The good news - human skin is waterproof. The not so good news - we got to test that factoid on our hike at Arroyo Park on Sunday. The Barred Owlets have had five outings since their inception in September. It has rained hard, really hard, on two of those. Just sayin'.
In a twisted sort of way, the rain helped a little on Sunday. The skills focus for the Barred Owlets this spring is water! You see the connection, no doubt. All layered up and with our best naturalist perspective, we departed the north Chuckanut parking lot to experience the wonders and challenges of water first hand. Over the course of the spring, we are going to examine salt vs. fresh water, explore the qualities of a healthy salmon stream, and follow the lifecycle of salmon as we traverse Connelly Creek. But we begin on a very personal level. Water is essential to the function of a biological organism and commands respect for the challenges it often presents us. Click here for an introduction into the various roles that water plays in the functioning of the the human body.
In Explorers Club, we prefer to follow nature's lead when teaching the boys. In that spirit, mentors Brian and Steve tried their best to capitalize on the wondrous laboratory nature offered on our outing. What follows is a sampling of the points we stressed (with rain dripping from noses, as if for emphasis):
* drinking water helps keep you warm by aiding digestion, so drink water even if you don't feel thirsty * water regulates body temperature through respiration and perspiration * wet clothes next to the skin can exacerbate conduction which will make you cold, so dress appropriately. That means no cotton next to your skin and it means dressing in layers to manage perspiration * cool, wet days such as we had on Sunday can dampen (pun intended) your spirits, so keep active and keep a watchful eye on your peers. Help your fellow explorers to keep their spirits high.
Check out our Be Prepared checklist for more on how to be ready for whatever the elements throw at us.
Focused listening is a challenge on a good day. On a cold, rainy day it can be even more difficult. The boys did their best to persevere through the elements and came away stronger for it. Of course, embracing the elements is what we do in Explorers club. Several of our time honored activities were very helpful on this day. Mentor Steve and Explorers club Mentor's Apprentice (EMA) Evan worked diligently in the rain to erect a shelter that helped when the rain intensified or just to grab some lunch. Several of the boys explored a hollow log and came away appreciating the advantages and disadvantages of sardinelike closequarter huddling. With about three hours remaining in the outing and most of the boys getting pretty cold, Steve came to the rescue by transforming himself into a deer to be stalked by a pack of "cougars". Think Red Light, Green Light while running along the trail and through the woods and you have a good picture of what this game involves. We also played several games of Hide! and climbed on and around an 8-10 foot boulder but I'm hardpressed to explain how either of those activities helped us to stay warm and dry!
Our cougar stalks deer game led us to a juncture with a side trail leading toChuckanut Falls. In our true coyote spirit, we decided to explore that trail. Unfortunately, fatigue and cold dictated that the prudent course of action called for us to return to our base camp without our having reached the falls. A goal for another outing.
Another area of focus for the Barred Owlets this season is to work on coming together as a unique group. This is our second season together and the mentors can see some progress and some struggles in this endeavor. This is exactly what we would expect. New groups often come together somewhat warily at first as members assess their place in the community. Then, as individuals begin to assert themselves, the group will appear to backslide. With proper guidance, the tension will work itself out as norms are established that are particular to this collection of individuals. When we reach this point, we'll likely see exciting progress toward Explorers Club values of exploration, service and connection. For more information about how this group dynamic (known as Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing) operates in adult groups, click here. The Barred Owlets are still in the Forming/Storming stage. We can track their progress together over the years.
We're excited to welcome two new members to our band of adventurous boys. Fortunately for the mentors, one of these identical twins has a small freckle on his face. It's great to have them with us. I look forward to 50/50 success at choosing the correct name when addressing one of them.
Finally, we introduced the "Five Finger Contract" to the group on Sunday. Part of our work to guide the boys through the storming stage, this 'contract' is a code of conduct. It lays out principles for functioning as a team: safety, commitment, respect, direction, positive attitude and challenge by choice. Ask your explorer, check with a mentor or click here for more information.
Check out the photo gallery for pictures of wet but still adventurous Barred Owlets. For now, on to what we hope will be a warm, sunny outing to examine the wonders of fresh and salt water. Check out schedule and location details here.
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