After attending Sat. and Sun. of 1st cut, I have a few quick things to point out that I noticed.
1. Very well organized. I was parked, checked in, and on my way to the woods as quickly as I could fill out paperwork. Great job, Greens. All the tractors were running in the same direction, the leadership knew what was going on at all times, and information flowed freely.
2. Focused on safety. My first stop was in the Corps woods. These guys were 103% devoted to keeping the fish / new guys safe and educating them as to how things were done. They may not have been cutting as quickly, but everyone was safe and watched out for eachother. This was the case for the entire Cut site.
3. Everyone was motivated. As I walked from the Corps woods after cutting for a while, I made my way towards the louder part of the woods. I came upon a huge swath of land that was just stumps. The Crocker crew had leveled a football-field sized area and were showed no sign of slowing. The same was true for every crew that I encountered along the tractor path. There was some healthy rivalries, good competitions, and bonds being built all around me.
4. A willingness to learn. A friend from Hart and I were taking a quick walk around Cut and met a small crew beating on a tree with worn-out axes. Instead of acting macho and trying to show off to his crew, the chief asked for help, welcomed our pointers, and passed on the information to his crew. I also met some CT fish who were willing to skip lunch in order to learn how to make the best wedge on a tree, cut left handed, and predict the fall of a log.
5. This is real Bonfire. My last stop of the weekend was at Load. All I could say was WOW. Having been a large participant in Load in '99 I think I can say that the crew that Walton and the Corps put together out there was one of the best. They had a sense of urgency instilled by their leaders, a can-do attitude, and nobody was going to get in their way. For those who understand, it smelled like Bonfire.
6. Real leaders are getting made out there. I saw all different types of them this weekend. There was the pisshead CT who knew no other leadership than by yelling out orders. He was a bit crass, but got the job done. There were the quiet types, who showed his crew how to get it done and then only spoke up when there could be a little improvement. I saw the motivational leaders over in the Neely woods, cheering eachother for every vine and twig cut down. With a little time and refinement, the men and women out there will get to know eachother and their crews and work as one.
All in all, the events this weekend displayed a large degree of planning, foresight, leadership, knowledge, skills, and desire. I can't wait to see Bonfire and it's participants develop over the months and years. The can-do attitude is what makes Bonfire happen. Keep up the good work.
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If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.
1. Very well organized. I was parked, checked in, and on my way to the woods as quickly as I could fill out paperwork. Great job, Greens. All the tractors were running in the same direction, the leadership knew what was going on at all times, and information flowed freely.
2. Focused on safety. My first stop was in the Corps woods. These guys were 103% devoted to keeping the fish / new guys safe and educating them as to how things were done. They may not have been cutting as quickly, but everyone was safe and watched out for eachother. This was the case for the entire Cut site.
3. Everyone was motivated. As I walked from the Corps woods after cutting for a while, I made my way towards the louder part of the woods. I came upon a huge swath of land that was just stumps. The Crocker crew had leveled a football-field sized area and were showed no sign of slowing. The same was true for every crew that I encountered along the tractor path. There was some healthy rivalries, good competitions, and bonds being built all around me.
4. A willingness to learn. A friend from Hart and I were taking a quick walk around Cut and met a small crew beating on a tree with worn-out axes. Instead of acting macho and trying to show off to his crew, the chief asked for help, welcomed our pointers, and passed on the information to his crew. I also met some CT fish who were willing to skip lunch in order to learn how to make the best wedge on a tree, cut left handed, and predict the fall of a log.
5. This is real Bonfire. My last stop of the weekend was at Load. All I could say was WOW. Having been a large participant in Load in '99 I think I can say that the crew that Walton and the Corps put together out there was one of the best. They had a sense of urgency instilled by their leaders, a can-do attitude, and nobody was going to get in their way. For those who understand, it smelled like Bonfire.
6. Real leaders are getting made out there. I saw all different types of them this weekend. There was the pisshead CT who knew no other leadership than by yelling out orders. He was a bit crass, but got the job done. There were the quiet types, who showed his crew how to get it done and then only spoke up when there could be a little improvement. I saw the motivational leaders over in the Neely woods, cheering eachother for every vine and twig cut down. With a little time and refinement, the men and women out there will get to know eachother and their crews and work as one.
All in all, the events this weekend displayed a large degree of planning, foresight, leadership, knowledge, skills, and desire. I can't wait to see Bonfire and it's participants develop over the months and years. The can-do attitude is what makes Bonfire happen. Keep up the good work.
-------------------------------------------------------
If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.
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, but I'll never die!!!