A very honest message from your Scoutmaster

Message to P6 boys
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Congrats to Daniel and Jerrell for scoring above 250 points for PSLE. For the other P6 boys, as long as you studied hard and did your best, you shouldn't be too sad if you didn't score what you or your parents expected. Remember that the most important thing for a Scout is to try his best! Work hard in Secondary School and do well in your O levels! I hope that as many of you will decide to continue in Scouting in Secondary School then you can come back to help us in hikes and camps!

Update on next year
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Girls will be allowed to join Scouts next year. As long as there are girls who want to join, we have to accept them. This decision was made by Scout HQ, MOE, Principal and HOD(PE/CCA). If it was up to me, only boys will be allowed in Scouts.

I will be teaching afternoon session (most probably P5) so I will still look after Derrick, Noel and gang. Ms Foo, Mr Tang and Mr Yee will be in morning session. Mr Yee is transferring to Robotics and Ms Foo may take over Red Cross because of shortage of teachers there. Their 3 Uniformed Groups may end up conducting meetings as a combined group! But don't worry for us - as long as I'm your Scoutmaster, we will always hold our activities separately from the Brownies and Red Cross!

Scout Meetings for P3 & P5 next year are scheduled for Friday mornings 8am-10am. But I foresee we will have fewer meetings because of P5 Supplementary classes, House Practices and whatever "extra" activities on Fridays. So I'm thinking of holding meetings on Saturday morning once a month. Instead of 2 hours, it will be 4 hours (8am-12pm) so we can have longer activities such as excursions and hikes. Daniel, Feng Yuan and the other Sixers will be invited to help. But I have to get Principal's permission on this. As long as she says no CCA on Saturday, then cannot.

It all sounds very depressing, right? The school doesn't give us the support and instead gives us a lot of restrictions. Might as well everyone quit then I can close down the unit!

But we must always remember that we are Scouts. We continue on and persevere no matter how unfairly we are treated. If the school says we cannot do something, I will think of alternative solutions. Daniel, Feng Yuan and Gerald know what I'm talking about. Shhh!

I have always tried my best to give all you boys a proper Scouting education. But some of you are, honestly speaking, spoilt brats and your silly actions are giving us a bad name. It is no wonder that the school doesn't treat us seriously. However, I don't believe in sacking Scouts. That is not the Scout way.

But what I can do is to restrict excursions, camps and hikes to only those boys who are loyal and good. And for goodness' sake, please don't accuse me for showing favouritism. That is such a lame excuse for your own shortcoming and failure.

In short, next year is going to be a tough year. So I need everyone to chip in and do his part so that we can win the Frank Cooper Sands Gold Award. Here are my targets for Derrick, Noel and gang.

- All to earn Silver Arrow Badge & Assistant Sixer rank
(before Founder's Day, 22 February 2007)
- All to take part in Job Week and earn at least $20 each (March 2007)
- All to attend Sixer Training Camp (Sarimbun Campsite, May 2007)
- All to attend Temasek Cub Scout Camp (June 2007)
- All to earn Gold Arrow Badge & Sixer rank (by end of 2007)

Then in 2008, when they to go to P6, they will work towards getting the Senior Sixer and Akela Award. I would like at least 3 Akela Award winners from our school.

Of course, all these are just plans. Anything can happen along the way. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and am posted to another CCA or another school? LOL!