Fire Walking

[Subvert]

Hello all! I was a first time visitor to your camp last Saturday. I had a good time, and I hope the hosts did as well.

But I wanted to mention something here that I was talking with people at the retreat about, and that's fire walking!

You had a great bonfire burning, and with such a well tended fire, I thought it would be great once it burned down if you raked out the coals for fire walking. Fire walking really isn't that mysterious, and pure physics prevents you from getting burned, but it's a lot of fun and can even be a bonding experience.

I wasn't able to stay past Saturday night/Sunday morning, so I don't know if anyone followed my suggestions. It looked like the remainder would be burning for most of the day Sunday (the biggest logs anyway), and it looked like you were going to end up with a lot of useable coals.

Anyway, I just wanted to pass along my thanks for hosting this past weekend, as well as that suggestion.

[Cyricx]

We typically do not allow people to walk in the coals, or jump over the fire or things of that sort. Too many issues with people that are more inebriated then they realize and things going wrong.

If there was an event geared towards that with waivers and such, it's possible that the board could approve it, though that would need to be taken before them for a decision. I'm uncertain if any precedence has been set in that regard in the past.

As far as generally speaking though, no fire walking or jumping is allowed and those considering or attempting to do so are typically asked to leave the fire.

Too many chances for someone that doesn't know what they are doing, seeing someone that does and then trying it and getting seriously hurt.

Again, I'd stress towards organizing something of a sane level, with reasonable precautions and waivers in place being brought to the board for approval.

I myself am hoping to work with someone for a polar bear plunge, which has a similar issue with the extreme cold on the opposite side of the spectrum of what you are talking about :)

Hope this helps!

[Subvert]

Well, I can certainly understand the need for a lot of precautions at a place like this, particularly when you're dealing with outsiders that may not know how to handle themselves. And I certainly wouldn't suggest to anyone that they attempt to mess with your fire without permission and assistance of someone from your organization that's responsible.

And frankly my suggestion was more in the interests to your regular guests, because it is unlikely that I'll be returning to your Center. I'm not saying that with any sort of negativity, just as a simple realistic statement.

But I really do have a hard time wrapping my head around such a rule laden venue that seems to be devoted to personal freedoms. I guess that's what you get when you have a lot of visitors, who may not necessarily have as much of a sense of personal responsibility as others might like.

It just seems like so much spontaneity and creativity is being crushed and that saddens me. I don't want anyone to think that I'm attempting to change anyone's minds here, but SOBER fire walking really isn't all that scary unless you're uninformed about it.

But thanks for your response! It's obvious that I'm relatively ignorant of your organization, but I appreciate the enlightenment! And again, I really appreciated your venue. I had a good time.

[Cyricx]

Unfortunately, this has been a result of the law system we deal with.

With a world that allows people to sue mcdonalds because they got burned by hot coffee (coffee is hot??), it tends to cascade to other things that have to explain the world of "common sense".

It's just unfortunate that an accident that could result in a lawsuit could cost the organization everything. Including the community's land. So certain sacrifices are needed in order to ensure the safety of those that enjoy the land and the continuity of the land.

It reminds me of the phrase we had on the back of our Earth day t-shirts that read:

"Sustainability: meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future"

[stick]

well i haven't got a good piece of ground to stand on as i just now registered, and never having heard of the goinzon, i can just say this...i was 2 merit badges away from eagle scout, and i'm a (modication (i.e. moderation)) partyer, so 2 things usually work. 1) common sense 2) be prepared. i look forward 2 meeting/having fun w/y'all, stick