All outings are exciting, but the first outing of Spring season always seems to carry a little extra excitement; Winter is long and the days have just started
being long enough and nice enough to explore again. As the Red Tailed Eyas
gathered in the North Galbraith parking lot it was fun to see the faces of
seasoned explorers and share memories of past explorations and adventures
together. Today was an unusual day for Explorers Club in that we had two groups
gathering at the same location; both the Red Tailed Eyas and a younger group
called the Grey Wolf Pups. As the groups arrived all four mentors quickly
conferenced and decided to take advantage of this anomaly and that we should
all meet up for a big game of Spiders
Web.
Once everyone had arrived the Red
Tailed Eyas hit the trail just before the Grey Wolf Pups in search of a spot in
the woods for an opening circle. After a few minutes of hiking we found one and
all gathered together to not only discuss our day but also the upcoming season.
Historically the Red Tailed Eyas have struggled with efficient group decision
making; A skill that becomes increasingly important as these boys mature and
began backpacking and other trips that take them deeper into the wilderness.
Last season the group made some gains in this skill through some long and
committing traverses that required careful thought of the group and ability to
make quick decisions. But today the Red Tailed Eyas were back to their
unfocused ways as we attempted to frame the season and talk about our plans for
today.
As
we sat in our circle the younger Grey Wolf Pups had sat down for their circle
and quickly came up with a plan and were now hiking down the hill to find a
spot for Spiders Web One of the red
Tailed Eyas Said “Why do they get to leave their Circle?” The mentors replied
that the Grey Wolf Pups had probably talked about everything they needed to
talk about. This was a moment where it is clear that sometimes the best mentors
are not the adults in the circle but our peers.
With
our opening circle done we hiked down to join the Grey Wolf Pups for a giant
Game of Spiders Web. The game went
off without a hitch. We found an excellent location and playing with so many
boys allowed us to have three spiders and two food sources. (ask your explorer how
this changed the game, they will be happy to share!)
After the first game well
game together to talk about what to change for the next round. With such a
large group it was challenging to facilitate this conversation, but soon we all
came to an agreement about how to play the next round. Hiding in ravines,
getting stuck on the web, new nettles stinging us, lots of dirt, rain
sprinkles, laughter, new friends, challenging game, running up hills. We all
ended the second game feeling satisfied and tired from our day together. This
was a day that is a good reminder that sometimes just playing in the woods is
the most important way to learn from and experience the land.
With
the game over it was time to separate the Red Tailed Eyas and Grey Wolf Pups so
we could each have our own closing circles. As we sat in our circle we all
talked openly about decision making and how we could all individually help facilitate better group work. The Red
Tailed Eyas were all sincere in their comments and spoke from the heart. The
group as a whole is still working on their ability to focus and make decisions,
but on an individual level many of the boys have grown and matured a lot over
the Winter and there are some strong and capable leaders emerging in the group.
Thank you Red Tailed Eyas for a great Outing!
