Recruits' Camp cum annual campfire, 30th January 2016
Written by: Nicole Yee, Assistant Senior Sixer & Scribe
The recruits slowly inched their way into the kid zone apprehensively. As I walked towards the kid zone, I remembered the very day, 5 years ago, when I skipped to my very first scout camp as a P2 girl. Recruit's camp is definitely a huge milestone in every Cub Scout's journey, as it teaches us to be independent and gives us a chance to stay away from our parents for one night. As a sixer, I was able to join the camp as a service scout, so that we could help out during the camp.
After a briefing from Baloo, the recruits were assigned to their respective sixes, while the assistant sixers took on the role of duty sixer for the camp. Then, the service scouts and recruits parted ways; the service scouts went to practise our skits, while the recruits followed Baloo to go and play some games.
At 11:30am, we decided to stop rehearsal for a while and help the recruits cook their instant noodles. The smell of the steaming noodles wafted into our nostrils even before we could see the recruits. Turns out that the recruits didn't need our help, as almost of them were already skilfully whipping up their lunch.
A little while later, the recruits had finished cooking their noodles and were ready to eat! Before they could eat, the recruits had to sing a song called 'The Tick Tock Song' to one of the adult leaders to ask for permission to began eating. The recruits managed to pick up the song, rather quickly, and were ravenously wolfing down their lunches 10 minutes later.
When lunch was done, the recruits once again followed Baloo, and the service scouts returned to rehearsing our skits. We had decided to do two skits: 'The left-hand shake' and a summary on 'The Jungle Book. A few hours later, Baloo asked us to teach recruits some campfire songs. We taught them songs like ' Peace by the river', 'Campfire's burning', 'Quartermaster's store', 'Scouting Light of mine', and many others!
When the recruits had mastered a couple of campfire songs, the service scouts were asked to perform our first skit, 'The Left-Hand Shake'. Through our skit, we explained the symbolism of the left-hand shake, and why we scouts shake with our left hands. Our audience erupted into peals of laughter as we did our skit. Most importantly, we hoped that the recruits had learned the true meaning of the left hand shake, for we shake with our left hands as we shake with our left hand because our left hand is the closest to our heart and shows that we mean our words.
After a hearty dinner, it was time for our campfire. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I prepared myself, as Min Wenn and I was going to be the emcees for that night! After Mr Chia and Mr Tan lit the campfire, we kicked off with the song 'Campfire's burning'. Then, we launched into a series of campfire songs, such as 'Ging Gang Gooli', 'BP spirit', 'A scouting light of mine', and the other songs that the recruits had learnt a few hours ago. We sang a song called 'A thousand legged worm', where we had to pretend to be the worm and formed a train of scouts walking round the campfire. Then, the service scouts performed our skits again, earning a similar reaction from the parents as we had from the recruits.
Soon, it was GAME TIME! We played our traditional 'Limbo Rock', where one has to bend backwards and make their way under the rope, thick will be lowered until the most flexible person wins. After a tedious game, a winner was finally announced: One of the recruit's little sister!
After two hours, Mr Chia declared the campfire closed and it was the moment all the recruits had been looking forward too: WATER BOMB TIME! The lower ISH was filled with shrieks as recruits, duty sixers and service scouts flung water bomb after water bomb at each other. After 5 minutes of absolute madness, a group of cold, wet and shivering children were sent immediately to bathe.
After a refreshing shower, we all climbed into our sleeping bags. Within minutes all of us had drifted off to dreamland.
At 6:30am, we gathered in the kids zone for our morning exercise. At 7am, after running our lungs out, we dashed towards the canteen for a much-needed breakfast. Then, the two new teachers who just joined the scouts led us in a series of games, such as dog-and-bone, ice breaker, and concentration 64. After the games, the service scouts went to do area cleanup, and the recruits received a talk from Mr Tan, the chief commissioner of scouting in Singapore.
Just before the end of the camp, Mr Tan gave all of us a debrief and told the recruits about the importance of scouting and what we can all learn from it.
Scouting for me was a journey for 5 years, and I never once regretted joining scouts. All I hope is that if the recruits should join scouts, he or she will find an active, vibrant community of scouting that he or she will never forget the days of their scouting and never regret the decision to join scouts.
After a briefing from Baloo, the recruits were assigned to their respective sixes, while the assistant sixers took on the role of duty sixer for the camp. Then, the service scouts and recruits parted ways; the service scouts went to practise our skits, while the recruits followed Baloo to go and play some games.
At 11:30am, we decided to stop rehearsal for a while and help the recruits cook their instant noodles. The smell of the steaming noodles wafted into our nostrils even before we could see the recruits. Turns out that the recruits didn't need our help, as almost of them were already skilfully whipping up their lunch.
A little while later, the recruits had finished cooking their noodles and were ready to eat! Before they could eat, the recruits had to sing a song called 'The Tick Tock Song' to one of the adult leaders to ask for permission to began eating. The recruits managed to pick up the song, rather quickly, and were ravenously wolfing down their lunches 10 minutes later.
When lunch was done, the recruits once again followed Baloo, and the service scouts returned to rehearsing our skits. We had decided to do two skits: 'The left-hand shake' and a summary on 'The Jungle Book. A few hours later, Baloo asked us to teach recruits some campfire songs. We taught them songs like ' Peace by the river', 'Campfire's burning', 'Quartermaster's store', 'Scouting Light of mine', and many others!
When the recruits had mastered a couple of campfire songs, the service scouts were asked to perform our first skit, 'The Left-Hand Shake'. Through our skit, we explained the symbolism of the left-hand shake, and why we scouts shake with our left hands. Our audience erupted into peals of laughter as we did our skit. Most importantly, we hoped that the recruits had learned the true meaning of the left hand shake, for we shake with our left hands as we shake with our left hand because our left hand is the closest to our heart and shows that we mean our words.
After a hearty dinner, it was time for our campfire. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I prepared myself, as Min Wenn and I was going to be the emcees for that night! After Mr Chia and Mr Tan lit the campfire, we kicked off with the song 'Campfire's burning'. Then, we launched into a series of campfire songs, such as 'Ging Gang Gooli', 'BP spirit', 'A scouting light of mine', and the other songs that the recruits had learnt a few hours ago. We sang a song called 'A thousand legged worm', where we had to pretend to be the worm and formed a train of scouts walking round the campfire. Then, the service scouts performed our skits again, earning a similar reaction from the parents as we had from the recruits.
Soon, it was GAME TIME! We played our traditional 'Limbo Rock', where one has to bend backwards and make their way under the rope, thick will be lowered until the most flexible person wins. After a tedious game, a winner was finally announced: One of the recruit's little sister!
After two hours, Mr Chia declared the campfire closed and it was the moment all the recruits had been looking forward too: WATER BOMB TIME! The lower ISH was filled with shrieks as recruits, duty sixers and service scouts flung water bomb after water bomb at each other. After 5 minutes of absolute madness, a group of cold, wet and shivering children were sent immediately to bathe.
After a refreshing shower, we all climbed into our sleeping bags. Within minutes all of us had drifted off to dreamland.
At 6:30am, we gathered in the kids zone for our morning exercise. At 7am, after running our lungs out, we dashed towards the canteen for a much-needed breakfast. Then, the two new teachers who just joined the scouts led us in a series of games, such as dog-and-bone, ice breaker, and concentration 64. After the games, the service scouts went to do area cleanup, and the recruits received a talk from Mr Tan, the chief commissioner of scouting in Singapore.
Just before the end of the camp, Mr Tan gave all of us a debrief and told the recruits about the importance of scouting and what we can all learn from it.
Scouting for me was a journey for 5 years, and I never once regretted joining scouts. All I hope is that if the recruits should join scouts, he or she will find an active, vibrant community of scouting that he or she will never forget the days of their scouting and never regret the decision to join scouts.
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