sit and listen troop 2

[dan]

There where 4 great ideas on teaching first aid in the show thread. Very hands on and some over the top which keeps boys coming back for more. I can just hear some of the scouts after the meeting saying, I cannot wait until I get to be the victim, or that was just so cool, did you see those burns!

So what other great ideas do you guys have for meetings and or campouts. Please be as specific as you can.

 

[Laurie]

My son's favorite things during his first few months of Scouting:

 

Totin' Chit. The SM assigned a couple of the older Scouts to teach the skills to the new boys who bridged into the troop. One week was the proper use of, sharpening of, and care of a pocketknife. They made fire starters for an upcoming trip. Another week was the saw, and they put it to use in the wood behind the meeting place cleaning up. And then the ax, and I believe they prepared wood for a fire. At the conclusion of all of this, the SM had each boy demonstrate his newly learned skills.

 

Fireman Chit. The SM assigned older Scouts to teach this as well. The boys loved building fires. This was very hands-on, and they were able to help with fires at the very next camping trip.

 

Camping trips are the other hit.

[Bob White]

Dan,

It might be easier if you picked a topic that we could knock around and then pick a new topic and so on.

Bob

 

For knife and ax:

Make a poster board (one for each patro) sketch a drawing of a Hand Ax on it. Stick a piece of velcro (loop half) at the location of each ax part identified in the Boy Scout Handbook. Take a set of index cards (one for each patrol) and write the name of an ax part on each card. Put the loop section of velcro on the back of the card.

 

The posters go at one end of the meeting room with the cards on the floor in front of it.

The scouts line up by patrol at the other end. the scouts then have a race to identify the ax parts. A scout runs up to his patrol's poster, chooses a card and sticks it on the appropriate location. then he runs back and tags the next patrol member. Continue until all parts are correctly identified.

 

After a couple games repeat the above but with blank cards. the scout must now recall the name of the part as well as the location.

 

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Using Pine 2X2s about 18" long have each scout make a tent stake using the hand ax to shape the stake. Then have him use Paint or markers to put his name in large letters on the stake. Use these as name plates on campouts outside of the tents so that you know who is tenting where.

 

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Along with teaching how to sharpen an ax, we teach the scouts how to sharpen lawnmower blades. You wouldn't believe the number of parents who say they can get their kids to mow by allowing them to sharpen the blade first.

 

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Bring in a professional knife sharrpener to teach the boys how to hone a blade.

 

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Have a bow saw contest where rather than timing speed, count blade draws. The idea is to teach using the entire blade in even strokes not by just goig fast.

 

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Have a contest to see which patrol can build the best ax ring.

 

look for ..perimeter boundaries, clear of obstacles, a chopping block, a saw horse, ax sharpening jig, tool holder, gloves and goggles.

 

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Bob

 

[Sandyt888]

These suggestions are great.

How about suggestions for teaching knots. Ya know the routine - "knots again? we know how to tie knots!" NOT!

same with pioneering.

we've tried to use games from woods wisdoms.

Looking for teaching stragegies, games, and equip lists.

[OldGreyEagle]

I always like to call it "Its Knot Fun"

 

When teaching knots, be sure the demonstrator knows the knots. Simple enough, but when the teacher starts to struggle, things go bad fast.

 

When teaching knots, have the demonstrator TURN HIS/HER back to the scouts, raise arms over over and tie the knot. That way the scouts can see how the know will look when they do it. When you tie a knot in front of people, they get an inverse image.

 

Use BIG rope, especially for demonstrations. Nothing like using 1/4 inch rope for a demonstration, it cant be seen. Use 1" rope, this makes for a big knot and the scouts can see how the knot is formed.

 

If possible get climbing rope for demonstrations, its thick and colored, COPE courses and the like have to dispose of their ropes on a scheduled/use basis. If you can get a 6 foot length, you have a wonderful tool. Use two different colored ropes to demonstrate the sheet bend, its a lot easier to learn that way. If possible use a robe with differnt colored ends, again, makes learning a whole lot easier

 

When you demonstrate a knot, explain a use for it, and then show how the knot is used. Make it relevant to the scouts, don't just say this a square knot, this a timber hitch, demonstrate a use.

 

[Bob White]

KNOTS

 

Here is my favorite for teaching the basic knots with the new scouts. Get yourself a book on magic with ropes. There are some great ones that are easy to teach. Give each scout 6 ft of any easy to use rope I like 3/8 nylon to start with. Do some hands on training and then for every two knots the group learns teach them a magic trick with rope. They will be putty in your hands.

 

Then we move on to rope making, learning the different types of rope, Knot relays, Turks Head neckerchief slides, Rope related camp projects Clothelines, pack racks, cooking tripods, Flagpoles that hover off the ground etc.

 

Finish up with chariot races and a ropes course weekend.

 

Have fun,

Bob

[dan]

Great we have covered First Aid, Knots, Totin Chip!

How about fire building?

[Twocubdad]

The hardest part of learning to sharpen a knife is developing a feel for keeping the knife blade at a consistent angle. Novices are constantly altering the angle of the blade to the stone, thereby rounding over the edge instead of sharpening it. A big help in correcting this is having a wooden wedge small enough to hold on one end of the stone which serves as a reference angle. The angle of the wedge isn't critical, but about 20 degrees is good. Start and end each sharpening stroke with the blade flush against the wedge.

 

With my Cubs, I use homemade wooden knives and wood blocks wrapped in sandpaper for them to practice on, before sharpening their real knives.

[EagleInKY]

Another knots game -

 

Instead of the normal "tie a square knot", have them tie knots based upon their purpose. We just did this Monday night. They had a good time, and hopefully learned more about how knots are used. For examples:

- Tie the rescue knot (Bowline)

- Tie the knot used to join ropes of different sizes (sheet bend)

- Tie the knot used to start a diagonal lashing (Timber hitch). BTW, every one of our guys did a clove hitch on this one.

- Tie the "first aid knot" (Square knot)

- Tie the knot that's great for tent tie-downs because it can be adjusted (taut-line hitch).

 

You get the idea. I think they learned from it.

[LauraT7]

Firebuilding -

 

all boys love to 'play' with fire... just make sure you have a cleared area and keep water buckets handy!

 

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have them collect their tinder and kindling - they won't need fuel wood for this.

 

you need some stiff coathanger wire bent into a big hook or shepherd crook with a small hook on the short hooked end. put these into the ground at the same heights around the fire circle and attach a fist-sized water balloon to the hooked end.

 

Have them build and light their fire underneath - give them a limited amount of matches, (they lose points if they need more) or have them start it with magneseum sticks or flint and steel. the first team that gets a flame high enough to burst their water balloon and douse their fire, wins!

 

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have them research and make different kinds of firestarters they can carry in their patrol boxes and emergency kits -

 

We carry film cannisters with Vaseline soaked cotton balls in it. you kind of tear the cotton balls apart while working a dollop of vaseline into it. (it's also great for chapped lips and hands!) you can fit quite a few of these shredded cotton balls packed into one film cannister.

 

you can also carry any number of other 'tinder starters' in a waterproof film cannister - kleenex, paper towel, newsprint, dried grasses, flax or linen fibers, etc.

 

then in the field, you can have them each make a small 'nest' of tinder - grasses, pine needles, we've even used actual bird nests we found - and put a tiny bit of this soaked cotton in it. When they use the flint and steel or the magnesium stick, it lights fast, giving them immediate rewards and results. If they KNOW it will work with 'cheater cotton' they are more likely to persist when they DON'T have that 'help'.

 

________

 

Have them start their fire with a magnifying glass, or get a bow and softwood & make an native american firestick. there are LOTS of versions of this, have the boys research and make different ones and try them, which works best? (three ways to start a fire without matches is a wilderness survival MB requirement)

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they can make 'firestarters' or 'hobo stoves' to cook with -

 

Firestarters - fold a sheet of newspaper lengthwise to a 3 or 4" width. roll it up tight and tie it with jute or cotton twine. when you have a few of these, dunk them in parrafin or melted down old candles - dunk them a few times so they are well coated and waterproof.

 

when they are hard dry, keep some in each patrol box - they are great for starting wet wood.

 

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While you have the parrafin out & hot, dunk the heads of some small bundles of kitchen matches (about 10 tied together) you can use twist ties and remove them later or string and leave them. This waterproofs your matches and when you need them, you simply chip off some of the parrafin and strike them! (we've had boys leave out whole boxes of matches, this keeps them dry even if the box gets humid and soft from dew.)

 

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hobo stoves. you need a clean #10 (coffee can) and a clean empty tuna or catfood tin for each boy, newpaper, parrafin, string for a wick, tinsnips, pliers, work gloves and a pointed can opener.

 

fold the newspaper to strips as tall as the side of the tuna can ( 1 1/2 - 2") and start rolling them up - place the 'wick' with about an inch sticking out somewhere in the roll near the center. add strips to the roll until you reach a size the circumference of the can and wedge the roll inside the can. it should be a firm, but not packed tight, fit. the paper rool should have a little'expansion room' once you let go. fill the can up to the level of the paper roll with hot, liquid parrafin. pour slowly - you want the parrafin to soak into the newspaper, not just fill open spaces. coat the wick, too, but make sure it stands free. Set it aside and let it cool and harden.

 

while you are waiting for it to harden, take the tinsnips and cut two vertical cuts in the open edge of the coffee can - a little longer than the tuna can is tall - about 1/2 in taller. place the cuts about 4-5" apart, or a little more than the width of the tuna can. You are making a door to slide the 'tuna can burner' through. bend the resulting flap backwards into the can with pliers or heavily gloved hands - you want to press the flap as flat as you can against the inside of the can. Careful of the sharp edges.

 

on the 'closed' end of the coffee can - use the can opener to punch 4-8 triangular holes around the edge of the can, in its SIDES, leaving the bottom intact.

 

when the tuna/burner is solid, it can be transported and is pretty waterproof. you light the burner and place the 'stove' over it - you can cook right on the bottom of the coffee can, or use your mess kit to cook on it. Each boy can cook their own meal! (grilled cheese sandwiches work great on these) or they can each cook a part of a meal for their small patrol!

 

laura