upcoming activities

Good news, boys! There's gonna be lots of activities ahead. Because we want to celebrate Scouting's 100th Anniversary in a big way! You are all encouraged to take part in as many of the activities listed below as possible:

1) Cub Scout Job Week Camp
(10th to 12th March, Saturday to Monday)
As you all know, registration is now closed. Boys who did not sign up will have to do Job Week on their own at home. For the 44 boys who are going, you will be split into 11 groups comprising 4 members each. A Senior Cub from either P5 or P6 will be appointed Group Leader and he will lead you as you go about on your Job Week rounds. The target amount to earn for each boy is $20. As you are going out in groups, the individual amount earned will be calculated through the average of your group's earnings. The Bumblebee badge will be awarded to those who achieved individual average earnings of more than $40.

2) Combined CCA Basic Footdrill Course
(14th March, Wednesday morning)
Conducted by Mr. Frankie Liew, who's in-charge of all the Uniformed Groups in our school. He will conduct this course for Cub Scouts, Brownies and Red Cross members. Those who did not attend his footdrill course during last year's Youth Development Camp are encouraged to attend but it is not compulsory. Full uniform required.

3) Outdoor Navigation Training
(15th March, Thursday afternoon to night)
In this basic navigaton training course, you will be exposed to various ways of wilderness navigation as well as emergency situation management. You will learn basic navigation using map, compass and sound and sight techniques. Rescue Signs & Signal (R.S.S.) will also be taught together with crisis management. Finally, there is Nocturnal Studies where you will learn how to navigate in darkness. Because I am hiring expert outdoors instructors to conduct this course, you will have to pay for the course. The cost is $45 per person but I will subside $20 either through school or our own Scout fund so you only need to pay $25. A certificate of attendance will be awarded to participants. This course will help you in completing the outdoor skills requirement in your arrow tests. P5 and P6 boys who wish to aim for Gold Arrow and Sixer rank are strongly encouraged to sign up.

4) Youth Development Camp 2007
(4th June to 6th June, Monday to Wednesday)
The highlight of the year for us! Confirmed there is a 2-night overnight stay! Some of the activities will be combined with the Brownies and Red Cross but we will have quite a fair bit of time for ourselves to conduct our own Scout activities. We will have our own Sub-Camp, tentatively codenamed "Medieval". The focus will be on Pioneering. We aim to build 2 opposing castles complete with flags, banners and catapults! Our old boys (the 06 Sixers) will be coming back to teach you. Daniel, last year's Number 1 and Senior Sixer, will be 2IC (Second-in-Charge) and help me run the Sub-Camp. We will sleep in tents on the field and there will finally be a real Campfire with real fire!

5) National Cub Scout Quiz
(31st March, Saturday)
This is a quiz competition for Cub Scouts to test their knowledge of Scouting and Scout history. It is organised by Raffles Institution's RI02 Scout Group to celebrate their 85th Anniversary. Each school can only send in a team consisting 3 members and 1 reserve. I am sending the P5 boys (Christian, Mervyn, Noel and Derrick) to take part in the preliminary round. If they make it to the Final Round in April, we will all go together to cheer and support them.

6) Sixer Training Camp
This is a combined District Camp involving Katong and Bedok Districts. Boys who attend STC will earn credit towards attaining their Gold award. Those who perform outstandingly will be nominated for the Akela award - the highest award for Cub Scouts. To win the Akela award, candidates will have to produce their Scout logbooks and record books and go through an interview with a panel of Scout Commissioners at Scout HQ. Winners of the Akela award will earn the Akela badge and a plaque. They can continue to wear the Akela badge on their Scout uniform in Secondary school. The date of STC is yet to be confirmed but should be in mid-June.

7) Bedok District Beach Bash
This is a District level activity at East Coast Park. The various Cub Scout, Scout and Venture units will come together at the Beach to compete and have fun. We will get to see our friends in the District, in particular Mr. Foo and his Chai Chee Sea Scouts. The date is to be confirmed but it should be in mid-April on a Saturday morning.

8) Overseas Cub Scout Exchange Trip to Perth (December)
For the first time, an overseas exchange trip will be organised for Cub Scouts. You will get to visit fellow Cub Scouts in Australia and learn from them. The cost will be about $800 but I will try my best to bring it down through school or unit fund subsidies. Places are extremely limited - only about 80 vacancies for all the Cub Scout units in Singapore. We will probably be allocated, at the most, 5 spots so only our best 5 Cub Scouts will go. Which means that from now onwards, you will have to work very hard to be the very best! Good luck!