was an online 集合 held over zoom. Nonetheless, after a few rounds of nightfall, we started discussing more about finding out the werewolves, allowing us to break the ice a little. In a nutshell, it was an engaging and interesting game of Mafia.

Patrol Corner

Reflection from a Year 3

For Patrol Corner, my patrol decided to share about our favourite experience in Guides. Starting with the Year 4s, we all took turns, batch by batch, to share our experiences. It was very interesting to listen to all the different experiences for each batch as even though we had mostly gone through the same things, all our viewpoints and mindsets towards each activity differed slightly. This resulted in different experiences being held at different levels of importance for each of my patrol mates, myself included. For example, my favourite experience was preparing and going through outdoor cooking, an experience that the Year 1s and Year 2s have unfortunately not gone through due to the pandemic. However, to another patrol member, Orientation Preparation was their favourite experience. Another common favourite was about the people. A few of my patrol mates did not particularly enjoy a definite experience. Rather, they enjoyed the time spent with the people around them.

Although this 集合 had to be conducted online, we hope everyone still managed to have fun participating in the activities planned!

Published by:

Cefina 

52届 Secretary