The Campfire Chronicles

reported by Miss Camp

December 14, 2001

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Scout of the Week The Sun The Hobbit
Riddle 1 Riddle 2 Riddle 3
Sharing Parade
SCOUT OF THE WEEK

Nikki

Nikki is our Scout of the Week because she demonstrated exemplary behavior in our classroom all week.

Even with all the excitement of the Winter Vacation right around the corner, Nikki paid attention, followed directions, listened attentively, and put her best effort into all that she did.

In addition, Nikki demonstrated her kindness for others by making new friends in the classroom this week.

Congratulations Nikki!
CAMP LINUS BLASTS OFF... NEXT STOP: THE SUN

Did you know that the sun is really just a star? A star is a huge glowing ball of gases.

Did you know that gas is not gasoline, but rather something that is neither a solid nor a liquid? Air and steam are examples of gases.

Did you know that the sun is the only star in our solar system? It looks bigger than the other stars because it is the closest star to Earth (even though it is 93 million miles away!)

Did you know that Solar means “about or from the sun”? (Remember El Sol = The Sun in Spanish!)

Solar System: Our Solar System consists of 9 planets that move around the sun. (The “universe” consists of our solar system, plus all of the other stars we see in the sky. We don’t know if the other stars have their own “solar systems!” No one from Earth has ever been out of this solar system! Other stars are too far away!)

Solar Energy or Solar Power: Since there is only so much oil on Earth, we talked about why people on Earth need to be looking for other ways to provide power for cars, computers, refrigerators, TVs, lights, heat, etc.

RIDDLE 1

What has roots as nobody sees,
Is taller than trees,
     Up, up it goes,
     And yet never grows?

Answer
RIDDLE 2

Voiceless it cries,
Wingless it flutters,
Toothless bites,
Mouthless mutters.

Answer
RIDDLE 3

It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills,
     And empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after,
     Ends life, kills laughter.

Answer
SHARING PARADE AT LWW

At LWW’s annual Sharing Parade, the third grade classes led the school in the Pledge of Allegiance and three patriotic songs. Camp Linus was in charge of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Standing in front of the whole school, and with a microphone, four of our scouts introduced the Pledge:

  • Brennan: “The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892. That was 109 years ago.”

  • Michael: “On Friday, October 12, 2001, at 2:00 in the afternoon, President Bush led 52 million school children across the whole country in the Pledge of Allegiance. The unified voice showed our patriotism.

  • Tiano and Chelsea read the Pledge in the format of a poem for two alternating voices. (Tiano read the words in red, and Chelsea read the words in blue.):

I pledge allegiance .
. I promise to be true
to the flag .
. to the symbol of our country
of the United States of America
. each state that has joined to make our country
and to the Republic .
. a republic is a country where the people choose otheres to make laws for them - the government is for the people
for which it stands .
. the flag means the country
one Nation .
. a single country
under God, .
. the people believe in a supreme being
indivisible, .
. the country cannot be split into parts
with liberty and justice
. with freedom and fairness
for all. .
. for each person in the country...you and me!

Following the introduction by Brennan, Mike, Tiano, and Chelsea, all of the scouts stood up in a row that stretched from one side of the gym to the other. Each scout held (face down) a sign with a word or two from the Pledge written on it. As we led the whole school in the Pledge, each scout held up his/her sign as soon as it was time to say the word(s) on his/her sign. It looked like “the wave” as the signs went up one by one while 500 kids said the pledge together. It was awesome! (and fun!)

What is the Sharing Parade?

The Sharing Parade is when all the students at LWW parade into the gym with the item they brought from home to share (i.e. can of food, box of cereal). The students place their items into the boxes that have been created by each class. Below are pictures of the box from Camp Linus.

THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien

As Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves made their way up the mountain path, two thunderstorms came together and had a “thunder-battle.” With lightning bolts clashing, and the Stone-Giants tossing boulders around, the group looked for shelter and found it in a cave. What they didn’t know was that this particular cave was the front porch for the goblins who lived within the mountain...

While all of the dwarves slept peacefully, Bilbo woke up to see a crack in the back of the cave opening wider and wider. When goblins appeared, Bilbo shouted out. All of the dwarves and Bilbo were captured by the goblins and taken deep within the mountain. Luckily, Bilbo’s shout had alerted Gandalf and he was able to protect himself from being captured. Later, using the special sword he had gotten from the trolls’ cave, Gandalf was able to rescue them.

As they were escaping, however, the goblins sent a few of their fastest runners (with very soft and quiet shoes) after them. They caught up to the last dwarf who was carrying Bilbo. Bilbo fell off and bumped his head. When he woke up, he was all alone and it was dark. As he felt his way down the dark passages inside the mountain, he found a ring and put it in his pocket.

Soon, deep within the mountain, he came to a lake surrounded by pitch blackness. All that could be seen were the large glowing eyes of Gollum, a creature who had lived there for a long, long time. Gollum liked to eat goblins and anything else that found its way to his lake. He was curious about Bilbo, however, as he had never met a hobbit. He challenged Bilbo to a game of Riddles. He promised to show Bilbo the way out of the mountain if Bilbo won. Of course, Gollum didn’t expect to lose! Riddles

After many riddles, when it was Bilbo’s turn to think of one and he was having trouble, he put his hand in his pocket, felt the ring, and asked himself out loud, “What is in my pocket?” Gollum thought that was the riddle and he didn’t think it was a fair question so he demanded 3 guesses. Of course, Gollum couldn’t guess what was in Bilbo’s pocket and that made him mad. He came up with a new plan...

Telling Bilbo that he needed to get some supplies before showing him the way out of the mountain, Gollum paddled to his little island on the lake to get his special ring, his “precious.” He couldn’t find it. He had lost it! As he paddled back to Bilbo, he began to suspect that Bilbo had found his ring. As Gollum came closer and closer, Bilbo began to suspect that Gollum wasn’t going to help him!

Bilbo took off running. Gollum started chasing him. Wondering what was so special about the ring, Bilbo put the ring on. He turned invisible! He let Gollum pass him, and then he followed Gollum so that he could find his way out of the mountain. Gollum finally gave up, and Bilbo knew he was almost free. He could see the sunlight coming through the opened door at the end of the passage. It was guarded by goblins! When the ring slipped off his finger, the goblins could see him! Quickly Bilbo put the ring back on and made his escape while the goblins were trying to figure out where he went! He was free. He was also completely lost!

Next chapter: Out of the frying pan and into the fire!

Click on Snoopy Typing to go back to the Directory of Campfire Chronicles! Click on the Beagle Scout to go back to Camp Linus!