It wasn’t like the TV Reality Show at all, but it was an evening of survival lessons for Ben’s 5th / 6th grade class on Friday evening.  Several parents helped with the evening that their teacher, Miss Carolyn, had organized.  What a fun teacher!  What a great class!

Ron showed them the survival skill of building a campfire from scratch – no kerosine, just wood and dry grass … and a match!

Once the fire got started, one of the moms gave them a lesson on recognizing local plants.  Then they put together “hobo meals” also known as “foil dinners”.  Potatoes, carrots, onion and sausage wrapped in foil and ready to put on the hot coals.

While the meal was cooking away in the hot coals, the students learned self defense.

And one of the dads who is a pilot taught them how to signal to a plane for help, using sticks, rocks or anything that shows up from the air.  By then the dinner was ready to eat!

Next one of the dads gave a lesson in first aid.

And about the time that was completed, the dessert was done: peach cobbler made in tuna cans, covered in foil, baked in the hot coals.  This special treat was eaten around the campfire, followed by singing and devotions.

And after dessert Ron was going to guide them in star gazing… but all we could see through the hazy clouds was a blur of white that we assumed must be the moon.  He did, though, talk them through constillations that can be seen in Africa and those that can be seen in N. America or Europe but not in Africa. 

We didn’t just “survive” that evening, we thrived!  And the students and adults enjoyed the variety of activities associated with each topic.