The Jumping Mice begin their Explorers Club journey! 09/18/15

“Can we go to the forts?” 

We had barely come together for our first opening meeting as the Jumping Mice when this request was thrust forward. Of course, we had business to conduct first, but the idea was intriguing - to an eight year old boy, no doubt, but the adult mentors love to explore unknown forts as well.

Good thing that in Explorers Club we have a way to decide how we want to use our time together. That process relies on the “Tribal Elder”, one of the jobs assigned to the boys during our opening meeting. So after some excited tree climbing and random chasing, we formed a circle and introduced ourselves with a fun name game. The mentors then assigned a few of the jobs for the day, including the aforementioned Tribal Elder. The boys tend to assume this explorer will make decisions for the group, but not so. We work on developing a circular leadership model that strives for consensus, and it is the process of developing options, discussing the pros and cons of each viable option and coming to consensus that the Tribal Leader facilitates. 

Not long after our opening meeting broke up, we came to a fork in the trail and had our first opportunity to practice circular leadership. The Jumping Mice did quite well and shortly decided they couldn’t resist the allure of those mysterious forts. So off we went. Note that this was a little disconcerting for the mentors, neither of whom was familiar with what it would take to get to the forts and what we would find once there. But we were assured that they weren’t “too far” and that they were “cool”, arguments that were, at that moment, irrefutable.

The excitement of finally launching into a Boys Explorers Club (BEC) outing after a long wait and the fact that several of the boys knew each other from school or other activities, including other Wild Whatcom programs, contributed to lots of chatter and several requests for games along the trail. In fact, we played a few games of Hide!, taking advantage of a rich understory of ferns, berry bushes and trees, both downed and standing tall and proud. The boys love hiding; the mentors stress the elements of camouflage found in the natural world, from colors that blend with your environment to your motionless presence. We also ask the boys to come to agreement on the rules of engagement (e.g., should we count to 20 or 30 while everyone hides?) and then teach critical behaviors such as not pointing out where other boys are hiding!

Following a few games, we returned to hiking up the hill and soon reached the intersection of a “shortcut” to the forts. We decided to take a break for lunch and some free exploration. Before venturing out on the shortcut, the mentors assigned the rest of the jobs - Earth keepers, Knowledge keepers, Medicine man, TTTPP (Totally Terrific Toilet Paper Person), hunter/gatherer, hide measure, front scout and back scout (click here for more on the BEC approach to mentoring in the outdoors or ask your explorer or a mentor if you’re curious about any of the jobs).

The shortcut trail started innocuously enough, but after we skidded over a damp rock, soon dissolved into a scramble down a steep, scruffy hill. Note that all but a few of us still had little idea where we were going, so the thought of slip-sliding down this long hill into the unknown was somewhat disconcerting. Come to think of it, the thought of clamoring back up this hill was the truly disconcerting part! 

In BEC, we provide opportunities for the explorers to challenge themselves in situations that are demanding, safe and that provide immediate and natural consequences. We also emphasize an approach to these tests of will and ability we call Challenge by Choice (for more on this, and other Explorers club mottoes, click here). That is, each explorer is encouraged to “stretch his edge” by trying to do things that he’s not yet comfortable with, but always has the option to decide not to follow through with it. With the group scattered down the hillside, the mentors noticed that one of the boys was uneasy about continuing along this journey. So we stopped the group with a “crow call” (our universal signal - when explorers hear a crow call, they're to return to the sound of the call immediately) and stated that we would need to defer our exploration of the forts for now. A future outing, perhaps, when we choose a route that doesn’t involve slithering down such a steep, forbidding hillside. The Jumping Mice showed great consideration for their group mate by gamely reversing course and beginning our trek back to meet their rides. 

Mentor Finn engaged several boys along the way with an examination of several mushrooms that have appeared right on schedule (two weeks after the resumption of rains). Isn’t it nice to return to our familiar cool, damp weather after our warm, dry summer? In quiet moments on these BEC outings, I’m convinced I can hear the trees rejoicing at the return of nourishing rain. 

Speaking of quiet moments, we finished with two important activities focused on calming ourselves and reflecting on all that nature and life provide to us. First, a sit spot, in which we find a place to sit alone and quietly, attending to the splendor that surrounds us. We will endeavor to do this on every outing, as we connect ever more intentionally with nature.

Second, we circle up again for our closing meeting in which we each state something for which we’re thankful. Giving thanks is central to our approach to Explorers Club. 

The Jumping Mice are off on their Explorers Club adventure. Finn and Brian look forward to many fun, enriching outings with your boys. Perhaps we’ll even find those forts one day!

Check out the Jumping Mice photo gallery for more pictures from our exploration.