Campfire's Burning!

Every year on the last night of Guides camp, we have a campfire where we'd invite past girls to come down and have some fun. I haven't gone back for so long, I didn't know almost 80% of the senior Guides who came back. 

When I went around learning their names, it turned out that most of them knew me by name, even when they've never seen me before. One guide said, "Oh we know you, you're famous."

I am almost afraid to ask why.

This was our very last campfire on the school ground before the building gets torn down at the end of the year. There goes the cosy, cottage-like atmosphere of the school where each girl knew everyone by their faces... or their extra curricular activities; the large field that gets waterlogged when it rains, the same field where the Guides pitch their tents every year; the large foyer (pronounced four-yay) where my classmates and I spent almost twice every month sitting on the world map (i.e. detention). 

Halfway through the campfire. This campfire pit was constructed by the Guides themselves.

Held indoors because of the rain. But hey, REAL FIRE!

Many little ducks that I once knew, fat ones, skinny ones just like you  two by two.

 After party of the campfire: ROASTING MARSHMALLOWS and CHOCOLATE BANANAS! We used the fire to heat up leftovers too. The girls are usually hungry after all the singing and prancing around, even after a heavy dinner.

 3 generations of Guides - I was in school with these girls.

 

   

Enjoying toasted marshmallows! Yum.

 For some strange reasons, the new generation of Guides aren't fans of the chocolate bananas, hence the old birds had ALL of them to ourselves. Heh.

 Looks gross, but tastes oh so good! Back in the day, we used to fight over EVERYTHING that had chocolate. Nowadays, the kids are such princesses.

 The old girls made smores too, the younger Guides are totally missing out.

This was the spirit of camping: sitting on the floor, round a buffet of food covered in aluminium foils just cooked by the campfire, chatting and laughing about everything. 

When I was in school, being in Guides was more than just an after school activity. It shaped who we were as a student, and as a person. If we misbehaved in class, the teachers won't direct complains to our class form teacher... it'll go straight to our Captain (teacher-in-charge) and we'd be reprimanded, sometimes severely, depending on the situation. 

Other students would either hate us or love us because we're always the noisiest, and we stuck out in crowds like a sore thumb. There were no segregation between juniors and seniors, unlike other Uniformed Groups, everyone got along fine and have respect for each other. There was a time to fool around, and a time to be serious and get work done. 

It's been five years since I left school, yet when fellow Guides during my time meet up for coffee or whatever, it's like nothing has ever changed. We've been through a lot together, from annual school camps, to hikes and the occasional overseas trip we take together. We pitched tents, sang songs, argued over countless of issues, got into a whole lot of trouble, climbed gates, played pranks and encountered ghosts together.

Back in the day....

          Five generations of Katong Convent Girl Guides. Youngest are from left... oldest, extreme right.

The friends I made in Guides are the friends I would probably have for life. ❤