For the past nine years, I attended a traditional summer camp in the mountains of North Carolina called Falling Creek. There, for a month every summer, I developed a large network of friends from all over the southeast and more... most with a pretty big interest in whitewater kayaking. While we were there, the Falling Creek Code was encouraged in everyday behavior, consisting of 4 main parts: Warrior Spirit, Positive Attitude, Moral Compass, and Servant’s Heart. I am a firm believer in the fact that these values can be used to improve your life, and the lives of those around you. When in the Keener program, living with 6-8 other kids in a cabin, spending the day absolutely crushing some whitewater in a kayak, and in the evenings working on valuable skills like public speaking, following the code will get you through it all.
The first one is easy: Warrior Spirit. If you’re a Keener, you already have it. Flying or driving to Ottawa, Canada, to live with strangers for 3 weeks and kayak a world class river takes courage. I kind of cheated on this one. I was lucky enough to have 6 buddies from camp come to Keeners with me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t keep working on my Warrior Spirit. Something that keeps coming up here is the term “Eddy Flower.” An eddy flower is someone who likes to sit back in the eddy and let others go take risks in the wave or hole. It’s ok to be scared, but in order to become better, you have to rise above that fear and seize the moment. Warrior Spirit can be applied to many different things, especially off the river. On Monday’s speech night, there’s no way anyone could walk up to the front of the room and practice their public speaking without a Warrior’s Spirit. It’s nerve wracking. Warrior Spirit is commonly misjudged as something you can only prove athletically, but in reality, it is used anytime someone is out of their comfort zone.
Secondly, a Positive Attitude is key to making anything in life better. Keeners is no exception. It’s pretty hard to have a bad attitude here, but occasionally, someone might feel a little down. Maybe they got a bit homesick, maybe they had an injury, or perhaps they just had to do a bunch of push-ups for leaving the cabin messy. All the same, a bad outlook can ruin your day, no matter how great. The trick is to find something in everyday that makes you really happy, and focus on that. I promise there is usually something there. Be that cheesy person who refers to themselves as a “glass half full kind of guy.” You will thank yourself for it. A positive attitude not only makes your own life better, but it positively affects all those around you. Happiness and positivity are infectious, remember that.
A moral compass is a bit hard to define. It can be different for a lot of people and a lot of situations. Simply, a moral compass is just something that tells you whether something is right or wrong. If you see someone being bullied, a moral compass will guide you to step in and put a stop to it. If there is a piece of litter in the water or on the ground, a moral compass should compel you to pick that up. A moral compass is essential for every part about Keeners because you have so much freedom. You have to learn how to be your own advocate and one for those around you.
A servant’s heart is fairly self-explanatory. When there is so much to be done and not many people are willing to help, you should step up and be that helping hand that is needed. Here at Keeners, there is always, always, always something to be done, and there are so many opportunities to help out. Having this servant’s heart will you and others get on the water faster. Not to mention it will make the coaches like you a lot more.
Even though I am a world away from my former home at Falling Creek Camp, I will never forget about the code and it’s value. Following these 4 simple values should help guide you both hrough Keeners and life.
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