Storytelling at Worth Ranch

Storytelling at Worth Ranch
Last weekend I had the privilege of camping with my old Boy Scout Troop 336 at Worth Ranch. We spent Friday night at the cola camp site and then went up to Kyle on Saturday night and left Sunday morning.

The soul purpose of me being there this weekend was to do some storytelling because the troop still keeps me on the books as the Troop Storyteller (God Bless their little souls collectively) and Worth Ranch is where I discovered my talent for storytelling. It is also the only place I will tell my version of the Hugo Monster tale.

There are lots of things I would like to talk about here (such as freezing my rear end off in below freezing tempts) but for this particular blog I am going to just stick to the basics, the adults and the boys of 336 and then my choices regarding stories.

It had been over two years since the last time I went to Worth Ranch with my troop to do some storytelling or as they would say, since I told the Hugo story. In two years a lot can change.

Now the boys who were still kids when I last told at the camp are now young men and helping run the troop .Most of the faces in this troop are fairly new to me because I only make a few meetings a year. I served 336 as their 2^nd assistant scoutmaster from 1993 to 1997 and raised my son Joe in this troop. The troop log is my design.

First, for those of you who have never dealt with scouts a little insider info. This is an organization that thrives on boys running the program. The adults are there to answer questions and provide a referee when needed and supervision to those scouts whose job it is the provide leadership. The adults are mainly there to make sure things happen and to help when needed.

This is also a chance for the boys to seek their wild side. Whether moms or dads realize it or not most boys have a desire for adventure to do something out of the ordinary. Something that requires a little more of them than normal society ask, to challenge themselves.

So the boys are given the chance to be boys with some guidance. Some camp outs are meticulously planned with all kinds of activities for advancement and some are easy going. This particular camp out was fairly easy going. Some of the advancement work needed this weekend was for cooking and so on Saturday morning they cooked bacon and pancakes and did a pretty decent job. Yes moms your boys can cook if given the opportunity to do so.

The older boys in the troop who have done all their rank advancement or most of it are the true guides to the younger scouts. In fact if you wish they are the younger scout’s inspiration. Yes the same kids who want or claim that they can’t clean up their rooms are providing guidance and inspiration to the younger kids. Interesting hmmm….

Yes, it is never pretty or perfect and seldom works as it should but the fact is that it does and will work to some degree. Sometimes it works great and others so so.

Worth Ranch is a special place to me as it is too many adults. My father was an assistant scout master for troop 34 out of Saint Georges in Haltom City. I had two older brothers who both went through scouts and so when I was 6 or 7 years old dad was taking me out with him on campouts (thanks Dad) and many of those camp outs were at Worth Ranch. By the time I became a scout I was steeped in the lore of Worth Ranch. I spent many wonderful and challenging summer camps at Worth and in the end as an adult it serves as the place where I found my love for storytelling.

This camp out was also a back packing camp out which means we carried a minimal of food and supplies and that Saturday morning after lunch and some play time we packed up to Mt. Kyle (it is actually a typical Texas Plateau) and camped out up there that night.

This was a real challenge for most of these younger boys just hiking up to Kyle. The boys learn quickly about balancing your pack (how you pack it) and what to leave behind or take. They figure this out about half way up the hill when their packs start falling apart or their legs begin to give out under the weight of what they thought they needed. Yes, the leaders told them and showed them how to pack and what to do but most kids have to learn by experience (you can lead the horse to water but…).

Unfortunately the meds my Dr. has me on for my diabetes has been giving me severe cramps and muscle pain on occasion and sure enough even though I had limbered up all morning with a good hike I started cramping in my right leg just as we were getting ready to mount up and I could not carry my pack. The scout master did not hesitate, Steve said, ‘don’t worry the boys will get it’ and so I did not worry about it. Sure enough I went up without the pack and as soon as we reached the top, duties were given out by the SPL , Kinkaid (Senior Patrol Leader) and two boys went down to fetch my pack and some fire wood (it was Derek who brought the pack back up for me). Eventually several shortages were realized and the SPL was quickly sending boys back down to retrieve supplies even to the extent of creating a relay line to get supplies up to Kyle as dark was descending on the hill. I was very impressed.

Finally after dinner my time came to do my bit and with a log for a seat and a nice warm fire before me I told my tale of my experience with Hugo Monster in 1963. Then I told the tale of 'Teig O’Kane and the Corpse' (an Irish Ghost Tale) and finally upon request from the troop I did the intro for 'Summer of the Red Dragon'. When I go camping with my troop I always want to give them something special, extra. Some thing that no one knows about except for a special select few. So next I shared with the boys some facts relating to the creation of Summer of the Red Dragon and other interesting tidbits related to my storytelling. The boys were awesome and listened intently. But what I told them that night is between me and the boys of 336.

It was a wonderful night for me. The boys and adults were awesome. The boys were rapt in listening and wanting more. The camp fire was perfect and the setting almost unbeatable. The boys thanked me afterwards for my storytelling but what they don’t get is that without them I am worthless.

A storyteller must have an audience and 336 is my all time favorite.
I want to thank all the adults of 336 for continuing to make me comfortable with my infrequent visits with the troop and their incredible support of my efforts to keep storytelling alive in boy scouts (far to many adult leaders believe that storytelling is just for cub scouts).

I especially want to thank Scoutmaster Steve Grady and his two adult assistants Rich Treu and Mike Everett, all three of these guys were easy to talk to and I found them all very friendly and courteous. I want to thank them for their efforts last weekend and for their comradery during the camp out (can't tell you how much I miss that). I want to thank the Kincaid and Derek for their extra efforts to help a tired old man. (They even offered to carry my pack down Sunday Morning but by then I seemed to be okay). I want to thank the boys of 336 for being a little different and giving scouting a chance and I especially want to thank all you mom's and dads for keeping these boys in scouting. You won’t regret it.

Over the last 15 years I have managed to develop a career as a professional storyteller and I have performed in front of audiences of 1 and a 1,000. Today I am called a Master Storyteller by many of my piers. I have sometimes not been paid and others I have received a hefty payment for my performances. Yet in the end all that matters is that someone in that audience listens and realizes that I have a message for them and if I succeed in that then I have done what I was born to do and that makes me smile.

Thanks 336

Mr. Whitaker aka The Storyman