John Thurman, Gilwell Camp Chief for twenty-five years, said, ”There is only one activity in my experience where it pays to start at the top, and that is swimming. It is true that pioneering has often been directly or unexpectedly linked with swimming, but if any patrol, troop, or Scouter tries to start pioneering before establishing a sound background of basic Scout training in regard to knotting and lashing, then pioneering will become unpopular and will go down in the history of the Patrol or Troop as a failure.”
Printable PDF file of Meeting Plans and Ideas for Pioneering
OBJECTIVES
This month’s activities should:
- Teach basic knot, lashing and pioneering skills
- Provide opportunities to put those skills to use
- Introduce principles of engineering as Scouts build pioneering structures.
- Offer opportunities to practice planning, problem solving, and teamwork
- Build self-confidence
LEADERSHIP PLANNING
As a leadership team, you may want to discuss the following items when choosing pioneering as your program feature during your planning meetings:
- What will our main event be and what project(s) might we want to consider?
– Main Event Camp Gadgets
– Main Event Pioneering Projects - Where will we do our main event?
- Do we have the right kind of materials to teach the required skills?
– View Ropes and Spars
– Refer to “Pioneering Stumbling Blocks for those Who haven’t gotten Started Yet” - Do we have access to the materials we need for the projects we choose to build? (view Ropes and Spars video.)
- Do we need to transport pioneering poles and other equipment to the site of our main event? If so, how will we do that?
- How proficient are our Scouts and leaders in pioneering skills?
- How can we involve parents?
- What parts of the Pioneering merit badge can we focus on?
PREOPENING IDEAS
Preopening Ideas on Troop Program Resources
- As Scouts arrive, play the 2017 Pioneering Area Jamboree Video
- Hitching Challenge – Set up vertical hitching posts and enable Scouts to apply underhand loops to the posts forming half hitches. Hold hitching races.
- Rope Tackle Tug-of-War – Reeve a long length of 1/2-inch manila rope through a metal ring fixed to an anchor point, and pass the end through the fixed loop of a butterfly knot, tied 15 feet up the line. Provide the opportunity for Scouts to experience the mechanical advantage gained by using a rope tackle by having one pull on the end that passes through the fixed loop, towards the anchor point, and one or two others pull on the other end of the long line, away from the anchor point.
- Using round lashings, early arrivals build a flag pole using three or four Scout staves supported by three guylines, flying the US flag (with or without a halyard) for the troop’s opening ceremony. If indoors, use two Scout staves and construct a self-standing flagpole with or without a halyard.
OPENING IDEAS
Opening Ideas on Troop Program Resources
GROUP INSTRUCTION IDEAS
Half Hitches and Round Lashing
Project the following videos:
Square Lashing
Project the following video:
Tripod Lashing
Project the following video:
Anchoring Pioneering Projects
Project the following videos:
Floor Lashing
Project the following video:
SKILLS INSTRUCTION IDEAS
Half Hitches and Round Lashing
On a Scout stave or a horizontal hitching bar with a 6-foot, 1/4-inch manila lashing rope, learn to tie a series half hitches, proceeding from the right and proceeding from the left.- Learn to join two Scout staves together with two round lashings.
Review the above skills.
- Review the above skills.
- Outdoors, build a flag pole using three or four Scout staves supported by three guylines. Before standing it up, attach a patrol or other flag to the top stave.
Square Lashing
- Using a 6 to 7-foot lashing rope, learn to join two Scout staves together with a tight square lashing.
- Practice the lashing until it is easy to tie both tightly and neatly.
- Review the above skills.
- Using a 15-foot, 1/4-inch manila lashing rope, join two 3-inch diameter spars with a tight square lashing
- Review the above skills.
- With the 3-inch diameter spars, practice passing the ends of the lashing rope between yourself and another Scout, both maintaining maximum strain on the wraps and fraps, assuring the lashing will be tight to the greatest extent.
Tripod Lashing
- Using a 10-foot lashing rope, learn to lash three Scout staves together with a tripod lashing, properly spreading the legs and standing it up.
- Review the above skills.
- Using three additional Scout staves or shorter poles, join each leg of the tripod with another, using six 6 to 7-foot lashing ropes and tight square lashings
- Review the above skills.
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- Using the prescribed materials and approach, build a Hand Wash Station.
Anchoring Pioneering Projects
- Learn how to tie a butterfly knot.
- Learn how to form a rope tackle
- Review the above skills.
- Learn how to build a 1-1 anchor.
- Review the above skills.
- Learn how to build a 3-2-1 anchor.
Floor Lashing
- Learn how to tie a floor lashing, and practice by using binder twine to lash dowels (as floor spars) onto Scout staves (as platform supports).
- Review the above skills.
- With two floor lashings, lash Scout staves or other sticks about an inch in diameter to two 1-inch diameter supporting poles, as if you’re making a table top.
- Review the above skills.
- Using the design for a simple camp table as a point of reference, lash together a table.
BREAKOUT GROUP IDEAS
Getting Ready for the Main Event
- Patrols review printed copies of 22 Pioneering Safety Points
- Patrols select the project(s) they will build during the main event
- Patrols make a complete list of the materials they will need for the main event.
- Menu Planning
- Duties Roster
Preparation for the meeting’s game or challenge
Select those challenges requiring the lashing skills already presented during instruction.
GAME AND CHALLENGE IDEAS
- A-Frame Chariot Race (square lashing)
- Catch the Snapper (round lashing)
- Crossing the Alligator Pit (square lashing, shear lashing)
- Everyone on the Tripod (tripod and square lashing)
- Flagpole Race (round lashing)
- Ladder Building (square lashing)
- Lift Seat Procession (floor lashing)
- Reactor Transporter (tripod and square lashing)
- Roman Chariot Race (square lashing)
- Scout Stave Launcher (square lashing)
- Self-Standing Flagpole Challenge (square lashing)
- Snake Race (shear lashing)
CLOSING IDEAS
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