Every year I have the pleasure of going with my Pathfinder club, the Pleasant Hill Trailblazers, to Lake Mendocino for a weekend. Every year this camporee has new challenges and moments of fun, and this one was no exception.
As we set up camp, I considered myself lucky that I could actually fit my entire unit, the Cheetahs, in one tent. I am their LIT, leader in training, and it's my job to make sure that they are properly supervised and cared for by someone close to their own age. I am fiercely proud of them, and they are surprisingly loyal to me.
On Friday morning, I was supervising an activity in the main meeting area when, all of a sudden, the director of the LIT program asked me to join the Conference Color Guard. I was happy to accept, and it was nice to march with people who knew what they were doing, even in practice.
Sabbath morning, I had to duck out of Inspection to get to color guard on time. After the flag bearers were outfitted with gloves, cravats, spats, and helmets, we were on our way. I never realized the parade route was so long. After stowing the conference banner safely behind the platform, I was invested as a Master Guide. It felt so good to finally see the insignia that represented the hours of work I have poured into achieving the top rank of Pathfinder classwork.
When I returned to camp, I was surprised to find my parents there, smiling and congratulating me on my Master Guide. Then, I had to change into costume to wander around in the guise of Mary, mother of Jesus. Pathfinders had to guess which character I was. I enjoyed this exercise, but it was awfully hot under the costume in the blazing sun, and I was grateful to receive a bottle of water.
That night, the LITs had the duty of putting on a party for the teens. As I was walking back from the party with a friend from another club, an LIT from my club played an amusing little prank on me, for which I have been mercilessly teased ever since. All in good fun, of course.
Sunday morning I was roped into swimming 300 meters in a triathalon with only a half hour's warning. I felt like my lungs would burst by the time I finished, but at least I didn't have to be rescued, like this other girl behind me.
All in all, it was a weekend of surprises, mostly for the good. My new challenge is to study my role in the upcoming production of Fiddler on the Roof, among other things. It's a lot of memorization, but hopefully it'll turn out well.
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