Blog Archives

Brush Clearing and Upcoming October Events

9/30/2013

The SAIL Pathfinders helped clear some brush this weekend as part of a fundraiser for next year’s International Camporee in Oshkosh, WI. The weather was cool and damp, creating the perfect conditions for a little cutting, lopping, hauling and burning. In addition to the work, the Pathfinders also worked on some fire-building skills, and had a lunch cooked over a fire (when the dogs weren’t running off with the plates).

October is going to be a full month. We will be putting some of our recent first aid and rescue training into practice during our overnight campout at the beginning of the month, then we will be collecting canned goods for the food pantry around Halloween, and all the while we will be honing our first aid and rescue, camping, and drill skills ahead of the November Camporee in New Braunfels.

Texas Spiny Lizard

Red-Tailed Hawk

Harvestman Spider

White-Tailed Deer

Walking Stick

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SAILs Join Lake Travis Underwater Cleanup

9/16/2013

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The SAIL Pathfinders joined some 900 other volunteers Sep. 15 for the 19th annual Lake Travis Underwater Cleanup. All told, volunteers under water and along the shoreline picked up more than three tons of trash this year. Because the lake level was so low, there was a vast swath of new shoreline to clean, covered with litter normally found only by the divers. The SAILs found plenty of trash, including pieces of old docks, a water tank, a rudder, and even an arrowhead. Although we did not go out on the boat this year, it was still a great way to spend a Sunday morning helping keep our lakes and water supplies cleaner than we found them.

Images by L. Peckham, C. Ludgate, H. Baker, R. Baker

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Induction and New Pathfinder/Junior Unit Overnight

9/2/2013

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Sabbath, August 31 was a special Sabbath program, led by the youth, and hosting both the Austin Anchors Adventurer and SAIL Pathfinder club investiture programs. The theme of the service came from 1 Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath. Both Saul and Goliath thought David was incapable of the great task before him, because he was only a youth. But David’s trust in God, built up over years of spending time with God, gave him the confidence and strength to overcome. But the story is more than just one about the ability of youth to be strong in the Lord, it also highlights the role each of us has, as adults or youth, to provide encouragement (David’s brother, afraid himself, tried to discourage David’s actions, as did Saul, who tried to place on David his armor, understanding only the traditions he was used to, not the full power that God delivers, nor the willingness to try different approaches to traditional problems). David stood strong for God, for himself, but also for the people, never criticizing the rest of the Israelite army for failing to face up to Goliath, but rather simply taking the task upon himself.

After the induction service, we held our annual new Pathfinder and Junior Unit overnight. The focus for the weekend was waterfalls, building off of our broader theme this year of water. We visited several of the waterfalls along Bull Creek, and although they were nearly dry, in that they offered us an opportunity to see some of the features of waterfalls usually hidden behind the veil of flowing water. We also had a chance to observe some of God’s creation, in the delicate beauty of the dragonflies and damselflies, in the songs of the birds overhead, in the skittering of the Texas Spiny Lizard, and in the mighty Sycamores that draw their waters from beneath the nearly dry stream bed. We also found a Blotched Water Snake, although he was sadly dead. And there were many tiny frogs hopping all around - a reminder that even in the drought, life continues to spring forth.

In the evening, we continued our study of waterfalls, watching some of the amazing creatures around the Iguazu Falls on the Brazil-Argentina border. The Pathfinders learned a tasty lesson about stratigraphy, and the hard and soft layers of stone that allow for waterfall formation, making edible “rock” layers. We also made word searches and crossword puzzles about major waterfalls around the world, learned about the many different types of waterfalls, and discussed some of the spiritual lessons the Bible provides using water as a motif. The Pathfinders also made dinner, our SAIL Club signature Pizza Tacos, and learned the proper way to set up and maintain tents for camping.

In the morning, the Pathfinders made a large breakfast, with pancakes, eggs, potatoes and fruit, broke “camp,” and spent some time learning and practicing marching. They also made posters illustrating the Pathfinder Pledge and Law, and learned and practiced basic sewing skills by sewing on the Waterfall patch that they earned over the weekend. Finally, we practiced building various edible campfires - with pretzels and queso instead of sticks and sparks. Despite the heat outside, it was a wonderful weekend, a time to make new friends, get reacquainted with old friends, and spend time with God in fellowship and in nature.

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Brush Clearing and Upcoming October Events

SAILs Join Lake Travis Underwater Cleanup

Induction and New Pathfinder/Junior Unit Overnight

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