Table of Contents 1)
As our music cheers us, so be the melody of our lives;
As our mirth unites us, so be the harmony of our hearts;
As our spirits rise to the lilt of our song,
so may the Great Spirit uplift us to renewed endeavor;
And may the happy fellowship of this circle go out into all the
world.
2)
May this fire touch us with the magic of its mystery;
May we see in its dance the ever-changing beauty of the world;
May this fire be good medicine,Where fellowship, adventure, and
fun sit side by side;
May this fire tonight remain forever in our hearts;
Even as their first fire kindled by our ancestors
Has remained alight through the ages.
3)
The stars shining over us, Their light shines before us,
Oh God of Nature, Grant to us a perfect peace.
4)
Kneel always when you light a fire;
Kneel reverently and thankful be,
For God's unfailing charity.
5)
Tall trees that reach the sky, Mountains and lakes nearby;
Draw near my friends, Come sing, my friends,
Our campfire time is nigh.
6)
The fire is lit, come lift your voice;
Let song and skit beguile the hours;
The fire is lit, so let's rejoice,
Our hearts are full, the night is ours.
7)
The life of a fire is like the life of a person.
In it's infancy, it is faint and weak and must be carefully
nourished and tended.
As it catches, it crawls and spreads like a child exploring it's
world.
In it's adolescence, it flares fast and bright, racing for new
height.
Soon, it will burn with the steady heat and light of it's
adulthood.
8)
As the Flames point upward, so be our aims,
As the red logs glow, so be our sympathies;
As the gray ash fades, so be our errors;
As this good fire warms us, so may our ideals warm the world.
So may the Scout ideal warm the world.
9)
Music of the Night
Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation.
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination.
Silently the senses abandon their defenses.
Slowly, gently, night unfurls it's splendor.
Grasp it, sense it -- tremulous and tender.
Turn your face away from the garish light of day.
Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light,
And listen to the Music of the Night.
Softly, deftly, music shall caress you.
Hear it, feel it secretly possess you.
Open up your mind,
let your fantasies unwind,
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight.
The Darkness of the music of the night.
10)
Leap high O golden flame, the day is dead.
Bring warmth and cheer, O flame, the sun has fled.
Stoutly your gleam maintain, youths not abed,
Ring out the heart's refrain, goodwill to all.
11)
Who hath smelt wood smoke at twilight?
Who hath heard the birch log burning?
Who is quick to read the noises of the night?
Let him follow with the others,
For the young men's feet are turning
To the camps of proved desire and known delight. (Rudyard
Kipling)
12)
Cold night weighs down the forest bough,
Strange shapes go flitting through the gloom;
But see... a spark, a flame and now
The wilderness is home!
13)
The simple life and friendly cheer,
May all those find who gather here.
14)
Behold the fire, my comrades,
May it's flames purify your hearts,
Let no unfriendly thoughts be harbored,
Let no uncouth word be spoken,
Keep the spirit of the campfire in your hearts forever,
Peace be to all men.
15)
The forests of long ago, stored up in themselves the warmth of
the sunshine of ages past,
and then perished to give it out to us again and make fleeting
pictures in our fire.
1)
As darkness creeps into our circle of light,
Embers that glow and sigh
Draw our friendship circle closer,
Whisper memories that will not die;
God's magic danced in our fire's flames,
And fills the gathering night
With mystery and a wondrous peace
That bids safe sleep 'til morning's light.
2)
The stars shining over us,
Their light shines before us,
Oh God of Nature,
Grant to us a perfect peace.
3)
Once you have been a camper,
Something has come to stay.
Something has come that nothing
Will ever take away.
We came as strangers, we became friends, we part as brothers.
4)
The day was long; we've worked and played,
And round this fire, we've good friends made;
We've shared a friendship fine and deep,
And now this circle leaves to sleep.
5)
A fire, in it's later life, goes dim.
No longer does it have the fierce brightness of it's youth.
Still, it gives a gentle, steady warmth,
just as an elderly man or woman shares the warmth of
understanding
and the steadiness of experience.
6)
And, this is a fact of life: all things must die.
The memory of those passed on lives deep and dear in our hearts.
This fire will fade to cold ash, but it's flame will glow in our
memory - Leader, May '91.
7)
Around the fire's glow the silent night
Pressed close and closer to the dying flame,
And in the narrowing circle of it's light
Closer and closer to its heart we came.
8)
Wood and water, wind and tree,
Wisdom, strength and courtesy,
Scouting favor go with thee.
9)
Sparkling Thoughts
You need enough sugar to give everyone in the circle a small
handful. After the Closing, ask the group to gather around the
dying embers. Pass around the jar of sugar and quietly ask people
to take some and hold onto it. When everyone is ready, together
toss the sugar on the fire. You can compare the flashing sparks
and quick flames to happy thoughts or simply enjoy these happy
thoughts in silence.