By David Ammiel Wan On 24th August 2019, we participated in the annual South Area Games day, organised by Queenstown Secondary School. The games included Captain's Ball, Frisbee, Soccer and Minute to Win It. We reported to school at about 6:45 am, after having breakfast. When we reached Queenstown Secondary School, all the different scout troops were assembled in the canteen and the whole place was brimming with excitement. I was in the one of the three Frisbee Teams our troop sent. We were all ready with a calm confidence as we knew we had already won the battle before the war even began as our intense 2 weeks of training had prepared us well to put our troop at the top. We even made promises to dominate the competition so well that the final round would be Cat High versus Cat High. As for the other sports, they were slightly nervous, given that for many of them this was their first time playing the sport and they only had two weeks of training prior. At about 8:00am, the long-awaited event finally began. We all headed to our respective playing areas for our first match of the day. We started the day off strong with a classic Catholic High standard of a 7-0 victory, boosting our confidence. The other sports performed well despite the odds, strategising and adapting to the various circumstances they encountered, and in true Catholic High spirit, persevered and played on no matter what the odds seemed like. During the game, we were all cheering excitedly for our team, giving them moral support. There was even once when we had to fight an unfair battle, where our Secondary 3 Scouts were matched up against older Ventures from the other school. Yet, in the face of uneven odds, Catholic Scouts never waver. Victory was of course was ours and our SPL, Ni Ler, ran around the entire court twice with the troop flag. As for soccer and captain's ball, they played well and did their best, showing the true Catholic High scouting spirit of discipline and awareness. Given that they most of them did not have formal training and did not play the sport on a recreational basis, they had done well and they had put in good effort. All our teams displayed good sportsmanship and proceeded to shake the hands of the opposing team whether or not we had won or lost. Ultimately, our Frisbee teams won 1st, 2nd and 3rd as promised. Yet, even as we are happy to receive this honor, it is simply a title. The true value lies beyond this, where we were able to display the true Catholic High Scouting Spirit learning how to improvise, adapt and overcome challenges. Everyone put in their utmost effort, not giving up even when faced with unequal odds or great adversity, and spurring each other on throughout the whole event. We were beaming with pride when we went up to collect our prizes, earned through our scouting values such as Discipline and Awareness. We ended off the day with a strong troop cheer, putting the troop at the top.

By Siauw Yu Chuan Cooking is an art that showcases creativity; a skill that heightens one’s senses; a joy that brings people together. Rico and I were given a humble camping stove to create a Singapore Hawker Dish and a dessert for the Cooking Competition. At the competition, Rico presented his Chilli Krabby Fish with elevated soybean curd, attained the 1st place. I presented a Seafood Ramen and a Play on Coconut Dessert, attained 2nd place. Our dishes exceeded expectations and has set a new standard for scout stove cooking competition. The Cook Off was a fulfilling experience. We taught ourselves through many trials and errors and countless attempts to get a dish or a single element right. Do not be afraid to take risks and fail, be brave enough to materialize your ideas into reality. Being able to replicate local Singaporean dishes with precision and elevate the dishes was no easy feat. We decided to surpass the limitations of a humble camping stove using modern techniques for our dishes such as sugar crystallisation and gelatinisation. A good chef can create and innovate with the most basic equipment and ingredients, a good scout is able to adapt and conquer regardless of the circumstance he is in. "Recipes don’t work unless you use your heart!” Dylan Jones.

By Tan Jen Kai The survival kit is an essential companion to a scout everywhere he goes. As the name suggests, the survival kit contains items that will come in handy during a life-threatening situation and be the determining factor between life and death. Today, the ventures gathered to pack their survival kit as part of being prepared for the outdoors. When packing a survival kit, it has to be light and portable. The ventures went through each item and discussed about the roles of each item and evaluating its necessity. By doing so, we would cut down on non-essential items that would add weight to the kit. After sorting out our survival kit, we moved on to learning to create diversions from simple items, which in this case was a flint stone from lighters. After taking apart the metal casing and spark wheel on the lighter using pliers, one would carefully retrieve a spring and flint stone. Using the spring, he will then wrap the spring around the flint stone and heat the components until the flint stone turns glowing red. By throwing the spring and flint stone on the ground, the flint stone will disintegrate and produce sparks that act as a distraction. The purpose of knowing these techniques is because as scouts we must be prepared for any circumstance, and it may come in handy when dealing with animals in the wild with creating snares and trapping using the survival kit and escaping with diversions using the simple lighter.

By Siauw Yu Chuan Baden Powell mentioned in his speech during the 1st World Scout Jamboree in 1920, “through the world wide spirit of the Scout brotherhood, so that we may help to develop peace and happiness in the world and goodwill among men.” To forge lasting friendships with scouts of other nationalities is the basis of establishing stability in scouting and the world. Taking part in the ASEAN Scouts Youth forum was a chance to make new friends with scouts from our neighbouring countries. It was an opportunity with our scouting friends to discuss issues pertaining to global sustainable development and getting to understand the importance of ASEAN in order to attain the world scouting vision of “Creating a Better World”. Scouting is a movement that has impacted many people around the world, across various political systems and ideologies. It was heartening to see that although we are unique in our own ways, but we still share the journey and joy of scouting and giving back to our country and community. Many new friends found, and fond memories forged. The most important take-away from this forum was the fact that we share the responsibility of achieving sustainability to ensure better environment for our future and our young ones. As scouts, we need to have the moral courage to take action and initiate change in our lives. During the forum, various speakers were invited to share their insights on world issues such as urban sustainability, inequality and diversity. We also took part in a service project to bring the elderly and the mentally disabled on an outing to Sentosa and Gardens by the Bay. Realising that everyone is not born equal, some may be privileged while others aren't. Inequality is inevitable, but it is how we manage these issues so that we can build an inclusive society for all. As stated in our scout promise, 'to do my duty to God and the Republic of Singapore, to help other people and to keep the scout law'. We have made the promise to serve the greater good when the scarf is placed around our necks when we started our journey as scouts. We may not be able to help everyone, but a good turn a day, a person at a time, making a difference for our future.

By Lucas Loh and Tan Jen Kai Since the founding of Catholic High Scout Group in 1948, masses of boys have had the opportunity to go through the training as a Catholic High Scout. This Scout Group has seen many enter as youthful boys and leave as men with wisdom, courage and benevolence as expressed in the troop motto, who continue to achieve excellence in their respective pursuits. The 70th Anniversary Campfire marks a special point in Catholic High Scout Group’s history as we celebrate 70 years since our founding. It is a momentous occasion for past and present scouts to not only reflect on the last 70 years of history, but to envision and look forth towards a brighter future for the scout troop. The event serves as a testament to the prosperity and competence of our troop, commemorating the legacy and success of our Alumni and current Scouts. In my capacity as Campfire Chairman, I played a critical role in orchestrating all the elements of the campfire together to ensure its smooth flow and success. Through my experience, I learnt how to tackle various challenges from the Campfire. Yet, this purpose was secondary to my main duty to the troop, that is to prepare and learn to serve as the next generation of Catholic High Scout Group Leaders to lead in the planning of the 90th Anniversary celebrations. As a Vice Venture-Chairman and Campfire Vice-Chairman, my duty was to oversee and execute this large-scale project while assisting my Chairman in leading the scouts and ventures throughout the phase of planning and leading up to the Campfire. To me, this Campfire is just the start of my journey as a Venture Vice-Chairman to continue building on the legacy of this Scout Group, and to achieve success over mediocrity. It may seem far-fetched to foresee the events 2 decades later, yet this is our duty to the troop just as our alumni Leaders today have come back to fulfill their 20-year promise. Such deliberate and long-term planning is encapsulated in our Venture motto, 深谋远虑, and this is how Catholic High Scout Group builds legacies and success that lasts.

By Lucas Loh Navigation is one of the most important skills in Scouting as it aids scouts in locating valuable resources and exploring new lands. It requires a strong sense of awareness of self and surrounding. Being aware of your surroundings allows you to identify important landmarks and various terrain features such as ridgelines and hills - all of which assist in tracking your position. Being aware of your self allows you to know your own limits and plan journeys accordingly. Astronavigation, specifically, refers to the use of celestial bodies such as stars for navigational purposes. It functions on the principle that stars are stationary relative to earth and they are located at fixed positions in the night sky. However, stars seem to move relative to our location on earth due to the rotation and orbital of earth around the sun. Because of this, the stars seem to move across the sky throughout the year, but their position will always be the same at a specific time in any year. Astronavigation in the scouting context is survivalistic in that it does not involve specialist tools such as sextants and protractors, which may not be readily available in a wild and outbound context. Before compasses and cartography, stars guided us around the world. In the modern world, its largest advantage is in mid-high latitude regions where the magnetic compasses are no longer accurate. In addition, astronavigation is arguably the best method for nocturnal equatorial navigation without a compass as it does not require set up of makeshift navigational apparatus and only relies on a scout’s eyes and brains. Notes for astronavigation in Singapore made by Catholic High Scouts Groups (Ventures Unit) are now available for download.

By Ryan Lim and Ian Chien Every winning team requires the support of many others. National Patrol Camp (NPC) is the pinnacle of all Scouting competitions, and for Catholic High Scout Group to sweep the competition and attain Best Patrol status required extensive trainings, planning and the eye for excellence. It took many months of hard work, blood, sweat, tears and a fighter spirit. Everyone in the troop played a part in preparing for NPC in one way or another. Ryan Lim, Venture Ryan Lim is the Chief QM in Catholic High Scouts Group. He plays a crucial role in supporting the wide array of logistics scouting demands, from knowing how to maintain and fix a kerosene lamp, to helping the troop procure various niche supplies that often don't even have a formal name. He helped to propel the troop forward by being ever-ready and always adapting and improvising to any situation that may arise. I was involved in NPC 2018 primarily as the Logistics Head. Supporting the team logistically meant commandeering a team of Scouts to provide for the competition team’s needs. NPC 2016 saw the addition of a “Recycling” theme. This posed a new challenge to the team logistically, as not only did the campsite needed to be of Gold standard, it has to be done so in an environmentally-friendly fashion. The Logistics team worked closely with the Leaders and Ventures designing the campsite to procure materials required. Constantly working on Saturdays, the Logistics team brought the designs alive using only recycled materials. Relying on experience, I would recommend various changes to the team’s assets to better equip. Even something as simple as ensuring rope of the right quality was used was crucial to the successful completion of pioneering structures. To ensure that design and functionality was at its peak, I worked very closely with the competition team to finalise the designs of the actual day structures. By the end of the preparation phase, the Logistics List had grown to a sizeable amount, and yet again it was up to us to find a suitable storage method to allow easy transport, neatness and accessibility. However, my job did not end at the preparation phase. During the moving days, I took charge of the troop and coordinated the smooth transfer. Logistics has always been a support role whose presence is not seen, but felt. It is our drive to put the troop above all, to bring back glory and honour that keeps us going. Ian Chien, Venture Ian is the Chief Secretary in Catholic High Scouts Group. However, his role often extends beyond his secretarial duties. With a caring and nurturing heart, Ian usually takes up the role of guiding and leading our scouts, being a patient and kind figure that is always willing to help scouts along the way. He is key to the troop's success as a persistent and reliable source of support for the troop and the scouts. As for me, I led the decorations team. Essentially, the impact of proper decoration played a paramount role in setting the ambience and mood for any event. I took the secondary one scouts and brainstormed with them various projects that we could embark on. NPCX had the goal of sustainable camping. This led to us starting the collection of empty drink bottles as well as bottle caps. During the following weeks, we had done up different decorations, such as utensil mats, streamers and bottle flowers. The end products of our labour, though impressive, wasn't the real takeaway from the weeks of preparations. It was the process of how these decorations were made that was all more commendable. How the secondary one scouts learnt on safety, being creative and being efficient was the ultimate goal which led to the decorations successfully being made on time, all the more enhancing the effect of our pioneering projects. On top of settling the decorations, we were also constantly improving on our pioneering structures and gadgets. The shoe rack was planned and pioneered by our leaders and a few of us ventures before we decided to teach them to the scouts. On top of that, we also did many revisions on other gadgets such as the clothes rack, as well as the layout design of the kitchen as the measurements has to be precise. In order to win a battle, we had to know our terrain firstly. As the previous NPC taught us that the Sarimbun grounds would be extremely muddy after rain showers, we made sure to prepare ahead this time by ordering plastic mats which would act as the flooring of the kitchen tent. We also had to know our own men and their capabilities. Through the many weeks of training and preparations, the scouts were trained extremely hard and everyone was pushed to their limits, ultimately leading to the success of the troop in winning NPCX. Troop above unit, unit above patrol, patrol above self. This is how a winning team must be supported.

By Siauw Yu Chuan “Here, then, is Scouting in a nutshell: … A purposeful game, but a game just the same, a game that develops character by practice, that trains for citizenship--through experience in the out-of-doors” A quote from Baden Powell “Aids to Scoutmastership”. "Scouting is a Game with a Purpose." Last Saturday, the scouts gathered for a day of games which put both their scouting skills and patrol spirit to the test. The scouts set out on a round Bishan treasure hunt, patrol challenges and ended off the day with our traditional 野战. A treasure hunt is a test of creativity and wittiness. Being street smart is an important characteristic of a scout. To not only be self-aware but also sensitive to our surroundings. A true test of one’s observation skills. Our patrol challenges include a set of 4 challenges ranging from commando crawl to sourgrape. A test of strength and unity of a patrol to overcome various obstacles and challenges. Lastly, our traditional 野战 ended the day with high spirits. There is a lesson to every game in scouting, in fact scouting itself is designed as a miniature game of life. To subconsciously teach youths many life skills at a young age that will prepare them for the many life challenges ahead. The boys must learn to play the game of scouting, a game that develops character, resilience and team spirit. But most importantly this game guides our scouts to understand themselves and their obstacle. 所谓，“知彼知己者，百战不殆；不知彼而知己，一胜一负；不知彼，不知己，每战必殆。” 上战场时，要了解自己的长处和短处，要注意敌人的思想和举动，这样才能战胜生活中的个个挑战。

By Siauw Yu Hern After our second fulfilling year in scouting we had had our last official Jihe. Today, our goal was to prepare all of our patrol equipment for the upcoming Scout Leadership Course. The day started off on a great note as our Junior Patrols had been disbanded and we finally got back our Animal Patrols as part of SLC. We were ecstatic, as we had long awaited to get back our animal patrols and function within our patrols again and not in our level patrols. In addition, our troop had officially opened its 8th patrol, Shark Patrol, reforming the original 8 patrols in our troop. Our animal patrols meant a lot to us as they held many joyous moments and memories we had during our Secondary 1 year that provided us the identity and pride we felt in our Animal Patrols. As Sec 2s, we also felt that this was good for the troop as the Secondary 1 would have more experience working in a patrol system and doing so would allow them more opportunities to work with us, seniors, and not solely with peers. However, getting used to the new patrol system was not as easy as we had imagined. Following the appointment of our new animal patrols, we were tasked with preparing all the equipment for our camp, including the ridge tent, pasha equipment, first aid kit etc. We found it difficult at the beginning to accomplish our given tasks for we were unsure with the capabilities of many of our patrol mates making the delegation of tasks tough. This resulted in many of us working very selfishly and a lack our sense of urgency as we were generally disorganised and unable to work as a team. Eventually, we realised this and many of us began to step up to lead the preparation. We knew that how well we prepared would determine how well of a life we would live in camp and hence we began to treasure our time. Besides that, many of us had hiccups adapting to the new patrol system as it divided us. Being in our newly formed patrols, we were too focused in getting our own equipment turning a blind eye on the true objective of getting the entire troop ready for camp. This caused every patrol to fend for itself, when in reality, this shouldn't have been the case. It was only after a shelling from the ventures did we see the bigger picture, to remember to place the troop before the patrol. This was when many of us stepped up to help each other when other patrols were lagging behind, and the troop began to move forward. This preparation set our mindset right for the upcoming SLC, with the idea of others before self. All in all, we were mentally prepared of the expectations and demands of us next week and elated to have back our animal patrol system.

By Seah Zhang Qi and Law Jia Jun On the 2nd - 3rd November, the Scouts attended the first part of a two part Scout Leadership Course camp. This was the Hike component, aimed at training the leadership of scouts through the grilling endurance test of a 17km hike with their rucksacks and full equipment load. For many of us, this was a new and challenging experience as many of us had never been on a hike of this length with so much equipment to carry. This forced us to adapt to tough times, nurturing our courage in the face of great difficulty. Before the hike, we learnt how to be good leadership comes from the simplest of things, such as learning how to pack our rucksakcs as compactly as possible. This is because packing our rucksacks first taught us organisation, to plan and prepare our equipment in the best possible way, foreseeing potential issues that may arise. This form of foresight was one of the most important skills of a leaders as he not only has to think of his men, but also think for their future. Packing our rucksacks was also the simplest way a leader cares for his men as the standard he demands directly reflects how much he wants his men to succeed. A good PL will have a very high inspection standard to make sure only essential equipment is brought, all equipment is packed tigtly and all his men have a good rucksack as this will directly affect how well they can perform and live during camp. Packing a simple rucksack was also about knowing your men as how much each person carries depends on how capable a PL perceives his men. If he does not allocate the loads appropriately, his patrol would end up moving slower as they had to wait for one overloaded person when someone would have been more suited for the job. During the hike, we were forced to push our limits physically and mentally. Many of us were struggling at first, but we continued to encourage and push each other on to leave no man behind. Through this entire hike, I learnt more about myself and my limits, as well as the importance of having people to support and encourage you in times of great adversity. First, we planned our route and marked our checkpoints on a topographic map and planned the route we were taking from Catholic High School to West Coast Park. This was a crucial part of leadership as we had to exercise foresight as mentioned earlier. Next up, we started on our hike and left in groups of 2 patrols. We had 2 rotational hike leaders, which would be standing in front and leading us to the next checkpoint. When we reached each checkpoint, we would take a group picture and change the hike leaders so that everyone has a chance to be one. At the last checkpoint, we did a map sketch before heading to West Coast Park. When we finally arrived at our destination, although we were extremely exhausted, we still had to muster the energy to build our bashas and cook our dinner. The hike actually has many purposes, which some of us may not know of. Most of our scouts will only think that the hike was to hone our orienteering skills and teach us on application on scouting values such as the fifth scout law," A scout has courage in all difficulties". Although this is one of the purposes, there were many more, such as improving our self-awareness and showing us that as long as our mindset is correct and positive, we can overcome any challenges. The next day, 2 Nov, we woke up at 4am to strike our campsite and started hiking to Kent Ridge Park. We wanted to catch the sunrise over there and have a view of the picturesque scenery. Afterwards, we rested for a while, and we continued to press on our hike to Haw Par Villa for our long-awaited games, where we deepened our understanding on Haw Par Villa. We had a whale of a time and time passed in a blink of an eye. Mind over body, is how we would best describe this hike. We realised how much potential we had through this hike, learning the importance of perserverance and knowing yourself. It was not whether we could do it, but whether we wanted to do it. This camp opened our eyes to tough challenge and made us more adapatble to unfamiliar situations. All in all, this SLC helped us to get to know ourselves and our limits, as well as the limits of each other, which is the first step to leadership.

By Damien Kang and Lucas Loh After a successful year in 2019, the Ventures and Scout Leaders had a BBQ on 28 December as a celebration for our successes. Some of these successes include the South Area Cooking Competition, where we had won both 1st and 2nd place, 4 gold awards in the 2019 South Area Orienteering Competition, the SLC that was organized by Catholic High Scout Group and the Scouts who got their Chief Commissioner's Award. The BBQ was organised and at 6pm, the Ventures and Leaders came down to the BBQ Pit, to start the BBQ. Having the 2 best Venture Cooks in South Area, we were confident in the BBQ skills of the Ventures. It was a wonderful night with a great variety of food such as chicken wings, prawns, scallops and mutton satays. We also had food such as potato salad that was prepared by the Ventures and salad by the Leaders. The food was delicious and enjoyed by all the Ventures and Leaders. Taking the time out to enjoy a nice evening with each other was also a good chance for many of us to reflect upon our Venturing journey thus far. We celebrated the many ups and remembered the many downs we went through, subtly reaffirming our commitment to Catholic High Scouting, to put the troop before ourselves. Even though the night slowly drew to a close, the Ventures Unit ended stronger, rejuvenated in spirit and friendship to serve our troop and bring yet another year of success and glory to our Scout Group

By Siauw Yu Chuan, Tan Jen Kai, Ian Chien and Lucas Loh "The wind that fills my sail propels, but I am the helmsman." Outward Bound, an epic voyage, a heartfelt journey, an unforgettable adventure. In December of 2019, 3 of our Ventures took part in the OBS 21 Days Classic Challenge Course. For the 3 of them, it was a gruelling yet rewarding experience, one that cannot be truly expressed in words. This reflection is not a recollection of the events, but rather a few takeaways from their OBS 21 days experience. Prior to going for the OBS 21 days course, there were many sacrifices that had to be made. Ian had to miss out on school, tests and even a camp to prepare for the Challenge. Yu Chuan and Jen Kai had to prepare a long list of logistics in order to be prepared for the month ahead. During the OBS 21 day course, they spent many days waking up at 5 am and starting the day off with rigorous morning physical training sessions such as long-distance runs. They had a total of 4 expeditions throughout the course, comprising of the Land expedition, Sea expedition, Solo expedition, and the Final expedition. During the land exhibition, they learnt map knowledge and navigating from one checkpoint to another. They had also visited various checkpoints and campsites in Pulau Ubin during our land exhibition. For their sea exhibition, it was a whole new experience as they grappled with sail trimming and make use of the wind direction to gain speed on their Cutter (Sail boats that were custom made just for OBS). But for many of them, the most memorable expedition was the solo expedition as it gave them time in solitude to reflect on life and to also be independent. They had to provide for themselves, to not only survive but also thrive alone in the jungle environment. The Cutter, the sail boats on which they tamed the waves. OBS has taught our Ventures to serve with passion, lead with compassion and to always strive for excellence because “There is more in us than we know. If we can be made to see it, perhaps for the rest of our lives we will be unwilling to settle for less.” - Kurt Hahn (founder of OBS) To serve, This experience in OBS made them realise what it means to serve as a leader. To put others before self, driven by a purpose and being grounded by morals to do good. To strive, The many challenges in OBS had made them stronger in mind and body. Through the course, they realised the importance of "Challenge By Choice". As individuals, we need to constantly improve ourselves, and to put our heart and mind to pursue what's important. This spirit of excellence has definitely made their Watches (patrols) persevere and to give in their best. It made them realise that they are capable of so much more and helped them to see the potential in each other to become leaders in their own special way. And not to yield, Similar to what our scout promise states, "...I promise to do our best, to do my duty ..." We serve with our hearts and a purpose. They served and did not expect anything in return as it was their duty and responsibility to care for those in need. To be steadfast in duty and humble at heart. Their 21 Days at OBS has been fulfilling to say the least and truly befitting of being the final challenge before attaining the President Scout Award (PSA). It is said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. These 21 days have definitely instilled a habit of independence, leadership and perpetual learning in their daily lives and is truly an experience of a lifetime that cannot be replicated anywhere else. Below is a speech Jen Kai gave on the behalf of his Watch (Patrol) on Graduation Day / Day 21 of 21 to summarise his takeaways and share his experience with others who may be interested. Good afternoon Guest of Honour Mr Seah Keng Tia, parents, instructors and cordials, my name is Jen Kai and it is an honour for me to be here representing my watch Elizabeth in sharing my 21 Days Classic C hallenge experience. 21 days is not a short time to begin with. Our journey was long and tough from the start, from the stringent selection process to the gruelling interviews. Walking into the OBS campus brought out many fears and uncertainties in myself. Would I be able to pull through 3 weeks without interaction with the outside world? 3 weeks without seeing my family, friends and loved ones? 3 weeks without the comfort of my home? So many questions that I had no affirmative answers to. We settled down here (MPH), 3 weeks ago, for our ice-breakers. Never would I have imagined the place where we first met would eventually become the place we close a chapter in our OBS LSA journey. A chapter that passed by in a flash but left us with moments to cherish forever… One moment that impacted me personally was our final sailing expedition to Bintan Island. There was a constant expectation of us to sail the fastest and successfully because of the long distance we had to cover. Our journey was not an easy one though. Propeller detaching, fire extinguisher leaking and sailboat parts falling off, we have all been there. These setbacks, coupled with poor weather and our lack of sailing knowledge, threw us into pitholes and left us in low spirits. But between those demoralising moments, we watched the sun set on the horizon, two rainbows after heavy showers, even dolphins and turtles in the sea. To me, it was a blessing in disguise and a lesson to takeaway. If we had a smooth sailing journey with little failure, or if we had not given our best, we would not have been able to see these beautiful moments. We often find ourselves getting caught up with our committments and live such a fast pace of life that we rarely take a step back to appreciate the little things in life. ENJOY THE LITTLE THINGS FOR ONE DAY YOU MAY LOOK BACK AND REALISE THEY WERE BIG THINGS. “Silence is our call, efficiency is our game.” ~Elizabeth 2019. From the very beginning, our watch would work in silence, eat in silence and sometimes communicate in silence. Despite this, we were always the fastest to finish our tasks. Our synchronicity and ability to fit in roles seamlessly amazed other watches and our instructor. Yet in this silence, we found comfort, shared a common identity and forged close bonds. I remember our final dinner during our sailing expedition when we were at our campsite in the late afternoon waiting to cook before rain started to pour down on us. Our shelter was simply too small to protect 9 helpless souls. We were shivering, complaining and regretting our life choices in the howling winds and incessant rain. There was nothing we could do. That was when one of our watchmates suggested that we cook some scrambled eggs to keep ourselves warm. One by one, everyone helped out to cook, opening up to each other in the process. The laughter we shared, the food we ate - somehow made the winds feel calmer, the rain lighter, and the shelter cosier. It was not the fire that was keeping us warm but the company and presence of one another, knowing that we were all in this together that our hearts grew bigger and warmer. IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE SITUATION YOU ARE IN, START BY CHANGING YOURSELF. Throughout these 21 days, we have all led and served ourselves in this place we now call our second home, but now it is time for us to leave this safe haven and step into the real world to lead and serve the greater community. If there was something I have taken away from these 21 days, it is that it is our life to take charge of and only I can make the most out of it. THE WIND THAT FILLS MY SAIL PROPELS, BUT I AM THE HELMSMAN. Yesterday we walked in fearful, uncertain about what was to come, today we stand here having grown to be a better version of ourselves, and tomorrow we shall venture out with newfound strength and purpose, to serve, to strive and not to yield. To the 35 of us cordials, as we leave this place behind, let us not forget to bring back the moments that turned into memories - the times we found strength and comfort; the times we stood in challenge and controversy, for these are 21 days that we will never get to relive through ever again. To end off everything, “GOODBYE DOES NOT MEAN THE END, IT DOES NOT SAY FOREVER. IT JUST MEANS WE WILL MEET AGAIN…”