Our Annual Camp

Last weekend we had our annual shg June camp. It was held for a second time at the Sembawang Terror Sea Scouts campsite. The number of participants this year I think was the biggest. If I’m not wrong, we had at least 200 kids and volunteers in total. For the first time in 10 years, I did not stay overnight for the camp because I had to work the next day. I had to be a proctor at a professional examinations. Ya…I was invigilating for the first time.

Anyway, we senior volunteers were assigned to take charge of the food distribution at the camp…haha…my favourite task. As usual, the caterer had a earful from me for the poor quality food they provided. For lunch, they gave us each a fried chicken wing, a fried egg and a few strands of long beans to go with plain rice, no sauce at all. With that hot weather, I’m sure it was pretty tough to swallow all that hard food…poor kids and volunteers. Luckily I asked for vegetarian rice which was definitely more appetising…hehe…it pays to go vegetarian.

When dinner came, I almost wanted to throw the food at the caterer…but I couldn’t because then my people would have nothing to eat at all. The caterer actually had the cheek to give exactly the same food as lunch…fried chicken wings and fried eggs! What nonsense right? When I questioned the caterer, he said the cook already marinated the chicken wings so he could not change the menu…what kind of stupid answer was that? The weather was so bad that several kids and volunteers were already taken ill. One of my students had a fever of 39.6º and had to be sent home. So how can these people give us anymore fried food? Some people just got no brains, no compassion at all!

I asked the caterer what's for lunch on Sunday and when he told me it’s going to be sausages and fried fish fillet, I almost freaked out! FRIED FOOD AGAIN? He must be mad! I insisted he provide some sauce for the rice. He had this pathetic look on his face and tried to sneak his way out of it but I understand that he did provide the sauce eventually. Sometimes we just have to be firm with these opportunists! 要賺錢也別那麼沒良心對嗎？這樣對待小孩也太缺德了吧！

As per our previous camps, we senior volunteers will be scolding kids for misbehaving, being disrespectful, not following camp rules, using vulgarities etc. while the younger volunteers will be giving in to all the whims and fancies of the kids. Some volunteers were seen carrying the bottles for the kids again…sigh!

Although I was at the camp only for a day, I felt that most of the kids and volunteers had fun. The usual tent-pitching, flag-making, cheering were all so fun for everyone. I thought the face painting was really fun too…so happy some of the volunteers were sporting enough to allow their faces to be painted as well. The campfire was another first for us and that was quite exciting too, especially when the camp commandant lit the wood! Too bad I couldn’t stay till the end of the night. Must have been fun at the sing-along session.

The camp is always the highlight of our shg programme. A must to me. I’m glad that most of our students attended it. I’m not sure if I’m going to be part of this again next year…but camps are important learning experience for children so I hope this tradition will be around for a long long time.

Thanks to all my fellow volunteers for helping out at the camp. 大家辛苦了！Sorry for not being there to help yell at the kids during the night sentry…hehe! Here are some of the pictures I took.


On the way there…the children were noisy on the bus…as usual.

All were gathered here for the briefing by the camp commandant…



Our sporting volunteers teaching the kids some cheers…


Not an easy task trying to fit 200 people into the picture…

Our girls…so glad they were not so guniang this time round…

Ahh…as usual, we seniors would gather in the canteen area…our yearly gathering.

Me and Mr Goh…hmm…just discovered we have something in common…our heavy eyebags! Hahaha!

Tent pitching…as usual…volunteers did most of the work…

Our hyperactive boys…cannot stay still…tsk…tsk…tsk…


Our gals…my favourite student…always so cute and sweet…like this volunteer…hehehe!

Each team had to make a team flag…the theme was World Cup!


Face painting…so fun!…the kids were quite sporting…

So was this young volunteer…


Our hyperactive Nico finally stopped running around…39.6º fever…so well taken care of by our dedicated volunteer…thanks for helping to send this boy home…all the way from Sembawang to Kallang…no joke!

Our campfire…so nice! Qiren must be so thrilled lighting the wood!