Written by Genesis Ventura
Over fall break, members of Southern Adventist University’s blacksmithing club, “Southern Smiths,” went to Camp Kulaqua in High Springs, Florida, to teach blacksmithing to more than 350 pupils at the Southern Union Pathfinder Camporee.
The club’s staff sponsor, Dusty Miller, maintenance supervisor for Talge Hall, attended the event with club President Emily Freeman, a junior construction management major. Freeman wrote in an email to the Accent about why she chose to attend.
“When I first came to Southern and joined the Southern Smiths club three years ago, the club had just been asked by the Southern Union to come to the 2022 camporee,” she wrote. “I grew up in Pathfinders, so I loved the thought of combining my love for blacksmithing with my love for Pathfinders. I knew I had to go, even though it was a few years down the road.”
Freeman explained the different requirements and history of the blacksmithing honor, stating in an email: “The blacksmithing honor is a combination of practical skills and class work (famous blacksmiths, the essential tools, safety rules, Biblical connections to blacksmithing), which helps introduce the student to the wonders of this ancient craft.
“The honor was actually written by one of our current club sponsors, Lily Brunner, when she was 14 years old, so it was pretty neat to see all the little kids’ reactions when we told them that a girl wrote the honor,” she wrote.
According to Freeman, the most impactful part of the experience was watching the kids gain confidence as they completed their two hands-on projects. Each pupil had to make a cross and hook.
“While some took longer than others, most kept an amazing attitude even though they were learning a new, exhausting and often frustrating skill,” she wrote. “I had one group that had only one individual who spoke English, but they had some of the best attitudes despite the language barriers. It truly inspired me to keep learning about my craft despite the frustrations.”
About 15 to 20 members have consistently participated in the Southern Smiths this year, according to Miller. He added that the most significant aspect of blacksmithing involves the many biblical parables and concepts, as well as sections from Ellen G. White’s writings, that draw inspiration from the trade. “One of the things that the Bible talks about is putting the metal in the fire to see what kind of [person] we are,” he said. “And that’s very applicable because you can put [metal] in, and you heat it. You get to know what it does, [and you get] a good idea of what kind of metal that is when you hammer on it and how it responds.”
Miller said this was Southern Smiths’ second time teaching the honor at a Southern Union Camporee, which includes Pathfinder clubs from the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. The club also taught the honor at the last Oshkosh camporee, which included clubs from all over the world. Southern Smiths is currently preparing to teach at another international camporee in Gillette, Wyoming, set to occur in August, 2024. The members are currently looking for more instructors to handle a large crowd of people. They are also trying to acquire more gear, which is very expensive.
Miller said non-Adventist volunteers have participated in many Southern Smiths events, and he encourages anyone with an interest in blacksmithing, regardless of religous affiliation to join the club.
