The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 6,691 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—9,460 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ
Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …
For this week’s Out There Kids/I Am A Survivor Young Cultivator Merit Badge, I snagged my little pal, Nora, and we got ready to put together some Survival Packs. Now, in order to earn this Beginner Level badge, we really only needed to make one, but never let it be said that I make things easy. Or cheaply. Or wisely. So I bought most of our supplies in bulk and we thought we’d make some for our friends and families. I mean, come on. Survival? It’s uh, kinda necessary stuff.
Also, I’ve been reading a lot of zombie novels, and it never hurts to be prepared. Just sayin’.
So Nora came over for the afternoon and we got to work assembling our supplies and packing our baggies. I was surprised at much she couldn’t identify, and the stuff she could identify, she didn’t know why anyone would ever need. So, all in all, our afternoon stretched into the evening. That kid can ask a lot of questions …
Such as:
What’s this weird-looking thing? (Weird-looking thing is a poncho.)
What’s a poncho? I thought a poncho was a type of Alpaca. (Uh, no. It’s a light, rainproof jacket.)
Good, cuz I don’t think we’ll fit an Alpaca in these little bags! HAHA! (Very funny, dear. Let’s try to focus now.)
Whoa! You’re going to give me a pocketknife? SCORE! (Fold that up, please. You’re obviously not ready for that.)
What’s the whistle for? *blows it* Signaling prairie dogs? Practicing my cheers? (For calling for help, you mini weirdo. Stop blowing that thing!)
This is the gnarliest blanket I’ve ever seen! (It’s a space blanket.)
We’re going into space? This Merit Badge stuff ROCKS. (Just hand it here. Sigh.)
Yum, candy. (IN. THE. BAG. MISSY.)
What’s the cord for? *narrows eyes suspiciously* Are we planning on kidnapping someone? (Of course not! What an idea!)
I’m just sayin’… rope, pocketknife, candy … If I find duct tape, Auntie Jane, I’m telling Mom. (Quit it, candy breath.)
I don’t wanna be an accessory to your life of crime, Aunty. (*sigh*)
A mirror? So, like, we can check our makeup while help arrives? Or to see if our rescuers are vampires? (Very funny. It’s for reflecting.)
Wahoo! Matches! I love fire! (IN. THE. BAG.)
Oh, I have one of these already. A first aid kit, right? (Right.)
Whew. That whole thing took a while. We ended up eating most of the candy and granola bars, so we’ll have to replenish those. Nora lovingly used a Sharpie to label the bags, and then she placed them all in a basket, and skipped cheerfully around the ‘hood to pass them out. She was like a Little Red Riding Hood. I wiped a single, proud tear away as I watched her from my porch.
She even left me one, the little sweetie. Then I peered closer at her labeling job:
Zombie Apocalypse Supply Kit (Not For Use For Kidnapping) – BYOC (Bring Your Own Candy)
Hahahaha!! BYOC? Do you think that would go over tonight with the Trick or Treaters? Hmmm, I am thinking not unless I want my porch vandalized. Someone……already stole my pumpkin off the front porch and I had to buy another to carve!
Hysterical sign she wrote ! Yep, kids can’t ID alot of what we , um older more mature , folks take for granted. What a nice gesture to share with the neighborhood those kits.
I swear every year I will buy jumper cables and keep them in my car trunk. I do have, however. a lot of cold weather gear in my car as I broke down once in a blizzard and nearly froze to death! And was unable to walk anywhere for help ‘coz I was in ” dressup” shoes, so now I have extra boots , warm socks, and those cool ( warm) hand warmer thingys . Plus of course hats ,scarves, etc. Oh and always a few boxes of Lanz crackers ( a staple in my car year round). ( oh and my epi-pen, I’m allergic to bees )
This trip that you are on with your young cultivator badge is the most delightful trip I have ever taken 🙂 The greatest part being (of course!) that one day, when she is all grown up, something will come along where she will pull up these memories and the knowledge you are giving her and put them to good use. Maybe even snag one of her own young pranksters, er… young person to teach!
Ha ha this is funny! You can never be too prepared, especially if we end up with a zombie apocalypse one day. It really does amaze me how much the younger generation is unaware of the things we would need to survive. The technology now a day hinders them from learning those things as well as exploring our world. I think it’s a wonderful idea to make multiple survival kits and give the out (maybe include a list of what’s inside and what it’s used for…just in case). This would even be a good idea for a Christmas gift.
Perfect Halloween badge!