Campfire's End
Here in the green woodland
Where sturdy oaks and maples
Are pillars upholding
The pointed arches of the elms,
Where the soft sweet light of evening
Slips thru leaves to grace the earth beneath
We come once more together
To find rest and peace.
Twilight transforms the faces round about
Painting their beauty with pigments from their inner souls.
Just as it deepens the green of the trees and grass
We talk and think
Around the embers of a dying fire
While on the still air
The limpid notes of a song float out
To the hearts of all Girl Scouts
(Choose a soft song to sing as everyone leaves the campfire.)


Opening Chant
Spirit Red, Spirit Red--thy hunger must be fed.
Spirit Hot, Spirit Hot--forget us not.
As the year grows old, keep us from the cold.
Spirit White, Spirit White--in the darkness of the night, be our shining light.
I now declare the campfire open.


Camp Friends
What is the tie that binds us
Friends of the long, long trail?
Just this:
We have shared the weather,
We have slumbered side by side
And friends who have camped together
Can never again divide.

A Fire Lighting Invocation
This parody on "Hiawatha" may be changed to fit the name and location of the camp
On the shore of Old Lake
By the brightly shining water
Stand the wigwams of our campers.
Dark behind it stands the forest,
Stand the chestnut, oak and hemlock,
Stand the firs with cones upon them.
Many things they learn and do here:
How Wakonda, the Great Spirit
Cares for all the faithful children,
Cares for all the forest people,
Learn they of the stars in heaven,
Call them friends where 'er we meet them.
Oh Great Spirit, then, in heaven,
Send us flame to light our campfire
That we may for this be thankful;
Oh Great Spirit, this we ask thee,
Send us fire and we shall praise thee!


The Fire
As the flames point upwards so be our aim
As the red logs glow so be our endeavor
As the grey ash fades so be our errors
As the good fire warms the circle so may
our ideals warm the world.
Farewell at the Campfire
Fire and water, wind and tree,
Wisdom, strength, and courtesy,
Girl Scouting's spirit...go with thee.


The Story of the Fire Spirit
Long ago when only Native Americans lived in this land of ours, there was a Little Fire Spirit who lived with the Indians and gave them the spark to kindle their fires. He had been sent to dwell, on the earth by the Great Spirit to whom they prayed, as we pray in our places of worship today. Now this little Fire Spirit decided that he would like to have a place of his own in which to live, so first he gathered some nice, soft, dry grass for a bed. Then after he had made his bed, he gathered many very tiny twigs and built over his bed a teepee just like the ones in which the people lived. He was careful to see which way the wind was blowing and made the door into his teepee on that side so he would have a breeze to cool him off. (Fire Spirits are so warm, you know.)

After the teepee was built and the day's work of fire lighting was done, the Little Fire Spirit decided to go hunting and off he went into the woods.

While he was gone the settlers came in a ship from far across the sea and the first thing they did was search for a place to live. When they found the lovely hilltop where the Little Fire Spirit had built his teepee, they thought it a perfect place for their cabin. Finding no one in the teepee, they gathered logs (kindling size wood) and built a cabin right around the teepee. They even covered it on top with a log roof.

When the poor Little Fire Spirit returned from his hunting trip he didn't have a place to live. Sadly he looked at the sky and said, "Oh, Great Spirit, what should I do?" The Great Spirit looked down on his little one and said, "Now that the settlers have come with their flint it isn't necessary for you to live on the earth any longer, so go into your teepee, lie down on your bed and I will bring you to live with me."

Now, when a match is lit and touched to the dry grass through the teepee door, the first little puff of white smoke which rises before the flame begins is the Little Fire Spirit going up to Heaven.

This story can be told to your girls as they learn to build a teepee fire with a log cabin around it. As you read the story you will be able to visualize how it may be used effectively. For instance when the Little Fire Spirit gathers dry grass and tiny twigs for his house, you can at the same time demonstrate the method of building the foundation to a teepee fire.


The Glow of Friendship

Of friendship in our hearts! Now the fading camp fire light
Says it's time to say goodnight
All the fun we've had today
Will soon belong to yesterday.
But though the fire is dwindling low,
Though the flame to embers go,
We will ever keep the glow

 

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