This article is part of the Undisrupted series, a series of articles detailing our Troop's response to the current COVID-19 situation, allowing training to continue even when physical CCA sessions have been postponed showing that our Troop is truly prepared and unwavered even in the face of the pandemic. By Lucas Loh Updated: 25 December 2021 The Training Continuity Plan 2020 represents the hallmark response to this COVID situation and even in the face of this pandemic, through the TCP, the Troop continues to grow stronger each day. As the home of the largest physical QM in Singapore, Catholic High Scout Group is now the home of the largest digital QM in Singapore, our Troop Database. While the QM provides the physical and material resources, the Troop Database provides the digital and intellectual resources for elite training of our Scouts online. This Jihe, the Scouts were engaged with two modules, one being Static Fitness and the other being first aid. Our first aid database has been strengthened by the COVID situation as our Ventures had prepared a comprehensive online course on first aid theory slides and tests for our Scouts to self-study. These first aid courses go above and beyond in teaching the Scouts first aid, giving them a true understanding of the topic. In addition, the first aid course does not just prepare Scouts for rescue in urban settings, as a normal first aid Course does, but also includes scouting and wilderness settings to ensure they are prepared for anything. For our first aid Quizzes, uploaded on Student Learning Space, our three top scorers for Chapter 1: CPR, TRIAGE and ROLES OF THE FIRST AIDER are: LOH FENG, RYAN (RHINO PATROL LEADER): 28/31 LOW SHAO JIE, JOSHUA (TIGER PATROL LEADER): 26/31 CHIA QI XING (COBRA PATROL LEADER): 25/31 Our three top scorers for Chapter 2: CASEVAC AND ANATOMY are: LOH FENG, RYAN (RHINO PATROL LEADER): 14/14 YUOH ZHI YONG ELIOTT (EAGLE PATROL SEC 1): 12/14 SEAH ZHANG QI (SENIOR PATROL LEADER): 12/14 In addition, we will share our Jihe and Training Plans online in the future for reference by other Scout Troops who wish to emulate Catholic High Standard Training. The Jihe Plan for 28/03/2020 is found here:https://drive.google.com/open?id=1e7DdK-kDYpZNjPdfrNAVUaGTPeSm5PAF

This article is part of the Undisrupted series, a series of articles detailing our Troop's response to the current COVID-19 situation, allowing training to continue even when physical CCA sessions have been postponed showing that our Troop is truly prepared and unwavered even in the face of the pandemic. By Lucas Loh Updated: 25 December 2021 Today marks the first E-Jihe conducted between Ventures as we launched the Training Continuity Plan (TCP) 2020 to prepare our Troop for the worst-case scenarios of the current COVID-19 situation. While many Troops and other CCAs have decided to allow this virus to determine their ability to train, at Catholic High we choose not to be environmentally-deterministic, but self-deterministic, ensuring training continues even if most of them needs to be done at home. The Premier Training Method Any Troop and any institution can conduct the standard Home-Based Learning (HBL) model of giving Scouts notes and then quizzing them. However, even as strenuous as it can be to gather all these online resources and set all these quizzes, this is the baseline, the bare minimum of our TCP Plan. The HBL model is an old and outdated model that has been used since SARS 2003 and is not effective enough to train Scouts as it can only cover theory, turning our Scouts into paper Scouts, only able to talk and respond in theory, but not do and respond in practice. Nevertheless, this may be useful in theory-based subjects such as first aid, which is why just 24 hours after the suspension of CCA activities were announced, the Troop uploaded about 3 hours worth of first aid content and quizzes to be assigned to the Scouts for their self-study through the Student Learning Space (SLS). This HBL model is our safety net, and through careful planning and amassing of resources, we have managed to respond the swiftest. This distinction between our TCP model and the HBL model is the distinction between our premier Catholic High Training Method and other Troops. Through the short 3 hour E-Jihe session, the Ventures came up with 8 E-Modules, worth about 2 months of training, with highly engaging activities such as a Patrol Knots Chart Challenge, which is a challenge for the Patrols to collectively make a knots chart without coming together, testing the skills of the Patrol and the leadership of the PL to delegate tasks to his men. By focusing on learning by doing, the Scouts will be self-directed in their growth while being remotely monitored and guided by their Ventures and PLs. For example, one of the E-Modules was the floorplan sketching activity where Scouts have to sketch a floorplan of their house. This activity allows the Scout to practise map sketching in a smaller and more detailed context, and the Ventures are able to guide the Scouts by giving them advice and feedback on their sketches remotely. Our Venture Motto: 深谋远虑, Look Wide Such a rapid response to COVID-19 is only possible through weeks of planning, and that is the essence of scouting, to be prepared. Our Venture Motto calls upon us to look wide, to have strategic foresight so as to build strength for the Troop. In actuality, it did not just take weeks of planning and work but months and years as our fast response time can also be credited to our strong Troop digital database on all softcopy resources, question banks and quizzes, allowing us to have easy access to all these resources when we need them. Just like a strong QM is required for elite training, so is a strong Database required for top-notch training in the current COVID-19 situation.

This article is part of the Undisrupted series, a series of articles detailing our Troop's response to the current COVID-19 situation, allowing training to continue even when physical CCA sessions have been postponed showing that our Troop is truly prepared and unwavered even in the face of the pandemic. By Lucas Loh Updated: 2 January 2022 The Training Continuity Plan has been in effect for 5 weeks now, running efficiently and neatly with the Scout's work being tracked and marked on time. One of the main reasons why this was possible at Catholic High Scout Group is due to our elite pre-existing Online Patrol Corners System, which involves not only the Troop-wide Digital QM, but also individual Patrol corners for each Patrol to complete and submit their work assigned from TCP. The website system is designed in sync with the Google Drive system so that the website acts as a portal to the centralised Patrol Google Driver Folders. In addition, the system is secure as only Ventures can access every Patrol's corner, giving Patrols the element of privacy needed for a healthy competitive environment. Such a system allows the PLs and Ventures to track the real-time progress of work of each Patrol, ensuring that all work submitted is vetted and marked, before being returned on time. Above: Eagle's Patrol Corner, with their TCP work neatly kept in their folders for Ventures to check and PLs to track. In addition, it encourages PLs to add to the Digital QM by producing resources for their own Patrol members to learn from, as well as planning and recording their own progress in terms of skills and training. For example, Wolf keeps track of its Patrol members' progress in skills on a shared document, allowing Patrol members to work together and ensure no one is left behind. Above: Tiger has produced notes and tests for its Patrol members on Patrol history and many other scouting topics, preserving knowledge for the Troop. Such a system is the result of many months of designing, building and streamlining the website as an access portal for the Patrol Corners System. The development of this system was completed way before the COVID-19 situation arose, as part of a network of infrastructure to ensure that our Troop is operationally prepared to support online learning and preservation of knowledge accumulated by the Troop. This is a good example of the Venture Vision of Priding Pride and Building Strength for the Troop, as well as the Venture Motto 深谋远虑, which means Look Wide, calling Ventures to think strategically for the Troop into the future. Such Strategic Foresight is only possible with an elite training that teaches Scouts and Ventures to think for the Troop and put the Troop at the top.

This article is part of the Undisrupted series, a series of articles detailing our Troop's response to the current COVID-19 situation, allowing training to continue even when physical CCA sessions have been postponed showing that our Troop is truly prepared and unwavered even in the face of the pandemic. By Lucas Loh Updated: 2 January 2022 Challenge is one of the most important drivers of personal growth. In Scouts, these challenges are often characterised by a new pioneering project, competition the Troop undertakes or even our yearly Best Patrol competition. Amidst this COVID situation, the Troop has undertaken the #scoutingFromHome Contest – E-Submission of Proficiency Badge Reports during COVID-19 Circuit Breaker. The competition is designed to encourage Scouts to continue to pursue scouting through the individual attainment of Proficiency badges, coming up with creative and better alternatives to the current Proficiency badge requirements. Over the course of the next few weeks, the Scouts will be given opportunities to sign up for Proficiency badges under the mentorship and guidance of Ventures, while maintaining the basic level of TCP training. Only with this guidance from the Ventures and motivation of the Scouts to put the Troop in this competition, will the Scouts be able to maximise their learning independently. The Ventures provided necessary guidance and mentorship as the Scouts progressed on their journey of writing this report. Scouts are provided not only with the basic technical knowledge, in which our Ventures are specialists in but also with the intellectual challenge Scouts need to deepen their analysis and understanding. This mentorship and guidance differentiate our Scouts' reports from the rest, transforming them from mere compilations of online materials to a deep intellectual exercise and inquiry. For example, the original Naturalist badge requires Scouts to study a landform over a period of 3 months minimally and document these changes over time. However, the requirement our Ventures have come up with is to use Google Earth to study historical imagery over the course of 15, 20 years. This new challenge is much more relevant as compared to the previous one as geographical landforms require such long periods of time to show significant and complex changes. Furthermore, the original Naturalist badge requirements demand that Scouts need to link how human activities are affecting the landscape. However, for the mentorship program, Scouts are further challenged to explain how these anthropogenic activities affect landforms and nature which in turn affect humans, giving Scouts a true geographical understanding of the interconnectedness of Nature which the Naturalist badge attempts to bring out. By provoking a Scout's curiosity and challenging their perception of the world, Scouts learn to be critical thinkers that understand not only the superficial and direct actors and causes of the world, but also the underlying and insidious drivers that shape what we see. Through this exercise of putting the Troop at the top and well-channelled motivation of the Scouts, our Scouts benefit the most as our Ventures provide the elite training and mentorship, not replicable elsewhere. Our Ventures act like a sturdy tree guiding tenacious and fast-growing creeper plants upward to the sunlight, showing them higher levels of understanding. Without such guidance and strong frameworks, it will be very difficult for the Scouts to grow and benefit, like aimless creeper plants spreading out rapidly, but forever on the ground, never truly reaching higher ideals. This excellence spirit of "Lift the bottom, not cap the top", a quote from our Education Minister Mr Ong Ye Kung, is exemplified in our training as we challenge our best Scouts to undergo the rigorous pursuit of these badges in the COVID situation, while the remaining Scouts are not left behind and have a proper training program to follow. Only our Troop with such a strong foundation and backbone of Ventures and Leaders is able to operate at such a high capacity to ensure our training is elite and undisrupted.

By Avern Tan Updated: 1 January 2022 Left to right: 1st row: Joash Cheng, Wong Zheng Tat, Alex Chien, Joel Lim 2nd row: Damien Kang, Michael Ooi, Avern Tan, Jann Lim 知彼知己，百戰不殆 Know your enemy and know yourself, and you shall not fear the result of a thousand battles ~Sun Tzu Setting foot on the journey towards the Pioneer Exploration Assessment Hike, the 8 Ventures knew that this was going to be a demanding challenge that would test their physicality, mental tenacity, and moral integrity. To conquer this battle, they would build up their endurance against various weathers and terrain, reinforce their orienteering skills, and learn new skills for this rendition of the hike. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the hike would begin and conclude at the participant’s house and would entail both a route map and an area survey. Thus, in the 2 weeks leading up to the hike, they went for various hikes and training to familiarise themselves with the island and develop their skills. During these arduous and intensive 2 weeks, they additionally submitted their Pre-Assessment Submission (PAS), a report to be filled with hike details, simulated diet plans and packing lists as the actual hike would only entail 6 hours. This year, the hike was around a mere 20km for most Ventures and consisted of 2 checkpoints of which they had to sketch the 1km by 1km grid of where the checkpoints are located. This was no easy task as the area survey was last done in 1994 and none of the seniors had any experience. As such, the Ventures had to refer to previously archived hike reports to gain knowledge. Additionally, they had to take photos at these checkpoints, with themselves in them, to represent 4 aspects of the location - physical, environmental, economical and social. They then had to write an explanation to justify why they had chosen each picture for each respective aspect. Going into a new environment is never easy and that is why the Ventures must always prepare for it. That is why they had intensively conditioned themselves for 2 weeks before the hike. The hike was only 6 hours, and the requirements consist of a rough submission, photos with captions on the hike day, and a completed sketchbook by the next day. This required strategic foresight on the Ventures part, and upon reaching the endpoint at 2 pm, they submitted their rough sketches to the respective examiners. These were highly unpolished but sufficiently detailed to prove their thorough exploration of the checkpoint. Following this, the Ventures dedicated their efforts towards the photos, which required captions to explain the significance of specific landmarks and areas near the checkpoint. Finally, the last hurdle was the hike sketchbook. Completing the sketchbook was no easy task as the Ventures demanded only the most detailed, neat and precise area surveys and map sketches. They worked tirelessly through the night to submit the sketchbooks on time by 8 am the next day. After working through a physically intensive and demanding hike, they pushed themselves to go beyond, pulling all-nighters to ensure that their work was up to the standard of a Catholic High Venture. The Pioneer Exploration Hike was physically and mentally demanding, especially with the various unfamiliar challenges the Ventures faced amidst the adjustments due to COVID-19. However, prior training, preparation, and ability to adapt in the face of adversity, were the key factors that allowed them to come out victorious from the experience and achieve the high standards they set out to achieve, evidenced by their stellar results. Attached below are samples of the route map and area survey completed on this hike:

By Siauw Yu Hern Updated: 31 December 2021 Our Troop gathered on 23 January 2021, the Saturday closest to our Troop’s birthday on 24 January to celebrate 团庆. This year, we celebrated our 73rd anniversary. As a strongly united group, the COVID-19 pandemic did not deter us, we entered the school with a sense of pride and fulfilment ready to start anew. It was the day that signified the passing of the baton to the next batch of leaders who will lead the Troop to greater heights. Celebrating 2020 Due to the pandemic, there were lots of restrictions such as not being able to have large-scale activities. Despite that, the year 2020 was not a wasted one. Through technology, we had surpassed the challenges and still conducted our training virtually. Regardless of any challenges that we faced, Catholic High Scout Group managed to overcome all of them, emerging stronger than before. While there were no competitions amidst the pandemic, our achievements still grew. The year boasted one of our highest intakes of President Scouts, a prestigious achievement which is the pinnacle of the Venture scouting journey. As a Troop with a long history of President Scouts, the achievements of our Ventures brought glory and pride to the Troop. Outside scouting, our Troop has also shown our proficiency in all walks of life, with Ventures achieving the Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence. Our Scouts similarly achieved excellence, attaining awards in the Scouting from Home Challenge by the Singapore Scout Association, where 13 Scouts were awarded certificates signed by the National Communications Commissioner with one Scout going above and beyond to attain the National Top 10, having his certificate signed by the Chief Commissioner, as well as Trek Badge Design Competition by South Area. We asserted our dominance not only in our hard skills but our soft skills as well. The Troop gathered on this day to celebrate our success in 2020. Adapting to change Unlike previous years, we were split into 2 shifts with 4 Patrols each to reduce intermingling. However, this divide did not hamper our high spirits, we were able to hold our heads high with pride throughout the event. With implementation of online resources, our Venture unit created an efficient way to bring the scouting experience online using google drive. From reference notes to submission of documents, everything could be completed with no difficulty. Reuniting Afterwards, the Cub Scouts from the primary section joined us for celebration. We hosted games including building a mini-tower using straws and solving river crossing puzzles. These games forged bonds within our Troop, Scouts and Cub Scouts were able to foster our group's unity. Not only that, the games exercised our creativity and problem solving skills, essential values to scouting. Most importantly, it was a fun activity for everyone during the joyous celebration. After the fun games, we took a Troop photograph and proceeded with our traditional cake-cutting ceremony. To end off the day, the second shift gathered for 降旗 led by our 2020 SPL Zhang Qi. The lowering of the flag concluded our scouting journey in 2020, bringing forth another year of excellence in 2021. With a resounding shout of “公教” during BERSURAI, we welcomed our upcoming year as a Troop with pride

By Siauw Yu Hern Updated: 31 December 2021 The Troop gathered on 30 January 2021 for our yearly investiture. We officially welcomed our Secondary 2 Scouts into the Troop while promoting many senior Scouts who had shown excellence and promise last year. This year’s investiture was an extremely unique occasion, especially since there were many restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic. However, with diligent planning and preparation, the investiture went without a hitch and we managed to continue with our annual tradition. Overcoming the odds Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are unable to hold the investiture like how we usually would. Despite the odds, we did not let our spirits dampen and persevered to execute a grand and meaningful investiture. The Troop was split into two shifts to reduce intermingling. These safe distancing measures did not hamper us as everyone entered the hall with heads held high with pride and excitement, hoping to get the chance to step up and lead the Troop to greater heights. Before commencing with the investiture, the Troop gathered for one final 升旗 before the Secondary 4 Scouts step down from their leading roles or promote to become Venture Scouts. The 2020 ASPL, Ryan Loh, led the ceremony as the day began with a loud resounding whistle and shout of "公教”. Troop Spirit For the Secondary 2 Scouts, the investiture was a new experience for them, and more importantly to pledge their commitment towards the Troop. Upon investiture, they shall receive their Troop scarves which symbolise the Troop's recognition of them as Catholic High Scouts and faith in their ability to carry it forward into the new year. As for the Secondary 3 and 4 Scouts, it was about renewing the Scout law and promise and reinstating their commitment and loyalty towards the Troop as they continue to lead the Troop to the top and achieve excellence. As they went up to receive their scarves, the whole Troop proudly recited the Scout law and Scout promise, reaffirming their commitment to the Troop to always put the Troop first before themselves and a reminder that the Scouts are to follow the laws and promises of scouting in their daily life. A year older, A year wiser For the 8 Patrol leaders, ASPL, SPL, and the many other executive positions, the investiture signifies the bestowing of both an honour and a responsibility, having been specifically chosen to lead the Troop to success and glory. They have the potential to go above and beyond the rest of their peers and must believe in their own potential to achieve excellence. As for the Ventures, their promotion into the Venture unit will strengthen the Troop and enhance the scouting experience in Catholic High School by educating the Scouts in the Troop with their years of experience and knowledge as well as working behind the scenes to ensure all scouting activities are conducted smoothly. An investiture holds a special meaning for everyone, and it is also the time where everyone can take the time to reflect on themselves individually, as a Patrol and as a whole Troop for the past year and what they can do better and bring to the table in times to come. To end off our investiture, the Patrols of 2020 came together for the last time and said their goodbyes by taking a commemorative photo. At the same time, they welcomed the new Patrols for the new year ahead. Celebrating 2020 To celebrate our achievements of 2020, we moved on to the Prize Presentation. After a long year of inter-Patrol competitions, everyone was excited to find out who would be crowned champion and be honoured with the title of the Best Patrol. The best Secondary 1, 2, and 3 Scouts of 2020 were Sean Leung, Angus Chin, and Siauw Yu Hern respectively. As for the Best Patrol of 2020, it was Rhino Patrol, winning the Overall Best Patrol. Congratulations to award winners! Last but not least, the Troop gathered for 降旗 where the new ASPL of 2021, Kaleb Phoon, led the ceremony. We finished off strong with a loud resounding whistle and "公教” while looking forward to the new year ahead as we seek to bring the Troop out on top.

By Loh Feng Ryan Updated: 31 December 2021 On 6 February 2021, our Year 1 Venture unit built a drawbridge pioneering project under the supervision of our Year 3 Ventures and Rovers as part of their pioneering activity. Pioneering is an important skill even today as it trains Scouts in the skill of awareness; awareness of self, awareness of resources, and awareness of space. It is also good training for Scouts to learn how to work in a well-disciplined team. Up for the challenge The Ventures were given a short time of one day to prepare. However, they did not let this fact deter them and took the challenge in stride. As they planned the activity in much detail the night before, our Ventures faced little difficulties in executing the plan. The pioneering project was also a great opportunity for our Ventures to test what they have learnt and trained for the past years and show the importance of application of the skills they have learnt. Basics of pioneering Through this pioneering project, our Ventures reinforced their awareness of resources. The selection of wood is dependent on its function, which will determine the length and weight required. In addition, the structural integrity of the wood is an important safety aspect. Looking out for cracks and fractures within the wood is of paramount importance. All these are major factors in achieving a safe, stable, and successful pioneering structure. Secondly, the choice of rope depends on the thickness and length. Lashings such as shear lashing require a longer length. Ropes of 8mm thickness are optimum for tying lashings from one wood base to another. Thirdly, the choice of length of metal intings is dependent on the force it needs to support. A longer inting allows it to be malleted deeper, allowing it to withstand and support greater forces. Our Ventures also employed various pioneering techniques and concepts. A block and tackle pulley system was established, providing a mechanical advantage to allow a single Venture to support the weight of the drawbridge. The anchor intings were also malleted at a 45-degree angle, and ropes were tied from the top of the first inting to the base of the second inting. This reduced the magnitude of the moment generated by the weight, allowing the anchor to withstand the weight of the drawbridge and the people on it. Knowing ourselves, Knowing our allies Most importantly, our Ventures learnt about awareness for themselves and their peers. Being aware of themselves means understanding the capabilities of their skills and knotting, to ensure that the task assigned to them can be achieved to an excellent standard. Being aware of their peers is to understand one another's strengths and weaknesses, and how they can work together to outweigh their weaknesses and play to their strengths. During the project, they had to delegate tasks based on each person’s speciality, to ensure everyone could work together efficiently and smoothly like a well-oiled machine. Communication and teamwork within the unit was also vital in terms of distributing manpower, the construction sequence, and many others. Our Ventures also learnt the importance of mental resilience. Staying focused and positive under the sweltering heat and fatigue, pushing themselves to their limits, and having the drive to achieve for nothing but perfection is important to achieving excellence and success. Ultimately, each knot was an exercise of discipline and trust in each other - discipline to tie each and every knot to their best ability to ensure the safety and structural integrity of the build, while trusting others to do so as well. In the end, the new Ventures proved their mettle and rose above the challenge. Persevering and pushing forward even when new difficulty arises, the pioneering project was successful and the Ventures achieved excellence in building the drawbridge.

By Chey Jedd and Lucas Loh Updated: 29 December 2021 Today, on the 31 March 2.48pm, the third anniversary since the launch of our website, Catholic High Scout Group officially launched our Troop’s Instagram as a new platform for the Troop to share our achievements and better connect with the Singapore scouting community and wider public. This new Instagram page will serve as an extension to the website and the Troop Facebook page to allow the Troop to better position ourselves in our online outreach efforts. With features such as linkinbio, the Instagram page allows the Troop to drive more traffic to the website in a timely manner while keeping Scouts, parents, and the community updated on our weekly activities. Additionally, the Troop's Instagram will be used to post short-form content on skills and other interesting scouting content suited to modern media consumption habits of youth today. This will be led by our Editor-In-Chief, Chey Jedd. Webmaster Council The Instagram page also marks the first major online outreach project completed by the Troop's newly established Webmaster Council which will be spearheading numerous online outreach initiatives while developing new digital capabilities for the Troop. The Webmaster Council of 2021 is led by the following Ventures: Chief-Webmaster: Joshua Low Editor-in-Chief: Chey Jedd Administrator: Daniel Ong Special Advisors: Seah Zhang Qi and Ryan Loh Lead Rover: Lucas Loh This council also symbolises the growing importance of digital assets in scouting, be it for training, administrative or publicity purposes. One example is the Troop website's online Badge Management System, which allows Scouts to apply for badges by submitting supporting documents to receive online certificates approved remotely by leaders. This saves valuable training time and manpower, autonomously handling administrative processes. Be Prepared Catholic High Scout Group has always taken pride in being able to adapt to any changes. 2020 was a strong demonstration of our Troop capabilities after a year of building up digital resources on almost every skillset in scouting. Going forward, the Webmaster Council will continue this momentum to develop even better assets for benefit of future training in a new decade, pushing the Troop to achieve greater success and be at the forefront of scouting. One example is the complete revamp of our first aid training assets to facilitate better learning through a new tier-based system. This restructuring mirrors science education in school and allows Scouts to learn layer by layer, deepening their knowledge each year. Additionally, extensive theory question banks have been developed to complement practical training by conducting theory training at home and focusing on practical experience-based skills such as triage and situational response during training hours. Development has also begun in coding new tools for training Scouts. One such tool that has recently been completed is the Interactive SG Topo Map app that turns what was a hardcopy topographical map into an interactive and easy-to-use tool for Scouts to learn map reading and the various global coordinate systems right at home. The Troop will continue to strengthen its digital assets, led by Administrator Daniel Ong who is currently leading the charge in upgrading the Scouts and Ventures Google Drives, merging four major past databases and archives into one Digital QM, making it the largest collection of scouting resources our Troop has ever developed. Troop Website The current iteration of the Troop website was launched exactly 3 years ago on 31 March 2018 as an online resource platform for Scouts to use and aid in their scouting training. After 3 years, the website has been updated and improved multiple times by the Chief Webmaster to make the website more interactive and streamlined to better support the Troop. The Troop website contains articles detailing the training and events the Troop has conducted and participated in as well as values and lessons each of them teaches so that Scouts can better understand the purpose and meaning behind them and reflect on their own personal involvement in the experiences. The articles also double as a log for future Scouts to read and learn about the achievements of their predecessors and be inspired to carry on their legacy. Moving forward, new web apps will be developed for the website to further streamline administrative and online training processes, all while we begin preparing for our 75th-anniversary celebration with a new online Singapore Scouting History gallery that will take you through the illustrated history of scouting in Singapore and our legacy of excellence intertwined with it. Conclusion The articles and posts on both the Troop Instagram and website are valuable resources for Scouts to learn more about scouting and understand the achievements of the Troop. Scouts should take these articles and posts as inspiration to put the Troop at the top, upholding the Troop’s legacy of 73-years of service and excellence. As the world continues to progress and develop, Catholic High Scout Group will continue to adapt and innovate, always being ahead of the curve and aiming for nothing less than the best.

By Li Shu Heng Updated: 29 December 2021 On 2 April 2021, our Year 1 and Year 2 Ventures went on an 18km hike. This hike was planned by our Year 1 Ventures two weeks in advance. The hike allowed our Ventures to train up their physical endurance, mental resilience, and awareness of their surroundings. Our Ventures also took this opportunity to practice their orienteering skills such as map reading and route sketch. Planning for success "Look Wide" (深谋远虑) is one of our Troop mottos. Through the planning of the hike, our Ventures reinforced their foresight to plan ahead. Having a practical and well-thought-out plan enables a fun and enriching experience while ensuring the activity runs smoothly. Our Ventures had many discussions to cover all the possible bases. Each Venture took up a specialised role so that each part of the proposal would be done excellently. They were meticulous and detailed with their work, making sure that the proposal was able to achieve our intended goals, while any risks were counteracted by suitable solutions. They were particularly careful when going over the logistics and RAM (Risk Assessment Management). To reduce the weight of their rucksacks, only the most necessary items should be packed. Possible dangers were thought up and categorised by threat level. Safety precautions were then made to reduce the risks and were to be implemented if needed. Of course, nothing ever goes exactly to plan. Therefore, the Ventures were alert and aware of their surroundings during the hike, ready to react and overcome any obstacles thrown their way. Final preparations Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Venture unit was split into 2 Patrols. Each Patrol was to set off at staggered intervals. Despite the restrictions, morale was high amongst the Ventures and they were all excited to begin the hike. Before setting off, the Ventures were briefed by their respective PLs and Safety ICs. They were made aware of what to do in case any problems arose, and to be mindful of their conduct in public as representatives of the Troop. Our Ventures plotted the hike route on the topographical maps and prepared a rough outline of their route sketch beforehand. Afterwards, they laid out an inspection to check for logistics. This was to ensure that everyone had their equipment and no one was missing anything. Hike Journey Our Ventures set off at 10 a.m. and were expected to reach the last checkpoint by 3 p.m. Including the last checkpoint, there was a total of 4 checkpoints. The start of the hike was challenging for many of the Ventures. This was the first time the Year 1 Ventures had to do a route sketch while hiking. Multitasking the route sketch, looking out for landmarks and road names, while hiking was not easy. Gradually, they got more used to it as they moved from checkpoint to checkpoint. They helped point out the landmarks and road names to one another while looking out for anyone falling behind. Along the way, the Ventures deepened their friendship and understanding of one another by chatting and joking with each other. Not only does this put their minds off their aching muscles, but they also get to learn more about one another like their favourite hobbies and scouting activities, etc. Through interacting and hiking with one another, a strong sense of brotherhood and unity was forged in the Venture unit. As they reached the last stretch of the hike, they found it to be even more grueling as they progress along. However, they showed their mental resilience and support for one another. They persevered and pushed themselves to keep pace under the hot sun while encouraging one another. Finish Line Finally, at 3 p.m., our Ventures reached the final checkpoint at One-North MRT station. The Ventures had huge smiles on their faces as they felt the success of conquering the hike. From this experience, they now better understand their limits and areas of improvement. They also gained new friendships while deepening their previous relationships. The hike went and ended without a hitch, showing that the Year 1 Ventures are capable of planning effective and safe scouting activities. The Year 1 and Year 2 Ventures also proved their mettle and that nothing is too difficult for them to achieve.

By Zhang Ruijie Updated: 29 December 2021 On 17 April 2021, the Troop organised a basha training session for the Scouts. Basha is a core part of camp development. The state of a basha reflects on a Scout's attitude and would affect their experience when camping outdoors. It also trains the Scouts in their communication, coordination, and teamwork. Pitching a Basha Basha is one of the most essential equipment for Scouts during camps. The main utility of a basha is to provide shelter and a place for Scouts to sleep during the night. It is also used to protect equipment from the elements. The Troop has the highest basha standards of all the Scout Troops in Singapore. The Troop's bashas are designed differently compared to other Scout Troops with the purpose of maximising their durability to weather against any natural elements. They are capable of keeping Scouts and their equipment safe and dry, while reflecting the Troop's top-notch camping standards. The bashas are also highly versatile. For example, small bamboo poles can be added to make the 4 corners more compact while enabling the basha to be pitched on sandy terrain. The Troop has also started employing a new method to tie counter tension which holds tension better than the previous method. Both the time taken to build a basha and the quality of it are imperative during camps. This is especially critical during the Troop's yearly June camp at Pulau Ubin where the weather is strong and unpredictable during that time of year due to the monsoon season. Due to this, our Troop places critical emphasis that Patrol members communicate and work in tandem with one another as a team, building one basha within 6 mins with a team of 4 Scouts or 2 Ventures. To maintain stability, equal forces must be applied throughout the basha. Ensuring that the forces applied are equal prevents creases from forming. Creases collect water which weighs down and compromises the structural integrity of the basha. Furthermore, our Troop uses military-grade groundsheets further reinforced by 3M hydrophobic coating to ensure sheets are truly waterproof. Maintaining and organising their equipment were also heavily emphasised to the Scouts. Firstly, the condition of the equipment is a key factor in pitching a basha capable of withstanding the elements. If the bamboo is cracked, or the comms-cord is frayed or knotted, the basha would not hold up even if it was built perfectly. Secondly, organising the equipment neatly ensures that any equipment can be found easily and prevents any equipment from being lost. This is important during camps as any equipment lost cannot be replaced. Learning by example Scouts were drafted into Patrols according to their levels. Practice sessions were then conducted, followed by a basha competition near the end of training. Ventures were allocated to each Patrol as mentors to facilitate learning. The Ventures aimed to inculcate a sense of urgency and a “quality over quantity” mindset in the Scouts. For the first practice, Ventures took on the role of a Patrol Leader and guided the Patrol in building a basha, delegating tasks and helping to coordinate the Scouts during the practice. The Ventures took charge of the first round of practice to help the Scouts achieve a perfect basha for their first attempt. This would allow the Scouts to realise that they could finish a perfect basha under the time limit allocated to them. This ultimately gave them a confidence boost and established a goal for them to achieve and improve on. The PL was also provided an opportunity to learn by the example of the Ventures on how to lead their Patrol during the practice. Afterward, the PL would take over and lead the Patrol for the rest of the training. The PL played a vital role in coordinating the actions taken by his Patrol. He must learn to understand the strengths and weaknesses of his members so that he could maximise the manpower distributed to boost efficiency and keep to a high standard. He must also prioritise the most important steps to ensure the process advances smoothly. By then, the Scouts were all well-versed in building a basha and should not be idle when they accomplish their given task. They should be aware of their surroundings and have the initiative to provide support to others or continue with other parts of the basha. This was so that the PL would not overextend himself and optimise every second of time. The Ventures would observe both the process and result of each practice session done by the Patrol. After each practice, the Ventures would give an overview of the Patrols' performance with the Scouts so that they could understand their mistakes and learn how to improve. These mistakes not only included basha-building skills but also soft skills like leadership, coordination, and communication, amongst others. Then, the Scouts would reflect on their mistakes and plan out how they can improve on their shortcomings for their next attempt to achieve a ‘perfect’ basha. Competitive spirit To keep the ball rolling and motivate the Scouts to put in their best efforts, a basha building competition was held amongst the Patrols of each level. The competitive spirit, friendly rivalries between the Patrols, and the achievement of being the Best Patrol in their level motivated the Scouts to work their hardest. Each Patrol was driven to attain the highest standard and fastest time possible to prove that they are the best. They were focused, working together like a well-oiled machine, and made full use of their abilities. They worked with a sense of urgency and showed the initiative to support their Patrol mates while prioritising the most important parts of a basha. Evacuation Evacuation is a skill our Scouts are trained in as a test of their ability to optimise and prioritise objectives in a high-stress scenario. It is a test of their true understanding of the basha and which components contribute most to its structural integrity, while remaining adaptable and nimble to achieve mission success. Despite being their first evacuation, the Scouts worked efficiently with a sense of urgency, quickly moving their bashas and equipment, before setting up their inspections. Each equipment was neatly placed in a standardised set-up that allows the Ventures to easily check for missing equipment with just one glance. The Scouts learnt to stay calm under such instances and to be observant and aware of their surroundings for any equipment on the ground. This experience would be beneficial to them, should such a scenario happen in a proper camp. Conclusion In the end, many of the Patrols were able to hit goals set for them and everyone made significant improvements. As Catholic High Scout Group is a premier Scout Troop, it has high expectations of the Scouts. Similarly, the Scouts would not settle for the bare minimum and are now even more motivated to aim higher and achieve excellence. Below is the link to Catholic High Scout Troop - Camp Development - Basha Tent Demonstration video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR93VqGHu_E

By Koh Jia Ler Updated: 29 December 2021 On 24 April 2021, our Year 2 Ventures went on their Pioneer Exploration Assessment (PEA) Hike. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hike was cut down to a 16 km day hike. However, to ensure that the hike would truly challenge the Ventures, orienteering skills like map sketch were more heavily emphasised than before. Preparation Our Ventures had trained rigorously for a month before the hike, practising their orienteering skills like navigation and map reading as well as route sketch, area survey and map sketch. They had the help of our experienced senior Ventures and Rovers to teach them the necessary skills in each aspect of the hike. The Year 2 Ventures diligently trained their fitness so that they would be physically fit for the hike. They had also gone on a mock hike together with the Year 1 Ventures on 17 April in order to get a feel of how the PEA hike would be like. The Journey Our Ventures first started by plotting their route onto the topographical map, carefully choosing the best course towards their destinations. It was crucial that the route was chosen carefully to maximise efficiency and ensure that they can stay oriented to the map at all times. They then set off at 8 a.m. to each of their checkpoints. The weather was against them straight from the beginning as it rained heavily during the hike. However, even under the torrential downpour, our Ventures pushed on towards their checkpoints. They had resolved their will to complete the hike and did not let the unexpected rain hinder their spirits and unstoppable progress. The Ventures had to accomplish 3 assessments during the hike. Firstly, they had to complete a checkpoint map sketch at one of the designated checkpoints. A map sketch is a drawing of a 100m radius around a specified checkpoint and displays important information about the nearby features. From broad details like buildings to the most minute details such as lamp posts. The second assessed skill was the area survey. An area survey is similar to a map sketch with the difference being a 1km by 1km grid instead of a 100m radius circle. This makes an area survey exponentially more demanding than a map sketch due to the increased area required to cover. The Ventures had little difficulties with these assessments as map sketch and area survey were some of their most practised orienteering skills. Finally, there was also a 5km route map which our Ventures had to draw. A route map is a sketch of the path taken from one checkpoint to another checkpoint. It should be detailed enough that others could use the map and reach the exact same checkpoint. The route map is the most challenging part of the hike assessment as it requires multitasking, moving while taking note of the surroundings. Yet, this did not deter our Ventures. They had already conditioned themselves intensively to be capable of such feats and were able to capture every crucial information needed without compromising their hiking speed. In the end, our Ventures successfully reached the end of the PEA Hike at the stipulated time of 5 p.m. They then submitted their initial map sketch, area survey, and route map to the examiner. Although rough and unpolished, they were sufficiently detailed to provide ample proof of the Ventures’ thorough exploration of the areas. Afterwards, the Ventures dedicated all their efforts to their last hurdle which was their hike log. Firstly, they had to add in the photos of the landmarks and areas they visited near the checkpoints during the hike. Each picture was marked with a caption explaining the significance of the location in it which represents one of these 4 aspects: social, economical, environmental, or physical. Then, they completed the final sketches of their map sketch, area survey, and route map based on the rough sketches they made during the hike itself. This was not an easy task as only the most detailed, precise, and organised sketches would be accepted. Therefore, the Ventures pulled multiple all-nighters to ensure that the quality of their work is top-notch and nothing was being compromised. The PEA Hike was a physically and mentally demanding test, challenging the skills, knowledge, fitness, and mental resilience of our Ventures. However, through tough but fruitful training that prepared them mentally, physically, and skillwise, and the ability to adapt to any situation at hand, our Year 2 Ventures were able to overcome all odds and achieve the high expectations they set out to attain as proven by their great performance. Conclusion Ultimately, the Year 2 Ventures managed to conquer the PEA Hike, proving that they are adaptable and resilient against all difficulties faced. They have shown to be adept at orienteering and that there is nothing that Catholic High Ventures cannot achieve when they put their mind to it.