Borrowed Pictured: Pioneer Camp Site, "Over to Logan"
(40 Summers 40 Lessons Series)
1985 – I was not at a traditional summer camp this year. In fact,
I was in a small town in Northern Utah doing an internship for my
Communications, journalism major. The local Scout Troop was planning a camp
trip in the mountains “over to Logan.” It seemed that many of the locals would
often say things like “over to…” when describing any trip or description of a
place.
In one of my assignments during the internship, I had to take
photos of the water system as it the local water commissioner restored it to a
local community. The water line had had a break and for several days, the
community did not have any water at all. I was given directions “over to
Bothwell.” In addition to the “over to” phrases, directions were given not by
street or road names, but by landmarks. As you travel out of Tremonton, head
west until you see the big red barn near Thatcher. Turn down the farm road
until you see the big tree and make a right, heading north. You see the water
system from there.
Of course, I had a time of it finding the barn and tree and I was
driving down a dirt path barely large enough for my car (there were other tire
tracks, so I knew it was okay.) I had in mind that there would be some
structure and a group of people like a gathering at a ribbon cutting with some
fanfare.
I saw a farmer walking down the road ahead with what appeared to
be a large crow bar swung over his right shoulder. Now, there was a barn in the
distance; many fields; what appeared to be a gully with water running through
it just of the path. I pulled up and asked if he knew whom the water
commissioner was and where the system was restoring.
He said, “ya found me.”
I had made it “over to Bothwell.”
After a few more moments walking, he inserted the giant bar into
a pipe stand in the gully and turned it. I barely had enough time to snap two
pictures. I had stepped down into the gully and looked up with the clouds and
sun in the right part of the sky. Later in the dark room, the 2nd
exposure had been the right one capturing the determined look on the water commissioner’s
face as he turned the bar and with no noise or fanfare, water flowed. Timing was just right.
The camping trip was an extended weekend (Thursday evening ‘til
Sunday afternoon) We met several times prior to review equipment, meal plan and
activities. I had brought most of my backpacking gear in hopes of having such opportunities.
The hike in was not terribly long and the Scouts panned several day hikes from
their base camp. As the outsider and frequent backpacker in those days, and assigned
to accompany all the hikes and often took up the rear per the senior patrol
leader (SPL).
It had been one of those bluebird days while the weather report
had been predicting afternoon thunderstorms. The walk up was twisting back and
forth and maybe a class 2 trail at best. Lunch was on the trail and the weather
front emerged from the west and in the distance. It was well into our second
leg of the hike that one of the other patrol leaders started commenting on the
weather. As discussion of how far we had come and perhaps it would be best to get
back to base camp pronto. I mentioned that I saw a deer trail off the switchback
not too far down that headed in the direction of base camp. The assistant Scoutmaster
was not too keen on going off trail; however, the storm was heading faster
towards our location.
The SPL looked for assurance and he knew that I had been
backpacking for a while. I smiled and he decided we would take the deer trail.
It was not too long that the trail was haphazard at best. By the time we hit a
patch of Talus, the other leader kept looking at me with that “now what have
you gotten us into” look. I maintained my assigned post of bringing up the rear.
Storm clouds are deceiving, we would look up often to determine
where they would head, and most often, the consensus was that we would catch
the brunt of the system. The Scout on point at this time would take three steps
stop and assess the situation. We headed down on a steeper incline and while a
couple of Scouts said let’s head back up and back on to the trail. The SPL
glanced again, I smiled, and he said with assurance, “Let’s keep going, we’ll beat the storm.”
Not knowing and risk taking are qualities that emerge in
leadership. One of my mentors, Wally Wirick, is fond of saying, “coincidence is
God’s way of remaining anonymous.” I used to believe that those coincidences
were just that. As I look back on lessons learned over 40 summers of outdoor
camp experiences, I know now what John Maxwell considers one of his laws of leadership;
the law of timing. Taking the right action at the right time brings success.
I think about that trip and that young man; and where he may be
today. I know that he knew the law while it still took me some time to
appreciate it so much more. He knew when to lead was as important as what to do
and where to go.
Timing was just right.
