A History of Scouting in the V.I.

by Loh Kok Kin

(6) The Final Years Under Selangor (1964-1973)

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ince 1893, the V.I. and all its clubs, societies and uniformed bodies had been subsumed under the state of Selangor. In 1974, a separate Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur was carved out of that state, and the V.I. ceased to be known as "The Victoria Institution, Selangor". In the ten years leading up to that event, the V.I. Scouts underwent one of its most prodigious periods, as the V.I. went through its first decade under Asian headmasters, beginning with the redoubtable Mr V. Murugasu in 1964. The period was productive particularly in terms of producing Pengakap Raja. There were also many changes; such as in 1967, the Scout Den moved from the corner room (opposite the Sixth Form block) of the School to the jaga’s house opposite the V.I.O.B.A. and in 1968, the old khaki uniforms gave way to the new grey uniforms that are still being worn in 2002. Equally importantly, the period established many Scouting traditions that still continue to thrive at the beginning of the 21st century.

GROUP TRADITIONS - THE SYMBOLS AND THE ROUTINES

Symbols makes a group highly visible, and if accepted, the symbol becomes a tradition. One important tradition is the Group motto. The earliest appearance of the First KL motto ‘The Fighting First’ was to sign off the Scout report written by Koh Tong Chui in the Victorian 1963. It is unclear whether the phrase had then been accepted as the motto. However, the 1964 Senior Scout report, unequivocally records ‘....In accordance with our motto of the "Fighting First"....’. Thus, it must have been between those two years that ‘The Fighting First’ first entered into the psyche of First KL Scouts as their official dictum. Meanwhile, the Second KL motto made its first appearance a little later, in the 1966 Senior Scout report. Since then, ‘Second To None’ has been the rallying cry for the Group.

1966 was also an important year for Second KL traditions because the Second KL Group song was born. While there was hitherto a Group song composed by SM Chin Peng Lam in the early 1950’s, the song had been mostly forgotten by the mid-1960’s. Perceiving the need for a Group song, Ernest Yong Foo Yuen (V.I. 1961 - 1967, Second KL ASM and Pengakap Raja), mapped the following words to the inspiring tune of British Grenadiers:

Since nineteen hundred thirty three
Our glory has been high
The scouting spirit in our hearts
Will never fade and die
But of all the world’s hearty lads
There’s none that can compare
With the Second KL Boy Scouts/ Seniors
Anytime and anywhere.

Over time, the penultimate line was changed to With the Second KL Scout Group. (The song is often wrongly called the Troop Song. In fact, there are two Troops - Boy Scouts and Senior Scouts - but only one Second KL Group. It is more correct to call it the Group song). Until today, this Group song remains the rallying call of Second KL Scouts far and wide.

The revival of traditions was another undertaking of the Second KL Scouts. In 1953, a Group newsletter, Second KL Gazette was first published, but the venture folded after some unspecified time. A group of Seniors in 1971 decided to resurrect this useful conduit of information. So in September 1971 the Second KL Gazette was reborn as the Second To None newsletter, appearing quarterly. At that time, it was sold for a meagre 15 cents, and was published on cyclostyled F4 paper, with the first edition consisting of 15 pages. To the credit of the Second KL Group, this Second To None newsletter is still published, as of 2002, at least once a year.

In the 1960’s and the 1970’s, there was increasing dependence on the leadership of ASM’s, due to a dearth of qualified and willing Scout Masters, a hangover phenomena from the mid 1950’s. In 1965, Mr T.J. Appaduray left the GSM-ship of the Second KL Scout Group after 10 years of service. The First KL GSM Mr Chan Bing Fai left one year later, in 1966, after 11 years in the job. No subsequent Group Scout Master of either the First or Second KL Scout Group has served as long as those two stalwarts. Since the 1960’s, the Scout Masterships of the V.I. Scouts have tended towards advisory capacities, except for occasional exceptions. While the label ‘Teacher Advisor’ would have more appropriately described those teachers in charge of the Scouts, nevertheless the Groups persisted in using the terms Scout Master or Scout Mistress. Additionally, the change of SM’s became more frequent, and as a result, SM’s found no incentive to undergo training for Scouting credentials such as the Wood Badge. Indeed, the post of SM was no longer a coveted position, such that in 1968, Mr A. Jeyaretna was compelled to become GSM of both First and Second KL due to the shortage of willing volunteers!

INCREASED IMPORTANCE OF STUDENT LEADERSHIP

Student leaders thus became more pivotal in the V.I. Troops. Formerly, the student leaders of both the Senior Scout and Boy Scout Troops were called Assistant Scout Masters. In recognising their important role and to distinguish the leaders of one Troop from the other, the Senior Troop student leaders were called Assistant Senior Scout Leaders while in the Boy Scout Troop, the student leaders retained the ASM appellation. This change occurred in First KL in 1965, with Koh Tong Chui and Chong Sze Foh being the first ASSL’s, while in Second KL, the change occurred in 1969, with Kuan Beng Wai, Yong Yoon Shing and Shahul Hamid being the first ASSL’s.

Those appointed to the posts were in the Sixth Forms, and hence would have been expected to possess a high degree of maturity and intelligence, not least knowledge of Scoutcraft. They had the ability to discharge two important roles namely to impart knowledge and to inspire their juniors. And those ASSL’s and ASM’s never shunned their duty, even though the temptation would have been to delegate their duties on to the Troop Leaders and Courts of Honour, while they lay back comfortably merely overseeing activities unfurl before them. During Saturday Troop Meetings, the ASM’s taught Scoutcraft like pioneering, first aid, camping, tracking and singing to the Boy Scouts. As well, the ASM’s led the Boy Scout Court of Honour in planning and preparing for Troop weekly meetings and major events like campfires or Troop Camps. On a cynical note, the ASM’s also had a practical function for the Troops by their ability to drive and ferry people and equipment. In 1966, some Second KL Boy Scouts went to Penang and Langkawi aboard ASM Ernest Yong’s Holden.

While there was more independence for the Senior Scouts, the ASSL post was still important because it required a higher competence in Scoutcraft. As well, the job carried more responsibility because Senior Scout events like Treasure Hunts and mountain climbing were more challenging to prepare for. For example, the Senior Treasure Hunt needed more cryptic clues, more detailed planning of times and longer routes, and more creativity in hiding the clues. In 1967, the end of the First KL Seniors Treasure Hunt required the Seniors to plunge into a mountain pool to retrieve the treasure!

While the Sixth Formers were strapped with the onerous ASSL and ASM posts, their juniors also had a taste of leadership when they became Patrol Leaders in the Boy Scout Troop and Senior Patrol Leaders in the Senior Scout Troop. The PL’s formed the Boy Scout Court of Honour while the SPL’s formed the Senior Court of Honour. They would meet regularly (fortnightly or weekly) to plan weekly activities for their Troops. Under the watchful supervision of the ASM’s or ASSL’s, it provided a mature forum to discuss problems, forward suggestions for the improvement of their Troop. The COH members were also entrusted with administering progressive tests for their boys. Such test-sessions were held regularly such as after Troop meetings or on weekdays. As well, the PL’s and more Senior members would provide training in Scoutcraft to the Boy Scouts after school.

INCREASED ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE MOVEMENT

The period from 1964 to 1973 saw a dramatic increase in membership. The annual membership of First KL Boy Scouts between 1955 and 1963 hovered around 30 to 40 on average, but between 1964 and 1973, annual memberships of around 80 to 90 became the norm. Likewise, in Second KL, there were around 20 to 30 Boy Scouts each year between 1955 and 1963, but between 1964 to 1973, the figures averaged around 70. As a result of constantly changing membership, patrols were continually created and disbanded.

	FIRST KL		SECOND KL
Year	No. of Boy Scouts	No. of Seniors	No. of Boy Scouts	No. of Seniors
1964	50	35	35	12
1965	80	40	65	24
1966	100		80	30
1967		35	60	23
1968	92	36	50	25
1969	85	36	70	25
1970		27	70	25
1971	77	41		30
1972	100		60	37
1973	100		75	32

Troop	Lowest No. of patrols	Peak No. of patrols
First KL Seniors	4  (in 1968, 1970, 1971)	6  (in 1966, 1969)
First KL Boy Scouts	6  (in 1964)	10  (in 1966, 1967)
Second KL Seniors	2  (in 1964)	5  (in 1971, 1972)
Second KL Boy Scouts	4  (in 1964)	8  (in 1968, 1970)

 

There are several possible explanations for the increased membership. One of them is sheer statistical discrimination, where the number of Scouts increased as the total number of V.I. students increased. During the 75th Anniversary of the School in 1968, the enrolment figure stood at almost 1400 students. In comparison, the total enrolment in the School between 1955 and 1963 averaged 1,100 to 1,200 students per annum.

Another more compelling explanation is the School’s policy on extra-curricular activities (Notice the spiked increase in membership numbers from 1965 onwards). Mr V. Murugasu, the Headmaster from 1964 to 1969, recognised that non-academic activities were important means to reinforce intelligence and maturity. So in 1965, he introduced a points system for students. This philosophy was founded on the belief that classrooms and text books were useful but insufficient tools for a holistic education. Each activity in the School would henceforth carry with it pre-assigned points that when totalled determined the final testimonial for school-leavers. Membership with the scouts and other uniformed groups, for example, would earn three points. The result was, as reported in the 1965 Seladang, ".. a flood of recruits for the Scouts, Red Cross and Cadet Corps." Truly, the fruits of that policy are today seen in the number of former V.I. Scouts who have excelled in their fields of endeavour, including former Pengakap Rajas and Assistant Scout Masters, Yap Piang Kian, Donald Lee Lye Poh and Heong Kong Luen. (See A Gallery of Scouting Greats)

But perhaps the main explanation is that students were attracted by the unique activeness of the V.I. Scout movement itself.

SCOUTING OR THE MILITARY? TROOP MEETINGS AND PUBLIC DUTY

This epoch was definitely underscored by greater boldness and difficulty in the activities organised by both Groups, making them not unlike military units. During this period, the overnight Senior Treasure Hunts became an annual regularity. In 1966, the First KL Seniors went on a bicycle scramble for around 40 miles, which included a moonlight climb up the limestone Bukit Takun. The Hunt then ended in Batu Caves! In 1967, the Senior Hunt was the longest ever, which concluded with a plunge into a mountain pool to retrieve the treasure. In 1968, the Hunt took them as far as Kajang. It was no less arduous for Second KL. The 1970 and 1972 Hunts led their Seniors as far as Subang Airport. The challenge for the Boy Scouts was no less difficult. The 1966 First KL Boy Scout Hunt involved such gruelling distances that the Boy Scouts were allowed to use bicycles for the first time. Then in 1973, the treasure for the First KL Boy Scouts was a snake!

There were also other activities such as the 1967 First KL Seniors Scavenger Hunt which lasted two days. Included in the task list was one requiring the Seniors to sketch the National Monument by moonlight. Second KL also occasionally had such overnight scavenger hunts. In fact, the Second KL Seniors had a week-long Scavenger Hunt which drew on their knowledge of local information and culture. There were also Obstacle Course Challenges such as in 1969 when the First KL Seniors had to navigate through valleys along a cross-country route. The Senior Patrol Leaders prepared the course while the Senior Patrol Seconds led their patrols. The Boy Scouts also undertook arduous challenges on occasion. For example, the Second KL Boy Scouts scaled Bukit Takun in 1971! Second KL also had night hikes. The 1968 Second KL Seniors night-hike during the third term took them through kampungs, tin mines and spending a night at a waterfall.

When not testing their mettle with grilling challenges, the V.I. Scouts were busy with more conventional Scouting activities, be they Scoutcraft, sporting, social or intellectual. There were, of course, the customary Troop meetings each weekend morning or afternoon. These included swimming, about two hours of activities (competitions, lessons in Scoutcraft, singing, film shows, talentime, ceremonies like the Going-Up ceremony to start the year) and progressive tests. In 1965, these Troop meetings were moved to Saturdays, from their previous Sunday fixtures, as the School was closed on Sundays. The Senior Troops had periodic meetings outside the School such as at Castle Camp. Inter-patrol competitions such as log book competitions continued to be important.

The Troops occasionally had inter-patrol games which included cycle-racing, soccer, running, basketball, mini-golf, rugby, table-tennis, water-polo and tug-of-war. In fact, the 1964 Victorian recorded that there was a trophy presented by ex-ASM Pang Hon for the best First KL Senior patrol in those games. There were also social gatherings such as attending other campfires, or even just having a music session at a member’s houses. Barbecues were a common feature of those gatherings, especially at the end of the Scouting year. Besides these social activities, there were times for more solemn intellectual activity. Discussions on subjects like religion (by the Second KL Seniors in 1971) cultivated maturity amongst the Scouts. In 1972, as part of the Mug trophy inter-patrol competition, the First KL Seniors had to conduct interviews with the public on Scouting in Malaysia. They found that the public had high esteem for Scouts.

Of course, patrols themselves had their own patrol activities like patrol camps, hikes, picnics, barbecues and even outings to places like Port Dickson.

Public duty was never forgotten in the midst of the V.I. Scouts’ busy timetables. Apart from V.I. Sports Days and Speech Days as well as numerous unrecorded services, the following table provides glimpses into the busy community duty schedules over the years:

YEAR	EVENT	TROOP
1964	Selangor State Schools’ Combined Meet	First KL Boy Scouts
	King’s birthday rally	First KL Boy Scouts
	Selangor Girl Guides’ ‘Festival of Dances’, Stadium Negara	First KL Seniors
	Government Services Sports	First KL Seniors
	King’s birthday parade	SKLB
1965	Job Week	First KL Boy Scouts
	V.I.-F.M.C. Meet	Second KL Boy Scouts
	Specialist Teachers’ Training Institute Fun Fair	Second KL Boy Scouts
	KL Girl Guides’ Hut Opening Ceremony	Second KL Boy Scouts
	Government Services Sports, Stadium Merdeka	Second KL Boy Scouts
1966	Shell traffic games	Second KL Seniors
	Girl Guides’ cultural dance show	Second KL Seniors
1967	Clothing collection for National Disaster Fund	First KL Seniors
	National Solidarity Week	First KL Seniors
	District Job Week ($250 collected)	Second KL Seniors
	Cleaning dumps on World Health Day	Second KL Seniors
	Selangor Amateur Athletic Association meet	Second KL Seniors
	Football matches at Tamilian Physical & Cultural Assoc. Stadium (now Stadium Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz)	Second KL Seniors
	District Job Week ($200 collected)	Second KL Boy Scouts
	Selangor Amateur Athletic Association meet	Second KL Boy Scouts
1968	Job Week	First KL Boy Scouts
	Selangor Girl Guides’ ‘Festival of Dances’, Stadium Negara	Second KL Seniors
1969	V.I.-M.C.K.K. football	First KL Boy Scouts
	Marchpast during National Solidarity Week	First KL Boy Scouts
1970	International School Boys football tournament	Second KL Boy Scouts
	Various athletic meets	Second KL Boy Scouts
	National Day parade	Second KL Seniors
1971	M.S.S.M. Athletics, Stadium Merdeka	First KL Seniors
	S.E.A.P. Games	Second KL Seniors
1972	M.S.S.M. Swimming meet	Second KL Seniors
1973	South District Athletics meet	First KL Boy Scouts
	Telekom meet	First KL Boy Scouts
	Malam Budaya	First KL Boy Scouts
	Scout rally	Second KL Seniors
	National Day parade	Second KL Seniors
	Duty calls by District Commissioner	Second KL Boy Scouts

 

CAMPING AND MORE CAMPING

The following table summarises some of the camps that have been recorded in detail in the Victorian between 1964 and 1973. Note that there are MANY other camps which have not been recorded, as the Scouts usually had at least one Troop camp a term, as well as many patrol camps:

YEAR	VENUE	NATURE OF CAMP	DATE	TROOP
1964	Youth Training Centre, Kuala Kubu Baru	First term camp		First KL Seniors
	Lumut	Annual camp	December holidays	First KL Boy Scouts and Seniors
	Castle Camp		First term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Port Dickson			First KL Boy Scouts
	Port Dickson		Second term holidays	First KL Boy Scouts
	Pangkor		First term holidays	Second KL Seniors
	Bentong	Progressive testing like camper, backwoods, cook	First term holidays	Second KL Boy Scouts
1965	Agriculture Valley	3-day Get-Together camp	February	First KL Seniors
	Agriculture Valley	Training and competition camp	First term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Chuah	Week-long camp	August	Second KL Seniors
	Castle Camp		First term	Second KL Boy Scouts
	Camp Semangat			Second KL Boy Scouts
	Bentong	Week-long camp	December holidays	Second KL Boy Scouts
1966	Lever’s Valley	Culmination of the Lever Beer Mug competition	First term	First KL Seniors
	Camp Semangat	Inter-patrol competition camp	First term	First KL Boy Scouts
	John’s Valley (Lake Gardens)		Third term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Perting (near Bentong)		December holidays	Second KL Boy Scouts
1967	Lever’s Valley	Get-Together camp	First term	First KL Seniors
	Gombak 12.5 Mile (now Alang Sedayu)		First term	First KL Seniors
	Port Dickson	4-day pleasure camp	Second term	First KL Seniors
	Genting Sempah	Inter-patrol competition camp		First KL Boy Scouts
	Port Dickson		Second term holidays	First KL Boy Scouts
	John’s Valley	Training camp for Second formers	Third term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Kuala Kubu Bharu		First term	Second KL Seniors
	Pangkor		Second term	Second KL Seniors
	Castle Camp	Training camp	First term	Second KL Boy Scouts
	Camp Semangat (National Camp)	Week long camp	First term holidays	Second KL Boy Scouts
1968	John’s Valley	Get-To-Know-You camp		First KL Seniors
	Genting Sempah		First term	First KL Seniors
	John’s Valley	Inter-patrol competition camp	First term holidays	First KL Boy Scouts
	Pangkor	Week long camp	December holidays	Second KL Seniors
	Castle Camp	Get-To-Know-You camp	First term	Second KL Boy Scouts
	East Coast	Pleasure camp	First term holidays	Second KL Boy Scouts
	Gombak	Inter-patrol competition camp	Second term holidays	Second KL Boy Scouts
1969	Genting Sempah	5-day inter-patrol competition camp	First term	First KL Seniors
	Lever’s Valley (Lake Gardens)	Inter-patrol competition camp	First term holidays	First KL Boy Scouts
	Bentong		First term holidays	Second KL Seniors
	Lever’s Valley	Training camp		Second KL Boy Scouts
	Bentong	Training and competition camp		Second KL Boy Scouts
1970	Gombak 12.5 Mile	Inter-patrol competition camp	First term	First KL Seniors
	Port Dickson	Terminal camp		First KL Seniors
	Castle Camp	Get-To-Know-You camp		First KL Boy Scouts
	Gombak 12.5 Mile		First term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Port Dickson		Second term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Camp Semangat	Get-To-Know-You camp	First term	Second KL Seniors
	Camp Semangat	Get-To-Know-You camp	First term	Second KL Boy Scouts
	Castle Camp	Training camp	First term holidays	Second KL Boy Scouts
1971	John’s Valley	Get-To-Know-You camp		First KL Seniors
	Gombak 12.5 Mile		First term	First KL Seniors
	Morib	3-day camp	Second term	First KL Seniors
	Lever’s Valley	Get-To-Know-You camp	First term	First KL Boy Scouts
	John’s Valley	BP trophy competition camp	First term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Port Dickson	4-day competition camp	Second term	First KL Boy Scouts
	KL-Rawang Road 9th Mile	Get-To-Know-You camp		Second KL Seniors
	Port Dickson	Review camp		Second KL Seniors
	Genting Highlands	Vacation camp	Second term	Second KL Seniors
	Lever’s Valley	Get-To-Know-You camp	First term	Second KL Boy Scouts
	Gombak 12.5 mile	Inter-patrol competition camp	First term	Second KL Boy Scouts
1972	John’s Valley	Get-To-Know-You camp	First term	First KL Seniors
	Bentong		First term	First KL Seniors
	Port Dickson	Pleasure camp	Second term	First KL Seniors
	Singapore	Pleasure camp	December holidays	First KL Boy Scouts and Seniors
	John’s Valley (off Jalan Duta)	Get-To-Know-You camp	First term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Lever’s Valley (off Jalan Duta)	Inter-patrol competition camp	First term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Port Dickson		Second term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Genting Highlands		First term	Second KL Seniors
	Port Dickson	Pleasure camp	Third term holidays	Second KL Seniors
	John’s Valley	Get-To-Know-You camp		Second KL Boy Scouts
	Camp Semangat	Inter-patrol competition camp	Second term holidays	Second KL Boy Scouts
1973	John’s Valley	Get-To-Know-You camp	First term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Lever’s Valley	BP trophy inter-patrol competition camp	First term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Malacca		Second term	First KL Boy Scouts
	Ulu Kanching	Competition camp	First term holidays	Second KL Seniors
	Bentong		Second term	Second KL Seniors
	Jalan Gurney	Get-To-Know-You camp	First term	Second KL Boy Scouts
	Gombak	Competition camp	First term holidays	Second KL Boy Scouts
	Lever’s Valley		Second term	Second KL Boy Scouts

 

Two features from the table deserve comment. Firstly, apart from Group camps, the camps of the Boy Scouts and Seniors did not always coincide. Seniors were independent and adventurous enough to go on their own while Boy Scouts had sufficient guidance and advice from their Sixth Form Scouters, not needing to rely on Seniors. Secondly, the written records provide little information about the background of the BP trophy and what happened to historic competition trophies like the Bone or Panther trophy and Lever Mug. This lack of rigour in documenting traditions eventually led to the loss of some fine history for both Groups.

While some traditions were forgotten, others were more firmly entrenched during this period. One such tradition was the Get-To-Know-You Camp (formerly the Get-Together Camp). Designed to introduce new Scouts to the camping lifestyle and to enable new and older Scouts to be well-acquainted with each other, these camps were invariably held early during the First term. Investitures were also held during these camps. Another important camp (or camps) during the First term was the Training camp. The Training camp provided a more intense experience for Scouts to learn, test, experiment and refine their Scoutcraft ideas. These skills would then be put to the ultimate test in the inter-patrol Competition camps (which started in the 1950’s, according to the written records). Patrols were pitted against each other in a strenuous camp that tested their Scoutcraft skills to the utmost. Skills tested included pioneering, First-aid, rafting, backwoodsman cooking (where all cooking utensils had to be crafted from jungle matter), archery, underwater bamboo breathing and of course campcraft. For First KL, their Competition camps were the culmination of an entire term of Scouting competitions, including those held during ordinary Saturday Troop Meetings. On the other hand, the Second KL Competition camps were free-standing competitions.

Each camp certainly offered unique memories. Of course there were the common memories that cut through each Scout’s remembrance, such as the lack of good water (particularly at Camp Semangat in the 1960’s), building gadgets in alignment with sloping grounds, the rife mosquitoes and frequent downpours during camps. In 1964, at the Kuala Kubu Baru Camp, the First KL Seniors, who were camping without tents, had set up their ‘quarters’ on the other side of the river to their Scouters. Flash floods came quite suddenly, cutting the Seniors off from the Scouters, and punishing them for not having tents (see Camping (1964))! Sometimes, the Scouts also camped on ‘unorthodox’ sites. The 1966 Second KL Senior camp at Chuah, was held on estate grounds in the seaside town. They camped by sea and near graves! Occasionally, their camps also brought about unexpected socialising. In 1969, the Second KL Seniors had a two hour campfire with the Outward Bound School participants who were camping beside them at Teluk Badak.

The camping experience was also studded with memorable (and sometimes non-routine) activities. Sometimes there were long distance hikes. The Second KL Senior camp at Kuala Kubu Bharu (7 miles from the town) in 1967 was crowned by a hike up to Frasers Hill by some of the Seniors. In 1973, the First KL Boy Scouts took the opportunity to ascend Mount Ophir (Gunung Ledang) during their camp at Malacca. Sometimes camping involved the call of Scout duty. In 1967, Second KL Boy Scouts undertook public service at the Perting camp by helping to clear a campsite, before going for a swim in the waterfalls (though current was strong). Another example was in 1969. The Second KL Seniors were camping at Bentong, beside a river. Necessity mothered invention as the resourceful Scouts constructed a monkey bridge across the river.

Above all, camps called on the Scouts to dig into their creative minds and not depend on others to provide necessary items. The 1968 Victorian recorded that the First KL Senior camp at Genting Sempah Highlands included an inter-patrol Hockey tournament, where the ball was a tin can and sticks carved out of branches! Indeed, camps were a place to put Scoutcraft into good use. In 1970, the First KL Seniors took their canoes to their terminal camp at Port Dickson. Those canoes were the result of patrol activities during the year. The following year, their Boy Scouts also had canoe racing (together with tracking, scavenger hunts and treasure hunt) during their second term camp at Port Dickson.

While camping is a return to nature, it is also about cutting oneself off from modern civilisation. Sometimes that experience can be unnerving. In the February 1965 Get-Together camp at the Agricultural Valley in Kuala Lumpur, the Victorian recorded that the Seniors were blissfully unaware that political disturbances were raging in the town center. Indeed, camping did not spare the Scouts from security problems. In the 1965 First KL Group camp at Pangkor, curfew and security restrictions (due to the Indonesian Confrontation) hampered activities so the Group moved to camp on the Outward Bound School grounds at Lumut, on the mainland opposite Pangkor.

It is a mistake to think that hikes, cycling expeditions or Group trips were merely about physical training or mere pleasure. The Scouting movement is also about acquiring knowledge, and the resourceful V.I. Scouts packed many learning experiences into their outings. During the 1967 hike to Bukit Sungei Besi, the First KL Seniors were given a tour of the Television Malaysia transmission station there. This was a welcome reward after hiking through mining land, rubber estates, swamps a cemetery and a stiff climb. In 1972, the Second KL Group outing to East Coast was certainly an eye-opening experience for many who seldom travelled in that direction. They camped at Teluk Cempedak Beach in Kuantan, visited a satellite station, batik and silverware factories, and caught a boat to Pulau Kapas off coast of Terengganu, before going to Sungai Golok and Rantau Panjang on border for a glimpse of Thailand. For the Second KL Seniors, a more intellectually stimulating agenda awaited them in 1973 when they visited the Chemistry Department in 1973. There, they were enthralled with presentations of toxicology, commercial chemistry and crime detection (not to forget that in Scouting For Boys, Lord Baden-Powell commends a certain Robert Hindmarsh who used his keen senses to help detectives in solving a crime mystery).

Outings also provided fresh settings for activities, rather than constantly having activities in the V.I. compound. For example, in 1968, the Second KL Boy Scouts had backwoods cooking when they went to Ulu Kanching and cake-baking with self-constructed ovens when they went to John’s Valley. Of course, above all, these outings were opportunities to foster closer camarederie between the Scouts. Such must have been the benefits of Group trips like that by Second KL in 1969. During their eight day trip to Penang, they stopped over at Taiping and camped at the new campsite, Kem Maju. There, they hiked up Maxwell Hill. In Penang they visited tourists’ sights including Snake Temple, the Kek Lok Si Pagoda, Aquarium and the Sleeping Buddha. They also spent a day by the sea on the golden and sun-soaked sands of Batu Ferringhi. There was also a hike up Penang Hill (now called Bukit Bendera).

A multi-skilled Scout ought to possess competency in entertaining. There was no shortage of this skill as evinced by the numerous campfires, Gang Shows and Concerts put up by the V.I. Troops. Campfires have always been an integral part of camps. They were frequent fixtures on most nights during the camps, unless some other activity like Night Games, were to replace it for a particular night. Certainly much emphasis was given to singing abilities as during ordinary Troop meetings, ASM’s taught their boys how to sing properly. Song sheets, and later song books were produced. In the 1966 Victorian, it was noted that a new song book comprising 150 songs was produced for the Second KL Boy Scouts in March.

A larger scale campfire was the Annual Parents’ Campfire. Other Scout Troops also had major campfires, but this major campfire for the V.I. Scouts was different. It was not just a celebration for frolicking and socialising; the Annual Parents’ Campfire was conceived with the parents first and foremost in mind. It was usually a two to three hour event full of songs and sketches, refreshments and displays, where parents could discover the results of their sons’ involvement in the V.I. Scouting movement. The first such campfire was on 2 June 1962, when First KL had theirs at Castle Camp. It became an annual affair, except in 1965 when they had a Gang Show instead, and in 1969, when the May 13 racial riots in Kuala Lumpur forced the Group to cancel the event which was scheduled for May 17. There were prizes presented to the best Boy Scout performance and the best Senior performance, and one trophy ‘The Plate’ (donated by ASM Koh Tong Bak in 1963) for the best overall performance. Second KL was soon to follow with a similar tradition. Their first Annual Parents’ Campfire was on 30 May 1970 at Castle Camp. The following year, a song book was produced which had 139 pages, comprising 274 songs. Edited by then Pengakap Raja and ASSL Chong Kok Weng, it was in high demand among Ranger Units, Girl Guide Coys and Scout Troops around Kuala Lumpur. So they typed, cyclostyled and bound hundreds of them and sold them for $1.00 each. In 1972, Second KL was presented with a ‘Best Campfire Item’ trophy by Chan Lee Mun, the ASM for 1971. Occasionally, the Campfires were marred by rain, such as the first three First KL Campfires, but the Scouts kept whistling through the rain drops with performances par excellence.

The V.I. Scouts also displayed their entertainment skills at Gang Shows and School Concerts. In 1964, First KL became the first Scout Group to appear on Malaysian television. Under the tutelage of the experienced Mr Joe Howard, a Peace Corps Volunteer, their choir which had originally been formed for the V.I. Speech Day performance was chosen to appear on television on 26 July. A year later, in 1965, a Gang Show was held on 28 and 29 May at the Chin Woo Auditorium, to raise funds in aid of the Scout Den Project. Though it was the first V.I. presentation labelled a Gang Show, it was certainly not the first of its kind as in 1953, there was a Fiesta Variety Show, which in essence was the same as a Gang Show, but different in name. Apart from fund-raising, the Gang Show was designed to foster understanding between the public and the Group as well as reveal to the parents their sons’ activities and capabilities. Among the performances was a choir that was ably trained and conducted by Mr Brian Percival, a Peace Corps Volunteer. Many ex-Scouts also returned to lend a hand in that event, which preparation caused the suspension of various activities like the first term camp for the Seniors. The next Gang Show was held in March 1973 with the theme ‘What’s Up Scouts?’. It was organised by the ex-Seniors of First KL to raise funds for the Group’s equipment. During the 1960’s, First KL also put up many performances for the School Concerts. ‘The Lifesavers’, a play depicting the comical side of Scouting, was performed by the Seniors in 1966, followed by a musical named ‘Down Calypso Way’ the next year.

The V.I. Scouts were a collection of talented and intelligent persons. Unsurprisingly, the presence of the V.I. Scouts at competitions was always greeted with awe, and undaunted, the V.I. Scouts would live up to expectations. Take the 1966 inter-Troop competition at Castle Camp on 25 to 26 June. Lion patrol, representing the Second KL Boy Scouts, defeated all othe Troops to clinch the title. Besides competitions, the V.I. Scouts also shone in their pursuit of proficiency badges. Between 1964 and 1973, the V.I. Scouts must have, among themselves, acquired the entire range of proficieny badges up for grabs. These included Venturer, Ambulance/ First Aid, Public Health, Radio Mechanic, Dispatch Rider, Camp Warden, Linguist, Cook, Swimming, Conservation, Camper, Backwoodsman, Athlete, Cyclist, Rescuer, Fireman, Interpreter It definitely reflects the range of talents and interests among the V.I. Scouts - they were certainly no bookworms, though their studies did not suffer as a result. In fact, such badgework must have expanded their intelligence and maturity in ways that the classroom was unable to do.

Of course, the main goals (in badgework) were the Scout Cord for Boy Scouts and the Pengakap Raja for Seniors. And it was no mean feat for a Boy Scout to achieve the First Class badge or a Senior to gain the Bushman’s Thong, these two being the awards immediately preceding the Cord and the Raja. In 1964, five First Class, one Cord and three Raja holders were present in Second KL. In 1965, First KL produced nine Rajas (Oh Seong Lye, Yap Piang Kian, Ramasamy, Ng Sing Peng, Chan Poh Sum, Kee Kim Chye, Lim Seong Ghee, Liew Kon Wui and Yap Peng Lee). Meanwhile in Second KL, PL Anthony Sun gained the Scout Cord and six held the Bushman’s Thong. The next year, in 1966, five Second KL Scouts, namely, Patrick Ong Huat Leng, Victor Sodhy, Ernest Yong, Edward Sun and Ronnie Khoo, were awarded with the Raja while TL Ng Weng Kong gained the Scout Cord, joining Anthony Sun as a Cord holder. In 1967, a number of First KL and Second KL Scouts passed the First Class badge to obtain epaulettes while six Second KL Seniors gained the Bushman’s Thong. Two Second KL Boy Scouts, Chong Kok Weng and Lee Kum Fook, obtained the Scout Cord.

When the V.I. celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1968, there were 15 Bushman Thongs in First KL, while in Second KL three Seniors (Chong Kok Weng, Wrutheran, Au-Yong Mun Heng) obtained their Thongs and six others (Saleem, Kuan Beng Wai, Wong Siew Hai, Shahul Hamid, Yong Yoon Shing and Ng Weng Kong) were awarded the Rajas. The Boy Scouts were no less impressive - First KL had a Cord in Chan Heng Yooi and five First Class Scouts while Second KL produced four Cords and six First Class Scouts. The following year, eight Bushman Thongs were present in Second KL. The 1970’s started with a bang when there existed eight Bushman’s Thongs in Second KL in 1970. On top of that, six former Seniors were standardised with the Pengakap Raja badge including Chong Kok Weng, Lee Kum Fook and Chang Wei Shing. In 1972, three Second KL Seniors obtained their Thongs and a few more their First Class. The following year, a few more Second KL Scouts gained the First Class badge.

Why were the V.I. Scouts such high-flyers? Besides intelligence, good training was an important factor. Firstly, the V.I. Scouts constantly attended training courses (some which took a few weeks, such as the Fireman’s Course at the Shaw Road Fire Station) to improve themselves, and they invariably did well in those courses. In 1967, it is recorded that the First KL Seniors who attended the Fireman’s Course recorded 100% passes in the exam. In that year too, nine Second KL Seniors attended a Radio-Mechanic course at BP House to learn to build their own receivers. Secondly, the Courts of Honour and the Scouters provided critical guidance in skills. The Second KL Boy Scouts report in the 1969 Victorian records that ‘...the old Scout Den and classrooms became the centres for learning and taking tests. Training sessions were conducted in the afternoons on weekdays by Patrol Leaders and other more senior scouts...Patrol Leaders shouldered part of the responsibilities of the ASM in helping him to examine the recruits in their tests...’. Thirdly, the Troops organised frequent progressive test sessions (like getting qualified examiners) outside Troop meetings, so that Scouts could easily take tests. It was also important that the senior members of the Troops had the necessary skills and credentials.

Gaining badges and organising activities are important, but so too is spreading the spirit of scouting to the uninitiated. This must have been one major goal or the Scouts’ participation in the V.I. Annual Exhibitions. The Annual Exhibition of the School, held in conjunction with the Speech Day, was a momentous event where Victorians drew on their complete range of talents and knowledge to put up displays of things scientific, artistic or cultural. Such Exhibitions unfailingly conjured the applause of the general public including university students and various experts in their fields. From the scouts, pioneering projects made yearly apperances, together with projects that had been completed during the year such as gadget models, log books, Scout publications and also awards won during the year. Personal collections such as butterfly displays (catching and framing butterflies at the Lake Gardens and elsewhere was a popular pastime among the Scouts then) were also presented. For example, in 1966, the Second KL Seniors exhibited scale models of pioneering projects, a life-sized signalling tower and aerial runway, a patrol hut, butterfly displays, draw-it-yourself butterflies, and a ‘Try Our Cooking’ section. As well as these usual displays, the Scouts had thematic displays that were unique to each Exhibition. In 1965, First KL had a Red Indian theme, putting up a full-scale tepee, genuine arrowheads and spearheads, live-sized Indians.

While rivalry fosters quality through competition, co-operation can bring significant benefits of synergy. Perhaps it was this belief that fostered a willingness in both First KL and Second KL to combine their talents for the Exhibition from 1970 onwards - an amazing phenomenon in the light of inter-Troop rivalry! In that year of 1970, the Scouts constructed a life-sized riverside campsite, complete with a raised-house (using only bamboo and wood), a monkey bridge and a canoe. It even caught the attention of the press! The next year, the joint project was even more ambitious. It included towers of over 30 feet high, catwalks, a display of knots, a monkey bridge and a cable chair from one tower to another (not for the faint-hearted!). The 1972 joint project was based on a more martial theme, with a stockade set up, complete with gigantic catapults, a ground-to-air missile launcher, bows and arrows, a 30-feet high tower and a sauna bath.

A high degree of co-operation (and some one-upmanship) between the Troops also existed in terms of organising inter-Troop activities, especially inter-Troop games. The first recorded inter-Troop games occurred in 1968, between the Senior troops of both Groups. The Boy Scout Troops of both Groups also had inter-Troop games in various years. Games varied to include football, rugby, basketball and volleyball. In fact, there was also a game on skates in 1973; noting that the 1970’s seemed like a ‘skate-mania’ period for the V.I., culminating with the construction of the School’s skating rink diagonally behind the Pavillion in 1975.

Any talk of the Scouting fraternity is incomplete without noting the extraordinary contributions of former Scouts (or in jargon, the Ex’s). Since the start of the Scouting movement in the V.I. in 1910, former Scouts had returned to undertake Scout Masterships (as teachers) or ASMships, contributed trophies for competitions, visited the Groups to conduct Scoutcraft courses or judge in competitions. The 1960’s and 1970’s were no different. For example, First KL Pengakap Raja and ASM Yap Peng Lee, who had sat for his H.S.C. in 1966, returned to become a Group Scout Master of First KL in 1968, while holding a temporary teaching position in the School. On top of that, there was the noteworthy establishment of a Rover Troop. The 70th KL Troop consisted of former First KL Seniors, who had become Rovers. They had many activities such as rafting along the Perak River (See Down the Perak River (1969)). They also helped the V.I. Troops in various ways such as organising a fund-raising Ball together with the Second KL Seniors in August 1971 for a new Scout Den.

Undoubtedly, the V.I. Scouts benefitted from their Ex’s and showed their appreciation by organising different events that involved their Ex’s. In 1967, three years before organising their first Annual Parents’ Campfire, the Second KL Seniors paid tribute to their Ex’s by organising a campfire for the Old Boys on 18 June at Castle Camp. That year too, ex-Second KL Pengakap Raja Edward Sun donated his radiogram to the Senior Troop. Another example of camaraderie between present and Old Boys occurred on 26 June 1971. The first recorded First KL Seniors versus 70th KL Rovers games was held in badminton, table-tennis, football, basketball and rugger. The Seniors merely narrowly defeated their elder fellows by three games to two.

Truly the Ex’s, the Scouts of the 1960’s and 1970’s, had set a high standard of achievements and traditions. Could future generations of V.I. Scouts emulate or better them?

         

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