Outdoor Scouting

Map & Compass

1) Use a Street Directory or Travel Map to plan a journey or a hike for your pack. Use a compass and one other method to find North in an outdoor environment.

a) Journey to Singapore’s Southern Islands (Kusu Island, St John’s Island/Lazarus Island):

– Take MRT to Marina South Pier station and buy a boat ticket from one of the ticket booths located outside the station.

– Take the boat and alight at the first island stop, Kusu Island.

– Visit the temple on the island and have picnic by the clear and serene beach! Kusu Island is a very small island that can be covered by foot within an hour. There is a very old temple taken care of by an elderly woman and her friendly dog. Other than them and some visitors, there are nobody else on this island during off-peak season. The beach is very clean and clear due to few visitors.

– Hop on the next boat to St John’s Island. This island is connected to Lazarus Island by a bridge. Lazarus Island has very fine and white sand. The sea is also very clear and bluish. There are people who park their yacht near the beach.

– Take the boat back to Marina South Pier and take the MRT back home to Punggol.

b) Finding North using compass:
To find north, pick up the compass and hold it level with the dial on top. The red end of the magnetic needle will point north.

c) Finding North using the shadow-stick method in the day:

1. Find a straight stick that is about 0.61m long.
2. Poke the stick in the soil
3. Put something on the end of the shadow of the straight stick
4. Wait for 20 minutes and see if the shadow moved. If it has, place another rock on the end of the shadow. If it has not moved, wait for another 15 minutes
5. Draw a straight line connecting the 2 rocks
6. Mark West on the first rock you put and East on the latest rock you have placed.
7. Stand in front of the rocks and place both foots on the East rock and on the West rock respectively.
8. The direction you are looking at is North.

Hiking

1) Make a list or infographic of the safety precautions to take when going for a hike outside of your school.

1. Make a gear list to be better prepared for the hike and not forgot to bring something. Must-haves include water, rain gear, compass and some food.
2. Bring a map and not solely rely on GPS in case of limited service or no battery.
3. Hike during the day and always try to turnaround before the sun sets.
4. Know the area. Research if there are poisonous plants, wild animals such as wild boars so that you know what to do when you face them.
5. Try not to hike alone.

2) Help your leader plan and carry out a hike and activity at a Park for your Six or Pack.

– Lower Peirce Trail: Basic Information: Distance of 900m with estimated average walking time of 45min to 1hr

1. Park the vehicle at Lower Peirce Reservoir carpark (point 1 in above map)
2. Explore the Lower Peirce Reservoir Park before going to point 2 in the above map, which is the start of the boardwalk into the forest.
3. Walk along the boardwalk and exit at the furthest exit at point 3 in the above map, at the Casuarina entrance.
4. Walk back to point 1 along the old Upper Thomson Road. Be greeted with wild monkeys and be careful not to disturb them!

Sports & Hobbies

1) Make a 5 min slideshow or show and tell presentation to tell your leader and six about one of the hobbies or sports you regularly engage in. Explain what inspired and led you to the hobby or sport and what you have done recently to improve or develop it.

2) Try a hobby or sport, which is new to you and write an explanation on how you plan to improve or develop it.

I am trying a new sports badminton. I plan to improve my skills by playing and practicing it more with my parents and brother. I will work on serving the shuttle cock better and controlling the force I used to hit the shuttle cock.

Helping Others

1) Home Safety

a) Make a list or infographic of how to prevent crime in the home.

1. Secure the door and windows. This is to stop burglars from entering the home. If they are faulty, they should be replaced.
2. Security cameras, alarm and dogs can also be used to deter burglars.
3. Do not hide spare keys under doormats or flowerpots.
4. Set up lights outside your home if not lit sufficiently.
5. Do not leave anything valuable visible in your home from outside.

b) Teach others about how to make an emergency call in a home emergency or when witnessing a crime in your neighborhood by making a poster, writing, and acting a skit or making up a game.

Looking After Myself

1) Good Food:

a) Make a list or infographic of at least two types of foods that are good for you and the dangers of poor diet.

1. Fruits and vegetables help us to maintain good health as they are low in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. They help us to lose weight and prevent weight gain. They can also help to decrease inflammation and lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables are also a great source of vitamins and minerals. Many of then contain phytochemicals which are biologically active substances that can help to protect against some diseases such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure and even cancer. For example, broccoli, cabbage, and watercress are linked to reduce cancer risks.
2. Fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and iodine, two nutrients which some people are deficient. Studies have shown that people who eat more fish tend to live longer and have lower risk of many illnesses such as heart disease, dementia, and depression. Examples include salmon and sardines.
3. Dangers of poor diet include both from weight gain and malnutrition through food scarcity. If there are not sufficient nutrients, people will be prone to growth defects too.

Science & Nature

1) Wildlife In Danger

a) Find out and display some information on the Pack notice board, your personal blog or Pack blog about the habitat and needs of an endangered species and how they can be protected. Include the URL of the specific display.

Orangutan means “person of the forest” in Malay language. They live in rainforests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia. They are easily recognized by their shaggy, orange-red fur. Orangutans spend most of their time in the treetops, and they move easily from tree to tree using their grasping hands and feet. During the day, they search for food. At night, they build a sleeping platform by weaving branches together. Adult orangutans are solitary, meaning they prefer to live on their own, but they sometimes meet up at fruit trees to feed. They feed on fruits, leaves, seeds, and insects. As they live in rainforests, they are threatened by the destruction of their habitat. Many forests are cleared for land development and trees chopped down for timber. They are also at risk of being hunted and baby orangutans are sold illegally as pets. We can help to preserve these species by refraining from clearing forestations unnecessarily. Strict laws should also be in place to punish illegal hunting.

Creativity

1) Acting

Contribute to and take part in a skit, mime, puppet show or any other theatrical stage performance.

2) Music

Take part in a performance by singing, playing a musical instrument, or dancing.

3) Taking photographs

Contribute a digital slideshow and make a 5min presentation about the photos OR make a video clip or short movie featuring your photographs and have it uploaded to YouTube, your personal or Pack blog. Include the URL of the specific video or movie.

My Community

1) Community Groups

Take part in a local activity or event organised by the CDC, RC, or any other group outside of Scouting.

I took part in the “SG75 LEADERSHIP WEBINAR” organised by Peoples Association, and we were tasked to create a bulletin board in the school’s indoor basketball court.

What Happened: We first started talking about places of Singapore and we were allowed to tell them the answer to the place they shown. After that, they invited Mr Ng Kai Yuan (director and co-founder of Our Grandfather’s Story YouTube Channel) who shared a video about….

1. Caring about seniors
2. Race blindness in Singaporeans
3. To Go Local
4. More information about what he shared will be available here

Mr Xie (Head of health redesign for Alexandria Hospital MP, and a member of a political party called the “People’s Action Party” at the time the webinar took place) is also invited.

He talked about one of his experiences where he went and visited some patients with special needs, be it brain disorders or mental disorders. They had lots of fun playing theatre games as those are the most active and easier activities to be explained and played. It was important for them to check up on these patients as these disorders are more ignored than it seems. Some may experience bullying and teasing from neurotypical people who have never been in their shoes (don’t have the same experience) before.

(More information about what he shared will be available here)

My Experience: The leadership training that we had attended taught me to appreciate the people around us, from the Hawkers that had shaped Singapore, to the dormitory workers who are building our buildings. Without them, we would not get yummy food and worldwide recognition, and we would not even have our school around, if not for the dormitory workers! It keeps being asked in my mind: Do they have to do that? Can’t the dormitory workers just return home and live a better life, not suffering from the extreme hot sun, and the Covid-19 cases that made them worried, day and night?

From this, like I said, I understand to appreciate people around us. Remember the day where Mr Joseph Schooling lost the Olympics? We must appreciate his effort and despite his family member having cancer, he persevered and continued to proceed to Japan, Tokyo! So, perhaps, what we should do is to take down a piece of paper and list down what is good about him, and don’t just sit there and expect him to get a gold medal once he comes home, when you can’t do that!

So, with that said, don’t criticize and just take a piece of paper and ✍️ down what is meant to be appreciated from the person. Congratulate and show kindness to that person!

Other Countries & Cultures

1) Other Cultures

Find out about the traditions, customs, practices, and religions of a culture other than your own.

1. The children of a Malay household are strictly bound by custom to look upon their parents with respect and total obedience. Following Islamic practices, Malays would attend Friday (Jumaat) prayers at a nearby mosque around noon.
2. The traditional Malay dressing is quite conservative as per the laws of Islam. The Malay formal dress for men is the Baju Melayu, a loose, long-sleeved shirt which is worn over a pair of trousers. A white cap known as Kopiah is worn while going to the mosque for prayers. A velvet cap called as Songkok is also worn along with the formal dress in leather shoes. Women, on the other hand, wear Baju Kurung, a loose tunic worn over a long skirt, which is usually made of batik, silk or sungkit material. A shawl known as Selendang is used to cover the head.
3. A Malay woman does not leave the house for forty days after the birth of her child. At the end of this period, a ceremony called Berchukor is conducted where the child’s head is shaved.
4. Traditionally Malay houses in the villages (kampung) are constructed of wood (timber) and palm-leaves (attap). It is built on a platform that is raised on stilts. This is done not only to protect the household from floods and the incursion of any wild animals or reptiles but also to keep the house cool during the hot tropical days. When a guest visits a home, the host greets them with the Arabic phrase Assalamualaikum which means “peace be upon you”.
5. During the festive celebration of Hari Raya, the Muslims undertake a month-long fasting known as Ramadan. The fasting begins with the sighting of the new moon and ends on the last night of the same moon. During that month the Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.
6. Malays always use the right hand while eating even when they use forks and spoons. In fact, all good things are done with the right hand including holding the holy book of Quran.
7. Malay weddings are a grand affair, the most important part of Malay wedding is the Bersanding where the couple is seated next to each other on a sofa called the Pelamin. This is a mark of approval and blessing. Loved ones and guests sprinkle the couple with scented water and yellow rice. The guests are given a Bunga Telur, an ornamented egg festooned with a flower, as a sign of fertility.

My Scout Promise

Write a diary entry and then share it with Akela about how you have tried to put your Scout Law into practice in your Scouting life, particularly in relation to how you have worked for your Bronze, Silver and Gold Arrow and Proficiency Badges.

I teach people how to do various things from:

1. Creating Websites
2. Editing YouTube Videos
3. Making a YouTube channel and uploading videos
4. I do everything whole-heartedly

I try my best to improve how we do things from:

1. Creating a website for scouts to allow teachers to check on me anytime, anywhere, without needing me to give him my scouts logbook
2. Blogging about different solutions, from scanning documents to doing work.

My Scout Family

1) Find out and write about how the patrol system works within a Scout Troop and how you can gain one of the Scout Progress badges.

The patrol system allows all the scouts to be trusted to carry out various responsibilities and allow them to have many chances to do things that cannot be get in other CCAs. It allows us to gain the First Aider Scouts Progress badge as with the trust of the scouts, the Akela will be able to allow the scouts to treat other scouts with injuries, learning how it feels to help someone.

2) Take part in a Group, District, Area or National activity which involves Scouts or Extension Scouts, then write about what you felt about and learn from the activity.

Thanks for viewing!