May - Girl Guides Singapore

Vol 39 No. 2 May 2007
MICA (P) 090/11/2006
UPCOMING EVENTS
Newsletter of Girl Guides Singapore
SMRT Cram Jam
Camp Galore at Hong Lim Park
26 May 2007, 1030-1500 hrs
Fun packed with craft activities and
competitions!
GGS Carnival at *Scapefield
(next to Orchard Cineleisure)
23 June 2007, 1000-1800 hrs
Craft, games, food and fun
for a good cause!
ALL ARE WELCOME
This Issue
01 SMRT Cram Jam
UPDATES
02 Scenes from Thinking Day Rally
/ Young Women in Touch with
Social Issues
03 Remembrance Day / South
Division Olympic Quest
04 90th Anniversary Fundraising
Dinner / Thoughts of a YA
05 Relief for Flood Victims in
Malacca
09 Brownies Pack Holiday Camp /
Combined School Camp at Camp
Christine
IN-TOUCH
Training Corner
06 Creative Project for Brownies /
Puzzle Corner / Riddle Time
07 How to Tie The Guider’s Scarf/
Tracking Guides
Girl Guides Singapore won a place in the Singapore Book of Records for
cramming 44 members into an MPV Space Taxi at the SMRT Cram Jam on 11
February. The feat was accomplished within five minutes in an event
organised by the SMRT for their Silver Tribute Project in aid of the elderly.
For being the winner in this category, GGS was awarded a cheque of
$1,000.00.
Our Chief Commissioner, Ms Yvonne Lim, was one of the 44 participants in
GGS Team One which clinched the record. Yvonne gamely agreed to
be “crammed” on the dashboard of the taxi with a Girl Guide. Bravo!
Well done too, all the Guides who responded so readily to our call to
participate in the name of GGS. Our thanks also to ExCo members, South
Division Commissioner Mdm Tham Lai Chan, West Division Commissioner Ms
Chin Pooi Pooi and Trefoil Guild Secretary Ms L S Letchmi, who came to
support the GGS teams. And, of course, special thanks to Young Adult
Branch and Guide Branch for bringing the “girl power” of GGS together to
make this record possible!
YA COLUMN
08 Unit Helper Course /
Young Adult Induction &
Renewal of Promise
FEATURES
10 Visit to Redhill Moral Senior
Citizen Home / The Heart Walk
11 Tree Planting at Pulau Ubin /
A Green Inspiration
12 Finance Committee Work
Redesign
Guide Branch Commissioner, Mrs Mindi Peter,
and Young Adult Branch Commissioner, Ms Ng
Soo Ling, with the prize
1
The MPV taxi which held the forty four
members of the GGS Team One
Young Women In Touch
with Social Issues
Scenes from Thinking Day Rally
At the Singapore Indoor Stadium
On 24 February 2007
- Explorations in Ethnicity Camp
The Explorations in Ethnicity Camp was
held at the MOE Dairy Farm Adventure
Centre on 17th and 18th March. The
organisers
include
People’s
Association, National Institute of
Education,
Southwest
Community
Develop-ment Council, etc.
The camp has set me thinking about
the dark side of racial issues,
something that exists but is not often
discussed. I was able to reflect on the
issues
of
racial
discrimination,
prejudices and the possible reasons
behind all these problems. I had always
thought that
racial issue was an
inevitable part of every society but
now I have learnt to question. What is
the basis behind such categorization of
people by race? Is it justified? The
camp is not about finding answers, or
about being right or wrong. It is about
finding our own stand on the issue. It
was an experience like never before.
One may not consider oneself a racist,
but how many dare to stand up against
racism and are actively anti-racist? The
emotions that the camp evoked in me
spurred me to be active in being antiracist. There is no better portal to take
a step towards active anti-racism than
in Girl Guiding, a movement where Girl
Guides and Girl Scouts all over the
world come together regardless of race
or religion? With the spirit and
enthusiasm that is unique to Guides, I
believe we can spread the message of
what we believe in. Together, Girl
Guiding has the ability to make a
difference.
I applaud this daring new initiative that
I believe will give participants an
opportunity to delve beneath the
façade of racial issues.
Lin Xu
Young Adult
2
Remembrance Day
Our Guides were at Kranji War Memorial on 12 November 2006 to
commemorate this very special day.
South Division
Olympic Quest
x
x
The landscape was bathed in a golden hue by the gentle sunlight as the
voices of the choir members soared sweetly into the air like nightingales. All
of us stood at attention at the ceremony at the Kranji War Memorial Park.
Today was the special day when people all over the world came together to
commemorate those who laid down their lives during World War Two.
Seventeen teams from 11 schools
participated in the Olympic Quest on
22nd March 2007. Once again, it was
that exciting time when the Guides
from the division got an opportunity
to mingle and get to know one
another.
We arrived early and assembled in a group. Songs were sung by the choir,
and then the guests of honour delivered short yet meaningful speeches. As
young Singaporeans, many of us live in a comfortable, secure environment
without fear of war, in contrast to our forefathers. Most of us take for
granted this freedom for which our forefathers paid with their lives. They
died on the battlefield, for love and loyalty to their country.
It was also a learning experience for
our Sec One Guides who helped with
the arrangement of tables and
chairs, saw that the PA System was
working and prepared refreshments
for the competition.
We observed one minute of silence. It was a simple ceremony but the
emotions within us were overwhelming. We were paying respect to those
soldiers whom we shall never forget. More importantly, we must cherish
what we have and pledge from the very bottom of our hearts not to allow
anything to take away the freedom that is the right of every individual.
By 2.30 pm, Sister Guides from the
participating schools streamed in
and the Olympic Quest began.
Teams were eliminated at every
round and only five were left after
three rounds.
The ceremony soon came to an end, but the thought-provoking lesson from
the experience will not be easily forgotten.
Lim Xin Yi
Dunman High School
Clinching the third position was
Bishan Park Secondary School.
Crescent Girls’ School secured the
second place whilst Raffles Girls
School emerged champion.
The
winners were awarded a plaque.
Every participating Guide was
awarded
a
certificate
of
participation and a group photo
session rounded up the event.
Congratulations to the winners and
thank you, South Division Guides, for
your participation.
Lim Shi Yan
Henderson Secondary School
3
90th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner
Our Night of Wine, Women and Song…. well almost so!
Thoughts of a Young Adult…
Being in the Guide movement for
close to ten years now, I felt very
honoured to be able to attend the
Anniversary
Girl
Guides
90th
Fundraising Dinner. This dinner is
special in my Guding life as it is one
of the highlights of this important
year for GGS.
Being a new member of YA, I was
initially intimidated by the fact that I
would not know most of the people
attending the dinner. However, this
also meant that I was able to meet
new sisters in Guiding which was an
endearing thought.
It was through this event that I
observed how fellow sisters in Guiding
interacted and enjoyed their time of
fellowship over a grand dinner set in a
posh hotel. It was an eye-opener to
have women of all ages and walks of
life gather together and rededicate
themselves to Guiding. Moreover, it
was amazing to see women clad in
fine dresses and looking beautiful as
they come together as one body,
representing the movement and being
living examples of how Guiding has
transformed young girls into dynamic
women in society.
Guiding has always been an intrinsic
part of my life, and after witnessing
how many women who have a deep
passion for Guiding have committed
their lives to serving others, I am
compelled to do more for the
movement in future!
Christina Chew
Young Adult
4
Relief for Flood Victims in Malacca
Girl Guides Singapore responded to a call from Pandu Puteri Malaysia for
donation in aid of flood victims in Malaysia in January 2007. On 14th March,
Guide Branch Commissioner Mrs Mindi Peter, led 47 Guiders, Young Adults
(YAs) and Guides from eight secondary schools to Malacca to present our
donation to the Pandu Puteri Malaysia in Malacca.
We met at Guide House at 7.15 am where a tour bus was waiting to take us
to our destination.
After a four-hour journey of fun with educational
riddles and anecdotes led by our 'encyclopedic' tour guide, Mr Ashok, we
reached Melaka High School at Jalan Tan Choon Seng at about 12.30 pm.
We were met by the Melaka Rangers, their Chief Commissioner, Puan Vijaya
Letchumi Raju and several past Commissioners who formed the reception
party at the High School. The Malaysian Rangers formed a line and greeted
us warmly. Together we unloaded more than 70 cartons of donations
comprising schoolbags, clothing, stationery and 30 cartons of GGS
cookies. Our Malaysian Sister Guides were visibly moved when Mrs Peter
handed over our donations of cash and kind. In her speech, Puan Vijaya
Letchumi Raya, the Chief Commissioner of Melaka, declared that our
donations will be distributed to all Pandu Puteris and Guiders affected by
the flood on 23 March 07 - when Pandu Puteri Melaka commemorates World
Thinking Day.
After the handing-over ceremony, we played ice breaker games and danced
the 'Friendship' dance. The camaraderie fostered was truly magical and our
Malaysian Sister Guides were very forthcoming answering our questions
about their Ranger programme, uniform and about Guiding in Malacca.
Noting that our world badges were slightly different, the YAs went around
exchanging our badges with theirs. Patches from Singapore also changed
hands and some of our Girl Guides had even prepared gifts for the Malaysian
Pandu Puteris! Cameras clicked furiously when it was announced that we
would have to leave soon. Just before we bade goodbye, the Malaysian
Rangers gave us "goodie bags" which contained local cakes, a bottle of
mineral water and several Pandu Puteri Malaysia souvenirs.
Our guide, Mr Ashok, then took us to Mahkota Parade in Melaka Town. We
bought gifts and gorged on food. The ice cream stalls were particularly
inviting with the wide variety of flavours and toppings available. After an
hour exploring Makota Parade in our uniforms, Mr Ashok took us to Kim Hock
Fruit Industry where the shopping continued - we bought snacks and local
delights like durian dodol. We also tried their specialty durian chendol,
which was a welcome reprieve in the hot weather!
Finally, we headed for Singapore. Almost sedated with food that we had
consumed, we mulled over our meeting with our Malaysian Sister Guides and
the lessons learnt that day. Our trip made us realise how fortunate we are
to live in Singapore which is relatively unaffected by natural disasters.
Malaysia being one of our closest neighbours and Pandu Puteri Malaysia
being our sisters in Guiding, I feel that it is important that we are there for
each other in times of need.
Dhavalakshmi d/o Palanivelu
Young Adult
5
CREATIVE
PROJECT
PUZZLE CORNER
for Brownies
Can you find all the different
Guiding activities hidden in the
puzzle below?
Make your very own
Brownie Pond
It’s the perfect setting
for your toadstool, to
bring the Brownie story
to life!
Materials
One large cardboard box of size at least 1m x 1m
One roll of reflective silver acetate
Double-sided tape
Masking tape
Old newspapers
One craft knife
Poster paints & paint brushes
Instructions
1) Flatten storage box on
the floor and cut through
one layer of cardboard
down the middle.
2) Draw the shape of a
pond on the cardboard
and cut out on one layer
Xxxxxx with a craft knife.
3)
Unfold the top layer of the
xcardboard (to expose
xbottom layer) and stick
xreflective silver acetate to
xbottom layer using doublexsided tape.
4) Fold top layer over bottom
layer. Use masking tap to
secure the two halves of
the cardboard together.
5) Make rocks by scrunching up sheets of
newspaper (use masking tape to hold shape).
Attach the rocks around edge of pond (top
layer of cardboard) using double sided tape.
6) Use remnants of the cardboard to cut out
leaves and flowers to decorate pond. Place
overhanging edge of pond and secure with
double-sided tape.
7) Use poster colours to bring pond to life.
6
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Riddle Time
Can you solve these brainteasers?
Try solving the riddles without
looking at the answers!
A cowboy rode into town on
Friday. He stayed for one
night and left on Friday.
How is this possible?
What goes round and round
in circles but can never go
backwards?
What time of the day is
spelt the same whether it’s
spelt backwards or forwards
or upside down?
NEWS FLASH
from the Guide Shop
Rattan woven toadstool @ $38.00
World Flag @ $40.00
GGS Sleeping Bags @ $13.00
GGS Reusable Raincoat @ $3.20
LED L-Torchlight @ $3.60
Tracking Guides
Tracking was one of the fun
activities
that
B-P
taught.
Tracking means following the
footprints of animals or a set of
signs known only to Guides and
Scouts the world over. Learn
what the signs mean. Then lay a
trail with a message hidden in a
tree or under a rock.
How to Wear the Guider’s Scarf
Step 1 – Fold scarf diagonally, roll the long edge over. Then place around neck.
Make sure that the signs are laid
out of the way of other
pedestrians and park-users. Place
them away from the main path
but at a consistent distances. You
can use sticks, leaves, rocks,
stones, grass and strings.
Step 2 – Place one length of the scarf over the other and take the top length under
and over at the neck.
Step 3 – Slip the scarf holder into the top length and complete the reef knot.
7
Unit Helper Course
During the March holidays, newly
enrolled Young Adults attended the
Unit Helper Course at Camp Christine.
It was a three day-two night camp
conducted by Ms Hasna Alsagoff and Ms
Jalilah Johar.
The course taught us relevant management skills and provided information
about how Guide Companies function to
help us serve our units better. There
were also opportunities to develop our
leadership and communication abilities
further.
All the knowledge and skills acquired
during the lectures were put into
practice when we were tasked to plan
and carry out a traditional campfire on
the second night of the camp. Despite
heavy rain in the afternoon, the hard
work and effort put in by the
programme and fire committees paid
off in a splendid night of songs, fun and
laughter.
Most of us found the course useful and
comprehensive.
We enjoyed being
taught new songs by Ms Alsagoff,
learning interesting and creative ways
of making Guiding fun through various
activities and games.
All in all, we had a pleasant experience
and definitely benefited greatly from
the course. We are now well-equipped
to serve our respective Guide units and
to continue to keep the Guiding Light
shining bright!
Danielle Tay
Young Adult
Young Adult Induction & Renewal of Promise
I remember feeling as they did: The newly graduated Girl Guides, full of
spirit and anticipation for the next stage of Guiding life.
As they walked in, I wondered what went through their minds. Did they
know their Girl Guiding experience would mature into a phase quite
different?
That Monday began early with insightful presentations when definitions,
expectations and questions were addressed: What is the role of a Young
Adult versus that one of a Unit Helper? What are the award schemes
available? Who are the people behind your own council? I watched the
girls nod their heads in agreement, as they looked at the slides.
As our commissioner, Miss Ng, took her stand to give the welcoming
address, the hall hushed, the girls listened thoughtfully. Miss Ng
proceeded to outline her hopes for this fresh batch; that they will
volunteer passionately to improve the quality of the Young Adult
programme. She encouraged them to participate actively and to
embrace this involvement.
Soon after came the tea break, which was also a socializing round for
many. The council then prepared for the next important half - the
enrolment. So after downing sparkling orange and snacking on chicken
curry, the girls were ushered back to the same venue, but with a
different vibe.
With the badges
ready, the horse
shoe formation
formed,
the
colour
party
raised the flag;
the
metamorphosis
finally begun.
Girl by girl,
names
were
called. Miss Ng
made the effort
to
speak
personally to eachPof them. Again I thought, “How very different!
Because the community gets smaller, the network gets tighter; a
different relationship with the commissioner develops. Was anyone
awestruck, as I was years ago?” Little conversations flowed, hinting
volumes of this newly adopted commitment.
Like always, Taps ended the beautiful day. A whole new ring of
sisterhood is remembered, is reinforced. The new Young Adults, were
girls no more.
Stefanie Djie
Young Adult
8
Combined School Camp
at Camp Christine
Brownies Pack Holiday Camp
Between 19 to 21 January 2007, our Brownies leaders Ms Ho, Mrs Ravi and
Ms Lalitha organised a Brownies Pack Holiday Camp. Twenty five of us were
selected to attend the camp which turned out to be one of the most
unforgettable camps that we had ever attended.
Our activities for the first day kicked off with a refreshing walk at Bukit
Batok nature park in the evening. The view of the mesmerizing sunset and
the lush greenery around us provided the perfect ambience to host our
little picnic with our fellow Brownies.
Back in school at night, our Brownie leaders conducted a few other
engaging activities. When it was time to go to bed, we were too excited to
sleep. Most of us succumbed to exhaustion only after 4 am!
The next day, we did our modules which included washing our clothes and
sewing buttons. It was a great opportunity for us to build team spirit. We
were given a short break after which the Zhenghua Girl Guiders arrived and
engaged us in indoor cooking.
For most of us, it was the first
time we were cooking our own
meals which, fortunately, turned
out to be very delicious. After a
cool
shower,
we
started
preparations for the campfire.
Miss Lim, our principal, a few of
our teachers and seniors attended
our campfire. We sang songs and
played games that our Guiders
had taught us earlier. It was an
unforgettable night.
At bedtime, we were exhausted
from the activities of the day. The next day, we felt very reluctant to go
home. We had a wonderful time at the Brownies Pack Holiday Camp and
look forward to participating in other future camps.
Joni Sng & Shannon Chew
CHIJ Bukit Timah Primary School
9
The Girl Guides of Beatty Secondary
School and North Vista Secondary
School embarked on a combined 3D 2N
under canvas camp at Camp Christine
from 26 to 28 November 2006 to end
the school term with a bang.
The camp kicked off with tentpitching, gadget making – skills which
the girls had acquired prior to the
camp; outdoor cooking, night walk
under the stars, kayaking and bonding
in the name of sisterhood.
The experiences which the girls took
back were two cold, sleepless nights,
a wonderful get-together and being
drenched in the rain during a
torrential downpour whilst kayaking.
Yet, we would not want to give the
experience a miss – despite the
uncooked food and the less than filling
lunches.
Even though we had an
exciting time, some were home sick.
So when we broke camp, it was homesweet-home.
Mrs Koh-Ho BT & Ms Tuan Chui Lin
Beatty Secondary School
The Heart Walk
On 10th March, a group of pupils from 3N2, Girl Guide members and two
teachers, Mdm Norlinda and Mdm Abby Choo, participated in the Heart Walk
organized by the Singapore Heart Foundation held at Marina City Park.
The healthy walk was organized to educate girls and women in Singapore to
pursue healthy living as heart disease and heart stroke is the world’s number
one killer of women.
The
guest-of-honour
for the event was Mrs
Lim
Hwee
Hua,
Minister of State for
Finance & Transport.
Visit to Redhill Moral
Senior Citizen Home
On 2nd March, five Girl Guides from
Henderson
Secondry
School
together with the students from
Shanghai Pei Ming, were chosen to
visit the Redhill Moral Senior
Citizen Home as part of the
Chinese New Year celebrations to
make it a happy and enjoyable
Friday morning for the old folks
there.
During the one hour that we spent
at the home, we entertained the
old folks with a lion dance
performance and played some
cultural games. The old folks were
enthusiastic and sporting, and
didn’t mind playing the games
more than once.
Seeing them laughing heartily
made us happy too. We felt really
good that we were helping to
spread the cheer and joy of the
season to people who might not be
able to be with their families
during the time.
Carine Ng
Henderson Secondary School
Apart from the 3 km
walk, there was also
an endurance activity
called
the
Brisk
Walking Challenge in
which
participants
were encouraged to
achieve 10,000 Steps.
We only participated in
the 3 km walk which
started
with
some
aerobics led by aerobics instructors from Amore.
We had to stretched,
jumped and hopped
around to get our mind
and body ready for the
walk.
All of us enjoyed
ourselves and we had a
great time walking
round the Marina City
Park.
We sang and
cheered as we passed
the beautiful scenery
of the bay.
At the end of the walk, we received goodie bags which contained some
magazines for females, healthy drinks, food and more information on healthy
living.
We had a great time not just from participating in the 3-kilometre walk but
also because we learnt more about the importance of keeping ourselves
healthy and happy.
Nurashiqah
Henderson Secondary School
10
Tree Planting at Pulau Ubin
A Green Inspiration
This poem was written after a hike at
Labrador Park on 10 March 2007. The
Guides from CHIJ St Joseph’s Convent
went on a hiking excursion which
offered an opportunity to get close to
nature as well as to learn some lessons
in the history of Singapore during
World II.
After a five-minute bumboat ride from the jetty at Changi Village, 17 Girl
Guides set foot on the island of Pulau Ubin on the late morning of 30
October.
Their first stop was the information kiosk on the island where they were
briefed by a National Parks officer. They had volunteered their services to
plant trees on the island of Pulau Ubin to help address the problem of
deforestation on the island.
They had no inkling that digging a hole could be such hard labour until they
had a hand in it. It was satisfying to place the plant in the hole but care
had to be taken to ensure that the plant was strongly supported by firming
the soil around it. Watering the plant was an amusing affair as some pupils
thought that they should water only the soil. They learnt to water the plant
from the top.
Finally, they made sure that the plaque they had spent hours carving was
placed beside the plant to acknowledge their efforts. They kindly agreed to
clean the beach after the exhilarating exercise.
It was time to say goodbye to the island after two hours of manual labour
and they left, enriched with some knowledge of tree-planting.
Ms Lim Buk Lan
Balestier Hill Sec School
Guidelicious
Guides we call in short,
When we hike we see trees rot,
Sometimes we cook in pots,
The nice aroma just rocks!
Netball and poisonball are games we
play,
We also enjoy playing with clay,
Doing badgework is an important
part,
It sometimes involves food like tarts!
“Honesty is the best policy”, Guides
say,
To be safe than sorry everyday,
Footdrill might not be fun,
Although we can’t change what has to
be done!
So please join Guides,
Cause we don’t fight,
Although we do not enjoy the
mosquito bites,
WHEN WE HIKE!!
Shalini S & Jency John Gregory
CHIJ St Jospeh’s Convent
11
Finance Committee Work Redesign
The guidelines adopted by the Finance Committee arising from the Work
Redesign supported by the Work Development Agency (WDA) are summarized
as follows:
1. Financial Budget Process - The process for the preparation of the yearly
budget are laid down so that the Accountant, the Finance Committee,
commissioners of all standing committees as well as Council have a clear
picture of the scope of their responsibilities and the input required of them.
Procedures for appeal against budget decisions and requests for additional
funds are also specified.
PATRON
Mrs S R Nathan
PRESIDENT
Mrs Teo Chee Hean
CHIEF COMMISSIONER
Ms Yvonne Lim
2.
Financial Reports - Guidelines covered the financial statements and
reports necessary to fulfill statutory requirements, their frequency and
schedule.
EDITOR
Ms Josephine Leong
3. Coding and Security of FACT System - Recommendations on the pattern
of coding were made for accounts as well as bank and cash transactions to
aid proper entry and posting into the various modules of the FACT
Accounting System. Backup procedures for data stored on the FACT system
were also defined.
4. Receipts from Guide Shop - Procedures for managing printed receipts,
cash, reports, posting as well as banking are defined to ensure accuracy in
the amounts recorded.
5. Receipts from the Secretariat Office - Procedures for managing monies
collected from projects, camp fees, courses, subscription, capitation, etc,
are defined to facilitate the work of the Accountant and to ensure that
amounts are posted accurately.
6. Purchasing - Guidelines and procedure for purchases for the Guide Shop,
the Secretariat and the Committees are defined.
7. Payments - Procedures for verifying and approving payments for goods
and services, and payroll are defined.
8. Banking Transactions – Guidelines covered procedures for opening a bank
account, and signatories for signing cheques.
MEMBERS
Ms Sim Ee Min
Ms Jillien Foo
PUBLISHED BY:
Girl Guides Singapore
9 Bishan Street 14
Singapore 579785
Tel: 62599391 Fax: 62595452
Email: communications @girlguides.org.sg
Website: www.girlguides.org.sg
GUIDE NEWS
is the official publication of
Girl Guides Singapore.
The editorial committee thanks
all who have contributed articles for
this issue. We regret we are not
able to print all articles submitted.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
9. Petty Cash Account (Imprest System) – Guidelines covered cash
reimbursement for expenses, and management of the Petty Cash imprest.
•
10.
Grants – Guidelines relate to preparation of requests/ applications,
management of monies received from government departments, MOE as well
as other organizations to fund ad-hoc programmes and initiatives.
•
11.
Fund Raising – Guidelines relate to the management of cash and
cheques received, and procedures when handling donation cards.
12. Guide Cookie Sale – Guidelines relate to the administration,
coordination and execution of the fundraising project, including when to
reorder with the cookie manufacturer.
12
•
Text not exceeding 300
words, prepared in WORD
document (without
formatting)
Full name of writer, school
and unit as byline at the
end of the article within
the WORD document
3 photographs submitted as
separately attached files
(do not paste into WORD
document)