Visit to Central Fire Station

Hi Cubs!

Hope you had enjoyed the visit to the Central Fire Station. The Hill Street Fire Station a.k.a. the Central Fire Station is the oldest existing fire station in Singapore. It is 100 years old.  Bet you  had fun trying out the various fire fighting equipment too. You would have also learnt some information about our fire fighters and fire stations in Singapore and how they help to rescue people from fires.  

Aunty Kat would like to give a prize to the first cub who can answer this question: 

"How fast should a fire engine reach the fire site once they receive a call for help?"

Please give answer in the chat box.

Here are some highlights of the trip:

sitting pretty waiting for the MRT

Going up 5 storeys in a rescue "fire lift". This can go up to 8 to 10 storeys to look for the fire site and rescue people from high rise fires.

trying out the 'shot gun'

Our future lady fire fighter

Hmm, this is what an inside of the ambulance look and feel like

say Cheeze! 

Doing the Hakka Cheer for our hosts

See if you can find yourself in more pictures here 

Founder's Day

20 February 2009 marks the 99^th year of Scouting in Singapore.  Scouting started in Singapore in 1910 and was introduced by a British, Frank Cooper Sands who came to Singapore to work. Since then, the Singapore Scouts organisation has grown in strength, with the present membership standing at almost 10,000. Today,  there are over 28 million boys and girls scouts in over 216 countries and territories worldwide. 

District Campfire on 21 Feb 09

See our cubs having a great time at the recent District Campfire held at Changkat Secondary School :

Road Safety

Our cubs had loads of fun role playing and learning about Road Safety on Saturday.

Here is what they did right

Waiting in an orderly manner at a bus stop :

Waiting patiently at a STOP sign with their vehicles :

And what they did wrong:

Dashing across cyclists 

Cycling across a zebra crossing without stopping for pedestrians: 

And just having plain fun

at a Petrol Station

Giving friends a ride

Learning about First Aid

Hi Cubs!

This is what you should put into a first aid box at home

Now you can help your parents set up a first aid box, so you can Be Prepared for any emergencies at home.

And in case anyone is injured, you can tie a bandage to help them too.

                               Keqing tying Charmaine's bandage

Uncle John showing how to tie a head bandage

Uncle Kenneth teaching cubs how an injured knee should be wrapped up

Aunty Kat checking an arm bandage

For more pictures of the fun  you had tying your friends up, click here

Ropework 31 Jan 09

Hi Cubs

Hope you had fun learning some terms of ropework and tying a few special knots last Saturday.

If you need to refer to them again, here are the pictures:

You can also click on the underlined words below to link to websites for more information on ropework:

Knotting for Scouts

This is a small book you can ask your parents to print for you, and you can bring it along to scouts meetings.

Animated Knots by Grog

Happy Knotting!

Recruitment of New Cubs!

Hi Cubs!

It's the time of the year again when we recruit new members into our Scout Unit. 

Please share with all your classmates how much you enjoy scouting and all the wonderful things you have learnt.  You can tell them to read about all the exciting past events we had in this blog.  

Your friends can print the application form in this link (form)  and submit the completed form when they come for the scout meeting on Saturday.  For Primary 1 and 2 friends, their parents would have to help in the scouting activities, otherwise they have to wait till they are in Primary 3, 4 or 5 to join. Please ask your friends to quickly sign up, as we will be organising the campfire and investiture of new cubs in early March.  

We have planned many more exciting programs for all of you this year, so encourage your friends to join scouting.

See you at the next meeting on Saturday!

WELCOME BACK!

Hi all cubs!

It was great to see all of you again! Some of you have grown much taller over the last 2 months! 

We warmly welcome our 5 new members - Joy, Fitri, Royston, Keqing, and Aria. We hope you enjoyed your first cub scout meeting.  

Looks like all of you had fun playing Fireman's Lift

Justin and Austen giving Samuel a lift

Arrgh! Jin, you are heavy! 

Arina and Jasmine with their passenger Joy

Here's a clip of the fun with Fireman's Lift:

and had fun singing :-

Flea Fly Mosquito

Shark Attack!

and Hakka Cheer

for lyrics of Hakka Cheer - click here

Next meeting, we will learn more songs and scouting skills.

See You on 31 Jan 09

Enjoy your Chinese New Year Holidays!

Congratulations to our award winners!

At the Gongshang Primary 22nd Annual Awards Presentation on 16th January 2009, a number of our cub scouts received awards.  We are so proud of them!

Congratulations to our cubs on their achievements. 

They are :

Roscoe Lim Yi Cheng 

- P5 Top 10% in Academic Performance (3rd place)

Samuel Cheong Han Wei 

- P5 Top 10% in Academic Performance

Justin Wong Jia Qing 

- Eagles Award for Scouts (Service)

Darren Goh Jing Hao 

- Eagles Award for Scouts (Achievement)

Foo Tun Shien 

- Eagles Award for Scouts (Achievement)

Nur E'zzati Bte Razni 

-Eagles Award for Scouts (Leadership)

Arina Rashid 

- Eagles Award for Scouts (Leadership)

Daryl Yeo Rui Jie 

- P6 Top 10% in Academic Performance

- Eagles Award for Scouts (Leadership)

- Eagles Award for Prefectorial Board (Leadership)

Well Done! 

Valedictorian Speech at Akela Award 2008

By Daryl Yeo

Good evening, Guest of Honour Mr Lee, Commissioners, Leaders, Teachers, Parents and fellow cubs. 

I am honoured to represent my brother cubs present here. We are very proud to receive this prestigious award and yet humbled because of what all this award represents in the scout movement.

Scouting is the only CCA that allows us to develop life skills like working as a group, build our confidence and at the same time instill in us a caring nature and love for our country, respect and care for others as well as groom us to be a responsible leader.

For this we must thank our leaders, school and parents for the support, encouragement, dedication and commitment that saw us through the years of scouting. Please give them a round of applause.

I joined scouts together with my parents because at Gongshang, priority is given to students whose parents are willing to play a part in scouting. This is a novel way to select and recruit cub scouts and at the same time get help to run the unit. I am a beneficiary of a unit run entirely by selfless parents. Thank you Auntie Kat for being so creative and our parent volunteers for the great sacrifice of your time, often forgoing sleep to plan meaningful scouting activities.

My four years of scouting have been very exciting, fun, fruitful and fulfilling.  I participated in international, national and unit programmes organized by the Scout headquarters, Scout units, and other Cub Scout Units.  Such activities like the Cub Scout Goodwill Camporee in Perth, Flamboree, National Exploration Challenge, National Pioneering Competition, Camp Seeonee, Sixer Training Camp, Cameron Highlands Conservation Project, Pulau Ubin Hike and St John’s Home Visit and many more has left a deep impact in my life and I will treasure the experience and wonderful memories.

My parents and me (left) with GS parent volunteers and fellow scouts at Cameron Highlands

Through scouting activities, I have discovered and developed my leadership skills as well as my confidence.  It has helped me to be more courageous (especially now when I am standing right here delivering this speech) and to be brave in all difficulties, to overcome fears or at least manage my fear of heights.  I also learned to help the younger, weaker and less fortunate ones.  Scouting has indeed made and shaped me to what I am today. I am sure it has likewise shaped you too, my brother cubs.

I hope all the cub scouts who are present here today will continue to join scouts in secondary school and encourage friends to do so.  However, if you are unable, remember that “once you are a scout, forever you are a scout”. 

I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage the scout leaders, teachers, parent volunteers and parents from all over Singapore to spur young scouts on so that 1 day, they would come up here to receive the Akela award!  I am sure my fellow Akela recipients will agree with me that this sense of achievement is so good.

To all Akela award winners, continue to enjoy scouting for life! For it will be one that you will reflect on and remember forever.    

THANK YOU!

Reflections

By Eng Xu En (Pri 2)

In March, we went to the Singapore River. I learnt about the history of Singapore.  We took a boat ride along the river. I saw bridges built 100 years ago.

In May, I wanted to attend the campfire but I was sick. I had high fever.  I was so upset because I missed it.

In August, we had Camp Seeone at school. This was my first time building a tent.  We took our 3 meals there. We also bathed and slept there. On the first night, we went for a night walk in the forest next to Sun Plaza Park. It was dark. I was a bit scared. I was so happy to see the light again when we finished the walk.

In September, we went to Catholic High for the National Cub Scout Challenge. I took part in the Roman Cannon Ball and 3-2-1 flagpole. I was very excited and panicky at the same time. I learnt to cooperate with my team members. Gongshange Scouts won 2nd place in overall competition!

After exam, we went back for scout meeting. We went around neighbourhood to pick up litter. Everybody must keep the environment clean.

I enjoy scouting very much.  I will encourage my classmates to join scouts.

Reflections

By Nur Ezzati (Pri 5)

Scouting is very fun! Especially when we have interesting events.  Like the day when we went for the 10km hike. We learnt how to cooperate and work as a team. The other interesting  event is our sixer camp. To become a sixer (leader), we had to go through a sixer training camp! 

Other than camps an hikes, we also had an expedition when we went to East Coast Park to cycle and to obtain our cycling proficiency badge.  It was quite a difficult challenge as it was my first time riding a two wheel bicycle.  But I remembered one of the Scout Law "A scout has courage in all difficulties" and kept on trying until I could ride! Now, when you see me cycle, you may think that I am a "pro" but all it took was to try hard.  Everyone has to work hard to achieve their goal. So remember scouts, when you are stuck in a difficult challenge, all you need to do is just remember the scout promise and law.

But the most interesting, challenging and fun activity was the interview for the Akela Award.  It was very stressful to remember to smile and relax when I was very anxious,  But I faced my fears and tried my best and with all the hard work and dedication, achieved my goal and got the  Akela Award!

 

I will always remember my scout leaders, like Uncle Andrew, Aunty Katherine, Uncle Dicky and Uncle Kenneth as they taught me lots of things that will help me in the future.

Reflections

By Bryan Ng (Pri 4)

I have done many things this year. I have done things like hiking along Singapore River, attending Camp Seeonee and campfires and participating in Cub Scout Challenge. During Camp Seeonee, I learnt many new things and overcome my fear of heights. As for the Cub Scout Challenge, I participated in the speed knot and obstacle relay. I achieved Bronze in both events. 

I joined scouts because of the camps.  I love going to camps because camping is fun. Scouting is fun as I can do many things, learning knotting and playing games that I have never played before. 

I have a few proficiency badges, a campfire badge, a silver bumble bee and assistant sixer badges.  But my logbook needs to be better. I am also trying to work hard for my gold arrow badge. My goal is to achieve the Akela award. 

Reflections

By Charmaine Tan (Pri 3)
The year has passed so fast! It has indeed been a fun and interesting year. My leader (sixer) is Justin. I am sure that my scout trainers have worked hard to take care of so many cub scouts.  I really appreciate their hardwork and planning so that we have enjoyable activities.

I will always remember Toby, who came all the way from Germany to come and visit us.  I also like Aunty Katherine who is patient and kind with us.  Without her, scouts would not be fun. I also like all my instructors who take turns to teach and help us.

I reflected on all the activities and I like the hike at Singapore River as it was very fun and exciting. I will always remember it. Next is Camp Seeonee. Although it was hot and stuffy in the tent, I enjoyed the sleeping part the most.  I also learnt how to read a map, use a compass, how to take a photograph and how to ride a bicycle.  I also went to a campfire at Singapore Polytechnic. I also enjoyed Job Week and selling donation tickets.  I learnt how to set up a business and earn money! Last but not least, we had Community Day where we had to pick up rubbish.  People dirty the environment so we have to save the environment.

I had a fulfilling year and I look forward to the next year of scouting activities.

Reflections

by Justin Wong (Pri 5)

I know that scouting is a right choice I have made for myself.  Last time, I used to be a very shy boy but now I am no longer shy.

The most favourite activity is the pioneering competition as it was my first time making a 3-2-1 flagpole and  Roman cannonball. I also remember the 10km hike at Clark Quay. It was most tiring and i think i lost some weight from it :)

I also learnt lots of skills during the camp at our school. I learnt how to fix the bicycle, how to use a camera and how to pitch a tent. I felt that doing my log book is very important.

This year I wish that I will get Eagles award as I had worked very hard and my attendance is 100% ! I also wish to achieve Akela Award next year.  

Gongshang is very lucky to have dedicated parents to lead the scout group. I am very proud that our scouts unit has achieved Gold for the Frank Cooper Sands award for 3 consecutive years! Well Done !

I would like to ask P3 pupils to join scouts as scouting is a wonderful activity and one can learn many good skills.

Reflections

by Arina Rashid (Pri 5)

This year has been an exciting and interesting year of scouting for me.  In the beginning of the year, some other girls in Gongshang actually took up the challenge to join scouting. I was so pleased to see more girls in our activities. 

I had many chances to bring out the leader in me. For instance, at Camp Seeone 5, my teammates were all new comers and did not have a clue what a camp was like.  So I was like their big sister and guided them how to make a tent and enjoy the camp. 

Another event that I enjoyed very much was the Cub Scout Challenge.  I took part in the Roman cannonball and 3-2-1 Flagpole.  We had to race against the clock and we finally attained silver for both events.  Overall Gongshang obtained 2nd placing which made Aunty Kat and all the scout leaders very happy. I in particular was relieved as I would be ashamed to meet the adults if we did not achieve 1st to 3rd place. We would be wasting their time and efforts and letting all the cubs down.  During the year, I also learnt many skills like map reading, first aid, cooking and knotting. 

Now looking back when I first started scouting, I never expected to be what I am today.  This year, I have already attained my Akela Award (with Honours) which I could not actually believe.  I encourage all pupils to join scouting as you can learn to be more courageous and learn many skills which you don't learn in the classroom. Scouting also teaches you to be thankful for what you have.  

And Remember, Once a scout, Always a scout.