Service in Maple Falls with the Smolt Explorers

The weather had turned overnight. The location of the outing had changed. The wind whipped from above, the dark clouds swirled, the rain beat steadily. The whole world was in transition, and our explorers where there to meet it.

We gathered in the parking lot and piled into Stubbs, our Explorers’ Club banana slug bus. Once all aboard, Explorers gathered their minds toward the day and envisioned our coming service project. We began with the Explorers’ Club motto, Be Prepared. We checked all of our belongings and make sure we were ready for a day that promised to be cold and wet. As Stubbs began moving, we settled in for the ride. The first and most important element of survival became a talking point. Before food, before fire, before water, before shelter, before all else, we must first rely on attitude: how the mind responds to the situation at hand. We considered how this is a perpetual aspect of being prepared.

Before we actually made it to the service project, we decided to take the opportunity to visit a local spring coming right out of the mountain side. Explorers fill their bellies and water bottles with the fresh spring water. We went a few blocks down the road and found our way to the service project.

The land was lush, and the river rumbled nearby. We were met by our host and given some amazing tools: Large blades on the ends of long sticks!  This, of course, inspired us to consider a key explorers club motto, A Tool is an Extension of the Body. We talked about safe and skillful tool usage and then got excited to try it out.

At the end of a long field we came to a batch of plantings. Trees and woody perennials planted a few years before were being crowded out by reed canary grass and they needed our help. We got a bit of the story of the land from our host and brought our minds together about why we do service. We considered that all things are connected.  We then brought in the element of attitude, recognizing that part of an attitude that survives is playfulness and exploration. It's important to have fun while doing service.

We spread out and began testing our tools, cutting down grass in order to allow those plantings to flourish. As time moved on, it became apparent that service is both an internal and external pursuit. How do we take care of ourselves as we give? What is the spark within us that is still engaged, enlivened, and enamored with the world beyond passing discomfort? How can we kindle that spark? Another powerful question for the Smolt Explorers’ Season of Fire.

Our Explorers did wonderfully. Each of us stretched our edges. By the end of our projects, we saw a field full of liberated young beings stretching their arms upward toward the sky. It will be a powerful experience to come back here in years to come and see what such a small gift of time and effort can transform into. We ended with a few games, of course. Gathered the tools, had some snack, said our thanks and received it, and loaded back into Stubbs.

On the way home, we took advantage of the time and stopped to harvest some bows for are bow drills. We also received an opportunity to test the attitude theory once again. We were all cold and wet and mighty slow. But most of us rallied and went out into the rain to explore and gather. We found some good vine maple for harvesting and considered the best way to harvest it. Then the river called. There is nothing like a river to inspire movement. Simply tossing rocks and admiring that great flowing body, those of us who had braved the outside found ourselves warm and happy. We came back and shared with the group, brought our minds toward the end of the day, barely got Stubbs running, and made our way back home.

Truly an adventure in service, both internally and externally, for all our Explorers. Thanks so much for your great effort! Thanks so much for all you parents for your enduring support!

Don't forget to check out photos for our outing in the Photo Gallery.