When I set out to Fort Steele with Grady’s class for 3 nights this week I wasn’t sure what to expect. I went to
Frank Slide last year for 2 nights and it felt like vacation. I went with a fellow mom friend, we drove ourselves, and the entire trip was catered which meant no cooking and cleaning. Score!
This trip was much different.
It is rumored to be the most labor intensive trip you’ll experience as a volunteer at the school. You sleep on hay mats, prepare and clean all the meals for 70 people , and come home exhausted.
They didn’t sell it very well.
But I signed up anyway and was chosen to join the grade 5 class for their spring trip.
I am so happy I was chosen.
I woke up early, got 17,000 steps a day, I cooked meals, I did dishes, I hauled water, but I enjoyed every single second.
It was a privilege to spend 4 days with these mostly terrific 10 year olds. The window where Grady wants me on these trips is small and I intend to take advantage of him asking me to be there.
First let’s talk about the sleeping arrangements.
We slept in the barracks where the girls are divided from the boys.
Adults included. Sleeping on the girls side is much less rowdy then the boy side! Just ask me how Frank Slide went with the boys at night....
You chose between sleeping on a hay filled sheet or a foam mat, parents choose first and I think my choice is obvious. Have I mentioned I am not a camper? Also, I appeared to be allergic to something in the barracks forcing me to take Benadryl to reduce the swelling in my each morning.
Next let's talk about the kitchen. A lot of sweat and tears went into each very simple meal we cooked in here. Let me start by saying the camp runs as if it were 1898. We had to haul water each day for drinking and heat on a large wood stove for dishes after each meal.
For many kids this was an introduction to dish washing. My own included. I think more water went on the floor then any where else!
The highlight for me was the camp fire each night. These were mock campfires on the girl's side of the barracks indoors. The camp fire was made out of candles pushed into a log and the former principal of the school who now runs the Fort Steele program sings camp fire songs with the kids every night. Our grades 5 Are just starting to learn these songs but the enthusiasm was contagious. Even I found myself humming the songs the next morning.
Mr. S is an incredible man. He is 74 years old and has way more energy then some adults. It is clear he is passionate about education, The Forte Steele program, and children in general. I was in awe of his patience with the kids and also his singing skills around the campfire. I love the outdoor component of Grady’s school. I often forget that I chose this school for him so he could experience these types of trips and it is so rewarding to witness how good they are.
It's inspiring to witness what the educators give up in their own lives to run the this program offsite over the course of 4 days. They essentially hosted a 3 night sleepover for 25 kids. Sounds like a very scary experience indeed. Did I hear them use their teacher voice, I certainly did, and those kids listened. We are so fortunate to have this group of teachers that are so passionate about the experience. Grady's teacher told us this is the first year in 5 that she won't be spending Mother's Day at Fort Steele.
I learned what cowboy coffee is and that is clearly more tasty then the $3 coffee they sell at the bakery up the road, it just takes forever to make. It is literally like waiting for water to boil. You add coffee to boiling water from the wood burning stove and then top with cold water to push the grinds down. Slow but tasty!
I learned that it is okay to eat all the homemade cookies because I got 17,000 steps a day essentially walking back and forth to the flush toilets. I avoided the outhouses until Grady asked me to walk him to one in the dark so I figured I was there I may as well take a pee. Next thing you know I have a flashlight in my mouth and pee on my pants. Bad decision.
I learned that cooking for 70 is hard work. We made pancakes, grilled cheese, burgers and more for 70+ people each meal. There were 7 volunteers, we walked in strangers and left as friends. They throw all the parents in the kitchen with a 30 minute orientation then you fend for yourself. Bear in mind that breakfast has to be on the table at 730 am. You do the math of what time we were up at to start that fire....
I watched my son go from not singing at the camp fire on day 1 to belting out on the third night. Something I never would have expected.
I watched my son reluctantly square dance with his classmates and eventually he asked me to dance. But not before I told him that maybe he should consider dancing with his poor old mom.
These kids are resilient. I talked to many parents who described about how anxious their kids were to come, thought as a leader I would have never known.
Including my own child. They show up, they participate, they are
mostly respectable, they say please and thank you, they get in line, they ask questions,
they are engaged. As parents, we should be proud of our kids. I am proud of this group of grade 5s. Being away from home, and all that is familiar, is as hard on our kids as it is on us. Sometimes we as parents forget that.
I can't say enough good things about my experience volunteering. I can only hope that I will be lucky enough to be chosen to join them on their next trip.
