Chapter 54 - Scout Class - part 1 - from my book Changes

Feb 6

One of my team members and me with lances and one person’s “log”. My face is way too clean!

Chapter 54

Scout Class - part 1

After the Vision Quest eight day class was over, Scout class was next. Tom Brown Jr’s said Scout class was his favorite class to teach.

By the evening of the first day of Scout class, everyone had arrived and set up their tents. After dinner we gathered on the benches in the Taj and the instructors went over the logistics of the class. Then we split up into scout teams, and spent some time getting to know our team members. After about a half hour, the lights went out, firecrackers went off, and someone shouted, “Game on!” Some people dove for cover or at least ducked and looked around, and we knew that Scout class had officially begun.

Some of my friends from pervious Trackerschool classes invited me to be in a scout team of “old folks”. We were a group of people who would look after each other and consider the physical limitations of each member. There were eight of us.

The next day, the morning of the first full day, we each chose a lance to be our constant companion for the length of the class. Each wooden lance was approximately 7 feet long, and 2-3 inches in diameter. The purpose of the lance was to increase our awareness. We had to keep our lance with us at all times, and make sure no one took it from us. As long as we were holding our lance, no one could steal it, but if we let go of it, it was up for grabs. You could, however, ask a team member hold it for you temporarily if needed.

The consequence for letting someone steal your lance was that you had to carry a log around with you, instead of your lance, for a whole day.

Creating greater awareness may have been the main purpose of carrying a lance, but later in the week my lance served a purpose beyond that (that story coming later)!

Then next assignment for our team was to find and create a scout camp for ourselves. There would be evenings when our scout camp would be our home as a team, and we would be protecting our combined lances from the other scout teams, (sort of like capture the flag) as we took turns stalking and trying to steal lances from other scout teams.

We set up trip wires all around our little camp, wherever we thought someone might try to approach us at night. Each team was issued little snappers, firework poppers, that make a loud snap sound when the two strings were pulled. We attached those to our trip wires along trails.

We also dug a scout pit near our camp so we could each have the experience of spending time in it, or sleeping in it.

A scout pit is something dug into the ground that is large enough to hold the full length of a person and wide enough for a person to turn over in it. It is typically large enough to line with straw, or leaves, or other debris, to create some insulation and separation from the sand or dirt. A scout pit also needs to be covered and camouflaged enough to be undetected by passers by, and have a moving door or some opening for the scout to enter and exit the scout pit.

Though I did not spend much time in our scout pit, I remember how peaceful I felt there; secure and protected; quiet and still.

In order to raid the other scout teams camps we learned about using the elements of nature as camouflage. Mud, and black charcoal from the fires were the main tools we used, but they did brush and flake off over time. Something to add would be any kind of grease, which would make the dirt and charcoal more like “make up”. Ideally, a person could also fluff up with debris as well. When well camouflaged, it can be almost impossible to see a person when hidden in the brush.

I am afraid I never got as completely camouflaged as I could have because it takes time and effort!

After practicing camouflaging that first day, we all went into the swim and bathing area to try to wash (without soap, which is not allowed in those areas). I don’t think any of us get completely clean until we went home and took a really long shower!

We laughed about the idea of any innocent stranger accidentally driving into camp during scout week, seeing all of us filthy, half camouflaged people walking around.