Summer Solstice?

If you watch the news or follow social media, you know that today is the first day of Summer.  But wait, wasn't the Memorial Day weekend the first day of Summer?  No, the first day of Summer was when the kids got out of school.  All the fashion experts know that the first day of Summer is when they fit in their swimwear.  The problem is our media and social media are all advertisement driven and will tell you everyday is the first day of Summer if it pays the bills.  Before we had all our high tech gadgets the Summer Solstice was a very important thing to know.

I teach Scouts a great deal about maps and compasses.  One of the key lessons I teach is to find direction without a compass.  Can you tell direction without an electronic gadget or compass? Because today's kids are filled with media driven ads, it takes me a long time to explain direction without a compass.  Dates and time of year is very important.  June 21st is the Summer Solstice. This is the day the the Sun is as far North as it can get.  Mind you I'm teaching kids in the deep South of the U.S.  This means that during the Summer and more specifically on the Summer Solstice the Sun rises almost due East.  During the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes the Sun rises about 23 degrees South of due East. Then on the darkest day of the year, the Winter Solstice, the Sun rises almost directly on a South East heading.  This year at Summer Camp I took my fifteen Scouts out to an open field early in the morning to explain all this.  Of the fifteen only four knew what the Summer Solstice was.  Mind you, some are barely eleven and there is plenty of time to learn. It's just very disturbing to see the advertising media is more powerful than the education system.  Our kids can tell you the first day of Summer as it pertains to school, movies, vacations, and toy sales at Walmart.  I just happen to think that it's more important to know directions than sales pitches.

I know everyone thinks that it's pointless to know directions when we have so much technology at our hands.  After all, I am old fashion and think growing my own food is better than the supermarket.  I just happen to think that maybe we should be smarter than the gadgets that run our lives.  If you think that our gadgets and technology will always available, take it from a guy that has lived through floods and hurricanes.  Sooner or later you will find yourself in a situation that your gadgets don't work for days and maybe weeks.  Spend a little time learning about how to survive in the worst case scenarios.  Teach your kids what direction they are going when driving to the beach.  Most importantly, be aware of all the things surrounding you and how they work and teach your kids to be the same.

Happy Summer Solstice!