that's "Mr." Tidy Bowl to you...

...for a number of years I was the senior first aid practitioner, safety officer and chaplain to a group of Ventures ages 14 to 18. I insisted that the place be absolutely neat and tidy. I brought a portable rake and saw to it that the whole site was swept of any debris, the fire site be void of any brush and the wood be stacked neatly. The food packs were hung according to strict protocols. There was to be no food stuffs including shampoo and deodorant in a tent. AND food was not to be touched or handled in anyway without hands being properly washed and sanitized. It had to be cooked - properly.

I met with a bit [okay - a whole lot of opposition] and in fact they began to affectionately call me Mr. Tidy Bowl. I protested vehemently that if they were going to call me anything call me Mr. Clean.

AND THEN we joined up with another group for our annual excursion into the outback in Algonquin one year. The two groups travelled side by side and had fun together during the day but returned to their own camp site to eat their meals.

We were chomping down breakfast one morning when one the guys said to me, "They have a help flag up." "What," I said, "They have a what." "Seriously, they have a help flag up!" "A help flag?"

My colleague and I set out across the lake with our field kit to see what was going on. When we landed we immediately realized that all six were ill. They were throwing up, some had temperatures and some had the diarrhea. How do you spell CRISIS?

It all worked out - I don't know exactly how it worked out but after two days and lots of broth soup and care it did.

Our group was sitting around the fire reviewing the events when one of the youth said, "We're sorry." "Sorry?" "We now know why you were concerned."

Anyway - Baden Powell, the founder of the Scout Movement said on one occasion, "Roughing it is for amateurs."

This is what I've learned and never violate.

Cleanliness and Safety never take a holiday.
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Point well taken. So is that who you named your bear after?

 

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Yep - my is named after Baden, as in Powell. He comes along from time to time to have the last word.