Whittling Chip: Earned by Wolves, what do I do?

[SSScout]

Whitlin' Chip is always opular. Talked my Troop into doing a W/C booth at the Webelos Weekend. I trained four senior Scouts, they did the booth. I think they had 60 plus Webes go thru their course. Knife safety, care and feeding of the knife (maintenance), and then everybody got to borrow a pocket knife and whittle something out of a bar of soap! I was very proud when I saw one of the Scouts realize that one of his students was actually scared to handle a sharp thing like a knife, so the Scout went out in the woods, found a suitable stick, and created a wooden "knife" for this Cub to handle until he was ready to pick up a real metal blade. I saved this "practice" blade and exhibit it to my IOLS Totin' Chip class.

The Webes got a small certificate attesting that they had been thru "Troop xyz's Whitttlin Chip course, and they should demonstrate their skills to their Cub Master, who will award the Whittlin' Chip". That way, it is not the Scout awarding the badge, it is the Cub Leader..

 

I like the way others have said it. Supervise the Wolf, make sure they have the hand skill necessary.

[SSScout]

Oops "popular"...

 

Here's the curriculum I pass out. There are many others on the web...

Whitlin’ Chip Curriculum Suggestions for Scouts and Scouters instructing Cubs for Whitlin’ Chip.

 

** The watch words here are:

**Ask, Require, Watch, Practice, Correct**

(EDGE version: Educate, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable)

****NEVER let a Cub within your sight handle a sharp implement incorrectly or unsafely. Gently correct them and ALLOW them the pride of good tool useage.****

**Bear, Webelos Cub Scouts. (see Bear achievement #19)

**Folding pocket knife use only. No ‘sheath’ knives. No axe or hatchet. No saw. But their safe use can be mentioned. As a Boy Scout, ‘Totin’ Chip’ badge will cover these other sharp implements.

**Whitlin’ Chip and parent permission allows a Cub Scout to carry and use a folding pocket knife in a safe manner at Cub Scout events. If the Cub willfully fails to follow safe techniques, he may be asked to give up his Whitlin’ Chip rights, hand over his Whitlin’ Chip card and his pocket knife may be taken from him. The card and knife should be given to his parents and the situation explained. The Cub may later re-earn the Whitlin’ chip. Explain all this to the Cub. (“serious business!â€Â)

1. “Tool not a toyâ€Â. Respect the tool. Do not use it for that which it was not intended. Respect the edge. Cut wood, string, rope, paper, not metal or wire. Do not dig in the dirt. Do not cut living wood (trees, shrubs, etc.) needlessly. It’s a knife, not a screwdriver or can opener. Place knife down on safe surface, or fold up and place in pocket. Keep the knife clean, oiled, and sharp. A dull edge is more dangerous than a sharp one.

2. Parts of the Knife: Show and discuss the parts: the handle, blade, back of blade, edge, face of blade, point, case or box, hinge, spring, hanger. Talk about the different types of steel: stainless, high carbon, alloys; how some will rust easier than others, some will take and hold a sharp edge better than others, some are harder, some are softer, some more brittle. This knowledge comes with experience, the Cub needs to know safe handling and good care, not metallurgy. .

3. Handling: IT IS SHARP. IT CAN HURT YOU OR OTHERS.

Demonstrate how to open and close the knife. Close with FLAT of hand, fingers away from the box opening. No ‘fists’. (“What’s wrong with this picture?â€Â) Note that some ‘clasp’ knives have a lock (‘lock back’), and show the lock catch. Close and open carefully. No one-handed leg closing! Or ‘whip’ opening. These will hurt someone. Will it be you?

 

Passing a knife: Close it, and pass it to the other person closed. When he has hold of the knife, he will say “THANK YOUâ€Â. This is not just polite, it means he has a safe hold of the tool and will not drop it. DO NOT LET GO UNTIL YOU HEAR “Thank Youâ€Â’. Tell him “YOUâ€ÂRE WELCOMEâ€Â. This is a good rule for any passing of any implement. Steel workers use it in foundries. Mechanics use it in garages. Practice this. Why is it important the other person not drop the knife?

If it is an open or straight knife (like your mom’s kitchen knife), hold it in your hand by the blade, edge away from your palm, handle toward the recipient. He grasps the handle carefully, says “thank youâ€Â, and you say “you’re welcome†and let go. Why this method? Practice this.

Place the knife down on a safe surface. Surface is flat, not slippery or wet, don’t ‘stab’ the knife into something to hold it. Fold it up when not in use.

4. Sharpening: Show different stones: Dry, Oil, Show hones, ‘steel’, ceramic, etc. Demonstrate holding edge to the light to see reflection of condition. Rotate edge to see reflection of edges, etc. One or two drops of oil on the oil stone. Hold blade flat to stone, raise up about 7-8 degrees. Rub lightly in a circular motion, move blade up to do the curved area too. Do other side the same. Listen for the change in sound as the blade gets sharp, the ‘whistle’. Show honing to a razor edge on diamond hone and ‘steel’. Clean debris off blade with rag or paper towel. Feel edge carefully with thumb, sideways.

5. Using the knife: demonstrate and help the Cubs determine the “blood circle†(“safe circleâ€Â). Even at a table. Carve away from the body. Use thumb on BACK of blade to push. Use both hands. Make sure you have a safe area to carve. Hold work piece on table, NOT in lap. Beware the soft hinge that will bend if the blade gets stuck. Work carefully and slowly. Be patient.

Give Cubs soap bars and let them make something. Go around. Help them.

5. When YOU are satisfied that the Cub has learned what you can teach them (ask, require, watch, practice, correct), fillout the W/C slip and hand it to the Cub. **Remind him: >>that he must arrange with his Scout Leader to demonstrate his new skill and they will sign the Whittlin’ Chip card and make the award; >>that this is a privilege he has earned, and if he is not true to this trust, the privilege can be removed; >>that it is only good for Cub Scout events and he should never take his knife to school or other places without his parents’ permission. Indeed, a knife in a student’s possession on school grounds is nowadays generally automatic grounds for suspension.

Shake his hand and wish him well.

 

[christineka]

I was not aware that there was an award for earning the whittling chip. What is it? My son and the other boys his age earned it at camp last year, but we didn't recognize them- just marked it off in their books.

[King Ding Dong]

I was not aware that there was an award for earning the whittling chip. What is it? My son and the other boys his age earned it at camp last year, but we didn't recognize them- just marked it off in their books.

There is a card/certificate and a patch. The card is supposed to be carried on their person at all times they are carrying a knife and lists the saftey rules. The card can be taken away by an adult for violations. There are various opinions on how to use the card. Some people cut a corner off for each violation and then make the scout earn it again after all four corners are cut off. This is a long standing tradition but is not official BSA policy. Some use a violation to as a teachable moment and do not cut corners. There have been various discussions on the merits of both approaches here.

 

There is also a patch that looks like a pocket flap patch but does not go on the pocket flap. It is considered a temporary patch so can be worn in the right pocket in the temporary patch location. Some claim BSA did this to increase job security for the Uniform Cops.

 

Both should be available at your friendly neighborhood scout shop or can be ordered on Scoutstuff.org. Google whittling chip and there are images of both. But if you order in the next 10 minutes you get a free Shake Weight.