A Revitalized Activity

This activity proposal was conceptualized when the writer became Chairman of the LC Advancement Committee.  However, series of events delayed the proposal and somehow hold the idea momentarily.  As being required at many scouting manuals, handbooks and other publications on advancement, a 4-day survival hike is prescribed for the Eagle Scout Rank.  Unfortunately, most Philippine schools are not in conjunction with BSP activity framework with regards to the length of time students can devote on an important scouting activity for advancement.

Still, there are varieties of challenges and exercises being held if only given enough time to inject all those in the proposed activity.  Challenges and exercises Reality-Based TV series like “Survivor”, “Amazing Race”, “Eco-Challenge”, and “Urban Challenge”, and other publications like Team Building Games (Jim Spears), David McClelland’s Motivational Theories, Business balls Research and Organizational Development (Alan Chapman) and Scouting Games by Sir Robert Baden-Powell gave inspiration to come up with this activity proposal.

After years of joining with the Laguna Council Scouts’ regular advancement activities at our campsite in Barangay Anibong, Pagsanjan, Laguna, I found out that local practice on some major activities need to be revitalized with extra vigor, much as to realize its importance in its execution and become more interesting and exciting for the boys.

The Survival Hike is one activity of the LC scouts that I feel should be resurrected.  Giving more spirit to the activities concocted with the latest trends on exciting outdoor tasks will effectively give our boys the benefit we want them to acquire.  More exciting exercises and improved design on outdoor activities adaptable to our present generation, as popularly called the Generation X.

In this times of the “Reality Genre”, while we still want our youth to be conscious of themselves and to their environment, we should also be giving them the latest twist on outdoor trends so it become more interesting to them.

The revitalized activity is designed to re-establish and improve communication, build trust, increase confidence and bond members to each other and to the organization.  With the added challenges injected in the revitalized activity, our boys will confront series of challenges that will definitely improve their Leadership, Communications, Trust-Building, Resource management, Time management, Problem solving capabilities, Creativity under pressure, Practical reasoning, Confidence and self-image.  These series of activities encourages the boys to be aware of the benefits of “Teamwork” designed and taught to instill pride and be victorious in any challenge.  By continuous efforts providing up-to-date outdoor activities and sports trends, boys’ interest on scouting and the entire scouting organization will be preserved as well.

After the activity, the boys will feel more energized, motivated and inspired to achieve excellence because they have been challenged to reach their personal best.  The mental, emotional, and physical challenges they face will bond them into a team, one that can achieve far more together than its individual members.  The activity will guide the boys, teach them new skills in all areas of team work, and then force each team member to put those techniques to use on challenging problems which can only be solved by team work.

“Survival Hike” as the term submits means withstanding challenges brought about by the revitalized activity.  Although the activity suggests challenges testing the boys’ capability to be by their own selves during the hike, we take special precautions to insure the health and safety of all participants at all times—we always err on the side of caution.  We can’t say the boys will always be comfortable or pampered, but with the revitalized activity, they will always be safe.

LOGISTICS

Duration:  Half-day activity continued by an overnight program and hike retreat to be conducted at last Control Point.

Location: LC Campsite at Barangay Anibong, Pagsanjan, Laguna including adjacent parcels ofland extended at Barangay Bangco, Cavinti & Barangay San Salvador, Malaguin, BAulajo and Balanac, Luisiana.

Hike Length: 5-8 kilometers

STRATEGY

1.        The injection of exciting “team building” exercises during the hike that will bring out the best of the boys’ character.

2.       The introduction of manned Control Points (CP) to regularly check boys’ performance during hike.

3.       Giving the boys exciting tasks require to withstand all challenges in every CP in order to advance to the next CP.

4.       Hike in the wilderness is more appreciated if there are available exercises to perform and to develop not only team work but consciousness to the environment.

5.       While monitoring boy’s performances through the strategic CP, ensure that the boys will not, in any way loose control of their tracks and their behavior during the activity.

6.       At every challenge to perform on every CP, at stake is the boys’ water and food to encourage winning the challenge and advance to the next CP.

7.       Installation of manned CP provides immediate help in case of accidents.

8.       There is this one CP installed halfway of the hiking course where the boys will report their present condition over the radio which the HQ will acknowledge and eventually congratulate them for their performance and giving them moral support they wanted to go on and finish the survival hike at expected time.

9.       Leaders designated at every CP can ensure that every task was being cleared by the boys and that every boy participant can be accounted for during the activity.  Cleared CPs are reported over the radio for updates.

10.   The use of trail signs is still encourage and in fact being revitalized.

11.   At the end of the hiking course, last groups to arrive are treated with much importance, respect and expectation because food cannot be served and eaten until all groups are present.

12.   In the end, before finally retiring from a long and exhausting day, leaders will have a chat with the boys, telling stories, sharing experiences, and instructing the boys of the secrecy of the survival hike details to maintain its integrity and excitement to the next batch who will undergo similar training.

BASIC GADGETS

1. CP Markers
2. Hike Tickets
3. Fast Forward Ticket (FFT)
4. Bread for the boys (prize for the challenge)
5. Radio equipment
6. Gadgets for puzzles and games
7. First Aid Kit
8. Improvised trail signs
9. Participants Rooster
10. Food at the last CP

Firewood, kerosene, match, pot, water, oatmeal, sugar, cup, bowl for each group, spoons

11.  Flag for every group participant

E                 A                      G                      L                    E                      S

EAGLE if there are five groups participating the Survival Hike; EAGLES if 6 groups; GO EAGLE if 7; GO EAGLES if 8 groups

CP Markers – Colored Markers clearly recognizable by the participants during the hike.

Hike Tickets – (HK) Guide that describe the next CP. Description can be in many forms such as distance from the last CP, terrain to get to the CP, landmarks, position and location of the CP Markers, and what’s instore at the CP.  Guides are written similar to tagalong riddles.

Participants’ Rooster – During Leaders’ Instructions before taking off to the Survival hike, participants should write their names, vividly and clearly (in print) at the participants’ rooster for proper information of every boy participant.

First Aid Kit – Leaders manning every CP should bring with them First Aid kit and always keep it handy when the need arises.

Fast Forward Ticket – A Fast Forward Ticket (FFT) should be given to expedite the hike of a group and skip the next CP.  Giving FFT is not recommended to boys in training.  However, the designers of this activity reserve a situation where a group should be permitted to use FFT for some very remote but understandable situation (eg.  Accident, bad weather, group/s who lost track and are running out of time).

MANPOWER

Scout Leader at each CP (depending on the number of CP to be installed) Scout Leader operation as Base Radio Station in the camp or HQ

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Map to be used by the leaders

Beyond Impressions

Beyond Impressions

A tale of unseen fervor beyond ordinary

Immersion Surprises

Immersion activity at the Rover Moot defines it from any other activity in Philippine Scouting. It involves challenges for anyone will not know what to expect until one IMMERSEs with people. It needs a cleric heart to get motivated to work hard and finish the task. The Rover Moot was set at the Province of Aklan. To bring help no matter little and to ease burden no matter short-ending.

Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) badly ravaged the Philippine Visayan Region.  Though not being mentioned in the Philippine news as hyped as Tacloban-Leyte area, the province of Aklan was roughly torn by the typhoon. The Aklanons remain silent, unaware or perhaps unfrenzied by all the annoyance and hypocritic relief episodes being exposed in the news every day.  Seeing the place at first glance would anyone realize they too are screaming for help.  

The Call

In such short notice, I was asked to be part of the 5-man team to participate in the Immersion activity at the 10^th National Rover Moot in Aklan, Panay Islands, Philippines.

Given a round-trip air ticket,  all-expense paid details with exclusive airport transfers, I decided to go and left my alone wife who will be celebrating her birthday a day following my departure. It was indeed surprising on her for I never did leave her on her special day all 20 years of our married life. Though lonely and feeling abandoned but given the worthy cause of my departure, she finally gave way.

The 5-man Laguna Council team was dispatched to Brgy Polo, municipality of New Washington, province of Aklan. I will lead the three other Laguna participants in the immersion while our Scout Executive was part of the monitoring staff in the locality. Without much validation of my being in the place I realize, my presence would dictate our goal: to deliver well and genuinely in the immersion activity. 

Call of duty

Riding a local tricycle chartered in Kalibo, we wandered at the town finding our designated accommodation site. We had checked three public schools before we found it.  It was already dusk when we arrived at Polo Elementary School in New Washington.  Anxious to settle-in, we still need to wait for the person in-charge to get down and recognize us.  Hungry and apprehensive I told my team, the challenges have just started.  The hunger has already forgotten when we had our first dinner.  But thanks anyway, dinner, at last!  Finally, I met Mr. Principal whom he temporarily offered his office for our first night stay.  As I understood, there was no other room available so we need to improvise. The principal’s office is already being used as mess area for the school’s teaching support staff for the activity.  And so after dinner….we removed all plates, glasses and spoons on the tables for those tables will serve as our bed for the night.  Challenging indeed for my team as I watched them tossed and turned the entire night finding a way to lay their weary bodies to rest.   They were not used to it I supposed.

While waiting at the principal’s office earlier, I had a chance to meet and talked to “Julito” a teacher who told me stories of their flight caused by the typhoon. He said, he will do something the following day to help us on our accommodation. I welcomed his idea and thank him in advance.

Early next day, a room was given to us. Julito even introduced me to the teacher/adviser named “Analyn” whom she said was requested by the principal to join the 3-day Immersion activity.  This means that the children will not have their classes for 3 –days to give way for our stay.  Ms. Analyn, the adviser even handed to me the classroom key.  I felt extra lucky realizing the trade-off but could not help feeling guilty of the sacrifices which the people need to undertake only to provide for us. The entire New Washington participants may not know but we were the luckiest persons in the area that time having the best shelter the place can offer.

Having said we were the luckiest, at the back of my mind we really need to perform well on our assigned tasks to compensate for all the privileges given to us. 

In our three-day immersion activities we were brought to Ochiando Elementary School for a clearing tasks, Dumaguit Elementary School to get to order the ragged covered court and school stage, Fatima Shoreline Elementary School  to clear a big mango tree which put the entire 2-classroom school building down, Cawayan Elementary School to cut into pieces branches and trunks of Narra trees hoping to salvage or if not make charcoal out of them and lastly, New Washington Central Elementary School for more clearing tasks. We did it. And we did it above par! I have to commend my team for their complete submission to the immersion activity.  They had cuts and bruises same as I but we never did realize those as excuses and just went on with our assigned tasks.

Impressions of an eager roverette

It never crossed my mind to check other participants for it was not my job anyway.  Never did we know that there was another team who arrived later than us:  the Lanao del Norte 5-man team composed of 2 Scout leaders, 2 roverettes and a rover.

They came in half-day late on the first day of the immersion activity.  I just heard about it during our closing activity, night of our third day of stay in Polo Elementary School.  At the program, some participants shared their impressions on the concluded activity and there was this young lady from Mindanao who gave hers. Petite, burnt with sun, with wavy long hair which I think has not given enough pampering due to our busy activities.  But despite that, she never seized to smile whenever being stared by anyone. And there she went ahead of her prepared speech:  a eloquently spoken Pilipino piece (tagalog ) whom I realized later that she was the one from Mindanao!!  Great demonstration of effort.

Beyond Impressions

She is “Via” from Sultan Naga Dimaporo (SND) of Lanao del Norte.  She, together with her team traveled 3 days and 3 nights from Lanao to Cagayan de Oro City, crossing the sea by boat to Cebu then land traveled to Bacolod, from Bacolod to Iloilo by boat, then finally a long and rugged land travel from Iloilo to New Washington in order to render service to the victims of typhoon in any way they can. 

The impressive piece given by Via is heart-warming but the astounding efforts and sacrifices by the team  just to get to participate in a valuable cause such as a Rover Moot has struck me the  most.  A total submission of one’s self for a worthy cause.

We had a chance to mingle with The Lanao de Norte team during our trip back to Kalibo. They were our travel mates from New Washington and our roommates too in Kalibo Pilot Elementary School.   Simple, silent and unassuming….I had a little chat with them when there was opportunity. 

Upon our arrival at Kalibo, we went at once at our assigned room and settled-in.  While we, the Luzon people were busy preparing for our respective places to sleep on….the Lanao team busied themselves for their travel arrangements going back home. I heard they will again land travel from Kalibo to Iloilo; sleep-over at BSP Iloilo City Council and air travel from Iloilo to Cagayan de Oro. From Cagayan de Oro, another humpy and bumby ride episodes going home.

After dinner at around 7 pm when it was already dark because of the general blackout in Aklan, we prepared ourselves to retire.  Not minding the ravenous mosquitoes, we immediately fell asleep because perhaps of exhaustion.  Early morning when I got up, I saw our roommates still in their deep sleep.  They are lying down on the room’s floor with their pretty malongs on.  Looking at them in an instance reminded me of the beautiful Maranao people of Mindanao.  Almost glittering in their traditional malong costumes, showing how beautiful its people and their rich culture. Eye-catching and attractive, my mind traveled to the land of the beautiful – Mindanao.   Hands down, I admire them not only for their beautiful malongs but their modesty a true and honest display of scouts’ ideal character.

Moments later, they finally got up.  We greeted each other “good morning” and once more I took the chance of talking to them.  With their malongs still on, I invited them for a short walk outside and some photo opts that they graciously accepted.  Indeed, it was a fruitful-enlightening chat with them.  Dreaming to become, a journalist, a certified public accountant and a civil engineer someday, with their outlook in life-- I am truly hopeful that they can become what they want to be in due time!   

Lucid thoughts

Today, as I again watch these good pictures taken of our encounter with the people from the land of the beautiful, Mindanao.  As I again read the original manuscript given to me by Via that she used to deliver her impression in the Rover Moot.  Sincerely, It gave me another good reason to get inspired and inspire people.  They may not be as big or as brawny as ours today.  They may not bring up a 6 years old tattered narra tree and put it back to life once more; they may not climb a roof and reinstall galvanized sheets for a school classroom should need to be prepared again; they cannot carry big chunks of tree trunks that were ravaged by the storm and pile them up to be recycled as charcoal. It’s just their genuine hearts to offer a little help to the needy.  A true sense of compassion to people who needs support the time they need it most.  Even a touch of plain sympathy to those people in grief can be very astounding if expressed timely. And it was what I have seen in the Lanao del Norte team.  More than what we accomplished in the performance of our tasks in New Washington,  more than our sweat, more than our pains….it’s plain Sincerity. We salute you! Via, Doreen, King John, Sir Imperial and Ma’am Bado.