Steps to a Perfect S'more

Steps to a Perfect S’more

People have been gathering around campfires for 1.6 million years. Loretta Scott Crew published the first recipe of the “some more” in a Girl Scout Magazine in 1927. Since then, they have become a campfire staple. People have debated the perfect s’more. Is it better with a Reese’s’? Maybe an Oreo? How about some Dark Chocolate? While there may be no perfect way to make a s’more, the counselors of Shrine Mont Camps have invented a near perfect way to get it right every time.

1. Gather everyone in a circle. After all, a circle is one of the few configurations where you can see everyone’s face.
2. Pull out the guitars and sing a few songs as you wait for the fire to light up the night sky. At Shrine Mont Camps, we sing our favorite classics from “The Back of the Book.” Every good campfire circle includes songs such as “Unconditional Love,” “Light the Fire,” and “Wind, Wind,” whose lyrics remind us of the special community bonded together in the circle.
3. As the songs continue, a counselor or two sets up a s’more station. This may be the most important step! Lay out graham crackers and chocolate. Make sure they are all ready to have the marshmallow carefully scraped on top. This ensures the chocolate will melt from a marshmallow taken directly off the fire.
4. Now that the community is formed and the s’more station is set up, it is time to send the campers away. Into the woods to find the perfect stick. The perfect stick may be borrowed from a dead tree or fallen to the ground after a large storm. It may be an arm’s length or double—for extra protection from the burning fire. Either way, the stick is beautiful and important all on its own.  After all, without the place and a deep appreciation for the nature that comes before us, we would not be able to make this perfect s’more.
5. The fun begins. Each camper lines up to get their marshmallow. The excited chatter from the end of the line carries to the front as campers anxiously await their time by the fire. As they get their marshmallow, they poke it with their stick, praying it won’t fall off in the fire.
6. Around the fire, campers point their marshmallow-covered sticks into the fire. Now the conversation shifts to the task on hand. “How do you like your marshmallow?” “Slightly burnt.” “Oh, you need to put it in the flame!” “Golden brown.” “Set it right above the burning coals, but not too close!” As campers advise each other, they laugh together as one marshmallow catches flame. They groan as they wait, ever-so patiently, for the perfect roast to complete. If you’re really lucky, you might hear one camper exclaim, “I’ve never done this before!”
7. I was wrong before—we are now at the most important step! As soon as a camper decides they have the perfect marshmallow, they arrive at the s’more station. Place the hot marshmallow on top of the chocolate covered graham cracker. Use the other half to gently hold the marshmallow in place while you carefully pull the stick out.
8. A few moments of silence may fill the circle as campers sit around to eat their s’more. Some giggles may sound as the ooey-gooey marshmallow clings to their faces and hair.
9. Once the campers have eaten the s’mores, the instruments come out again. This time playing a mix of camp classics with some other favorites such as “Country Roads” or “You’ve Got a Friend.” Now your circle comes into its own as campers sing, talk, and tell stories. Ghost stories, funny stories, any story is listened to intently and applauded loudly in this circle of friends.
10. Look around, your perfect s’more created a community that was waiting to have a place to be its own. Most Shrine Mont Campfires end in this circle with campers singing the “Good Night Song” to mark their time as complete. They close out in prayer which reminds them that God’s been there all along, lifting them up, and watching as this camp community forms together.
    
    
    No matter your answer to “What’s the best way to roast a marshmallow?” or “What’s the best chocolate for a s’more?” The magic to a perfect s’more doesn’t come from the graham cracker, the chocolate, or even the marshmallow. The magic to a perfect s’more comes from the circle that surrounds the campfire. The circle of love, support, and trust that each member gives and takes. The magic comes with Shrine Mont Camps.