When the Branch Hoppers arrived at the Clayton Beach parking lot they were greeted by mentors who had been splitting Western Red Cedar in anticipation for a day of carving with them. Circling up the boys introduced themselves to mentor Joey Christianson who was subbing for Brian and also our EMA for the day Jordan.
Jordan explained to the boys that his group, the Vespula Veterans, had harvested the Cedar he was currently splitting on their campout at Racehorse Falls. It was powerful for our EMA to make the direct connection with his knowledge and skill for harvesting the wood, and the service and nourishment it provided the younger Explorers.
At our first exploration of the season we focused on shelter building, but the boys had shown a great interest in carving. Following their inspiration our aim for the day would be to provide time during the outing for carving if we could all agreed to focus on shelter-building on our last outing to North Lake Samish.
We discussed the high impact of shelter-building at a location like Clayton Beach, which has high human use, determining that the skill was best left for the mixed-use forest and logging lands. Coincidentally the abundance of deciduous tree debris and down limbs is often much more prevalent in these areas making harvesting of materials a breeze.
Heading down the trail the to beach the boys started what would become the Branch Hopper’s challenge for the day. They asked if they would be able to stop and have a fir cone battle on the hillside. I think most of the boys already knew the mentor’s response to this question. The Branch Hoppers yearn for competition and that is healthy. In the Boys EC we describe healthy competition as trading courage. When the Explorers offer each other their best in games they play with honor and accept challenge as a form of growth. The mentors reminded the group that fir cone battles and other unhealthy forms of competition have led their group into conflict, escalation, and misuse of personal power.
As mentors we really encourage the boys to try and take a step outside their impulse to play games where violence is a focus, even if it deemed pretend or innocent. Our long-term aim is that the Explorers recognize that if they pretend to harm one another and choose to focus behaviors that reinforce it, the long-term effects can manifest either unintentionally or impulsively in harmful ways.
The ability to discern in the moment requires a great deal of self-awareness and maturity, most of which will develop later in the Branch Hoppers adolescent years. However it is our belief as their mentors that an immersion and experience with a culture that promotes healthy competition from an early age provides a firm foundation and moral compass from which to grow.
Arriving at the beach we let the boys squirrel out before we focused in on some carving. The boys roamed the beach climbing on the sandstone and doing acrobatics on the sand dune. Clayton Beach is an endless playground for the boys and outing after outing the boys continue to be enthralled by this location. We are fortunate in Bellingham to have this gem of a park so close to home.
Calling the boys back in we handed out the freshly split blanks of Cedar and the boys put in a solid hour of work carving. It was great to watch them relax leaning against the driftwood and settling into the sand. This group has shown a depth of character around our culture of responsible tool usage and it is exemplified their ability to recognize the difference between a tool and a weapon. They are developing a sense of craftsperonship and pride in their trades and it extends to their ethical use with them.
Packing up our carving projects we headed south along the shore following a set of old pilings. The farther we traveled the more we started to smell the aroma of something dead on the beach. Sure enough we came across a mostly decomposed harbor seal. With the help of a mentor and a stick we examined the skeletal structure of the Harbor Seal and learned about the natural decomposition cycle for this marine mammal. The boys stared at the carcass perplexed as to the notion that they were witnessing both a scene life and death simultaneously.
With that inspiration it was time for a sit spot. The boys spread out on the breakwater south of the point and listened to the calls of the Yellow-Billed Loons as they foraged territorially through their claims to the Eelgrass beds. It was truly magical.
After breaking our sit spot the boys roamed the beach skipping rocks and eventually some returned to their fir cone battle. Calling the group together the mentors asked the group what they needed in order to spend the rest of the outing with a little more structure. Through an impressive facilitation from the tribal elder and a great compromise for the group we agreed to play a game a Spiders Web throughout the rocks on the beach and then have a closing meeting back at the carving spot.
After our council the energy for the rest outing followed well and the boys were engaged. It was an important less for the mentors to be reminded thatwe are all leaders and it is important to ask the boys what they’d rather do than try and infer.
The game of Spider’s Web proved to be quiet a challenge but the group had a blast experimenting with a whole gambit of stealth and diversion tactics. Circling up on the beach the group gave thanks and shared apples. What a wonderful and rich outing with the Branch Hoppers full of powers and challenges. We look forward to our last outing for the fall 2015 season at North Lake Samish trailhead. There we where we will focus on building a warm and comfortable shelter not only of the earthen variety, but also within the climate of our group.
For more pictures from the outing please visit the Branch Hopper’s photo gallery
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