Dear PLC 09,

Saturday's meeting has been postponed to 31 of January 2009. This is in view, for a longer holiday for you guys as well as the hardwork you have put in for the orientation campfire.

Venue: Siglap Secondary School
Time: 0900 hrs to 1200 hrs
Attire: Full-uniform + PT Kit

The programme will be the same.

Please be reminded and need be, call your patrol members.

Till we meet on the 31st.
Happy scouting.

Saturday's Meeting (24 of Jan 2009)

Hey White Stags,

Meeting on Saturday (24 of Jan 2008) is still on-going. I believe that the PLs and APLs are in their Secondary 3 camp now. No worries, please spread the word around.

Venue: Pasir Ris Park (Near Pasir Ris Sea Sports Club)
Attire: White Stag T-shirt + Shorts
Items to bring:
1) Stationary
2) Drinks or snacks

It will be a day out of school to have activities! No Flag staff needed, unless you want to do a floating one in the sea.

Agenda
0900 hrs - Gather
0905 hrs - Briefing for the day activities
0915 hrs - Patrol Bonding Activities
1100 hrs - Discussion for Ice-breaking games for tenderfoot
1130 hrs - PIC
1145 hrs - PLC
1200 hrs - Home Sweet Home or R&R with the Venture Crew

Just to take note, if you are having R&R with the Venture Crew, please inform your parents about it!

Happy Scouting!

The Window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - and that thought now controlled his life.

Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence--deathly silence.

The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away--no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

Moral of the story:
The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy.

The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find that there is much to rejoice about.

1. Roles and Responsibilities of a PL and an APL

PLC 09
Lion Patrol - (PL) Nick Ng, (APL) Tan Wei Liang
Tiger Patrol - (PL) Nowell Ng, (APL) Zavier Sng
Kingfisher Patrol - (PL) Bernard Ong, (APL) Ryan Chiam
Eagle Patrol - (PL) Shane Lee, (APL) Daniel Lam

You are to define your way of being a PL or APL. There is no right or wrong in this, just whether it suits you a not.

Task: Patrol File - what to contain that will help you to keep track of your members in the patrol?

2. Roles and Responsibilities of a QM

(IC 1) Bernard Ong, (IC 2) Zavier Sng

You are to find out what is lacking in the unit and also what needs to be done to improve the logistic management of the unit. Sounds heavy duty? Think about something that you can easier maintain and follow up with eh?

Task: QM Logbook - what to contain to help you account for the equipment for the patrols and in the den.

3. Roles and Responsibilities of a Scribe

(IC 1) Nick Ng, (IC 2) Daniel Lam

You are to assist in maintaining the paper work and library of the Scout den. Writing of minutes and taking of attendance. What other duties do you think you can use the role of a Scribe to help your PLC with?

Task: Scribe File - what to contain to help you file your minutes and other paper documents properly?

4. Roles and Responsibilities of a Treasurer

(IC 1) Shane Lee, (IC 2) Tan Wei Liang

It may seem like a slack job as the more stress part of your duty is during Job Week camp and Donation Draw collection. However what other roles and responsibilities can you help the leaders or PLC in the collection of money? The most important feature in this role is honesty and integrity.

Task: Treasurer Account Logbook - what do you think should contain in this logbook?

5. Roles and Responsibilities of a Program/ Song Leaders

(IC 1) Nowell Ng, (IC 2) Marcus and Ryan Chiam

A 3 way team working to make sure that the program is running smoothly as well as the scouts are proficient in songs for sing-a-long or campfires. Easy job? Not likely unless you can come up with something fun for them to learn about.

Task: Duty schedule. What other things do you think you can work together to help the patrols to learn more about songs? What other things do you think you can work together to ensure the program and training is done properly?

All the tasks are to be presented in the next meeting on the 24th of January 2009. And also to meet up with those who didn't come for the unit meeting today, try to find out from them, what is stopping them from coming for scouting activities/ meetings.

If there is anything, you can e-mail to whitestagscouttroop@gmail.com or call any of the leaders.