DAY 1 of training camp...It was tough..but not as tough as i imagined.haha always think of the worst^^. i woke up early in the morning, reached school,saw many people:D. checked my luggage, made sure everything was there. times up! fall in! The camp starts(nervous). the first activity was luggage inspection-shouldn't have brought so much rubbish..had to take out EVERYTHING. Starting was bad, practically bad - couldn't shout and wasn't fast enough.

After that was changing parade if im not wrong..we ran serveral times,up and down, changed from pe tee to black tee, black te to pe tee. can't remember when the first person falled out, but many did. Seniors said we should endure throughout the camp together and hoped that no one else would fall out as it was only the start of the camp and already abt 5 people falled out. however i think we can't blame them, it's not that they don't want to endure but they are not feeling well. After that on the way to PT, i got kidnapped! together with ally and jia ying' It was so cool! but same time worried for the others.. confirm do punishment.. felt quite guilty oso because we were relaxing away, drinking water.. PT was the toughest. I hate pumping! Soon was outdoor cooking- i was hardly full.. the dessert was nice-choc!:) fire wasn't steady..so had to eat half-cooked marcaroni with cheese! haha but it was nice^^. then must thank the kind sec 3s who helped alot!

then we went to the classrms to do luggage rack. it was a failure... all couldn't even stand. then it was bathing time! three minutes! lol i was late by i think more that 20 secs. got splashed twice haha so fun dodging. Bathing parade was fun! ahhh my memory is bad.. cant remember wats nxt. drills? ahhh cant remember.can i stop here? longg post...
-Shirlynn

DAY 2

I feel that though the second day of camp was tough , it was not as tough as the first day . And as we were already had experience the first day of camp , the second day managed to be much easier than I expected . I also had a lot of fun during station game and Pt game. As the duck walk was very tough , I was always lagging behind and the other had to wait for me . And for that , I am very grateful to them . During PT , I realised that I did like it at all . And during drills I am very thankful that my ICs were very patient with me as I had swimming lessons and was not able to make it to most of the drills . Though I keep making mistakes, I was very happy that the ICs did not give up on me. Overall, I am quite proud of myself being able to finish thee whole camp and feel that I am stronger and have a better sense of urgency .
- Alyssa Toh

I think that for the second day of training camp, we improved a lot from the first day. Of course, we still have a lot of room for improvement. To me, this camp was tiring but it was really benefitial because we really learnt a lot of things, such as learning how to tie a luggage rack (it actually didn't fall down!). We also learned to have a sense of urgency, and we waited for each other most of the time, as compared to the first day, which we didn't wait for each other at all. We learned to ask for time extension, and to do things together AS A BATCH. Although the seniors scolded us a lot, all of that was to help us to improve on our bad points. I think that we really have to improve on one point, and that is to remember to take time. The seniors told us repeatedly to remember to take time, but we kept forgetting even though each patrol had at least one watch. Overall, this was a really unforgettable experience for me. :)

-Wen Xuan

I thought that training camp day2 was much better as compared to Day1. The first day was very tiring, I was so exhausted. But, we, as a whole batch really learnt many new useful things through the sec1 training camp. We were taught to have a good sense of urgency, take initiative and help others in need. I think that these three points are very important as the sec3s kept repeating and scolding us about these. Day2 was much better, we already got into the training camp mood and knew what to expect. But it was also tough as we were all tired after the first day and still had to do alot of physical training. The duckwalk was the worst. Everyone felt like their knees were going to break. What was our worst performance on the day was changing parade and gadget tying. We left someone tagging behind us when we were running down the stairs but no one waited for her. Also, at gadget tying, we kept exceeding the time limit and did not ask for time extension. Overall, i feel that our batch has learnt alot of new knowledge and benefitted from this camp, and we have improved alot from when we first started. Keep working hard to those who fell out at camp and all the sec1s:)
-Sue Fang

The much awaited yearly Sec1 training camp is here again! Day1 have past quickly with the sec1s trying on many activities on their own such as outdoor cooking and gadget tying and day 2 will focus more on bonding and training them physically

As this is the first time the sec3s is taking over for such activities with long hours, we were quite nervous being ICs for the first day but after learning from our mistakes and gaining experiences from day 1, we were much more confidant and are sure that we can carry out our activity better on the second day. We started the day as usual with our normal roll call, with Mindy and Deborah starting the roll call instead. We were satisfied with the attire of the sec1s as none of them were needed to do punishment. While the sec1s are pondering over what is their next activity, me, cherlin and xiujian ran over to the netball court to get ready for luggage inspection.

Instead of implementing jumping jacks for punishment, we decided to try something new as we hope to train our juniors in other ways. We decided to make them run if they were late and I ran around the netball court to test out what was the appropriate time. The sec1s came and we separate them into first 2 and last 2 patrols, us taking the last 2 patrols. From what we observed yesterday, the last 2 patrols were quite slow in doing luggage inspection and we hope to see them today to work faster and to have the habit of helping other people once you are done. We gave them only a minute and half to take out everything and they completed it on time yet one or two person didn’t take out everything from their bags. We gave them a minute to put everything back and they completed on time again. We gave them a minute to take everything out and they overshoot the time and we were disappointed that no one took time and they were moving slowly despite the short time we gave. They did their punishment and we gave them only 45 seconds to put everything back and they overshoot again and no one bothered to take time. We were quite disappointed and hope that the sec1s will learn to take time and to move fast.

Next was changing parade and as I am the first aid IC, I stood there and watched the sec1s. They are required to change at the upper sec 4th floor toilet and from what I observed, the sec1s didn’t try to run or wait for the rest and by the time they asked for time extensions, they were already late. Although running up to 4th floor toilet to change is tiring, but we hope to see the sec1s to put in more effort. Next was station games and I can see that the sec1s enjoyed the games and they learn something from every game. After that was orienteering and I was not present and thus not sure what happened there hehe

NEXT was PT GAMESSS :DDDDD minli, yanyan, clara and I were the ics for it and we were quite excited for it as its different from normal physical trainings. We organised one which was similar to what we had when we were sec1s. There will be combines patrols and 2 persons will have to race up and do 10 standard pumpings and every person who did standard is rewarded with a water bomb and the rest have to duck walk. We chose duck walk as we feel that it’ll train the sec1s legs and most importantly to teach them to endure and to encourage their fellow batch mates not to give up at the same time. We were quite pleased with their performance as no one fall out but we hope to see them encouraging each other more and when we give them water breaks they need to take time although its games. We hope through this activity the sec1s will bond more with each other.

Next was changing parade followed by emergency shelter and then it was PT. During PT the ICs taught them the proper way to do PT and what is a set and the sec1s carried out their PT with 6 sets. Some of them improved and tried to do standard but when the seniors corrected them some of them still went back to their original positions. One or two sec1s pulled their muscles and had to stop and rest and some people had cuts too and after me and Priscilla applied medicine on their wounds, they offered to rejoin the sec1s and we were happy to see that. Following is lunch and the sec3s were quite happy we were able to have a full lunch

After lunch was campfire songs followed by gadget tying. At 310, we commence our drills with me and yingyan taking over for 8 sec1s. We were quite pleased with their drills as most of the time they managed to get their kekenan, kekiri and keblakan right but when we implemented 5 samulas 15 jumping jacks, they failed to count them and after countless times of samulas they still did not take the initiative to count. Yet when we teach them how to form a contingent, they learn it quite fast and got the hang of it quickly and we could start making them march instead of normal drills. We were satisfied with their drills and hope them can improve in terms of their bangs, being more alert and learn to shout louder if you are the timer.

After that was reflection and debrief and punishment and we said all the mistakes the sec1s committed and they did 50 jumping jacks and 50 catch stars along with the sec3s and we hope through this training camp they’ll leave this camp not empty handed but an experienced which they valued and use this chance to improve on their guides skills, physical health and bond the whole batch.

Alas lastly was prize presentation and I hope the sec1s feel honoured getting whatever patrol prize or individual prize as they really earned it and the sec3s are relieved that the training camp is finally over

-Annabella

So starts HF’s reflection. Here goes! -Takes deep breath-

20th March 2009, marks the continuation of the sec 1s’ grueling training camp. It’s DAY 2! 0_0

For the sec 1s, I would surmise it was with fearful anticipation and a certain feeling of the heebie-jeebies that they arrived in school and prepared themselves for what they would most certainly deduce as the second day of “torture”. For us sec 3s, it was with slight apprehension and a better control of our emotions as compared to yesterday that we faced the start of this dreaded, yet long-awaited second day. For me, well. It’s basically just a serious case of butterflies and stress and watered-down PANIC. Almost as usual x) you totally can’t tell! ;DDD

First up was of course the falling in part. All the sec 3s were hidden at some corner overlooking the parade square observing the sec 1s, trying to count how many were still present after their shocking first day. Were they still “brave” enough or will they find some excuse to skip the second day? Haha. We even made a deal among ourselves that takes effect if less than 10 sec 1s showed up, which I won’t elucidate further since it didn’t happenJ The O/ICs that took charge of the roll call that day were Deborah and Mindy, and we followed through the standard procedure without incident. I took my place at the back of the patrol with the other sec 3s and managed not to burst out laughing (out of hysteria or pure humour, I don’t know), which was by no means an easy feat. [The joke starts with M and ends with y. LOL. Sorry haha]

The first activity, luggage inspection, was taken charge by Priscilla, Charlene, ME, Annabella, Cher Lin and Xiu Jian. We ran with the sec 1s to the netball court, thereafter starting the luggage inspection. They could have been more urgent as they only had 1 bagpack to carry with more than ample time given, unlike our training camp, where we had to run to the netball court within 45 seconds with a bagpack, handcarry and 2 bags each of twigs, husks and kindlings (MAN were they heavy!). Priscilla, Charlene and I were in charge of inspecting Golgi Apparatus and Mitochondria’s luggage. They were early for both the 1st and 2nd inspection when taking out their luggage, but exceeded the time when they had to put everything back. Although a minority forgot to take out some stuff and left rubbish in their bags, they helped one another and remembered to take note of time, which was an improvement from yesterday. However, when they were running back to the concourse, they did not wait for each other and asked for time extension only after they had exceeded the time limit.

Next up was changing parade. They were to change from PE tee & school skirt to dark coloured tee & PE pants at the upper sec block 4th floor toilet within 4 minutes. This was successfully finished. Immediately after that were the station games organized by Ying Yan and Cher Lin. “Kim’s Game” was located at the mirror board with Mindy and Clara as Station Masters, “Fun Gadget Tying” at HomeEc Area with Deborah and Jia-En, “How Much Do You Know About Your Patrol Mates?” at concourse with Vivien and Xiu Jian, and “Do You Know It All?” at the parade square with Min Li and I as SMs. I don’t know about other stations, but mine for one was a blast! To me and Min Li that is hahaha. This was by far the most fun part of camp, so you can be sure the both of us went a little crazy. What is a sec 1 guides training camp without the testing of some Girl Guide must-knows? That was what my station was about – indispensable Guiding values with just an aftertaste of sweet, sweet physical training and a feathery touch of retarded-ness.

Each person was supposed to run 1 round around the parade square, all the while hollering something funny like “I love TOFU! OMG TOFU ROCKS!” or “I LOVE HWEEFEN AND MINLI! HWEEFEN AND MINLI ROCKS!” (major hint at this point while I was explaining, sorry for not being discreet LOL) etc. Once they were back, they would have to answer 1 question pertaining to the things they have read in the GG Handbook, such as reciting the Promise, naming 1 Guide Law, when to give the Guide Salute and many more. Each correct answer earns them 5 points, and enthusiasm wins them bonus points. Both of us had already agreed on a special move to make during the start of the game, which was this holding-a-gun action whenever I said “Do You Know It All?” I always had a feeling of the black crow flying past whenever we did that, due to the awkward silence as the sec 1s tried to speculate in their minds how to react to us, the pair of bizarre Station Masters. I’d then say, “What, no clapping?” or to the likes of that, in which the sec 1s would obediently follow and I would thereby say “YAY!” and give a chortle. Stupid, I know, but it works! Everyone laughed, I think.

The patrols that came to my station were quite enthusiastic, but they often needed some encouragement. We cheered them on too as each of them ran the 1 round, and almost all the patrols picked up the hint and shouted, or rather, sang that lovely melody which consisted of our names, a prerequisite to bonus points. –Readers gape in disbelief- (Just joking! xD) Some of the sec 1s were not that familiar with the things they have read, so I felt that they could improve on that aspect. The point system was unusual, using a variety of snacks as points. Credit goes to YY and CL!

Cher Lin and Yan Yan were the I/Cs for the next activity, teaching the sec 1s orienteering skills. We went up to 1Responsibility (or 1Righteousness, I forgot which) and the session commenced. The sec 1s were quite attentive and asked questions whenever they were in doubt, which was a good habit to cultivate. However, they did not read the handbook, which caused some inconvenience to the I/Cs as they had to explain from the top.

After that was the PT Game. Sec 1s have to duck walk in 2 straight lines in combined patrols from one end of the lower sec block to the other end, while 1 person from each combined patrol was to run up to the 3rd floor to do 10 push ups before the first to finish was rewarded with a water bomb. They would then run down and rejoin the duck walk. This was mandatory for all sec 1s, and through this game I saw that the sec 1s did cheer for their batch mates and encouraged Alyssa to finish the duck walk, along with the last 2 that ran down. Towards the end, the sec 3s also duck walked behind the sec 1s in an effort to encourage them. When everyone had completed the task, we went to the parade square and had a water bomb fight. During this time though, the sec 1s seemed to have forgotten the very basics of what they were expected to do – take time. They exceeded the time they were given to hydrate themselves, and had no excuse to back them up. We decided not to reprimand them much because we wanted them to have fun, but I feel that it is imperative that we learn to follow instructions even when we are tired, and more so in the midst of having fun. Some sec 3s also joined in the water bomb fight, and it was quite refreshing to play and hear some laughter in the air, even for just a few minutes.
When the water bomb fight ceased, it was time for changing parade and off to the next major activity, which was to learn to tie an emergency shelter. The sec 1s were allocated with a time limit of 4 minutes, where they could use the upper sec block 5th floor toilet to change into their PE tee and school skirt besides drying themselves. I ran up to check on them and ran down with them, so I saw that some of them were walking slowly and even retied their hair when they had most probably exceeded the time given. In the end, they took 7 min 3s in total although they sent 1 person down to ask for time extension. (Supposed to send at least 2 people down by the way)

As the changing parade had already cut into the next activity’s time, Ying Yan and Jia-En were a little worried that they would not have sufficient time. Tying of an emergency shelter was taught at the Old PAC Area, but as I was the I/C for the next activity, I had to leave before it started. It was at that moment where the 3 Great Cs originated from. Deborah, Charlene, Priscilla and I were in charge of PT and block running, which was supposed to be held at the HomeEc Area and HomeEc Block. We decided to change the venue to the staircase area beside the new indoor sports hall and Lee Kuo Chuan indoor stadium after much thought as the field was being used and some of us felt that the HomeEc Area was a little stuffy. True to their worries, Ying Yan and Jia-En’s activity really exceeded the time allocated, so the PT also started late. The sec 1s did about half of the 6 sets of PT, before continuing with the running. Priscilla and I had already gauged the number of times to run up the staircase and around the indoor stadium by doing a pre-run beforehand, so we managed to finish in less than 5 minutes. Through the PT, I could see that they really endured through although some people fell out. In addition, they improved in their stamina and really tried hard, so much so that some even cried. Hence, good job sec 1s! You made it through alive! See, you can do it! XD

Due to time constraints, we pushed campfire songs to after lunch. By now it was lunch time for all of us! 12.30pm to be exact. [OH MY GOSH. I know I’m a windbag, but bear with me, it’s ending soon O.O] I was a little moody during lunch because of the previous activity, so I ate quietly and quickly. The sec 3s had a meeting then, to clarify some matters regarding the last 2 activities. It turned out that most of the sec 3s did not know of the change in venue as the O/ICs had some miscommunication, and before that everyone was already stressed out over the delay during the tying of emergency shelter, thus resulting in a slight confusion and conflict. We admitted that it was an injudicious decision on our part, a peccadillo which didn’t warrant a felony, so everything was cleared up, but it didn’t stop the day from morphing to confusion, to conflict, and then all of a sudden, to crying. GAAAH! In other words, it was just too much for some of us that it resulted in a cascade of tears. In my opinion though, through this and the whole training camp, we really grew closer as a batch.

Well then, I’ll rush through the rest. Teaching of campfire songs, with the aid of the 2 spastic Cs, Clara and Charlene, was a riot. The atmosphere was quite lively and I even got to witness those 2 doing the “Father Abraham had 7 children…” song. Gadget tying seized the day, as we spent a total of 1h 40min in the classrooms tying gadgets! The sec 1s tied square lashes for the first few times before moving on to luggage rack. They didn’t answer the I/Cs and needed a lot of prompting, so this area can be improved on. The I/Cs decided to give 5 minutes for the sec 1s to tie a square lash, taking the opportunity to see who got the most sense of urgency and not take her own sweet time. After that, the O/ICs blew the whistle to fall in. Right here, I have to say this – I will seriously never get used to the whistle. I get the urge to run towards the sound every time I hear the 5 short blasts, which, essentially, is actually a good habit to have in guides. I know many of us do too haha. Ahhh, it was fun to see my fellow sec 3s jumping at the sound and to laugh at their expense with the others. -evil glint muahaha- (no malice intended)

Drills were next. I went to Mindy and Rachel’s side to observe, before going over to Jia-En and Cher Lin, where they were deep in “discussion” with the sec 4s. Needless to say, I joined them as well. Overall, I felt that the sec 1s learnt very fast during drills, and I have to commend that their lines were almost always straight. The day was almost over! The sec 1s did a reflection on day 2, the O/ICs took over and it was time for debrief. The sec 1s did a total of 50 jumping jacks and 50 catch stars as punishment, and the sec 3s did together with them. The time of reckoning has arrived! Prize-giving!!

*Drum roll please* I am proud to announce that Centrioles Patrol got the Most Enthusiastic Patrol award!!! -Overwhelming Applause-

Thank you thank you thank you :D

Outstanding Patrol went to Ribosome, Most Initiative Patrol went to Golgi Apparatus and Most Creative Patrol went to Mitochondria. The Best Camper was Jeanne (pronounced by Mindy as JEAN-NA!) and Care Bear was Hui Ling.

All in all, this camp left a deep impression on me, as the very first camp organized and planned by the sec 3s. Towards the sec 1s, I really felt that they have improved tremendously since the start of the camp, and have learnt a few new skills that can be put to good use later on in Guides. Being prepared is the sine qua non of a purposeful Guiding life! They have endured and persevered through to the very end, and I hope they will continue to strive to do their best and give their all in the future! You can do it! I also got to know my camp patrol sec 1s more, so it was really a fruitful camp

As for the sec 3s, I can feel that we’ve forged a closer bond through this camp. Although there was a minor issue, we managed to resolve it and we have gained much experience from this training camp. A very big hi-five to all sec 3s, we did it! Also, KUDOS to the O/ICs – Mindy, Yan Yan, Deborah and Vivien!!! Thanks for all the hard work you put in to making this camp a successful one for all of us. To conclude this, HIP HIP HOORAY for all of us! -Spins around screaming- [Turning emotional, hysterical, maniacal…]

-Sputters her last breath, and dies-

Note: purely for dramatic effect, above guide has not actually breathed her last. No need to panic.

- Hweefen

DAY 1 of training camp...It was tough..but not as tough as i imagined.haha always think of the worst^^. i woke up early in the morning, reached school,saw many people:D. checked my luggage, made sure everything was there. times up! fall in! The camp starts(nervous). the first activity was luggage inspection-shouldn't have brought so much rubbish..had to take out EVERYTHING. Starting was bad, practically bad - couldn't shout and wasn't fast enough.

After that was changing parade if im not wrong..we ran serveral times,up and down, changed from pe tee to black tee, black te to pe tee. can't remember when the first person falled out, but many did. Seniors said we should endure throughout the camp together and hoped that no one else would fall out as it was only the start of the camp and already abt 5 people falled out. however i think we can't blame them, it's not that they don't want to endure but they are not feeling well. After that on the way to PT, i got kidnapped! together with ally and jia ying' It was so cool! but same time worried for the others.. confirm do punishment.. felt quite guilty oso because we were relaxing away, drinking water.. PT was the toughest. I hate pumping! Soon was outdoor cooking- i was hardly full.. the dessert was nice-choc!:) fire wasn't steady..so had to eat half-cooked marcaroni with cheese! haha but it was nice^^. then must thank the kind sec 3s who helped alot!

then we went to the classrms to do luggage rack. it was a failure... all couldn't even stand. then it was bathing time! three minutes! lol i was late by i think more that 20 secs. got splashed twice haha so fun dodging. Bathing parade was fun! ahhh my memory is bad.. cant remember wats nxt. drills? ahhh cant remember.can i stop here? longg post...
-Shirlynn

DAY 2

I feel that though the second day of camp was tough , it was not as tough as the first day . And as we were already had experience the first day of camp , the second day managed to be much easier than I expected . I also had a lot of fun during station game and Pt game. As the duck walk was very tough , I was always lagging behind and the other had to wait for me . And for that , I am very grateful to them . During PT , I realised that I did like it at all . And during drills I am very thankful that my ICs were very patient with me as I had swimming lessons and was not able to make it to most of the drills . Though I keep making mistakes, I was very happy that the ICs did not give up on me. Overall, I am quite proud of myself being able to finish thee whole camp and feel that I am stronger and have a better sense of urgency .
- Alyssa Toh

I think that for the second day of training camp, we improved a lot from the first day. Of course, we still have a lot of room for improvement. To me, this camp was tiring but it was really benefitial because we really learnt a lot of things, such as learning how to tie a luggage rack (it actually didn't fall down!). We also learned to have a sense of urgency, and we waited for each other most of the time, as compared to the first day, which we didn't wait for each other at all. We learned to ask for time extension, and to do things together AS A BATCH. Although the seniors scolded us a lot, all of that was to help us to improve on our bad points. I think that we really have to improve on one point, and that is to remember to take time. The seniors told us repeatedly to remember to take time, but we kept forgetting even though each patrol had at least one watch. Overall, this was a really unforgettable experience for me. :)

-Wen Xuan

I thought that training camp day2 was much better as compared to Day1. The first day was very tiring, I was so exhausted. But, we, as a whole batch really learnt many new useful things through the sec1 training camp. We were taught to have a good sense of urgency, take initiative and help others in need. I think that these three points are very important as the sec3s kept repeating and scolding us about these. Day2 was much better, we already got into the training camp mood and knew what to expect. But it was also tough as we were all tired after the first day and still had to do alot of physical training. The duckwalk was the worst. Everyone felt like their knees were going to break. What was our worst performance on the day was changing parade and gadget tying. We left someone tagging behind us when we were running down the stairs but no one waited for her. Also, at gadget tying, we kept exceeding the time limit and did not ask for time extension. Overall, i feel that our batch has learnt alot of new knowledge and benefitted from this camp, and we have improved alot from when we first started. Keep working hard to those who fell out at camp and all the sec1s:)
-Sue Fang

The much awaited yearly Sec1 training camp is here again! Day1 have past quickly with the sec1s trying on many activities on their own such as outdoor cooking and gadget tying and day 2 will focus more on bonding and training them physically

As this is the first time the sec3s is taking over for such activities with long hours, we were quite nervous being ICs for the first day but after learning from our mistakes and gaining experiences from day 1, we were much more confidant and are sure that we can carry out our activity better on the second day. We started the day as usual with our normal roll call, with Mindy and Deborah starting the roll call instead. We were satisfied with the attire of the sec1s as none of them were needed to do punishment. While the sec1s are pondering over what is their next activity, me, cherlin and xiujian ran over to the netball court to get ready for luggage inspection.

Instead of implementing jumping jacks for punishment, we decided to try something new as we hope to train our juniors in other ways. We decided to make them run if they were late and I ran around the netball court to test out what was the appropriate time. The sec1s came and we separate them into first 2 and last 2 patrols, us taking the last 2 patrols. From what we observed yesterday, the last 2 patrols were quite slow in doing luggage inspection and we hope to see them today to work faster and to have the habit of helping other people once you are done. We gave them only a minute and half to take out everything and they completed it on time yet one or two person didn’t take out everything from their bags. We gave them a minute to put everything back and they completed on time again. We gave them a minute to take everything out and they overshoot the time and we were disappointed that no one took time and they were moving slowly despite the short time we gave. They did their punishment and we gave them only 45 seconds to put everything back and they overshoot again and no one bothered to take time. We were quite disappointed and hope that the sec1s will learn to take time and to move fast.

Next was changing parade and as I am the first aid IC, I stood there and watched the sec1s. They are required to change at the upper sec 4th floor toilet and from what I observed, the sec1s didn’t try to run or wait for the rest and by the time they asked for time extensions, they were already late. Although running up to 4th floor toilet to change is tiring, but we hope to see the sec1s to put in more effort. Next was station games and I can see that the sec1s enjoyed the games and they learn something from every game. After that was orienteering and I was not present and thus not sure what happened there hehe

NEXT was PT GAMESSS :DDDDD minli, yanyan, clara and I were the ics for it and we were quite excited for it as its different from normal physical trainings. We organised one which was similar to what we had when we were sec1s. There will be combines patrols and 2 persons will have to race up and do 10 standard pumpings and every person who did standard is rewarded with a water bomb and the rest have to duck walk. We chose duck walk as we feel that it’ll train the sec1s legs and most importantly to teach them to endure and to encourage their fellow batch mates not to give up at the same time. We were quite pleased with their performance as no one fall out but we hope to see them encouraging each other more and when we give them water breaks they need to take time although its games. We hope through this activity the sec1s will bond more with each other.

Next was changing parade followed by emergency shelter and then it was PT. During PT the ICs taught them the proper way to do PT and what is a set and the sec1s carried out their PT with 6 sets. Some of them improved and tried to do standard but when the seniors corrected them some of them still went back to their original positions. One or two sec1s pulled their muscles and had to stop and rest and some people had cuts too and after me and Priscilla applied medicine on their wounds, they offered to rejoin the sec1s and we were happy to see that. Following is lunch and the sec3s were quite happy we were able to have a full lunch

After lunch was campfire songs followed by gadget tying. At 310, we commence our drills with me and yingyan taking over for 8 sec1s. We were quite pleased with their drills as most of the time they managed to get their kekenan, kekiri and keblakan right but when we implemented 5 samulas 15 jumping jacks, they failed to count them and after countless times of samulas they still did not take the initiative to count. Yet when we teach them how to form a contingent, they learn it quite fast and got the hang of it quickly and we could start making them march instead of normal drills. We were satisfied with their drills and hope them can improve in terms of their bangs, being more alert and learn to shout louder if you are the timer.

After that was reflection and debrief and punishment and we said all the mistakes the sec1s committed and they did 50 jumping jacks and 50 catch stars along with the sec3s and we hope through this training camp they’ll leave this camp not empty handed but an experienced which they valued and use this chance to improve on their guides skills, physical health and bond the whole batch.

Alas lastly was prize presentation and I hope the sec1s feel honoured getting whatever patrol prize or individual prize as they really earned it and the sec3s are relieved that the training camp is finally over

-Annabella

So starts HF’s reflection. Here goes! -Takes deep breath-

20th March 2009, marks the continuation of the sec 1s’ grueling training camp. It’s DAY 2! 0_0

For the sec 1s, I would surmise it was with fearful anticipation and a certain feeling of the heebie-jeebies that they arrived in school and prepared themselves for what they would most certainly deduce as the second day of “torture”. For us sec 3s, it was with slight apprehension and a better control of our emotions as compared to yesterday that we faced the start of this dreaded, yet long-awaited second day. For me, well. It’s basically just a serious case of butterflies and stress and watered-down PANIC. Almost as usual x) you totally can’t tell! ;DDD

First up was of course the falling in part. All the sec 3s were hidden at some corner overlooking the parade square observing the sec 1s, trying to count how many were still present after their shocking first day. Were they still “brave” enough or will they find some excuse to skip the second day? Haha. We even made a deal among ourselves that takes effect if less than 10 sec 1s showed up, which I won’t elucidate further since it didn’t happenJ The O/ICs that took charge of the roll call that day were Deborah and Mindy, and we followed through the standard procedure without incident. I took my place at the back of the patrol with the other sec 3s and managed not to burst out laughing (out of hysteria or pure humour, I don’t know), which was by no means an easy feat. [The joke starts with M and ends with y. LOL. Sorry haha]

The first activity, luggage inspection, was taken charge by Priscilla, Charlene, ME, Annabella, Cher Lin and Xiu Jian. We ran with the sec 1s to the netball court, thereafter starting the luggage inspection. They could have been more urgent as they only had 1 bagpack to carry with more than ample time given, unlike our training camp, where we had to run to the netball court within 45 seconds with a bagpack, handcarry and 2 bags each of twigs, husks and kindlings (MAN were they heavy!). Priscilla, Charlene and I were in charge of inspecting Golgi Apparatus and Mitochondria’s luggage. They were early for both the 1st and 2nd inspection when taking out their luggage, but exceeded the time when they had to put everything back. Although a minority forgot to take out some stuff and left rubbish in their bags, they helped one another and remembered to take note of time, which was an improvement from yesterday. However, when they were running back to the concourse, they did not wait for each other and asked for time extension only after they had exceeded the time limit.

Next up was changing parade. They were to change from PE tee & school skirt to dark coloured tee & PE pants at the upper sec block 4th floor toilet within 4 minutes. This was successfully finished. Immediately after that were the station games organized by Ying Yan and Cher Lin. “Kim’s Game” was located at the mirror board with Mindy and Clara as Station Masters, “Fun Gadget Tying” at HomeEc Area with Deborah and Jia-En, “How Much Do You Know About Your Patrol Mates?” at concourse with Vivien and Xiu Jian, and “Do You Know It All?” at the parade square with Min Li and I as SMs. I don’t know about other stations, but mine for one was a blast! To me and Min Li that is hahaha. This was by far the most fun part of camp, so you can be sure the both of us went a little crazy. What is a sec 1 guides training camp without the testing of some Girl Guide must-knows? That was what my station was about – indispensable Guiding values with just an aftertaste of sweet, sweet physical training and a feathery touch of retarded-ness.

Each person was supposed to run 1 round around the parade square, all the while hollering something funny like “I love TOFU! OMG TOFU ROCKS!” or “I LOVE HWEEFEN AND MINLI! HWEEFEN AND MINLI ROCKS!” (major hint at this point while I was explaining, sorry for not being discreet LOL) etc. Once they were back, they would have to answer 1 question pertaining to the things they have read in the GG Handbook, such as reciting the Promise, naming 1 Guide Law, when to give the Guide Salute and many more. Each correct answer earns them 5 points, and enthusiasm wins them bonus points. Both of us had already agreed on a special move to make during the start of the game, which was this holding-a-gun action whenever I said “Do You Know It All?” I always had a feeling of the black crow flying past whenever we did that, due to the awkward silence as the sec 1s tried to speculate in their minds how to react to us, the pair of bizarre Station Masters. I’d then say, “What, no clapping?” or to the likes of that, in which the sec 1s would obediently follow and I would thereby say “YAY!” and give a chortle. Stupid, I know, but it works! Everyone laughed, I think.

The patrols that came to my station were quite enthusiastic, but they often needed some encouragement. We cheered them on too as each of them ran the 1 round, and almost all the patrols picked up the hint and shouted, or rather, sang that lovely melody which consisted of our names, a prerequisite to bonus points. –Readers gape in disbelief- (Just joking! xD) Some of the sec 1s were not that familiar with the things they have read, so I felt that they could improve on that aspect. The point system was unusual, using a variety of snacks as points. Credit goes to YY and CL!

Cher Lin and Yan Yan were the I/Cs for the next activity, teaching the sec 1s orienteering skills. We went up to 1Responsibility (or 1Righteousness, I forgot which) and the session commenced. The sec 1s were quite attentive and asked questions whenever they were in doubt, which was a good habit to cultivate. However, they did not read the handbook, which caused some inconvenience to the I/Cs as they had to explain from the top.

After that was the PT Game. Sec 1s have to duck walk in 2 straight lines in combined patrols from one end of the lower sec block to the other end, while 1 person from each combined patrol was to run up to the 3rd floor to do 10 push ups before the first to finish was rewarded with a water bomb. They would then run down and rejoin the duck walk. This was mandatory for all sec 1s, and through this game I saw that the sec 1s did cheer for their batch mates and encouraged Alyssa to finish the duck walk, along with the last 2 that ran down. Towards the end, the sec 3s also duck walked behind the sec 1s in an effort to encourage them. When everyone had completed the task, we went to the parade square and had a water bomb fight. During this time though, the sec 1s seemed to have forgotten the very basics of what they were expected to do – take time. They exceeded the time they were given to hydrate themselves, and had no excuse to back them up. We decided not to reprimand them much because we wanted them to have fun, but I feel that it is imperative that we learn to follow instructions even when we are tired, and more so in the midst of having fun. Some sec 3s also joined in the water bomb fight, and it was quite refreshing to play and hear some laughter in the air, even for just a few minutes.
When the water bomb fight ceased, it was time for changing parade and off to the next major activity, which was to learn to tie an emergency shelter. The sec 1s were allocated with a time limit of 4 minutes, where they could use the upper sec block 5th floor toilet to change into their PE tee and school skirt besides drying themselves. I ran up to check on them and ran down with them, so I saw that some of them were walking slowly and even retied their hair when they had most probably exceeded the time given. In the end, they took 7 min 3s in total although they sent 1 person down to ask for time extension. (Supposed to send at least 2 people down by the way)

As the changing parade had already cut into the next activity’s time, Ying Yan and Jia-En were a little worried that they would not have sufficient time. Tying of an emergency shelter was taught at the Old PAC Area, but as I was the I/C for the next activity, I had to leave before it started. It was at that moment where the 3 Great Cs originated from. Deborah, Charlene, Priscilla and I were in charge of PT and block running, which was supposed to be held at the HomeEc Area and HomeEc Block. We decided to change the venue to the staircase area beside the new indoor sports hall and Lee Kuo Chuan indoor stadium after much thought as the field was being used and some of us felt that the HomeEc Area was a little stuffy. True to their worries, Ying Yan and Jia-En’s activity really exceeded the time allocated, so the PT also started late. The sec 1s did about half of the 6 sets of PT, before continuing with the running. Priscilla and I had already gauged the number of times to run up the staircase and around the indoor stadium by doing a pre-run beforehand, so we managed to finish in less than 5 minutes. Through the PT, I could see that they really endured through although some people fell out. In addition, they improved in their stamina and really tried hard, so much so that some even cried. Hence, good job sec 1s! You made it through alive! See, you can do it! XD

Due to time constraints, we pushed campfire songs to after lunch. By now it was lunch time for all of us! 12.30pm to be exact. [OH MY GOSH. I know I’m a windbag, but bear with me, it’s ending soon O.O] I was a little moody during lunch because of the previous activity, so I ate quietly and quickly. The sec 3s had a meeting then, to clarify some matters regarding the last 2 activities. It turned out that most of the sec 3s did not know of the change in venue as the O/ICs had some miscommunication, and before that everyone was already stressed out over the delay during the tying of emergency shelter, thus resulting in a slight confusion and conflict. We admitted that it was an injudicious decision on our part, a peccadillo which didn’t warrant a felony, so everything was cleared up, but it didn’t stop the day from morphing to confusion, to conflict, and then all of a sudden, to crying. GAAAH! In other words, it was just too much for some of us that it resulted in a cascade of tears. In my opinion though, through this and the whole training camp, we really grew closer as a batch.

Well then, I’ll rush through the rest. Teaching of campfire songs, with the aid of the 2 spastic Cs, Clara and Charlene, was a riot. The atmosphere was quite lively and I even got to witness those 2 doing the “Father Abraham had 7 children…” song. Gadget tying seized the day, as we spent a total of 1h 40min in the classrooms tying gadgets! The sec 1s tied square lashes for the first few times before moving on to luggage rack. They didn’t answer the I/Cs and needed a lot of prompting, so this area can be improved on. The I/Cs decided to give 5 minutes for the sec 1s to tie a square lash, taking the opportunity to see who got the most sense of urgency and not take her own sweet time. After that, the O/ICs blew the whistle to fall in. Right here, I have to say this – I will seriously never get used to the whistle. I get the urge to run towards the sound every time I hear the 5 short blasts, which, essentially, is actually a good habit to have in guides. I know many of us do too haha. Ahhh, it was fun to see my fellow sec 3s jumping at the sound and to laugh at their expense with the others. -evil glint muahaha- (no malice intended)

Drills were next. I went to Mindy and Rachel’s side to observe, before going over to Jia-En and Cher Lin, where they were deep in “discussion” with the sec 4s. Needless to say, I joined them as well. Overall, I felt that the sec 1s learnt very fast during drills, and I have to commend that their lines were almost always straight. The day was almost over! The sec 1s did a reflection on day 2, the O/ICs took over and it was time for debrief. The sec 1s did a total of 50 jumping jacks and 50 catch stars as punishment, and the sec 3s did together with them. The time of reckoning has arrived! Prize-giving!!

*Drum roll please* I am proud to announce that Centrioles Patrol got the Most Enthusiastic Patrol award!!! -Overwhelming Applause-

Thank you thank you thank you :D

Outstanding Patrol went to Ribosome, Most Initiative Patrol went to Golgi Apparatus and Most Creative Patrol went to Mitochondria. The Best Camper was Jeanne (pronounced by Mindy as JEAN-NA!) and Care Bear was Hui Ling.

All in all, this camp left a deep impression on me, as the very first camp organized and planned by the sec 3s. Towards the sec 1s, I really felt that they have improved tremendously since the start of the camp, and have learnt a few new skills that can be put to good use later on in Guides. Being prepared is the sine qua non of a purposeful Guiding life! They have endured and persevered through to the very end, and I hope they will continue to strive to do their best and give their all in the future! You can do it! I also got to know my camp patrol sec 1s more, so it was really a fruitful camp

As for the sec 3s, I can feel that we’ve forged a closer bond through this camp. Although there was a minor issue, we managed to resolve it and we have gained much experience from this training camp. A very big hi-five to all sec 3s, we did it! Also, KUDOS to the O/ICs – Mindy, Yan Yan, Deborah and Vivien!!! Thanks for all the hard work you put in to making this camp a successful one for all of us. To conclude this, HIP HIP HOORAY for all of us! -Spins around screaming- [Turning emotional, hysterical, maniacal…]

-Sputters her last breath, and dies-

Note: purely for dramatic effect, above guide has not actually breathed her last. No need to panic.

- Hweefen

endure; explore; excel ♔
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