A key part of Explorers Club’s culture is our long-term mentoring and consistent cohorts.
There are times, however, when a mentor gets to sub in for an outing with a group he
doesn’t normally lead. Last Saturday was just such a day for me. So, a few fresh
observations of the Roosevelt Elk Calves (REC).
These Explorers like to have fun and really enjoy rough-housing. Interestingly, they
have the sense to be safe while doing so (motto - safety first). They have their challenges listening and focusing as do most boys their age, but they are respectful when you get their attention. I noticed less talking over each other and over Mentor Conor and I than usual.
Most impressive, they appear to be good friends. They seemed excited to see each
other and, for the most part, stayed away from the cliques we sometimes see.
So, I was confident as we headed to the dog off-leash area of Lake Padden Park that
we had a good day ahead of us; I wasn't disappointed.
The REC skill for this season is navigation. We started at a park map and decided to
strike out for the “big fallen tree”. Using their knowledge of the park and the small maps
at some trail junctions, the boys easily directed us to the tree. Once there, we explored
for a while and had some lunch. While munching, we talked about why the trees (there
are actually two big fallen trees there) fell in the direction they did and how that could
help us with navigation (ask your explorer to explain it to you if you’re curious...hint- it
has to do with the prevailing winds in our area). Then to the hard work of the day. The
mentors divided the group in half and instructed each group to hide a bandana in the
woods. They then created instructions to guide the other group to the hidden object
using the cardinal directions, estimates of distance and landmarks. The objective was to
ensure the other group found the bandana.
Command of direction, distance and sited landmarks will enable higher level navigation
skills such as map and compass. Just as important in navigating the backcountry is
effective communication. Your Explorers quickly caught on to the importance of writing
from the reader’s perspective. “Tree” is insufficient, for example, as is “cedar tree”. Too
many cedar trees! The success of both groups is evidence of their good work.
Some more rough-housing, a round of thanksgiving and we were off to meet our rides
home. Thank you for allowing Conor and I to spend some time with your boys. The rest of the photos from are outing are here.
