1st Place
Jonathan Jacob Faulk
Age: 11
School: Mater Dolorosa, Independence, LA
My grandmother called to me, “It’s time to commune with nature!” On a cold, autumn Friday, she took me by the hand and headed to the shed to pack up our old sleeping gear. The smell of dried-out rotten wood reminded me of many campouts and many happy nights sitting by a campfire roasting marshmallows. Little did I know that my commune with nature would turn out to be quite remarkable.
I and my younger brother, Jonah, were to camp at Natalbany Creek Campground. Grandmother reminded me, “This is for your requirement for Webelos to join Boy Scouts. You must prove that you camped out and prepared a meal.”
So, after finding the appropriate campsite, I began to set up camp. I got out the tent gear and hunted for the instructions. I noticed that we were the only campers in the tent area.
“You boys don’t need instructions to pitch a tent. I know that you’re good scouts and know how to do all these camp things. I’ll just sit in the car and read a nice romance novel, while you boys get to it, “ my grandmother snidely remarked.
“Yeah, right!, I said and started laying the tent out. It was starting to drizzle and my hands were turning red from the cold. I started thinking that this would be miserable. Jonah helped me and we soon got the tent put up. Now, we had to cook dinner.
Dinner can be what you make of it in the wilderness. So, I decided that I would get chili and baked chicken from the store. I already had my charcoal, Dutch oven, lighter fluid, and hot chocolate. I started making the fire.
My grandmother rolled down the window to the car. “You boys had better make sure you have your circle of stones for that fire,” she said and immediately ran to see what we were doing.
“I think I’ll just squirt some of this lighter stuff on the fire,” Jonah said excited to get the campfire going.
“Oh, yea!,” I replied. But, before I could blink my eyes, Jonah jumped back. The flame was out of control. I quickly spread the dirt over the flames and got the fire under control. After all, I was the older scout and knew what to do! I had saved the fire and rescued the camp from a fate worse than death! I wouldn’t be able to live down the prospect of starting a major campfire in the woods. No sir, I acted for the good of my scout troop.
“See what I mean,” my grandmother said. “Now, I don’t want you boys using any more lighter fluid.”
Well, we settled down to eat the food and got ready for bed. I must say that I was really proud of my little meal. Chicken chili had a nice ring to it and was warming. The tent was cold and wet. I got out extra blankets and a mat for my bed. Now, came the hard part. Sleeping in the cold, wet tent. No lights can be pretty daunting if you’re not a scout. But, I am a scout. So, I struggled with my feelings and went to sleep.
It was another story with Jonah. He got scared in the middle of the night and had to sleep in the car with grandmother. Like a champ. I stuck it out.
In the morning, my grandmother made picture of the frost that had developed on the ground. She took picture so that I could prove that I had slept out in the cold, hard, dead of winter. (it was autumn really.) I couldn’t get a polar bear patch. But, I knew it was worth it to say that I had done it by myself. So, I now have a nice, little scrapbook of my “commune with nature.” I have a wonderful memory of the great outdoors and of camping in the wilderness. I also have met the requirement for Boy Scouts.
Would I recommend other scouts to do this? Yes, in a heartbeat. Camping is fun and lets you learn how to depend upon yourself and not your grandmother!
