As the first few Explorers arrived for Sunday’s Cave Dwelling, Hairy-legged Vampire Bat (Cave Dweller) outing, I started to get concerned hearing the boys remembering their prior experiences at this location. Thoughts of, “Will they be disappointed because we’d already been here?” and “How will we make it new for them?” ran through my head.
I needn’t have worried. Throughout the outing, Mentor Tim and I heard repeated exclamations of “Hey, remember when…….” Their reaction brought back to mind the power of place. In Explorers Club, we get to experience a place with all our senses, and like the smell of that cabin you stayed in as a child or the feel of a lady bug crawling on your skin for the first time, the connection you make is deep and abiding.
So we got to build on memories such as the deer skull Mentor Tim found a few years ago and the shelters we built near the root-bound boulder last year. This time, we headed first to the view point, where the Cave Dwellers gave voice and motion to their desire to have a pine cone “war”. This distinctively male need to compete and strategize has long been a hallmark of the Cave Dweller cohort. Interestingly, we see maturation even in this most primal of activities. A few years ago, one could safely predict one or two breakdowns in protocol involving actual fighting; not at all this day.
Another, possibly more significant measure of progress for the Cave Dwellers; their sensitivity to the needs of each group member and willingness to adapt their activity to include all. This focus on inclusion has become a group norm. You can be proud of your Explorer’s caring attitude!
The “wild” in the boys released, it was time for some carving. The boys are past the initial flush of excitement at getting to use a knife and showed mild interest in creating a finished product. They have experience and a degree of skill, though, that we’ll work to integrate into future activities.
Following carving and lunch, we hiked part of the way down to the root-bound boulder for a few games of Spider’s Web. The first game was very short as our focused spider made quick work of getting all flies back the web for a rare spider victory. The second game saw the flies work a little harder to achieve a draw.
Our last circle of thanks for this year was expanded to include a discussion of desired places for us to explore next year. As if to reinforce my point about the power of place, Fragrance Lake was high on their list. They also called out the mud flats (usually a Summer Camp location), old growth forests out SR 542, Clayton Beach, Mount Baker and more. They liked the idea of traverses and of more distant outings that would require bus use. I can’t promise anything at this point, but expect a mix of familiar and new in 2017-18!
Tim and I are deeply grateful for the opportunity to spend quality time with your Explorers. We feel privileged to do this meaningful work; thank you for welcoming us into your lives. Check out the rest of our photos here.
