Wo He Lo - Work Health Love

As a young girl of six, I couldn’t wait to become a Bluebird and belong to Campfire Girls.  I ran home from school and back to the first meeting as fast as my little chubby legs would carry me.  I needed to get my permission slip signed and get the ten cents required for weekly dues.  That day began what was to become the basis for who I am today as a human being.  For many years I looked for ways that I could better myself and my surroundings.  I plotted and planned activities that would enable me to earn the multi-colored beads to adorn my Campfire uniform; yellow for Business, orange for Home, green for Arts and Crafts, red, white, and blue for Citizenship, brown for Outdoors, blue for Science, red for Sports and Games, and patches that indicated major projects and accomplishments.

The Campfire law still lingers in my head as a mantra for daily living:
Worship God
Give Service
Seek Beauty
Pursue Knowledge
Be Trustworthy
Hold onto Health
Glorify Work
Be Happy!

It is from the teachings of Campfire that I learned tolerance of religious beliefs and cultures, to help those less fortunate, to practice conservation, to appreciate nature, to tell the truth, to love work and learning.  This organization along with Scouting,  Boys and Girls Clubs, and church groups gave our generation a solid moral foundation.  I wonder and worry now that many of these organizations have all but disappeared that the schools are trying to fill in the gaps as parents struggle just to make ends meet.

When my own kids came along, I became a youth group leader for them and their peers and then later a middle school teacher.  For some reason that Campfire law kept running in my head and as I taught the required state mandated curriculum, I also made sure to heap on a heavy dose of enrichment.  We learned skills that led to cooking projects, gave bi-annual musical and dramatic performances, made arts and crafts projects, practiced nature lore, went on camping trips, field trips to zoos, art galleries, and museums.  We hiked, swam, sang, did macrame, planted trees in the forest, picked up trash, identified plants and wild life, learned to use a compass, made buddy burners out of charcoal and tin cans, created solar cookers, participated in fund raisers, candy sales, read-a-thons, and walk-a-thons.  We learned about animal husbandry, organic gardening, archery, square dancing, memorized poetry, and recycled before it was hip.  These were active days filled with adventures.  I loved every minute of it - probably more than the kids.

Now that I am retired, I find myself still looking for ways I can contribute.  The Wo He Lo is still strong in me.  Now my Work revolves around laundry, dishes, writing, and a little gardening and bird watching.  My Health has become more of a concern as I age and I find myself trying to find ways to stave off its decline.  My Love, however, knows no bounds.  The longer I live, the more I am filled with an abundance of Love for everyone and everything that I have known.   Be Happy!  I remind myself and then the mantra begins again… Worship God… Give Service…  Seek Beauty…