Todd Sabiston (32 Kingswood summers) and Spanky Roman (23 Kingswood summers) make quite the remarkable pair at Kingswood council fire gatherings.  It was Todd’s night to show off as he managed the building of the fire with the cooperative assistance of a small group of kids who arrived at the fire pit 20 minutes before kickoff.  And, there he was again during the musical segment entertaining the kids with his personal creations that have been camp staples for nearly all that time.  Boys love it.

 

In between Todd’s moments in the firelight, Mike and I took care to explain the Native American tradition of the council fire, making sure they knew both how to spell the word and know its meaning to be “a meeting.”

 

At this council, we also told the boys the meaning of the word “Kingswood.”  In case you are not aware, the “King’s wood” were those enormous white pine trees that King George III marked with a special arrow to become future masts for his royal navy.  Once the colonists defied this command and harvested this most valuable timber resource, the American Revolution was soon to follow.

 

We did lighten up the mood towards the end by telling some stories of rowdy camper behavior many many years ago, concluding with a “how how” (Native American phrase) of approval that this sort of behavior, while hilarious to talk about, has no place in today’s Kingswood.

 

At council fire conclusion, we all lock arms and sway while we sing the Kingswood Alma Mater:

Far Above Lake Tarleton’s Waters

With its waves of blue

Stands noble Kingswood Camp

Glorious to view …

Then we sing “Taps” with those beautiful words “All is well, safely rest.”

While silence continues to reign, we dismiss the boys by cabin and they walk quietly up the hill to get ready for bed.  All save for the Guides, those 15 year olds, who gather around the dying embers of the fire to savor the moment all to themselves.  Quite a powerful tradition, one could argue.

 

Approaching rains this morning quickly dissipated as they crossed the Green Mountains of Vermont, so we are momentarily disappointed not to have some badly needed wetness.  Maybe later today.  We did soak the roads yesterday and it seemed to help a lot to keep down the dust.  But, before I had the chance to explain the concept to the boys, quite a few of them got  a chuckle by observing the sprinkler water missing the grass and landing on the parched roadway.

 

The other main theme of yesterday and certain to carry over to today and beyond centers around the following revelation: “Mysterious tackle box found at the bottom of the lake, containing a warning and a riddle with ominous wording from “jack” 1984. Papers are old, brown, and torn, unsure how long it’s been there.”  Lots of boys think I am involved since I was around in 1984.  I know absolutely nothing about it!!