Venture Challenge Course 2019

 This was honestly the most challenging camp I have ever attended. It is no surprise that the term "challenge" is in the title of the camp itself. There are s many learning points from this camp itself that i really do not know where to begin! To give an overall introduction to this post, i will say that i struggled throughout. all three days and was fighting to push myself every step of the way. 

Day 1: 

The day started with us falling in at terror sea scout campsite. All the other candidates were prepared and ready to take on all the challenges the camp had to offer. No one talked much but fear was in the air. For all of us, this was the final and major hurdle that we had to cross in order to pass all our components for the PSA. We started off with the BWM. i was very surprised at myself in this component, as I managed to completely cook all the ingredients that were given to me. I had never managed to cook rice perfectly every-time i was given it. However i placed the rice into the coconut that was provided and managed to cook it well. I wrapped the fish in the banana leaf and placed it in the soil. The vegetables were roasted and cooked till crisp. Next came the SnF component. I managed to pass all the SnF components. All the notes that I had studied came in useful. The hours of practice of the various knots came in handy. My morale was high and this gave me confidence that I could possibly pass the camp.

Then came the trouble. As time passed, We built our Basha. I had to do it twice as my shelter failed the first time. The second time they said that i would be given 5mins and if i failed again, i would have to leave the campsite. I tried again and was successful this time round. This taught me that anything could happen in this camp and that i should be prepare to fail and manage my expectations. Moreover, it started raining on that night itself. The rain was strong and powerful. We all were completely wet. 

On the first day, the thing that could have been improved were my scouting skills. I realised that my skills were not up to standard and that i needed to train more. I could have managed my time better as well and slept a little longer to prepare for the next day. 

Day2:

The next day my products/ the fruits of my labour were ready for inspection. I proudly displayed the fork that i had carved in the night. It managed to pierce and pick up the banana. I also managed to separate sand and salt, made a wallet out of banana leaves and duck tape. I used the metal coil to make a clothes line and made a tea-light candle holder that was portable. I was thankful for being physically fit the next day despite the heavy rain. The highlight of the day had to be being able to win the special task. I had to write the scout law with natural materials. I burned a twig with a sharp end and wrote with it on a piece of paper. I also made new friends in the camp, Their presence lightened the mood and made me happy.

The inspection period was disastrous for me. I was stressed as my products managed to fail. My mallet could not knock in the second nail as the handle was too long. I had to break it in order for it to work. On day 2, i could not complete certain tasks because I ran out of time. I was confused and disoriented. The effects of sleep deprivation started to kick in.

I could have improved in the sense that i should have done my products once and well. I should have kept my morale high as well and pushed myself till the end. I was scared to fail. This fear was difficult to manage as my surroundings further scared me.

Day 3: The last day came. I was positive that I could make it till the end of the camp. I was on track to getting 60% of the points through the tasks. We managed to avoid the hike due to heavy rain and cat 1. I also managed to observe things around me better. 3 edible sources of food, natural materials for gadgets etc.

Things that did not go as planned was the egg incident. I was given an egg by another scout in order to pass the component. However upon the collection of my results i found out that i did not collude and this was spared. Moreover, i developed foot rot from the water in my boots. This made it difficult for me to even walk around. We were down from 13 people to 7 people. All the others had left the assessment due to various reasons. 

I could have improved my overall attitude to the camp. I could have been more prepared and avoided getting foot rot. I could also have avoided my mistakes by practising more.

At the end of the day i managed to pass VCC and came out tougher and more resilient. I asked myself: "IS all of this even worth it?" The answer is yes! I am happy to have learnt all of this. The PSA is an attitude. This saying proved to be true, as at the end of the day no matter how prepared you are, the attitude you portray in the face of difficulty, defines you the best.

Pioneer Award reflections

 The pioneer award definitely was the most demanding tier to complete. However it was also the most rewarding tier to accomplish. VCC, VSSP, 60KM Hike. all these taught me many valuable lessons, most importantly i would like to talk about project Orion. The project was the most unique experience. Hence i would be focusing my reflections for this award on Orion x

Project Orion has been a very fruitful overall. If there is one camp that I would say that had an equal amount of learning and fun, this would be it. Having grown up in Singapore and an Urban environment, it was different to experience the kampong lifestyle with very little modern innovations and urbanisation. Our primary mode of transport around the kampong was on bicycles! We had to pedal hard every slope we climbed and endure the fatigue of the legs. This project also brought us back to the early days before any form of internet or electronic devices. 

Initially We couldn’t use our phones in areas without wifi of internet services. This really was an issue for some as they were very dependent on their smartphones for entertainment purposes. The initial days were hard as we couldn’t help but look at our phones, however as we took part in the activities and games, we realised that there is more to life than just games and virtual reality or social media. The simple lifestyles that the villagers at the kampong led made me feel that you can find happiness anywhere, even in a simplistic lifestyle.

I definitely took away a lot of skills from this project, a few being skills on turtle conservation, the steps to patrol a beach and sight turtles or even excavate the turtle nests. These skills though not very useful in Singapore, helps me to better understand how the rangers in Malaysia help to conserve the turtles

Apart from skills used for turtle conservation, I also learned new cultural skills such as kite making, banana chips making and keropok leaker making. These skills can be applied more in Singapore as the kite making can be an activity that I can now conduct in my unit with my juniors, as it involves a lot of knots and lashings. The cultural experience I gained from the village also played an important role in my character development. One such example will be what I observed at the Raya festival, where everyone no matter who they were, as long as they were a local in the village, they were invited to the feast at Kak Ta’s house. This culture is truly amazing and remarkable. 

Learning more about myself as a person was something I look back at and feel proud to see how much I have grown as a person. Initially I felt that I was going to be awkward with the team members as I am a very extroverted person, while many of them were introverted. This really scared me as I was hoping that everything went smoothly between all of us and there will not be any  fights. Thankfully I was able to communicate well with my group mates and even win their trust. Till today we still meet for gatherings and are very good friends.

Secondly I matured through this trip. I learnt how to accommodate to the needs of others. When we went on this trip there were many other participants. Ranging from the young to the old! It was important that I adjust to the needs of others and not always put me infant of others. Though it was hard at first through the guidance of Mentor Si Jie I understood that it is important to always be aware of my surroundings and look out for the need of others. For example when a group member was interested to go for beach patrolling on a specific day, I would let them have the slot instead of me only wanting to go on that days night beach patrol. 

In a nutshell I spent my June holidays wisely this year by choosing to attend this project Orion trip. I was initially skeptical about this long project as I feared that I will not be able to cope with my studies and that being in a junior college I might possibly retain. However I managed my time well and was able to promote in JC 1 and also have time to pursue my scouts interests.

I first learned about Project Orion When my seniors had attended the trip. I was moved by the stories they shared and was also inspired to impact the environment.I was really intrigued because the objectives of this project aligned closely with my beliefs. Noticing my interest, my friend informed me about an upcoming Scout of the World Discovery Workshop and urged me to attend. Through the completion of the Discovery Workshop, I learnt about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to tackle poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. Learning about how to tackle various world problems made me think about what scouts, and myself as a scout, can do to play our part in solving them. I made it a point to share these experiences

As a scout I felt that simply being in the movement was not good enough to help the environment, hence I decided to take action. Through the Discovery Workshop, I got to gain a more in-depth understanding of Project Orion. Si jie (Dreamcatcher) shared detailed information, such as its aims and goals, of the project and also included his own personal thoughts. I learnt that Project Orion is a yearly ongoing project and its main objective is to create awareness and conservation of marine turtles. In addition, there are also a series of construction projects that will promote and improve the development of the community living there. By enhancing the condition and facilities of the living community there, it will not only be beneficial for the residents in bettering their lives but may also bring about a positive impact on the turtles. This project in one word is simply “Perfect”. Perfect in helping the community, perfect in helping the turtles and perfect in help one grow. I hope that our efforts will be understood and the community can continue protecting the turtles even after we depart from the place.

Project Orion X (Community and recreational work)

 

During Project Orion, we spent most of our time doing community work! In fact 2/3 of a day usually consisted of community work such as construction. At first I was taken back as I didn’t expect is much construction in a project that aimed to conserve turtles. 

Even though I was puzzled and curious to why it was such, our mentor explained that in the 10 years of Project Orion, apart from conserving turtles, previous members contributed to the welfare of the entire village and they had slowly built multiple houses and facilities such as toilets for all the villagers in that village. I will explain my thought process after each session.

 On the 3rd day, the other members had breakfast at Kak Ta’s house, and soon after we met them to start community work. However due to communication problems, the logistics were not ready for us to begin community work, thus we had free time. Even though the first day that we were supposed to have community work didn’t go as planned, we remained hopeful looks forward to the next time. The following day, we cycled to Asiah Enggal’s house to start on our community work which was to build a front porch. We waited about 1 hour for the materials to arrive. When the materials arrived, we carried a tall pillar together as it was very heavy as well as working in pairs to shift the wooden beams. We found it a little frustrating as I had difficulties understanding and communicating with the local workers. While shifting the materials, I found out that many houses’ roofs were made from a material called as bestos. They are made from cement and the asbestos which is banned in many countries as it causes cancer with prolonged exposure to the dust of the material after it is cut, sawed or shaved. I learnt a lot  for example, the workers measured the flatness off the surface by hanging a thin long pipe onto the tree which has contact with the ground and added water to it. To know if the surface is balanced, both sides of the water level in the pipe have to be equal. We were asked to dig a hole that is made to fit the base of the pillar, which we didn’t know the dimensions of. We had to dig and add the soil back many times. After that, we all worked together to place the pillar in the hole by using a wooden plank as leverage which works as a pivot.

Next, we had to make a cement mixture which was new to me and I was eager to try it out. I learned the best way to mix the cement powder and soil by folding the mixture while adding water. This ensures that everything is mixed thoroughly. The mixture was poured to fill up the hole to make sure the pillar is sturdy.

The following day of community work, we went to work at Nor Hayati’s house. This time, we helped to build the roof frame of a new extension to the main house. Having experienced the construction of a porch roof yesterday, we were able to complete tasks. However upon completing all these tasks I started to feel if these villagers really need the extra space or construction. There were far worse houses that needed rebuilding and houses that needed toilets. I felt that we were fulfilling a want and not a need.Nevertheless we continued working on building.

It was very tiring to keep working and building these shelters. The sun was scorching hot and we were all not used to the intense weather and speed of work. Hence we were all easily drained. As we completed multiple houses we realised that we had to improve our efficiency by doing a chain system where we could pass the items in a chain to the workers such as Pak Awang to install them at great heights. We were allhighly in experienced at this hence we wanted to be of as much help as possible, resulting in the chain movement of items. The villagers were very friendly as they served us drinks and juice to keep us active and going in the heat. They also were very approachable and were easy to interact with and find out more about the village.

Another thing that did not make the construction work as smooth was the fact that we had to watch the experts do the difficult job most of the time. This required a lot of climbing and installations at great heights. Since this was someones house and we didn’t want to damage it, we left it to them. This resulted in a lot of eye power. Overall I learnt that it is important to improvise, adapt and overcome challenges. Like the workers who improvised the water levelling machine and  and adapted their tools such as the hammer to hold magnetic nails for ease of use and eventually overcome the challenge of exerting themselves in the sun.

On the last day of community work, we started out with our usual breakfast at Kak Ta’s house. Afterward, we went to continue our community project, which was building a front porch at Mek Kia’s house. By the time we arrived at Mek Kia’s house, the construction materials were already outside her house. However, we couldn’t find Pak Awang at the house, so we spent some time waiting. After Pak Awang came, all of us immediately got to work.

Firstly, all of us participated in making indications of where the pillar should be using strings and a tube filled with rose syrup, which was used as an indication of whether the level from the reference point is at the same level.

Next, we dug a hole that was waist deep under the strings for the pillar. However, after we erected the pillar, we encountered a problem and had to move the pillar out, make new indentations of the location of the pillar and re-dig the hole for that pillar.

We then next went on to making the frame of the roof, using wooden planks and went for lunch at Kak Ta’s house. .After lunch, we went back to Mek Kia’s house to continue with the community work. We moved the asbestos onto the roof frame we built and nailed it.

Afterwards, we went to the provision shop then back to our accommodation to rest, and ended the day with dinner. The entire process of construction was not easy. Just by doing a little, I learnt that the houses we live in, in HDB’s shouldn’t be taken for granted and that we must always appreciate those that spend all their effort and energy standing in the sun and toiling to build things.

Apart from community work we also did mangrove replanting with primary school kids! It was refreshing to do a different form of community activity. I really enjoyed the activity of replanting the mangroves as well as teaching the kids there about the importance of mangrove replanting and hows we as Orion members are able to impact the community and the environment at the same time. Personally I learnt a lot about mangroves and their habitat. The place where we were supposed to replant the mangroves already had previously planted mangroves from prior projects. The waters were very shallow and the environment resembled a swamp. The mangrove saplings were very small and needed a lot of care before they could be replanted. 

I also learnt that the mangroves were native to the wetlands of Setiu. Hence by replanting them, we are helping the environment on land and not only the marine life in the sea. I can recall that on the morning of Day 5, everyone had to get up early in the morning to cycle to the mangroves for our joint mangrove replanting activity with 2 primary schools. Together with the students, we waded into the waters to plant our saplings. We interacted with the kids and found out that they knew about our project and even respected that we are helping their environment. After their mangrove replanting experience, their principal addressed them about us and our aims. They also congratulated us on 10 years of project Orion. Following this, they all proceeded to  carry out the next activity which was area clean-up.

Next, Everyone joined in to clear the area of trash and organic material such as coconut husks. It was heartening to see the students enjoy themselves while engaging in the activities. While this activity may not have had a major lasting impact on the mangroves, the students were able to learn about the importance of mangrove conservation and environmental responsibility, which is likely to have a larger impact in the future. The whole place was properly cleaned and looked amazing after both schools decided to clean them together. I only facilitated that kids and ensure that they did not pick up and dangerous things like glass bottles from the ground.  After the clean up all the kids were tired and exhausted from all the activities. Yet the smiled and cheered while taking the group photo with us and when leaving in the van from the place.

Project Orion X (Beach Patrolling)

Personally my favourite experience of the entire project has to be beach patrolling. One can truly get a sense of the aims of project Orion by simply participating in one night patrol. Before even arriving at Terengganu we were told about the aims of this project. Even then we were not able to fully understand and visualise our part as turtle conservationists. However as soon as I set foot on that beach at midnight I felt a connection with nature. It was then and there that I was truly aware of the importance of my role in this amazing project. This experience also taught me a very important lesson. After seeing the turtles laying their eggs in real time, I was amazed at how vulnerable these creatures are in our eco-system.

The first actual beach patrol started off on the third day. We set off with a biologist named Hakim to the beach Telaga Papan. It was a long drive there and we were all very tired, yet we were determined and excited to see a turtle. I was very excited and eager to spot a turtle nesting, but since this was our first beach patrol of the trip, I managed my expectations and focused on the cause rather than simply treating this as a wildlife safari expedition. Surprisingly we were blessed with good weather and luck. 

As soon as we set foot on the beach and walked a few steps with Hakim, he received a phone call and immediately told us that a ranger had found a mother turtle and that she was currently laying eggs. We immediately rushed over and caught the rare sight of the rangers tagging the massive 90 cm green turtle. Everything happened so fats that I couldn’t even keep up. Soon after the turtle laid and buried the eggs, it swam away, despite us having to wait for about 1 hour and having slept on the beach the rangers immediately got to work and started to search for the eggs that the turtle had buried. It took nearly an hour for them to find the eggs, as the turtle had laid its eggs in loose sand, making it hard for them to shove their stick into the ground and feel the difference in the looseness of the sand. After finding the eggs we were surprised to see that only 37 eggs had been laid. Usually, a turtle of that size would lay more eggs, even up to 250 eggs.Nevertheless I was very thankful to even get to see the whole process on our first patrol. 

Subsequently we collected the eggs in a bucket and continued to walk along the beach for further sightings, and to our surprise, we spotted another mother turtle, this time the turtle was much smaller and had already laid its eggs by the time we reached that part of the beach, the turtle had left. This was followed by returning to the hatchery to bury the eggs in a more controlled and conducive environment. Eventually, we returned to our beach house at 2 am to sleep. The overall experience was extremely exciting and heartening, knowing that we can help conserve these turtles and prevent them from going extinct.

We had another chance to patrol the beach for nesting turtles during the night of Day 4. We were extremely lucky to encounter 5 turtles during our patrol, with 3 laying eggs in nests along the beach. In total, we collected 286 turtles eggs and transported them back to the hatchery, where they will be kept safe from predators and maintained at a cool temperature. This is so that the turtles would hatch with an even distribution of genders, as hatching in hot weather would yield almost exclusively female turtles.

Our group had to ensure that the eggs weren’t being rotated during the transfer from the nest to the bucket, and later from the bucket to the hatchery nest. We were told that this is so that the turtle embryos are not disrupted within the egg. We also learnt about the issues that arise when barnacles grow on the flippers or shell on the turtle and as a result the need to remove them from the turtle before it returns to the water.

The reason why I loved the project so much may simply be because as turtle conservationists we get to experience all of the ground work and also see how our actions make a difference and impacts the environment. 

This idea is in line with doing the nest excavation and hatchling release after experiencing beach patrolling. If we had only done beach patrolling and not experience the nest excavation and hatchling release, the process wouldn’t have been as impactful. I was personally moved after seeing the hatchlings crawl out of the sand while we were excavating their nests. Seeing the whole life cycle of the turtles was extremely fascinating! 

Starting with the mother turtles swimming up to the shore to lay eggs and painstakingly locating the eggs at midnight when the moon is at its brightest and then collecting them in large buckets to be buried at the hatcheries. After the turtles hatch we excavate their nests and finally release the hatchlings into the sea. Many Orion batches later, the hatchlings we released will eventually return to the same shore due to embedding to lay more eggs. Having realised this at this point, I understood how gifted I was To be able to participate in this.

 Our first nest excavation session was very shocking as it was coincidental that there were hatchlings that needed rescuing. We had the opportunity to excavate a total of 4 nests and manage to “rescue” a total of 6 hatchlings. The purpose of doing excavation is to reduce the chances of  the turtles not being born and maximise the hatch rate of all the eggs. When turtles lay eggs on the shore, there is a chance of the weather conditions not being conducive for the turtles to hatch. Factors such as temperature, light and external factors can disrupt this process.

 By relocating the eggs to a new nest we can prevent poachers from stealing them and also keep the eggs in a cooler place. In fact we learnt from the ranger at the beach that hot weathers cause more female turtles to be born, and this is not a good thing as having an equal number male and female turtles is very important. The hatchery is also more effective as it prevents predators such as crabs and birds from feeding on the eggs. Even though this process is highly time-consuming it is better as we can ensure more turtles being hatched and in the long-run . Thats the success story of Project Orion! 

After all the excavating, on the second last day of the trip, we had to say goodbye to our little friends and release them into the sea. As we were all unexperienced and unclear about the whole process, Our mentor Si Jie (Dreamcatcher) explained to us that we had to release the turtles when the sun had set and when there was little daylight left in the sky. 

The next rule was that we had to release the turtles about 5 meters from the shoreline so that the turtles could crawl their way back into the sea. This process was known as embedding. When the turtle crawls towards the sea and recognises the shore, studies have shown that the turtles will return to the same shore when it is ready to lay eggs, hence our mentor was very strict in ensuring this process occured and that  every step was taken in ensuring that the turtles are released carefully. wWatching the turtles crawl towards the sea was the most rewarding experience one can get in this project. After patrolling excavating and collecting them, to finally see them swim into the Ocean is a reward for turtle conservationist, knowing that they can rest well having tried their best to ensure the continuity and survival of the turtle. 

Venture Scout exploration (PEA HIKE)

The Venture Scout exploration hike was a physically and mentally demanding component to clear. I was extremely nervous about this particular component. Many have started the PSA journey with high spirits but end up failing the hike or VCC component. My seniors had warned me saying that one must be prepared to fail the hike and try again. Since i had a tight schedule, i was fearful of failing and having to prepare for the hike again was a nightmare. To avoid this, i made sure that my navigational skills and map reading was reliable. I went on practice hikes, conducted by my my leaders. 

In this mock hike my friend Bryan and I had toreport in school on a Saturday and buy rations for the hike. I purchased some sardine and cracker cans, jubes and soya milk. We set off from St Gabriel's secondary school at 8 am and reached our final checkpoint, vivo city, at 8pm. I learnt much from that practice hike- what and how to pack. The pace to maintain, the types of items that i can and cannot bring.

After that i had to complete the hike theory component. The assistant examiner had said that we had to report at Tampines hub to do the test. The test required us to think on our feet and also memorise knowledge-related to the hike. Questions included types of compasses, 6 digit grid reference location and mapping. After that we had to go out on a 1km radius and sketch the location. Afterwards we submitted our sketch and left. 

Then came the actual 60km hike. The previous night, i could not sleep! I was so anxious about the journey ahead the next day that I stressed myself out. The next morning I took my items and met the examiners at west coast park Mc Donalds. We were first tested on first-aid. I was told that my friend and I went on a hike and he broke his shoulders. Then I immediately immobilised his shoulders and tied an elevated arm sling. Upon the inspection, the examiner approved it and gave me the green light. my first checkpoint was the Jacob Balas garden at botanical gardens. We walked there from west coast park, taking into consideration the route in which we walked in and then looking out for social, economic, and environmental factors at the checkpoint itself. From there my companion Bobby and I walked to machrithce reservoir where we had to locate a pavilion. There were so many pavilions there that the MGR had to be accurate and we had to do triangulation to pin-point the exact location. After that we headed to our next checkpoint of the day which was a swimming pool. THE sky was dark and thus we headed to our next destination, to locate a board at chai chee. Th is was the most difficult checkpoint as the board was extremely small and almost impossible to locate. I prayed hard and was happy to find the board. After that, we went to our restpoint east coast park campsite D. I was exhausted upon reaching the end point. The next day, we had to plan our own route. I routed the points and put our last checkpoint at Matilda house. The Matilda house was a place of historic significance and required me to walk up and down its boundaries to draw the checkpoint map. 

At last we reached our endpoint! Waterway point was in sight and we were all elated to finally see the Place in which we could finally rest. I was very thankful for both my companions. Firstly Joshua even though was tired and not feeling well, managed to reach the endpoint on the first day. And the Donavon, had an exam the next day. Yet he came in and substituted Bobby. Overall i submitted my sketchbook and post hike report. I was happy that i put in my best effort and managed to get 71%. I reflected on my journey and was proud of myself and thankful to all my leaders and companions. The next task awaits...

Venture Crossover 2019

 It was finally our turn to crossover. My batch mates and i were anxious and scared about the uncertainty ahead. For most of us, scouting was initially just a CCA. However, with the crossover came commitment and a promise to continue scouting no matter the circumstances. I was very happy to see my other batch-mates crossover with me, as it meant that i wouldn't be alone in this endeavour to strengthen the unit as well as help me grow as a person. Moreover, alumni is very important for every unit. With a stronger alumni, a better standard can be enforced. The more seniors we have that can come down also means that we can pass down skills and knowledge to improve the overall quality of the activities. 

Scouting never ends and will never leave my mind. I will always contribute back to the association as it played a big role in shaping me. Now it is my turn to give others the opportunity to similarly improve themselves. Here's to many more experiences.

Trekker Award reflections

 The trekker award marked another milestone in my Venturing journey. Step by step we slowly attain higher standards in scouting and continue to push ourselves. My favourite component in this journey has to be the GPS exploration. In order to embark on the 60km hike one had to have attended and successfully passed the GPS course. The course was split into 2 parts the theory phase as well as the practical component. 

In the theory phase, we were asked to meet at Chung Cheng Main. There we learnt about basic orienteering skills. Triangulation, 4-8 digit grid reference and even the different ways to navigate using different compasses. We were given the garmin satellite gps's and asked to navigate around the boundaries of the campus. I even learnt that different satellites existed for the GPS to connect to. Different satellites were owned by different countries and thus worked differently. After phase, we then moved on to go to Zheng Hua nature park where we were tasked to find different checkpoints. 

In phase2, we met near the park and practised the triangulation and other bearing related exercises. Then we split up into pairs and went to the park where we had to find a "giant hole in the ground". The hole was so big that we could fit a car inside. I was one of the first to successfully finish the activity. After that the instructor taught us how to look for trails in the ground. We found animal footprints. Wild boar, dog prints, cat prints and even otter paw prints. We learnt how the depth of the print also shows the type of animal it is.

Overall the trekker award was really eye opening as it required me to reflect a lot about myself and what I wanted to do in the future.