November 2006 Capital District Roundtable

Campfires

Chris D Garvin Roundtable Commissioner

Campfires

Who hath smelt woodsmoke at twilight?Who hath heard the birch log burning?Who is quick to read the noises of the night?Let him follow with the others.For the young men's feet are turning,To the camps of proved desire and known delight.                                        -- Rudyard Kipling

Featured Link: “Traditional”www.inquiry.net/outdoor/campfire/helps/index.htm

The Heart of the Camp Oath and Law Ceremony Invocation to Light Ceremony CEREMONIES AROUND THE CAMP FIRE

Some Do's & Don'ts Present or Accounted For The Scout Law Tradition and Early History Evening Pow Wows with an Indian Flavor Camp Fire Pantomime Five Camp Fire Programs

CAMP FIRE STUNTS & SKITS

OUTLINE Introduction Teacher’s Guide

History Programs & Ceremonies Skits / Songs & Yells Lighting

Sources Discussion Questions

Introduction

History Attraction of Fire is Universal As Old as Mankind Symbolic Part of Social History Heart of the Scout Camp

Teacher’s Guide

Campfire Programs Anything used repeatedly losses its

power. Have a variety of Ceremonies to use.

Should build on enthusiasm and then gradually slow / quiet down

Types Skits and Songs (boys) Stories and Recitations (boys and adults) Tradition / Event (Graduations, OA, Theme)

Should develop and/or include Traditions Must be Planned

Rules: Do’s and Don’ts Plan your program so that it is flexible. Never wait for a stunt to get ready.  There should be no delays between acts. Prepare and plan carefully for each program.  An interested group is a well disciplined group. It is inadvisable to permit a stunt to go on without first having

previewed it.   Do not permit "razzing;" it can only cause bad feelings and is

poor sportsmanship. Avoid adult speakers.  Your program is by the boys.  Blend the program.  Do not go from an hilariously funny stunt

into profoundly serious event.  Watch your time!  It is better to have a brief program. Watch your fire hazards!! 

Ceremonies

Themes International or Cultural Historical Event (Regional / Local) Holiday Graduations Camporee Flag Retirement

A Typical Campfire Program Opening ceremonies should be colorful and related to the lighting of

the fire. Songs and icebreakers, use folk songs, fun songs, rounds, action

songs: varieties of applause, patrol and troop yells, brain teasers, gimmicks, and other ice breakers.

Games and contests based on inter-patrol challenges, individual tests of skill, or quiet fun games for the whole troop.

Dramatics such as patrol stunts or Indian dancing. Stories such as mysteries, tall tales, adventure, biography, and true

stories of Scout experiences. Recognition awarding of camp honors, advancement awards, or

other recognition of special accomplishments. Announcements, keep them brief. Closing ceremonies, Scoutmaster's minutes, quiet campfire endings

and Scout benediction. Every troop campfire will have a combination of four, five, or six of these

campfire ingredients. Develop your program around the ingredients that will do the things you want to accomplish at the campfire.

Campfire Contents

Openings & Closings Starters Cheers Walk-Ons Skits & Songs Stories Scoutmaster’s Minute

Openings: “Theme” Adds Tradition and “Sets the Tone”

Tall trees that reach the sky, Mountains and lakes nearby;Draw near my friends, Come sing, my friends,Our campfire time is nigh.

The life of a fire is like the life of a person.In it's infancy, it is faint and weak and must be carefully nourished and tended. As it catches, it crawls and spreads like a child exploring it's world.In it's adolescence, it flares fast and bright, racing for new height.Soon, it will burn with the steady heat and light of it's adulthood.

Scout Spirit Ashes Legend has it that lord Baden-Powell would always take

a small amount of cool ashes from the night before's campfire and spread them into the next campfire as part of it's opening.

It's purpose, he said, was to bring all Scouts and Scouters the international aspect of the world brotherhood of scouting.

Scouts and Scouters would place the end of their staves in the fire's embers to hold on to the spirit felt there and help them remember the event. Thus, ashes taken from a campfire and sprinkled into the flames of the next could have a written pedigree through scout spirit and brotherhood.

Scout Spirit Ashes Normally it is traditional that only those present at the

campfire ceremony carry those ashes. In many places all those who wish to participate or carry away ashes must each bring a small stick, pinecone or acorn for the fire.

A charge should be included in the ceremony when these old ashes are sprinkled into the new flames of your fire.

This charge is rumored to be written by B-P himself and could be added to any ash ceremony.

"We carry our friendship with us in these ashes from other campfires with comrades in other lands. May the joining of the dead fires with the leaping flames symbolize once more the unbroken chain that binds scouts and guides around the world." . . . "With greetings from scouts of all nations everywhere."

Middle: “Direction”

Cheers Walk-Ons Skits & Songs Stories

Closings: “Meditation” Traditional or Scoutmaster’s Minute

And, this is a fact of life: all things must die. The memory of those passed on lives deep and dear in our hearts. This fire will fade to cold ash, but it's flame will glow in our memory

Wood and water, wind and tree,Wisdom, strength and courtesy,Scouting favor go with thee.

A Possible Program

1. Opening 9. Game or skit 17. Spiritual

2. Welcoming song 10. Yell 18. Spiritual

3. Action song 11. General song 19. Prayer

4. Yell 12. Presentation (if any -followed by yell)

20. Closing

5. Skit 13. General song

6. Yell 14. Quiet song

7. Lively or action song 15. Yarn or "Scouter's Five"

8. Round 16. Quiet song

Campfire Etiquette Three basic practices :- No flashlights – “We have the fire to

light our way.” No Clapping or Booing – “That's why

we have 'cheers‘.” No Talking – “Unless you're involved

in an activity, talking spoils the mood and detracts from whatever is going on.”

Campfire Program Planner

Planner Handout Contains Program and Agenda All Cheers, Songs, Skits &

Announcements are indicated Allows for the building and

extinguishing of the campfire

Program Values The value of the Camp Fire Program may be

measured as a general rule in the following ways:

The degree in which the program is planned and carried out by the boys.

The degree in which it is organized around the cabin or tent groups.

The amount of variety in the program. The degree in which it is a purposeful

experience, with educational and character values, rather than "just another way to spend an evening."

Seven Steps to Successful Skits

1. Provide an outline not a script2. Practice the skit 3. Deliver the “Punch Line” decisively4. Keep props to a minimum. If they are used,

make sure they are big enough to be seen.5. Use a dramatic punctuation mark to end the

skit.6. Position the action. Talk to the audience and

project the voice.7. Be prepared for the unexpected

The Grey Areas

1. Underwear  2. Water  3. Toilet Paper  4. Inside Jokes  5. Alcohol/Drunkenness  6. Cross Gender

Impersonation 

Fire Lays Pyramid/Tepee

Where pre-positioning of the fire-start mechanism is involved.

By building the various layers with dry kindling between the wood pieces, you can easily conceal your fire start material.

The natural structure of this style of fire also leaves a 'chamber' in the centre that is just what you need to place your fire start mechanism.

Should your fire start involve material being flown in - such as for the 'Flaming Arrow' fire start.

Where the 'arrow' enters the fire lay, an opening can be left in the fire material which can be well packed with dry kindling and other quick combustibles.

“The Flaming Arrow”

Fire Lays

Log Cabin This can also be used quite nicely

with some of the magic fire start ideas. This particular style is well suited to electrical based fire starts where the ignition mechanism can be placed in the middle of the fire lay and yet still be hidden by kindling.

Magic Campfire Starts Mechanical

Matches stuck in a wood block and pulled against sandpaper block to ignite

“Flaming Arrow” Wire and Fishing Line Wadding and Soaked Toilet Paper Roll Traverse Device (Spool) Sparklers

Candle in a Can (pull string) Fire by Friction or Metal Match Traditional Torch Mega Match

Magic Campfire Starts Electrical

Battery 6 volt needs finer wire than 12 volt

Steel Wool and Batteries Fine Wire (pen spring) through a book or

bundle of friction matches Giant match (Use above on a stick) with

switch Rocket Igniter Colored Flower Bloom or Fountain Firework Camera Flash Bulb

Magic Campfire Starts Chemical

Potassium Chlorate, Sugar and Sulfuric Acid Potassium Permanganate and Sugar (Friction) Potassium Permanganate and Glycerine Strontium Nitrate (Red Flame) Iodine and Aluminum (Water) Pine Oil and HTH Granulated Chlorine Brake Fluid and HTH Granulated Chlorine Pine 'o Pine (a pine oil based soap) and pool

shocking compound (Calcium Hypoclorite) Saltpeter and Sugar in a 2 to 1 ratio

Special Effects Colors

Yellow: Potassium Nitrate (Salt Petre) Sodium Chloride (Table salt)

Green: Borax Barium nitrate Copper Sulphate

Purple: Lithium Chloride

Red: Strontium Nitrate

Orange: Calcium Chloride (Road salt)

Silver Powdered Aluminum

Gold Iron Fillings

Sources

Sources See this months presentation on the

website. Ceremonies Openings & Closings Starters Cheers Walk-Ons Skits & Songs Stories Scoutmaster’s Minute

November 2006 Capital District Roundtable

QUESTIONS?

Capital District Roundtable

Chris D Garvin cdgarvin@yahoo.com (Home) 890-9537 (Cell) 890-3222

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