ARTS & CRAFTS (Camp HollyBrook Summer 3 of 5)

    We marched to our daily Arts and Crafts session with Miss Pat.  Miss Pat was to become years later the famous Pat Witt, one of the best female painters of our time and iconic master, who has taught thousands of would-be artists at her Barn Studio in Millville.   We took our seats on the picnic tables under an umbrella of cooling trees.  “Today, let’s make a lanyard”, she said in her merry artist voice - as the excited Cherokee warriors hushed for the first time in hours.   (Editor’s Note:  Being basically culturally deprived – I had never heard the term lanyard before.)  Miss Pat held one up as an example of our camp crafts project.  Aha! Now I recognized this useful item as what I called my whistle cord.  Live and learn.

    Now a major decision point came for my tribe.  What two colors to choose for one’s lanyard?  Heads were scratched and one could almost hear the whirring of little brains.  Pat had over 496 colors of plastic string-like stuff.  Choosing the colors took most of our allotted time.  After the choices were studiously made, Miss Pat taught the intricate art of braiding three strands into an arty woven rope.  I started one for myself after a couple of false starts. I worked diligently along with my charges determine to replace my plain black whistle holder with an orange and blue handmade personal crafted lanyard –  in Millville High School colors.   

Most of my guys were getting the job done too with workman-like dispatch – except you know who?

                            Rodger!

    With tongue protruding from the corner of his mouth he was attacking a large ball of plastic that compared to the legendary Gordian knot.  He tugged, pulled, twisted and puffed at it.  He obviously was never going to be known for his patience – he started to bang his head on the picnic table accompanied by moans of frustration.  This bothered me a little, but not much  – perhaps a slight concussion might slow him down a bit.  I re-thought the urge to let him go and rushed over to him. “Hey Cherokee Brother Rodger, what’s the problem here?”  He looked up from his mess and whined, “This is a stupid...I could make one if I wanted to but I don’t want too... I don't need one…I made 12 of these last summer…this is really stupid.”  “I get it, but guess what you are going to make another one – OK?”  And then I got in his face and gave him my best soul piercing evil eye. At that moment Miss Pat wisely stepped in and took over.  She kindly straighten out Rodger's tangle.  He brightened up and began his 13^th Hollybrook lanyard along with the others.  His color choices were interesting – red and pink.  One rarely sees that combination.  Miss Pat then announced that we would continue our lanyard labors tomorrow.  She gathered them up and reminded all "remember your colors" and the session was done.

    As we marched away Chief Cal realized he had learned two lessons from Miss Pat.  The craft of braiding plastic strands - but more important, a lesson about the craft of being a teacher from one of the best there is. I realized than and there that teaching is more than being an authority and towering over one's minions - it about choosing beyond the colors, the right way to motivate success rather than demand it.

    The Cherokees, then went to lunch.  (To Be Continued)