Woodshop class: Snake walking sticks & others

[Lightningbolt]

Thank's again for the comments!

Chuck: You're right about the paycheck portion of my job. I started out as a counselor with the same organization back in 1981 for just $8,000.00/year salary, 24hrs/day- 5 days at a time... unless you were on a 28 day canoe trip then it was 24hr days- 4 weeks at a time. Definitely a job that you had to love and NOT for the average "normal" person. You had to think of it more like a lifestyle than a job. Today the pay is MUCH better as an educator but still careers in teaching, social services, etc. is not much to write home about when compared to something like business, marketing, etc.

I have a pretty nice job but there's the plus and minus sides of everything and everybody's path is different. I'd say that what you're doing now is definitely the right path for you because a family is worth everything.

Hobo: Oh yes! The kids do quite a bit of hiking as our camp has 900 acres and it's attached to a regional Boy Scout reservation that has 3,200 acres so hiking is literally right out of our back door. Canoe trips are used the most yearround but some of the better groups can get in some good backpacking trips.

Thank's again and now it's back to carvin' !

[Eddy-Smiles]

Dave... Is what you're invovled in like a kid's outward bound program? About 8-years ago we tried to get my grandson into one. It might have helped him.

[Lightningbolt]

Yes Eddy, it's very similar to Outward Bound except we're more of a year round residential program for at-risk kids in a wilderness setting where the average camp stay is between 12 and 18 months. Outward Bound is more of a short term adventure based program where the kids are put on very intensive wilderness trips usually between 2 and 4 weeks.

I did take a break from my current employer of 26 years http://www.eckerd.org in 1984 to help lead trips for 14-16 year old at-risk kids for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School. It was a fantastic experience but I finally decided that the Eckerd wilderness program was where I wanted to make my career. Both programs, in my opinion, are the best in the country for their own unique approach to helping kids stay on the right path. I guess that the residential program and camp life of the Eckerd program allowed me to carve the most so I went with them. HA, HA

Eckerd camps started in Florida in 1968 by the late and great Jack Eckerd who was also the founder of Eckerd Drug Stores so you've probably heard of them since we've got a lot of programs in that state. Outward Bound Directive also has a presence in Florida. And yes, not only could your grandson probably have benefited from such a program I've often wished that I could have had such an experience as a kid.

[Colin-Partridge]

Dave your kids did an excellent job but I am sure they had an excellent teacher. Wonderful idea and wonderful creations. I also teach art at school part time and it is amazing what creations and ideas these kids can come up with. Kudos's on your project tell them from me they did an amazing job
Colin

[Joy]

Thank you for your input into the next generation. Sometimes all it takes is to know that someone cares. The snakes sticks are terrific.

[dmatias]

Dave;
Your kids did a fantastic job, what did you guys get up to in February 2008? Would love to see the results.

[Lightningbolt]

Thought that I'd add a link for the archives to the YouTube site where I explain "in living color" how I make these snake sticks.
YouTube - Fun Snake Walking Sticks

[dnstehly]

Great snake sticks Dave. Let's hope that with your teaching you have started a whole new generation of snake stick carvers.