Recruits Camp cum Annual Campfire, 8th February 2014

Written by: Caleb Liow, Sixer & Scribe

I was sure that it was going to be a fun-filled day. I was at the annual recruits camp as a service scout. The new energetic recruits had brought with them enormous camping bags, filled to the brim with camp equipment. There were sleeping bags, mess tins, toiletries, clothes and a wide array of other items.

The recruits were divded into four groups, otherwise known as sixs, to encourage teamwork in the activities. The sixs were: Ants, Bees, Crabs and Ducks. Two assistant sixers from our main unit were appointed to each six as a duty sixer/duty assistant sixer.

Akela briefed the recruits on important scout information, like the Founder of Scouting, when was Founder’s Day, who brought Scouting to Singapore, the Jungle Book ... .The recruits were also taught the Scout Promise, the Scout Law, the Scout Hymn, the Scout Motto...

Meanwhile the other Service Scouts, including me, were rehearsing for our campfire skit. We had brought Nerf guns, “lightsabers” and other props for our skit.

Afterwards, the recruits were taught how to do outdoor cooking. Using their mess tins, the recruits boiled water over a fire, and placed a packet of maggi noodles into the boiling water to cook. Slurping up their “self-made” noodles, it was probably their best meal yet.

After their lunch, the Service Scouts performed a small glimpse of what our skit would be like. The little performance aroused much laughter among the recruits. Akela played interesting and engaging games with the recruits, for example: “amoeba”, which is a catching game that involves teamwork. Akela showed the recruits the Scout uniform, what it consists of and what badges there were. Another scout volunteer, CK.., came in to teach the recruits some campfire songs. It was not long before it was time for dinner.

After a filling dinner, the main unit arrived to join us for the campfire. Mr.Chia, the principal of our school, announced the campfire open, and the merry singing of familiar campfire songs began. “Campfire’s burning, campfire’s burning, draw nearer, draw nearer...”The first game was ‘Scavenger Hunt’, and among the list of items were a blue waterbottle with a four-letter brand, a white shoelace, a service scout’s shoe etc. In the end, my section won, with a delicate “hand-made” bookmark as a prize.

Without any delay, the first part of our skit was then acted... It was about the raising up of a future Jedi scout leader, Mowgli, by Jedi scout master Akela. One scene of the skit, where Mowgli and Akela were practicing the ‘Force’, they ‘moved’ two roller chairs, which were actually pushed by a stage assistant. The audience burst into laughter.

The second game was a common campfire game that only required one long pole... Limbo! With Limbo music playing in the background, the contestants ran round and round the campfire, each time with hope that they could pass beneath the pole. The merciless pole however, slowly eliminated the contestants, till there were only four very flexible, back-bending contestants left. They were crowned as champions, and received prizes.

The main part of our skit was kept till the last item. A furious battle raged on, as Jedi and Sith fought against each other. In the end, all that remained were the leaders of both sides. Tired of the endless war, Jedi scout leader Mowgli threw his shield to the ground, the only weapon that protected his heart, and put his left hand out, since it was closest to his heart. Jedi and Sith scout masters shook with their left hand, and with that the left handshake was formed.

The campfire was closed with the singing of the scout hymn by the sixers and the declaration of the campfire closed by Mr.Chia. Everyone headed for refreshments afterwards and the recruits were glad to be reunited with their parents, however, it was only for a short while before they had to be separated again. It wasn’t a sad thought though, since the most memorable part of the camp was awaiting them... Water bomb!

Bucketfuls of water bombs were placed in the arena. Each six had one bucket, and two sixs would throw water bombs at each other. It was a time of both excitement and delight for the recruits. No recruits were spared; every one was drenched by the end of the fights.

After a freezing cold bath, the exhausted recruits lay out their sleeping bags in the kidzone and fell asleep almost immediately.

The next day, early in the morning, the recruits woke up at packed up their belongings. The Service Scouts then led the recruits in morning exercise, which included a 400m jog, crunches, push ups etc. Breakfast was sausage bread and Milo, delicious!

All the recruits were eagerly anticipating to meet their parents again, thus the rest of the morning passed quickly, with the recruits spending most of the time playing games. The arrival of their parents brought smiles to their faces, and I’m sure that this overnight recruit’s camp will be etched in their memories forever.