Military training was part of the curriculum. Since First Year High School, we were already holding wooden rifles as YDT cadets while marching under the heat of the sun. We detested it but couldn’t do anything about it.
In third year high school, we had a short break from YDT when we were informed that we would be joining a Boy Scout Jamboree. We were so excited, of course, for camping was way better than marching. But somehow we also felt awkward because we thought that we were old for this kind of stuff. We were boy scouts in grades 5 and 6. But high school? Anyway, it didn’t bother us later on especially when we learned that we will be in the same Jamboree with the Holy Spirit School Girl Scouts. That made the difference. Nobody can be old for this kind of stuff, we thought.
We didn’t have time to prepare for the jamboree. We had even forgotten the Boy Scout Motto and the Pledge. But we were highly motivated. Our classmate Rene was selected as the national officer of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. It was a position that gave us great pride being his classmates. Sir Eronico, CAT/YDT commandant, was our Scout Master. We imported Brydon, who was a year ahead us, and Eric, who was a year below us, to augment our group.
The Jamboree was held in Dampas, on a flat, arid and deserted place. We pitched our tent near the delegation from the Divine Word College. We organized ourselves into committees taking charge of different responsibilities. Familiarity borne out of growing up together in the seminary, I guess, was a great advantage in terms of organizationg ourselves. It was easy for us to assign what to do by whom.
JunTabs was appointed as our Troop Leader, Nox was the Scribe, Quiao the Quartermaster, LikLik the unofficial girl scout whisperer since he was popular with the HSS scouts. Walking towards the HSS girls tent, we all found unnerving, but not for Liklik.
There were several competitions that involved showcasing one’s talent. In the area of arts, Brydon excelled. He selected a piece of white limestone and sculped a squatting fierce-looking anito using a Swiss Army knife. The judges initally didn’t believe that he made it, so he picked another piece and sculpted it in front of them.
In the area of orientering, we were divided into groups of 3 or 4. Each group was given a map with certain marks pointing to hidden cartolinas with numbers on them. We were to write down the numbers as proof that we had found them. The different groups were sent off at different times. We were glad when one official announced that the HHS Girl Scouts would leave at a certain time, followed by the Boy Scouts from IHMS.
But it didn’t really matter since the area was so wide that we didn’t get to encounter much of each other. RamCims and I were in the same group with two others. We were pretty good with directions. We found one on a tree, another one in the bushes. RamCims was sly in his strategy, leaving behind a fiery destruction in the thorny bushes behind us. We naturally won.
During the cultural night, we performed a short skit based on the biblical story of the good Samaritan. The skit was about a Boy Scout helping a wounded person who was mugged on the road. Our presentation was well received as evidenced by the loud applause of the audience. We capped that night’s presentation with a choral rendition of a familiar Simon & Garfunkel song, “The Boxer”, and the song popularized by Melissa Manchester, "Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" with Eric on the guitar.
We went back to the seminary after the jamboree feeling proud and happy. It was a welcome break from YDT. If I am not mistaken it was probably the first and only time that IHMS joined a Boy Scout Jamboree.
(nox arcamo)
In third year high school, we had a short break from YDT when we were informed that we would be joining a Boy Scout Jamboree. We were so excited, of course, for camping was way better than marching. But somehow we also felt awkward because we thought that we were old for this kind of stuff. We were boy scouts in grades 5 and 6. But high school? Anyway, it didn’t bother us later on especially when we learned that we will be in the same Jamboree with the Holy Spirit School Girl Scouts. That made the difference. Nobody can be old for this kind of stuff, we thought.
We didn’t have time to prepare for the jamboree. We had even forgotten the Boy Scout Motto and the Pledge. But we were highly motivated. Our classmate Rene was selected as the national officer of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. It was a position that gave us great pride being his classmates. Sir Eronico, CAT/YDT commandant, was our Scout Master. We imported Brydon, who was a year ahead us, and Eric, who was a year below us, to augment our group.
The Jamboree was held in Dampas, on a flat, arid and deserted place. We pitched our tent near the delegation from the Divine Word College. We organized ourselves into committees taking charge of different responsibilities. Familiarity borne out of growing up together in the seminary, I guess, was a great advantage in terms of organizationg ourselves. It was easy for us to assign what to do by whom.
JunTabs was appointed as our Troop Leader, Nox was the Scribe, Quiao the Quartermaster, LikLik the unofficial girl scout whisperer since he was popular with the HSS scouts. Walking towards the HSS girls tent, we all found unnerving, but not for Liklik.
There were several competitions that involved showcasing one’s talent. In the area of arts, Brydon excelled. He selected a piece of white limestone and sculped a squatting fierce-looking anito using a Swiss Army knife. The judges initally didn’t believe that he made it, so he picked another piece and sculpted it in front of them.
In the area of orientering, we were divided into groups of 3 or 4. Each group was given a map with certain marks pointing to hidden cartolinas with numbers on them. We were to write down the numbers as proof that we had found them. The different groups were sent off at different times. We were glad when one official announced that the HHS Girl Scouts would leave at a certain time, followed by the Boy Scouts from IHMS.
But it didn’t really matter since the area was so wide that we didn’t get to encounter much of each other. RamCims and I were in the same group with two others. We were pretty good with directions. We found one on a tree, another one in the bushes. RamCims was sly in his strategy, leaving behind a fiery destruction in the thorny bushes behind us. We naturally won.
During the cultural night, we performed a short skit based on the biblical story of the good Samaritan. The skit was about a Boy Scout helping a wounded person who was mugged on the road. Our presentation was well received as evidenced by the loud applause of the audience. We capped that night’s presentation with a choral rendition of a familiar Simon & Garfunkel song, “The Boxer”, and the song popularized by Melissa Manchester, "Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" with Eric on the guitar.
We went back to the seminary after the jamboree feeling proud and happy. It was a welcome break from YDT. If I am not mistaken it was probably the first and only time that IHMS joined a Boy Scout Jamboree.
(nox arcamo)
