Were you ever a Scout? I’m a frayed knot

[Super Nova]

“This just shows what a pathetic society we are becoming. Baden-Powell will be spinning in his grave. He would be outraged by this.”

I was a boy scout and my knot tying skills have served me well in adulthood. I am surprised at how many people cannot tie down a load or a tarp. While I don't use many of the skills in daily life however I am prepared if I need to. That's the point. Be Prepared.

Scouting is now just for pansies now I suspect.
Survival camp must be how to shop in a mall.
Orienteering is probably managing your gay side. (God know what they think a woggle is now)
Tying knots are not important.
They probably do Glamping instead or roughing it.

What is to become of our children.

Were you ever a Scout? I’m a frayed knot

You could traditionally tell whether a person had been a Scout by how they tied a knot, but now a tell-tale sign could be their skateboarding skills.

The Scout Association, which has twice as many teenage members as it did a decade ago, has said its recruits no longer need to know how to master a sheepshank or a clove hitch knot.

Activities such as mountain climbing and woodland crafts were not as relevant as new badges covering areas such as youth work, circus skills, IT, music, public relations and street sports such as skateboarding, officials said.

“Scouting has been around for 107 years,” a spokesman for the association said. “What’s important now is their ability to do youth work — not climb mountains or do knots.”

Tying tight knots has been a proud tradition of the organisation since its founder, Lord Baden-Powell, first wore the woggle to tighten his neckerchief. His Scouting for Boys guide in 1915 included a section on saving lives with knots, which detailed how a teenager and his parents were swept to their deaths near Niagara Falls because rescue lines had been poorly tied.

The changes have been met with disapproval by some former members. GP Taylor, the children’s author, said: “This just shows what a pathetic society we are becoming. Baden-Powell will be spinning in his grave. He would be outraged by this.”

In Britain more than 499,000 boys and girls are involved in the scout movement.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/a ... 255970.ece

[skippy]

I don't think boys in Australia are really all that interested in the old fashioned scout type activities anymore. I have a twelve year old and he has no interest as it's not cool to be in the scouts nowadays.
I went to Boys Brigade and I liked it but my boy would never do that sort of thing.

[Neferti]

I volunteered as a Scout/Guide Leader way back in the 80's. Most of the girls were 12/13 and only interested in BOYS. The local teenager boys would hang around the Scout Hall. As a Leader I was supposedly In Charge, but there was no controlling these girls with campfire songs and so forth. I spent several weekends (without a shower or running water) taking these little horrors away for a "camping weekend". I gave up after about 6 months (minimum tenure). It was before the Internet so we can't blame that but kids are no longer the innocents that we were entering the teen years.

[Super Nova]

It is hard to make the "tying knots" is fun argument.

When the zombies take over the world... us knot tiers will survive and rule.

[Neferti]

Somebody, who was supposed to be a "truck driver" asked ME how to tie a certain knot ...... can't recall what he called it but ......... it had nothing, whatsoever, to do with the knots I learned as a Girl Guide ........ I checked the Internet and printed off a "how to do" thing.

[Super Nova]

The truckles hitch is the best knot I ever learned and I learned that from the old man.

The one that is like a pulley system to tie down a load tightly. Not sure what it is really called. We called it the Truckie' Hitch.

[Rorschach]

These days.... isn't it Joeys (6-8), Cubs (8-11), Scouts(11-15), Venturers (15-18) and then Rovers (18-25) I think when I was a kid it was just 3 groups.

I was a Cub and then in High School joined the (Army) Cadets... all good...

[Neferti]

You do realise that Yachties also have KNOTS.

I spent many weekends sailing around the Sydney Harbour on a 40' yacht? Great fun and occasionally I was 'Skipper' when the Spinnaker got caught in a"'champagne glass" configuration. I remember almost getting hauled overboard because I was trying to save the Spinnaker on another occasion.

[Super Nova]

Sailors throughout history have been the master of knots I think. probably invented them all.

Many of the knots and braiding (I think it is called when you knit the end of the rope back into itself) is one of them.

[Neferti]

Sailors throughout history have been the master of knots I think. probably invented them all.

Many of the knots and braiding (I think it is called when you knit the end of the rope back into itself) is one of them.

I can't recall the term right now but it pissed me off, majorly. Burning rope ends on the electric stove then "whipping"? the ends? The smell was not exactly "nice".