Category: HQ Circular

ADULT LEADERS TRAINING COURSES 2023

Reuben Hendriks

On behalf of the National Training Commissioner, we thank you for your valuable feedback. We have taken them into consideration to plan a series of courses to support your learning needs in running your scout unit for 2023.

 

Aligning to “Adult Leader 2030” announced by the Chief Commissioner, we have updated the Learning and Development Roadmap with focus on 4 types of courses necessary for scouters, namely Wood Badge Courses (WBC), Standard First Aid Courses (SFA), Youth Education and Scouting (YEAS), and core scouting skill courses (Skills). Please take note thatCertificate in Applied Outdoor Education (CAOE) Part 1 and Part 2 will be combined to form “Wood Badge Course (WBC) Basic”, while Advanced Certificate in Applied Outdoor Education (ACAOE) will be renamed as “Wood Badge Course (WBC) Advanced”.

Please refer to Annex A for more details on the upcoming course dates. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis for all interested leaders, and registration is on MSDS at http://intranet.scout.org.sg. No withdrawal/refund is allowed once registration is confirmed. 
 
For clarifications, please contact Ms Evan Ong, Executive (HR & Training) at evan.ong@scout.org.sg or call 6911 5798 for assistance.

 

Course Title Type Course Date Closing Date Cost
Standard First Aid Course (SFA) – Intake 1 SFA 31 Jan (Tue) 21 Jan (Tue) $50
Standard First Aid Course (SFA) – Intake 2 SFA 24 Feb (Fri) 10 Feb (Fri) $50
Student Leadership Challenge – Inspiration and Application YEAS 11 Mar (Sat) 11 Feb (Sat) TBC
Standard First Aid Course (SFA) – Intake 3 SFA 18 Mar (Sat) 4 Mar (Sat) $50
Wood Badge Basic Course – Intake 1 WBC 21 – 22 Mar (Tue – Wed) 1 Mar (Wed) $350
Wood Badge Advance Course – Intake 1 WBC 11 – 14 Apr (Tue – Fri) 14 Mar (Tue) $350
Facilitating Student Development Experience & CCE2021 in UG CCAs for Teachers YEAS 20 Apr (Thu) – AM 8 Apr (Sat) –
Standard First Aid Course (SFA) – Intake 4 SFA 28 Apr (Fri) 7 Apr (Fri) $50
Specialist Skill Course – (Campfire) Skills 13 – 14 May (Sat – Sun) 15 Apr (Sat) $200
Wood Badge Basic Course – Intake 2 WBC 20 – 21 May (Sat – Sun) 22 Apr (Sat)  $350
IMH Mental Literacy Train-the-Trainers Programme YEAS 24 – 25 May (Wed – Thu) 10 May (Wed) –
Standard First Aid Course (SFA) – Intake 5 SFA 26 May (Fri) 12 May (Fri) $50
Specialist Skill Course – Campcraft Skills 3 – 4 Jun (Sat – Sun) 13 May (Sat) $200
Wood Badge Advanced Course – Intake 2 WBC 8 – 11 Jun (Thu – Sun) 11 May (Thu) $350
External – Kayaking Course Skills 10 – 11 Jun (Sat – Sun)

24 – 25 Jun (Sat – Sun)

 20 May (Sat) TBC
Standard First Aid Course (SFA) – Intake 6 SFA 24 Jun (Sat) 10 Jun (Sat) $50
SEL – Psychological First Aid (PFA) YEAS 7 Jul (Fri) 16 Jun (Fri) TBC
Standard First Aid Course (SFA) – Intake 7 SFA 25 Jul (Tue) 11 Jul (Tue) $50
WB3 – Youth Programme (Implementation) WBC 26 – 30 Jul (Wed – Sun) 1 Jun (Thu) $500
Wood Badge Reunion WBC 29 Jul (Sat)   TBC
Facilitating Student Development Experience & CCE2021 in UG CCAs for Volunteers YEAS 19 Aug (Sat) – AM 5 Aug (Sat) –
Standard First Aid Course (SFA) – Intake 8 SFA 19 Aug (Sat) 5 Aug (Sat) $50
Wood Badge Basic Course – Intake 3 WBC 9 -10 Sep (Sat – Sun) 12 Aug (Sat) $350
Standard First Aid Course (SFA) – Intake 9 SFA 22 Sep (Fri) 8 Sep (Fri) $50
Standard First Aid Course (SFA) – Intake 10 SFA 28 Oct (Sat) 14 Oct (Sat) $50
Standard First Aid Course (SFA) – Intake 11 SFA 27 Nov (Fri) 10 Nov (Fri) $50
Wood Badge Advanced Course – Intake 3 WBC 16 – 19 Nov (Thu – Sun) 19 Oct (Thu) $350
SEL – Psychological First Aid (PFA) YEAS 18 Nov (Sat) 21 Oct (Sat) TBC
Standard First Aid Course (SFA) – Intake 12 SFA 16 Dec (Sat) 2 Dec (Sat) $50
  • Fees excludes prevailing GST (8%)
  • Ministry of Education’s Uniform Group Grant available

Upon notification of accepted registration,

Terms and Condtions:

  1. Upon confirmation of registration, no withdrawal will be allowed once invoice is generated unless the organiser cancels the event.
  2. A no-show fee will be imposed on absentees without valid reasons or medical certificates.
  3. Prevailing GST charges applies.
  4. The Singapore Scout Association reserves the right to cancel/postpone the event and reject applicants where necessary.

DIAMOND JUBILEE CHALLENGE FUND-RAISING 2023 – DONATIONS MADE VIA GIVING.SG

Reuben Hendriks

Dear Scouts,

 

DIAMOND JUBILEE CHALLENGE FUND-RAISING 2023 – DONATIONS MADE VIA GIVING.SG

 

Following-up on the Diamond Jubilee Challenge fundraising circular sent on 22 December 2022 (Ref: HQ-024_2022-DJC2023.2), we would like to inform that Scouts and general public may support and contribute to the Diamond Jubilee Challenge fundraising effort via our online platform on the Giving.sg Diamond Jubilee Challenge campaign page.

 

To pledge an amount, donations can be made via the link:  https://www.giving.sg/the-singapore-scout-association/djc-environment

 

Kindly note that Tax-Deductible Receipts (TDR) are only issued for single donations of $100 and above. Do also ensure that donor details are fully captured on the Giving.sg platform when making donations to be eligible for the tax-deductible receipt.

 

We look forward to your support for the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Fund-raising 2023.

 

For any clarifications, please feel free to contact us at 6259 2858 or email us at hq@scout.org.sg .

2023 SOUTH AREA LEADERS ORIENTATION & ONBOARDING TRAINING

Reuben Hendriks

Dear Leaders,

This is to welcome and onboard our new leaders in South Area, and to facilitate their questions in running units, program planning and goal setting. We would like to take this opportunity to meet them, and exchange pointers on how we improve our Youth Programme Support for the South Area.

 

As the training involves a lot of hands-on activities and for the ease of trainers providing immediate assistance, the session will be conducted face-to-face at the Singapore Scout Association.

 

Details are as follows:

Eligibility : All newly joined Adult Leaders or Leaders who need administration clarifications
Date and Time : 11 February 2022, Saturday, 9:15 am to 11:45 am. Reporting at 9 am
Attire : Smart Casual with Scout scarf
Equipment : Computer with Desktop OS (avoid mobile OS)
Venue : The Singapore Scout Association, Training Room, Level 2
Course Fee : NIL

 

 

Topics covered:

  • Brief Scouting introduction
  • HQ & Area Structures
  • Brief intro to the Scout Method
  • Unit Admin (Creating MSDS account, Frank Coopers Sands Award)
  • National & Area Programme for the year
  • Checking Youth Progress Scheme criteria via scout-sg web app
  • Fund Raising
  • National Training Calendar 2023
  • Breakout room by sections

 

Registration for the course will be available at: bit.ly/south-2023-onboarding

 

For any queries, please feel free to contact Fong Kah Chun at kahchun.fong@scout.sg or HQ at 62592858.

DIAMOND JUBILEE CHALLENGE 2023 (ENVIRONMENT)

Reuben Hendriks

Singapore will be celebrating 60 years of nationhood in 2025. To strengthen the importance of a non-formal, value-based educational youth programme, the Singapore Scout Association (SSA) embarked on a four-year project called Diamond Jubilee Challenge (DJC), launched in 2022 by Chief Scout, President Halimah Yacob.

 

This year’s theme, ‘Environment’, aims to raise awareness on climate change among Scouts and encourage them to take climate action through ground-up initiatives. The DJC theme was launched by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, on Saturday, 14 January 2022. Following which, our Scouts will continue their learning journey to be environmental advocates through the learning process of Be Aware, Cooperate and Act to Engage.

 

The annual challenge is split into 4 quarters. In every quarter, Scouts will carry out activities to complete the quarterly challenge and upon completion, they will be awarded a challenge badge. Submission must be made on the prescribed form (Annex C) and to be submitted at this link: https://forms.gle/kpFAp7qjZeVztZHb6

 

Kindly refer to Annex A, an infopack enclosed in the circular sent via email for information on Diamond Jubilee Challenge and the quarterly challenges in 2023.  Annex B includes the Climate Action Ambassador Badge that Scouts can pursue. For more information on the Better World Flagship Initiatives, please visit here: https://scout.betterworld.sg/repository/

 

In support of the Steward Pillar of the Forward Singapore exercise, our Scouts are encouraged to make their Green Nation Pledge to commit to making Singapore a green, liveable and climate-resilient nation. Pledge can be made here: https://www.mse.gov.sg/greennationpledge

 

We hope you will support our Scouts in their DJC learning journey. Your support for the challenge would be greatly appreciated as we prepare our Scouts in “Creating A Better World”.

 

Please do not hesitate to reach out to your Area Commissioners or Area Better World Coordinator if you require more information. Thank you.

UPDATE ON MOE PROGRESSIVE RESUMPTION OF HEIGHT-BASED ACTIVITIES FOR SCHOOL PROGRAMMES FROM FEBRUARY 2023

Reuben Hendriks

In line with the resumption of height-based activities as outlined in MOE’s Press Release on 28 November 2022, this circular serves to update Leaders of the following:

  • Leaders are advised to ensure that they engage accredited operators and qualified instructors to conduct height-based activities for their Scouts.
  • Operators running challenge course activities – which include zipline, high rope and obstacle courses that require belaying – will resume at a reduced tempo of 50% or less of their normal operational capacity from 1 February to 31 March 2023. Leaders should consider allowing time for operators to progressively scale-up and run-in their operations after the two-year hiatus.
  • Abseiling and climbing activities can resume in full from 1 February 2023, given that commercial operators and instructors for these activities have remained operational at commercial sites for the public.
  • Leaders are to carry out Risk Assessment as per Unit’s safety committee requirements (to seek advice from the Safety ICs of the schools or organisations) before conducting pioneering projects, as these projects may require Scouts to climb to heights which may pose as a safety issue.

    •  

    For Scouting activities at both unit and Area level, Scouts are advised to continue to exercise good personal hygiene and social responsibility. Additionally, Scouts who have just completed their vaccination or booster shot must be excused for two weeks from strenuous physical activities. Scouts with mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 infection should also avoid strenuous physical activity for 2 weeks after their first positive COVID-19 test (PCR or ART). Thereafter, they may gradually resume physical activity as tolerated. Leaders are also reminded to monitor and be vigilant to their Scouts’ health conditions to ensure the safety of all members.

    For further clarifications, do speak to your Area Commissioner, or call Headquarters at 62592858.

    LEADERSHIP KICK-OFF 2023 (ONLINE)

    Reuben Hendriks

    Greetings from The Singapore Scout Association and a Happy 2023!

    2022 started-off as a challenging year for Scouting with COVID-19 restrictions and the differentiated safe management measures for the various Scout sections. However, we were glad that the year ended with the resumption of many Scout camps and activities.

    As an annual exercise, Scout HQ would be having the Annual Leadership Kick-Off on 4th February 2023 to update leaders on the latest developments in Scouting and administrative procedures. Details of the Leadership Kick-Off 2023 will be held as follows:

     

    Date : Saturday, 4 February 2023
    Time : 9:30am (Registration starts at 9:00am; event is expected to end by 12:00pm)
    Venue : Zoom Meeting
    Dress  code : Scout Uniform or smart casual for new Unit Leaders.

     

    Meeting agenda and login details will be provided via email closer to the meeting date.

     

    It is essential that at least one leader-in-charge of the Scout group attends the session.

     

    Kindly register for the meeting using the following link by 5pm, Friday 20 January 2023 : https://forms.gle/4HfJH2fC77329Rsq8

     

    Should leaders have any questions or concerns, please direct them to our Leadership Kickoff Q&A form: https://forms.gle/tdy8zpJYuk9gv3tz8

    We will answer your questions during the meeting to the best of our abilities.

     

    Feel free to contact us at 6259 2858 or email us at hq@scout.org.sg for any further clarifications.

    Jamboree-on-the-Air-Jamboree-on-the-Internet (JOTA-JOTI) 2022

    Reuben Hendriks

    Hosted by the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM), Jamboree-On-The-Air-Jamboree-On-The-Internet (JOTA-JOTI) will be held from 14 to 16 October 2022.

    Held annually, JOTA-JOTI provides a platform for Scouts from all over the world to connect with each other by means of amateur radio and the internet.

    With millions of Scouts participating from all age sections across more than 160 countries each year, JOTA-JOTI is the world’s largest digital Scouting event and one of World Scouting’s longest-running global event dating back more than 60 years from 1958.

    JOTA-JOTI enables Scouts to participate in fun and engaging activities over amateur radio and internet.

    The focus of the event is on developing 21st century competency skills while promoting friendship and global citizenship. Additional information is available on the JOTA-JOTI team’s web portal at: https://www.jotajoti.info/.

    Please refer to Annexes A and B for more details.

    Registration is based on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please register your Scouts via the MSDS Youth Programme registration portal: http://intranet.scout.org.sg before Monday, 10 October 2022.

    Accepted registrations will be duly notified. No withdrawals or replacements are allowed once invoices are issued.

    Please feel free to contact Ms Lee Pui Ling, Assistant Manager (Programme/Partnership) at email: puiling.lee@scout.org.sg or Ms Jewel Loh, Programme Assistant at email:  jewel.loh@scout.org.sg call us at 6259 2858 for more clarifications.

    Jamboree-on-the-Air-Jamboree-on-the-Internet (JOTA-JOTI) 2022
    General Information

    Date : 14 to 16 October 2022 (Friday to Sunday)
    Eligibility : Cub Scout/ Scout/ Venture Scout/ Rover Scout
    Fees : S$4.28 with GST ($4.00) per participant
      – Includes event badge. E-certificate will be available for download from JOTA-JOTI portal upon successful participation of event.
    Registration Deadline : Monday, 10 October 2022, 1800hrs
      Step 1 – Unit Leaders to register participants via MSDS Youth Programme registration portal at:http://intranet.scout.org.sg
      Accepted registrations will be notified via email.
      Step 2 – Participants to register themselves on JOTA-JOTI 2022 portal at https://www.jotajoti.info/
      (For Cub Scouts, Adult Leaders or Parents are to assist with the registration on the above portal)

    Upon accepted registration, a notification will be sent. Full payment is to be made latest by 22 Octover 2022, Saturday, 6pm

     
     

    Toolkit on Enhancing Participant Engagement at JOTA-JOTI 2022

    Please encourage as many of your Scouts to participate in JOTA-JOTI as:

    • This is the only national event that counts for Frank Cooper Sands Award points in the “International” section.
    • Although it will be near the examination season in Singapore schools, the event is held online and allows for flexible participation hours.
    • Participation in JOTA-JOTI 2022 can count towards parts of Progress Badge work, and achievement of Proficiency Badges.

    Suggested Methods of Monitoring Scouts’ Particiation

    To Ensure that the Scouts you have registered in the MSDS Youth Programme have participated meaningfully in JOTA-JOTI 2022, you can try the following methods:

    • Scouts to send the screenshots of successful registration on the JOTA-JOTI 2022 portal to Unit Leaders; OR
    • Scouts to send their E-certificates to Unit Leaders; OR
    • Scouts to send a selfie of them exploring the JOTA-JOTI 2022 portal.

    Achievement of Components in Progress Badges
    Participation in JOTA-JOTI 2022 can count towards certain components in the following Progress Badges. Unit Leaders can refer to the Youth Programme documents for the respective Sections, and customize instructions for Scouts’ participation in order to fulfil the components.

    Cub Scout Gold Arrow – Other Countries and Cultures (3. INTERNATIONAL SCOUTING)
    Scout Discoverer Award – Global Awareness, Voyager Award – Global Awareness (World Friendship Proficiency Badge)
    Venture Scout Trekker Award – Global Awareness (World Friendship Proficiency Badge)
    Rover Scout SC1504 Beyond Borders, FE1301 The World Around You

    Achievement of Proficiency Badges

    Participation in JOTA-JOTI 2022 can also count towards achievement of the following Proficiency Badges. Unit Leaders can refer to the Proficiency Badge documents for the respective Sections, and customize instructions for Scout’s participation in order to achieve the Proficiency Badges.

    Cub Scout World Friendship Proficiency Badge
    Scout World Friendship Proficiency Badge

    ROVER RENDEZVOUS x RIGEL (R³) 2022

    Reuben Hendriks

    ROVER RENDEZVOUS x RIGEL (R³) 2022

    Greetings from the Singapore Scout Association.

    The National Rover Council (NRC) is proud to present the pinnacle year-end event, Rover Rendezvous alongside Project Rigel after a long halt due to COVID-19!

    The event this year will focus on the theme of Adventure, Service and Fellowship together with our Special Needs Scouts, to celebrate the comeback of Rover Rendezvous and Project Rigel after the hiatus.

    This one-day event will be held on Saturday, 19th November 2022, with a series of exciting and thrilling activities which have been lined up for all our participants and volunteers.

    The following are some highlights of the activities:

    • Carnival – Mixture of pioneering structures such as a gateway and carnival games for all to enjoy
    • Campfire – Night event for fellowship and to reignite the flames of friendship

     Rover Rendezvous x Rigel (R³) 2022 is now open for registration. Please register via MSDS Registration portal: http://intranet.scout.org.sg by Saturday, 15th October 2022, 5.00pm.  Accepted registrations will be duly notified. No withdrawal/replacement is allowed once the invoice is issued.

    Please refer to Annex A for more details.

    Please feel free to contact Ms Ferene Chua, Project Lead for Rover Rendezvous x Rigel (R³) via email at rovers@scout.sg for any clarification.

    We look forward to your enthusiastic participation at Rover Rendezvous x Rigel (R³) 2022!

    General Information – Rover Rendezvous x Rigel (R³)

    Date & Time : Saturday, 19th November 2022, 1000 to 2000hrs
    Venue : Marsiling Community Centre
      100 Admiralty Rd, Singapore 739980
    Eligibility : Venture Scout, Rover Scout, Special Needs Scout
    Fee : $12 before GST ($12.84 inclusive of GSD) per participant
    Attire : Respective Scout Unit’s T-shirt of Half-Uniform with National Scarf
    Registration Closing Date : Saturday, 15th October 2022, 1700hrs

    Registration Details:

    1. Venture and Special Needs Scout Units, please register via Youth Programme Registration Portal at http://intranet.scout.org.sg
    2. Rovers, please register via Adult Programme Registration Portal at http://intranet.scout.org.sg
    3. All accepted registrations will be duly notified and more details will be shared with the participating units.

    Programme Outline for Rover Rendezvous 2022

    Time Event
    1000 – 1030 Arrival of Participants
    1030 – 1130 Icebreakers
    1130 – 1230 Lunch
    1230 – 1500 Carnival
    1500 – 1530 Break
    1530 – 1700 Campfire Prep
    1700 – 1800 Dinner
    1800 – 1945 Campfire

    JOB WEEK 2022

    Reuben Hendriks

    Job Week is a key educational experience for all Scouts. The main objective of Job Week is to inculcate in Scouts the dignity of labour, the value of honest work and helping others. These values are important to develop our youths to be better citizens of the 21st Century and is an integral part of the Scouts programme.

    After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Job Week 2022 will take place from 1 September to 13 September 2022. Chief Scout, President Halimah Yacob will be launching Job Week on 1 September. The intention behind Job Week 2022 is for Scouts to recognise the efforts and sacrifices of frontline personnel during the challenging COVID-19 period.

    We will be providing more details nearer to the launch of Job Week. We look forward to your support for Job Week 2022.

    For any clarifications, please feel free to contact us at 6259 2858 or email us at hq@scout.org.sg.

    CHIEF COMMISSIONER’S WELL-DONE BADGE FOR YOUTH MEMBERS

    Reuben Hendriks

    Greetings from the Singapore Scout Association (SSA)!

    During the Leadership Kick-Off held in January this year, I spoke about the need to put our youth members at the centre of everything we do. To recognize youth members who make a difference in their community and in Scouting, we will be introducing the Chief Commissioner’s Well-Done Badge (Well-Done Badge).

    The Well-Done Badge is presented to youth members who have exemplified the Scout Promise and Law and contributed to the well-being of their unit, school, or community.

    Unit Leaders are invited to nominate deserving youth members for the Well-Done Badge for Q2, 2022.

    Nomination for the Well-Done Badge is restricted to one nomination per unit. Nomination must be made on the prescribed form and submitted through the Area Commissioner who will endorse and support deserving nominees for the Well-Done Badge. Example of actions that would be suitable for nomination are provided for your perusal.

    The badge and congratulation letter can be presented by the School Principal during the school’s assembly (for school units) or by the Area Commissioner during an area event (for open units). The badge can be worn on the uniform by the youth member on the left chest above the Bumble Bee/ Squirrel Badge.

    We hope that through this recognition, we can inspire our youth members to fulfil the purpose of Scouting – as active citizens, and responsible members of their communities.

    Please submit the nomination form to your respective Area Commissioners no later than 23 August 2022.

    Please do not hesitate to reach out to your respective Area Commissioner or Area Admin if you need further information.

    I look forward to receiving your nomination and reading all about the achievements and contributions of our youth members as they contribute to Creating A Better World.

    Thank you.

    Yours in Scouting,

    Desmond Chong
    Chief Commissioner