There is an impalpable, invisible, softly stepping delight in the camp fire which escapes analysis. Enumerate all its charms, and still there is something missing in your catalogue. —W. C. Gray in "Camp Fire Musings."
"I cannot conceive of a camp that does not have a big fire! Our city houses do not have it, not even a fireplace. The fireplace is one of the greatest schools the imagination has ever had or ever can have. It is moral, and it always gives a tremendous stimulus to the imagination, and that is why stories and fire go together. You cannot tell a good story unless you tell it before a fire. You cannot have a complete fire unless you have a good story-teller along." [1] Anyone who has witnessed a real camp fire and participated in its fun, as well as seriousness, will never forget it. The huge fire shooting up its tongue of flame into the darkness of the night, the perfect shower of golden rain, the company of happy boys, and great, dark background of piney woods, the weird light over all, the singing, the yells, the stories, the fun, then the serious word at the close, is a happy experience long to be remembered.
[Footnote 1: Dr. G. Stanley Hall, "Camp Conference Report," p. 40.]
To Build a Fire
There are ways and ways of building camp fires. An old Indian saying runs, "White man heap fool, make um big fire—can't git near! Injun make um little fire—git close! Uh! good!" Make it a service privilege for a tent of boys to gather wood and build the fire. This should be done during the afternoon. Two things are essential in the building of a fire—kindling and air. A fire must be built systematically. First, get dry, small dead branches, twigs, fir branches and other inflammable material. Place these upon the ground. Be sure that air can draw under the pile and up through it. Next place some heavier branches in tripod form over the kindling, then good-sized sticks, and so on until you have built the camp fire the required size. In many camps it is considered an honor to light the fire.
Kerosene oil may be poured upon the kindling, or old newspapers used in lighting the fire.
Caution
An interesting account of "How to Build a Fire by Rubbing Sticks," by
Ernest Thompson-Seton, will be found in "Boy Scouts of America," page 84.
Be sure to use every precaution to prevent the spreading of fire. This may be done by building a circle of stone around the fire, or by digging up the earth, or by wetting a space around the fire. Always have buckets of water near at hand.
Things to remember: