A desperate plea was Whatsapped at 6pm Friday 24 November 2023. "Anyone with a spare woggle for the scarf?". With typical scouting ingenuity, the solution was a self-knitted woggle, using a USB cable.

A 21st century solution to an age-old problem, just like the event the owner was going to celebrate - the VI scouts would finally have a new abode from Saturday, 25 November 2023 on. It would replace their previous home which had tragically burned down one July night in 2007.

A den rebuilding committee had been set up after the 2010 Scout Centenary celebrations, led by ex-VSGian and later VIOBA President, Kwek Keng Chye. A generous RM50,000 gift by another VSGian, Dato' Mark Yeoh, finally took the years-long effort over the finish line, with enough left over to buy equipment for the troops. Designed in part by ex-First KL architect, Henry Ng Hon Yuen, the new scout den is located behind the Form One block, a stone's throw across the road from Stadium Negara

Came the morning of that auspicious Saturday, and alumni gathered where...

• the oldest (V.I. 1953) was older than the grandfather of the youngest (V.I. 2015);
• two had received their Scout Leader Wood Badge from Gilwell Park, the home of world scouting;
• employee and his boss cum guest-of-honour had both been initiated by V.I. scouting, though in different eras;
• juniors happily heard their seniors explain their 'invention' of events like Survival Camp which were Bear Grylls equivalents before the world had heard of Bear Grylls;
• one had survived a Treasure Hunt mishap near the Jalan Gasing turnoff, where an overeager motorcyclist launched him airborne from his bicycle, securing him a bed in nearby University Hospital, and a legendary place in collective memory;
• many remembered Anak Takun whose darkness was so blinding that they couldn't see their own hands in front of their faces;
• another remembered a cooking competition where his rival scored higher marks for the rice, even though the rival had taken the boiled rice from him in the first place!

Much backslapping, teasing, and uproarious laughter everywhere - just like a normal V.I. school-day.

The 80-odd attendees mingled freely, even though among their numbers included:

• the Deputy President of the Malaysian Scout Council and Federal Territory Assistant Commissioner (both V.I. Old Boys);
• the octogenarian who had drafted the Parliamentary Act to formalize the Malaysian Scout Federation;
• a self-proclaimed lousy scout who subsequently founded a renowned network of premium hotels across the globe.

The mingling was interspersed with formality, carefully planned by the teachers with the Fourth and Fifth Formers, plus a dash of feedback from Kwek Keng Chye, the stalwart behind the den-rebuilding initiative. The programme kicked off with the flag-breaking ceremony, singing of the national and Federal Territory anthems, a welcome by the V.I. Senior Assistant Mr Robert Solomon, and reminiscences by Guest-of-Honour Dato' Mark Yeoh Seok Kah that mixed the lighthearted and the sobering. Next, Mark unfurled the foundation plaque, followed by some phototaking and souvenir presentation. Finally came audience participation, belting out all 3 verses of the school song, and then the obligatory group photo.

The officiation ceremony had ended. Guests were then treated to a visit of the school museum. A veritable rogues' gallery, it told of the "alternative history" of the country, where much of the tenor of the nation had been shaped or influenced by V.I. personalities, by design or accident. With pride charged and intellect nourished, all were ready for the buffet at the school hall.

But wait - where were the troop songs? What happened to "Oh we're tough, mighty tough, in the troop..." and "But of all the world's hearty lads, there's none that can compare.."? This had to wait for a spontaneous breakout in the school hall, after the makan. Satisfied, everyone then started taking their leave, some homeward bound while others continued their wandering; to the Prefects' Room, the swimming pool, and even 206. Happy memories abounded.

Saturday 25 November 2023 was a homecoming in many ways - the present scouts had a new home, while the alumni were like falling leaves returning to their roots. The scout adage rang true - take nothing but memories, leave nothing but thanks.

Dennis Loh Kok Kin