The Meaning of a Campfire
Rise up, O flame
By thy light glowing
Show to us beauty,
Vision and joy.
Have you ever stopped to think what a campfire can mean in the life of a girl?
A campfire is learning skills. First: collecting materials. Each scout learns that tinder is the material that catches fire easily. It must be dry and small, but not enough to fly away when lit. Fuzz sticks make good tinder, and they are fun to make. Then comes the kindling, larger but still easily burned. Finally, the fuel, firm dry wood that varies in size from pieces the size of an arm to heavy logs. Collecting the material is one job. Piling it neatly in a woodpile at a safe distance from the fire site is another. Selecting and clearing the site is another job. And laying the fire requires a skill all its own. The basic V fire is easy to lay; the teepe or wigwam fire is more of a challenge. Either of these is good for the firestarter; but for a steadily burning fire that produces good coals, the criss-cross or log cabin shape serves as a fire for cooking or for a council fire. A girl who has learned how to build an effective fire has a skill that will server her well both in the out of doors and in her own fireplace at home.
A campfire is for cooking in the out of doors. Whether it is in a reflector oven, in a tin can, in foil, or over the fire on a grill, food never tastes better than when it is cooked on a campfire. Perhaps it is the faint flavor of smoke, perhaps it is the healthy appetite from working in the out of doors, or perhaps it is the companionship of cooking and eating together – something adds a special flavor to food cooked over a campfire.
A campfire is for singing. The same songs that are sung at a troop meeting take on a special quality when sung around a campfire. They lose the boxed-in sound of singing in a room. The voices reach out into the fields and forests and up to the skies. They blend with the voices of the birds, the crickets and the tree toads. There comes a feeling of oneness with nature and the excitement of being part of God’s world.
A campfire is for talking. Clustered around the warmth of the fire, girls can find time for examining their own ideals, for sharing experiences, or for telling stories. There are the stories of imagination, where one girl starts a story and then gets to an exciting part, and then she lets the next girl continue it. Or, there are the ghost stories that bring everyone together with excitement and fear. The girls may begin to look behind them to make sure they are still safe. The ghost stories are another element of creativity and imagination. Girl Scouts know that in reality they are safe, because safety is also good Scouting.
A campfire is for friendships. Just as the smoke leaves its scent in the clothing and in the hair, so the friendships stay with the girls long after the fire has burned out. Shared work, shared food, shared experiences build friendships.
At the base of the trefoil on the world pin is the flame. The flame is there to symbolize the love of mankind. It is the campfire of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. It stands for warmth of friendships; for shared interests; for common goals; and for the bonds of Scouting that make girls one family across the miles, across racial and religious lines, and across economic barriers.
Each small campfire is a part of the council fire of Girl Scouting, wherever girls are warmed by the glow.
This article, written by Georgianna Bonds, first appeared in "The Millwheel" of June-August, 1982.
By thy light glowing
Show to us beauty,
Vision and joy.
Have you ever stopped to think what a campfire can mean in the life of a girl?
A campfire is learning skills. First: collecting materials. Each scout learns that tinder is the material that catches fire easily. It must be dry and small, but not enough to fly away when lit. Fuzz sticks make good tinder, and they are fun to make. Then comes the kindling, larger but still easily burned. Finally, the fuel, firm dry wood that varies in size from pieces the size of an arm to heavy logs. Collecting the material is one job. Piling it neatly in a woodpile at a safe distance from the fire site is another. Selecting and clearing the site is another job. And laying the fire requires a skill all its own. The basic V fire is easy to lay; the teepe or wigwam fire is more of a challenge. Either of these is good for the firestarter; but for a steadily burning fire that produces good coals, the criss-cross or log cabin shape serves as a fire for cooking or for a council fire. A girl who has learned how to build an effective fire has a skill that will server her well both in the out of doors and in her own fireplace at home.
A campfire is for cooking in the out of doors. Whether it is in a reflector oven, in a tin can, in foil, or over the fire on a grill, food never tastes better than when it is cooked on a campfire. Perhaps it is the faint flavor of smoke, perhaps it is the healthy appetite from working in the out of doors, or perhaps it is the companionship of cooking and eating together – something adds a special flavor to food cooked over a campfire.
A campfire is for singing. The same songs that are sung at a troop meeting take on a special quality when sung around a campfire. They lose the boxed-in sound of singing in a room. The voices reach out into the fields and forests and up to the skies. They blend with the voices of the birds, the crickets and the tree toads. There comes a feeling of oneness with nature and the excitement of being part of God’s world.
A campfire is for talking. Clustered around the warmth of the fire, girls can find time for examining their own ideals, for sharing experiences, or for telling stories. There are the stories of imagination, where one girl starts a story and then gets to an exciting part, and then she lets the next girl continue it. Or, there are the ghost stories that bring everyone together with excitement and fear. The girls may begin to look behind them to make sure they are still safe. The ghost stories are another element of creativity and imagination. Girl Scouts know that in reality they are safe, because safety is also good Scouting.
A campfire is for friendships. Just as the smoke leaves its scent in the clothing and in the hair, so the friendships stay with the girls long after the fire has burned out. Shared work, shared food, shared experiences build friendships.
At the base of the trefoil on the world pin is the flame. The flame is there to symbolize the love of mankind. It is the campfire of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. It stands for warmth of friendships; for shared interests; for common goals; and for the bonds of Scouting that make girls one family across the miles, across racial and religious lines, and across economic barriers.
Each small campfire is a part of the council fire of Girl Scouting, wherever girls are warmed by the glow.
This article, written by Georgianna Bonds, first appeared in "The Millwheel" of June-August, 1982.