The Daredevil’s Club and Branch Hoppers arrived at the Connelly Creek Service Site only to see the sky darken and the clouds open up with rainfall. Quickly adorning their rain gear the boys weren’t fazed at all. Doing a once over of the site the group noticed a lot had changed. The Reed-Canary grass had made a comeback, but not quite as much as years previous. The Blackberries were slowly creeping their way over the mulch and re-rooting. The Morning Glory vines had intertwined themselves with our caged Alders and a late summer storm had taken down a tree, scattering branches everywhere.
The group was slightly disheartened, but not defeated. After two and a half years of tending the site the boys are learning the valuable lesson that all relationships take work and maintenance. Their relationship with this patch of land is slowly and persistently testing the boys’ fortitude and diligence to their task, while cultivating their character.
Our mentors have observed two very distinct character traits budding in our Explorers, as coined by Dr. Kurt Hahn, the famous educator and founder of Outward Bound,
"I regard it as the foremost task of education to insure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self denial, and above all, compassion.”
These “Five Pillars of Hahnism” are part of the core character traits we hope to cultivate and reinforce in the Explorers. Their “undefeatable spirit” for and “tenacity in the pursuit” of restoring balance to this patch of wilderness is a very real window in what their journey and struggle to be stewards of the land might look like in our modern age. The Explorer’s access and exposure to a plethora of information on environmental dilemmas that await their generation is enough to dishearten anyone. It will be their “undefeatable spirit” and “tenacity in the pursuit” that will enact monumental change in our world and in their own lives personally.
Circling up the boys were excited to begin working, but before they did we needed to cover a few things. With two boys in casts we thought it appropriate to get acquainted with one another by sharing our names and our “best” worst injury. This icebreaker seemed to derail our focus and Tim called the Explorers to bring their attention to the task at hand and remember why we were doing the work. The mentors often remind the boys that our explorations have an impact on the land, and that this service outing is our one chance each season to give back restore balance to the land.
Once we were acquainted the Mentors explained that our initial task would involve maintaining the work that was done the previous season, as Bellingham Parks & Recreation needed to drop a large load of mulch for next weekend’s work. After an Explorer led demonstration of tool safety the Mentors pulled out a tool, which the group have previously not worked with, handsaws! An Alder had toppled that blocked the path for the Park Department’s truck to dump mulch and the boys would need to work together to limb it and saw up the trunk.
Getting to work the boys put in a solid hour of pushing back the blackberries at the front of the site, clearing and staking out the shrubs that we planted last year, and unraveling the Morning Glory off the Alders. While they worked the group vacillated between focus and distraction. I have to hand it to the boys in their ability to be creative and keep themselves busy. They created a verbal fantasy role-playing game without a board or dice. Their struggle however was to keep their hands working while they played. This skill takes time to develop and most adults have not yet mastered it.
Their work may have come in waves, but the group got a lot done and should be proud of their effort. We would also like to commend the boys for using the saws with patience and to their upmost potential. Throughout the course of our outing not one Explorer joked with or misused the saws. It was powerful to watch the boys skillfully use these tools. As mentors our hearts lighten to see our motto Tool vs. Weaponempowering the Explorers. They are letting us know that they are ready for more responsibility and although they did much fighting and welding of weaponry in their theoretical fantasy game they can clearly differentiate between the two.
Finishing up our work the crew basked in the sun sharing apples and thanks. With a rainy start to the day the group unanimously expressed their gratitude for the warmth and comfort of the mid-day sun. Thank you Daredevil’s Club and Branch Hoppers for a strong start to our fall 2015 service project. With 1,252 of service hours worked there last year there is no telling what we can accomplish with our number at 169 strong. Parents thank you for your support and care for our work in the community. It is a pleasure to serve with your boys.
Click here for the more picture from the day in Daredevil’s Club orBranch Hoppers photo galleries.
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