camp geiger and her memories.

Camp has ended for the season. An epilogue of sorts for the last several posts.

One has to have a special zeal to be a 54 year old rookie staff guy.  Or maybe just crazy.  If the second, then what does it say that I reapplied for next year?  Yeah.

What did I learn?  To be grateful to those friends that give you rides from the Dining Hall.  And sometimes to it.  To be grateful for a kind word at an opportune moment.  To be more adamant about needing a Driving pass. (partially kidding on that one) That sometimes your desire to help and do good is frustrated by physics, or, a lack of ice to bag.

All for a pair of square coup. Yes, I put them on.  Yes, they are on the back of a lanyard where they will rarely be seen.  I have reached that point that I need to start a second string or something.  I am old.

I asked the Camp Director what my odds are of being on Staff next year, if at least 50/50.  He said at least that, so I am content.  I can honestly say that I did my best in everything I did.  The only thing that I felt bad about, was that I was not able to fully participate in my paint station.  Again, the limitations of age, strength, and stamina.

No white paint for Phil, which was no surprise to me at all.  I had elaborated previously on my appreciation for those elevated to the Tribal Council.  I have a long way to go to live up to that bar.  

Did I mention that I am not a kid anymore?  It is pretty easy for those in their 20s to be able to hoof it all around.  Losing weight is essential, but recognizing my limitations is even more so.  Every morning I woke up with leg cramps, and driving home on Saturdays my hands would cramp up. (no doubt from shoveling ice)  That is a story in and of itself.

For my last week, I decided to wear my brother Les'es lanyard with my claws.  I just felt like he would have wanted that, to be able to give me strength to get through the week.  NO, I don't think that there is some magic in the lanyard, it was more of a tribute to him.  Plus, I don't know how many compliments I had on the lanyard, which I deflected to my brother, and his skill.  The hours that he spent making it make it impractical to make for someone else, the price would be astronomical.  

I was also able to see Ben tapped, and receive his claws.  It seems odd that that would mean so much to me, as the Church is getting out of Scouting after 2019, but it did.

All I tried to do was to exemplify to the best of my ability the part of the scout oath, to help other people at all times.  Others also modeled this behavior to me personally.  I was helped by my bosses, Brandon and Fred, by my housemate Jerry and John, and too many people to mention.  I was encouraged by all, and even though most of the staff are young adults, or kids, they helped support me at key moments, including my brother Keepers, who carried the load for the summer, yet were very kind and generous to me.

In my teaching role, I learned how valuable it is to have leaders come to the class.  In Crime Prevention, part of the requirements deal with preventing child abuse, and what BSA is doing to combat it.  This was a very difficult lesson to teach, yet probably the most important.  It makes it so much easier to have the adults as sounding boards to help explain things in a way that the boys may understand better, without being paranoid about every adult around.  I enjoyed teaching, and part of my frustration was that it seemed difficult to hold the Scouts' attention, and sometimes it seemed no one was listening, but inevitably, in each class there was at least one who told me they were glad they were there, and that they had learned.  Way more important than a pair of square coup.

I was also happy as could be to participate in the Closing for the Wednesday night campfires, as part of the choir.  It was very well done, describing past heroes of scouting, while pointing to the future.  The likes of Baden Powell, H. Roe Bartle, and Roger Thom.  Led in by the Camp Director mentioning that it was 40 years ago that he experienced Camp Geiger for the first time as a Cub Scout, and then at the end handing the torch to the session's King Pee Wee.  Change is the one constant in the universe.

And in closing, it would seem there may be a new advancement song.  I had heard it periodically throughout camp, as the staff seemed fixated on the Johnny Appleseed grace, and so perhaps Mr. Zip Zip Zip is going away, yesterday they started the old song, but the staff sang the new one. Appropriate, as we don't eat Saturday morning in the Dining Hall, so no juice with the rolls.  Here is the song;

Oh, The tribe's been good to me
And so I thank the tribe
For giving me the things I need
The claws, and the paint,and the wooden beads,
The tribe's been good to me
Hau Hau

Camp was good to me, the staff was great to me, and yes, the tribe too.  Darrell was one of my favorite staffers when I was a teenager, and he took the time to speak of some of those times when he gave me my staff coup. 

Now good for me?  It will take a while to heal, but if I was given motivation to improve my conditioning, then yes, good for me.

Hau Hau