. . . . . . “Sword of Tradition”

When Lt. Cmdr. Brian Watkins of Fishburne Military School raises his sword in salute, the cadet battalion commander raises the blade upward.

The hilt hovers in front of his eyes with the blade pointed towards the heavens as the blade itself holds a forward incline.

When the salute is released, the blade sweeps downward. It moves into a position placing the tip point just above the earth, near the right foot.

Originating from the time of the Crusades, this form of salute has been around for generations and is deeply ground into the fabric of military tradition.

What better way to carry out the maneuver than with the sword now in Watkins possession?

With the start of each new, school year, the new battalion commander receives the sword and carries it during his time in command.

At the end of the school year, his name becomes engraved somewhere on the sword with the sword being set aside until another cadet steps forward to claim command of Fisherburne’s cadet battalion.

This is the heritage of the school’s “Sword of Tradition.”

Watkins received the sword during the  ceremony marking the school’s first formation of the school year.

“It feels great,” Watkins says after receiving the blade. “I never expected to become B.C. (battalion commander).”

“I came here, looked at the B.C., but never thought …”

His voice trails off as his eyes become lost in details of the blade.

“It’s actually a new sword,” he says.

“The name of the last battalion commander filled up the original last year,” he continues.

“You never expect them to run out of room.”

Filled with around 50 engraved names of past commanders, the original Sword of Tradition now occupies a wall-mounted display case for all to see.

Watkins continues looking to the blade in hand.

“It feels great,” he says again.

“There is a lot of history at this school,” he continues.

Does this cadet feel any regret at having a different sword and not the original?

“A little,” he answers, “but I can’t wait to see who this one gets passed down to over the years to come.”

“It means a lot just to be part of the school and its history,” he continues.

A second look at the “new” sword shows a weapon itself touched by time.

“It’s not a new sword,” says the school’s superintendent, Col. Roy Zinser. “It’s an old sword – donated to us by another battalion commander.”

“The old one is full,” he says, “so now we have another … old one.”

When the decision was made to procure another sword to carry on the tradition, the sword of alumni Ken Fisher who served as cadet battalion commander in the 1960s was donated to fill the role.

“Military school’s are all about tradition,” Zinser says smiling. “If something is brought into the school, it is already dipped in that tradition.”

And so, a sword already dipped in during the school’s past returns in the present.

It carries those traditions forward into the future.

—- Mike Tripp, photojournalist

*** Originally published in the  The News Leader on Monday, September 6, 2010.

CLICK TO VIEW GALLERY OF FISHBURNE’S FIRST FORMATION

James Madison’s Brian Barlow fights to stay in bounds as he is wrapped up by Morehead State’s Daryl Smith and his jersey pulled by Keaton May during a game played in Harrisonburg on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010. (Mike Tripp/The News Leader)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW GALLERY

The cadets serving as battalion staff salute during a ceremony organizing the cadet battalion with their first formation of the school year on Tuesday, August 31, 2010. (Photos by Mike Tripp/The News Leader)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW GALLERY

Jay Austin plays the fiddle as Bryan Elijah Smith and the WIld Hearts perform on stage as part of Staunton Jams in downtown Staunton on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 4, 2010. (Photo by Mike Tripp/The News Leader)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW GALLERY

Do I want a separate gallery program? … Do I want to divide things up into a couple of different blogs and wikis based on subject?

How do I want to best tell the stories I capture so that you … the reader … do not have to search all over for them or wade through that which doesn’t fit what you want to read.

These are the questions I am currently asking myself at the moment as I seek to better organize things … and greet what will be my 40th birthday.

I do know this … HunterofStories.com will continue to be the hub around which it all spins.

. . . . . . . . . Back to Work

With vacation over, I have returned to work.

Among the first assignments to find me on this day is a fatality — that which I wish I could simply avoid and walk away from.

But this is news and cannot be avoided.

Arriving at the scene on Va. 262, I found two vehicles very close together with a lot of firefighters hovering around a car that seemed to have received a lot more damage than the pickup truck.

Making my approach, I quickly captured overall scene images that included all the rescue vehicles, two cars involved and those on the scene with the road itself stretching off into the distance.

The fact that the rescue personnel were showing little activity was the first clue that the worst might have happened and a this wreck be a fatal.

For this reason, I chose to photograph from the one side and angle.

However, I would not be doing my job if I did not investigate  the other angles, but my choice is one of respect moving forward.

First, I made sure I was making a wide circle of the scene so as not to get in anyone’s way.

Second, I draped my camera back across my body so that it was clearly not being used.

As I made my circle, a firefighter broke away from the pack and approached my location to informed me that this was indeed a fatal and asking that I not photograph the body.

I quickly assured him that it was my policy to never take such a photograph for reasons of respect and even patted my camera as it was slung around my body.

We conferred for a moment and determined that my original choice of angles was the best one for capturing images to tell the story without fear of capturing the sheet draped form.

And so I was left to do my job as I left them to do theirs.

When I was sure I had captured what I could, I left the scene as to remain for no reason is simply not what I am about.

Of the photos captured, the one above for me best tells the story as it focuses on those gathered, protecting and waiting.

My prayers go out to those affected by this tragedy.

— Mike Tripp, photojournalist

** “PHOTO NOTES” takes you behind the lens of the camera as the photographer offers a behind the scenes glimpse from inside the shoes of a photojournalist as well as offers the rare chance to hear some of his thoughts in the process.

Victory at Last!

The quest for geocache “The Glorious Cause” has been one that my wife and I have had in our hearts for some time.

In fact, my wife says quite quickly that it was trying to solve this mystery the first time that caused her to want to take up the sport.

As a person who works with science each day in the lab at the local hospital, she enjoys the challenge of mysteries and unraveling those mysterious.

The first time we went looking for this one, it was when we first entered the sport and were much less experienced.

So the time finally came for us to take up this challenge once more.

On our way to the cache location at Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton, Lee reviewed the information at some length — especially the hint.

She felt there was likely more meaning in the hint than what one first sees as surface value.

Her line of thought caused me to realize where the cache was hidden and on our arrival … I immediately found it.

However, I chose to say nothing at the time as I wanted my wife the chance to work her way to its hiding spot on her own.

As Lee began her search, I took time to follow our 3-year-old, Abi, around the cemetery as she found acorns and placed them in a basket she brought with her.

Going back to the beginning of the puzzle, she solved the puzzle yet again and began her search anew.

One searching for the cache location using the new coordinates from the solved puzzle, she followed the compass of the GPS back and forth as it bounced around off the trees.

The bounce effect became slightly frustrating but in the end she found the cache herself as had I.

For us, this is likely one of our favorite caches with a large smiley marking a find that previously had eluded us.

— Mike Tripp / Hunter of Stories

- – – – – – – – – – – – –

“Adventures of the Pathfinder” follows the adventures of “The-Pathfinders” (aka. Order of the Pathfinder, Klingon faction among the Ships of the Cache) of which Mike Tripp is a part as they explore the world with an adventurous spirit and a lot of fun.

Even Simple Things Can Be Enjoyed

Even though this week has marked our return to the sport of geocaching, not all adventures are to be found in a hidden geocache or even a waymark.

Sometimes the adventure is found simply in enjoy the moment and living it.

After a week with house guests, we felt it good to do things one particular Saturday that our 3-year-old daughter, Abi, would enjoy as even though she had some fun herself during the week previous, Abi still was living life to the schedule of others.

And we are very proud of how well she adapted to the changes in schedule and routine during the week we had visitors.

So on this one particular Saturday in August, we loaded her up in the mini van and set sail for Gypsy Hill Park.

Abi had a blast feeding the ducks, geese and swans.

She also relished in a ride aboard the Gypsy Express.

But the most energy she expended was up the hill on the playground where she ran, climbed, slid, and much more.

And even we here parents had fun, enjoying the simple moments of being together as a family.

It makes me think of why I chose the persona of “Klingons” to represent us while geocaching.

For me, the fictional Klingons (those true to the ways of Kahless) are about not just honor, but also about living life while making the most of it.

They are a passionate people unafraid to live life, enjoying that life as they adventure through it.

Why not enjoy this life while doing so in an honorable way?

After all, if we rush through life and rush through the adventures … we will never realize all that we are truly missing.

— Mike Tripp / Hunter of Stories

- – – – – – – – – – – – –

“Adventures of the Pathfinder” follows the adventures of “The-Pathfinders” (aka. Order of the Pathfinder, Klingon faction among the Ships of the Cache) of which Mike Tripp is a part as they explore the world with an adventurous spirit and a lot of fun.

Ever since I first began geocaching, I became interested in geocoins.

These trackable items come in all shapes and sizes with me having a fair amount (still small by the standards of some) in my personal collection that I have either purchased or been given along the way.

I was honored last night when two dear friends … AltGofur & stefmaus … gave me a few new coins for my collection.

They include one honoring the first moon landing, another the space shuttle, the colors of geocaching and “Geo-Jack.”

To my friends … thank you!

Captain’s Log — Imperial Stardate: 2010,08,21

It occurred to us that the official report from us has yet to be filed so credit for our … discovery … has also yet to take place.

On Imperial Stardate: 2010, 07,17, we boarded our bird-of-prey … the I.K.S. Maelstrom … and went in search of “AshleyGoRound Cache.”

After all, it is just not right for Klingons to allow such a nearby outpost to go undefeated!

Unlike a previous visit by those of our expeditionary force, this time the outpost was right where it should be and quite easily found … and conquered!

– Gen. Huntar
Commanding, I.K.S. MAELSTROM
The Order of the Pathfinder
and the Klingon Empire