Wayne Cheung Wai-yip, 15, has been a member of the Scout Association of Hong Kong for the past four years. He has earned more than 20 badges of different kinds - all pinned on his uniform - since he joined his school's sea scout team in Form One. Every Saturday he and 20 schoolmates return to school for a three-hour patrol, and enjoy some water sport training during the long holidays. What's on your mind? I'm preparing for my air training programme. Although I'm a sea scout, I have to do other kinds of training. Like other boy scouts or air scouts, we need to learn basic survival and self-help skills such as the use of the compass, first aid, knotting, camping and cooking. I've got the membership badge and the standard, advanced and chief scout's awards. Now I'm hoping to get the air training badges and then the sea training badges before I graduate from secondary school. But these aren't easy. To pass the air training courses I need to study models of different aircraft, logos of airlines and some basic knowledge on how to fly aircraft. Why did you join the sea scouts? I didn't know much about the sea scouts when I first joined the team in Form One. My older brother was a member of the Civil Aid Services and St John Ambulance. So I thought I should also join a team and get a special uniform to wear. How do you find being a sea scout? It's more interesting than I thought. Besides patrolling, I'm gaining a lot of practical knowledge. I know, for example, how to differentiate the different-coloured hydrants on streets: the yellow ones provide salt water while the red ones have fresh water. I've become a good cook. Like many other boys, I used to hate cooking. I always depended on my mother. But now I know how to cook rice, fry vegetables, steam fish and even prepare desserts. As a scout, I need to do that when we're out on camp. How do you become a good scout? Many people think a boy scout should be physically strong so that he can survive all the demanding training such as camping and hiking. This is a must, but not the priority. Being a good boy scout you should first be a responsible person. Always be punctual to meetings and training. Never break promises. Do what you ought to do, and what you've promised to do.
