"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes
Last night I was able to accompany Mr. Mears' crew on a night to and from the location of the pin ceremony. We walked silently to The Great Hall, which is a large outdoor pavilion in the middle of the forest, only 1/4 mile from their camp. I have been impressed with all of the crews this week, and am amazed that Ali can wear a white button down Oxford shirt and kacki pants with dress shoes. He certainly gets the award for being best dressed.
Before we departed for The Great Hall, the crew had their final evening meeting and were sharing appreciations for everyone in their crew. All sentiments were completely genuine and thoughful, thus setting the stage for the pin ceremony.
Erica B. Fine set the pins out on a nautical flag called Blue Peter, which is Outward Bound's symbolic flag. The flag signifies a ship's leaving of the safety of the harbor and can be seen on ships exiting from the New York Harbor to this day. Students were instructed to choose a pin and to state why they deserved it. (You will see the pins when your children get home today.) If this is a parent reading this blog, I encourage you to ask your child why they said they deserved their pin. I cannot repeat what was said because it is private, but I will tell you that there wasn't a dry eye in The Great Hall.
No comments:
Post a Comment