On Wednesday, we visited the Guides of Edgefield Secondary school again! It was the first time this year we were going to the school together on a weekday and we were quite excited about meeting the Guides again since we hadn’t met them in a month. Furthermore, this was the first activity the Y5 YAs had planned so we were looking forward to seeing our plans being executed well. :)


The activity we had today was quite different from the previous two, because all three batches of Guides were present today. And so we got to know many more fellow Guides! :) Considering that the Sec 1 and Sec 2 Guides hadn’t had much lash-tying practice before, we started off the session with a short revision to both the square and diagonal lash. They were very eager to perfect the lashing skills, and they kept retying their lashes in an attempt to improve, which was very heartening for us.


After the short revision, we gave each group (consisting of 2 patrols each) a task: to build a kitchen dresser. We showed them a drawing of the gadget and guided them a little on how to go about building it, before they started work. Although in the end there wasn’t enough time to complete the entire gadget, we were glad that their lashes had been put into good use and that the kitchen dresser turned out stable. We explained to them a little about the function of the kitchen dresser, before the Guides had to speedily dismantle it and keep all the logistics back into their Guides room.



To end off the activity, some of us showed the Guides pictures of the ‘Golden Gate Bridge’ we had built last Saturday and they were very impressed by the fact that mere lashes could create such huge and grand structures. We sure hope that this will serve as a motivation for them to continue practicing their lashes and start by building small gadgets first. :)

The next activity we will be planning for the Edgefield Guides will most probably be firelighting and outdoor cooking which is something different from what we have been doing with them thus far, and we hope the Guides (and of course we YAs) will enjoy the activity and the food that will be cooked! :)

Labels: EFS activity

(Rescheduled post)

Today is our second visit to the Guides of Edgefield Secondary School. Of course, all of us went with great excitement and joy as we had a memorable experience the previous time.

In the beginning, we revised lashes with the guides as some of them had forgotten how to tie them. The lashes that we revised with them were square lash, diagonal lash and the tripod lash. We were glad that many of them were fast-learners, and they were very eager to learn from us too! What was really commendable was their willingness to learn and to clarify their doubts. :)

After that, we had an activity titled "Creative Gadgets". Basically, the Guides are required to use their knowledge on the lashes and build a simple gadget. It could be a simple structure such as a chair or a table. As this was the first time they are trying out this activity, we guided them and helped them to brainstorm for ideas.

When they have decided on their gadget to build, we advised them to allocate their manpower efficiently as they only had approximately 50 minutes to tie their gadget. Some of us helped them with the lashes along the way if they happened to forget any steps in the process as well.


The final activity was a lecture on how to plan activities. Chai Ning conducted the lecture while the guides diligently took down notes. They were taught on what to look out while planning activities, such as location, duration, logistics and safety precautions. We hope that with these skills and knowledge, they would be able to plan activities for their company and carry out themselves in the near future. Meanwhile, we will continue guiding them and give them adequate support!


Overall, it was a fruitful morning spent with the Edgefield Guides. Up to this point, we have gotten to know the Guides much better after interacting with them and find them a great joy to be with. We await for our next session soon! :)

Labels: EFS activity

(Rescheduled post)

This activity marked the very first time the Y5 YAs attended an activity planned for the Edgefield Secondary Guides :)

It started off rather awkward as the Guides there seemed quiet and we did not know how to engage them well, but gladly, the atmosphere improved towards the end. :)

Firstly, we split them into groups and taught them lashes, namely Square Lash, Diagonal Lash and Tripod Lash.

The experience turned out to be slightly embarrassing and a little comical along the way, as we had to be mindful not to use terms (especially Chinese) with them. Since all of us were so used to the terms we've learnt, it took a while (and many reminders) to change the way we spoke. The Guides also slowly warmed up to us as we got to know them better. It was interesting to make new friends, and hearing their different stories as a EFS Guide.

We took a while for us to finish teaching them and for them to fully understand the multiple steps. Although these lashes may seem very easy and simple to us, it definitely was rather complicated for them because everything was still foreign to them.

Secondly, we translated these skills into building of a proper structure. One of the groups tied a baggage rack and the other tied a shoe rack. I was in the former group and we firstly demonstrated the first step of a baggage rack which was the A-'jia'. The EFS guides continued tying the subsequent steps as we slowly guided them.

After a while, both groups were done and we could introduce both structures to all of them. Since the guides do not often tie structures, I could tell that they were rather amazed at what they could tie with the simple lashes. :)


Overall, the first experience at EFS was quite an eye-opening experience for us. We were able to first-hand experience the guides culture in another school, which was definitely very different from what we were used to. The kind of interaction we had with the guides also was not what we usually have in dhscoy either :) Thus, it made the experience very refreshing.

We also found it very meaningful to pass on these skills to guides from other schools so that they can benefit as well. Hopefully, if we do continue with this project at EFS, we would be able to leave a lasting impact on the development of the EFS Guides Company! :)

Labels: EFS activity