Pioneering – Constructing Flagpoles

The BSA’s Pioneering theme focuses on practical skills. It starts by having the Scouts learn (or refresh their memory of) various knot-tying skills. While we normally focus on some of the basic knots such as the square knot, clove hitch, bowline, etc, this theme puts more emphasis on lashings. It then follows up with various projects the Scouts can work on that utilize those knot-tying skills.

One of our troop’s goals is to provide our Scouts with information and skills that they can not only use while in Scouts, but throughout their lives. The Pioneering theme fits perfectly with that goal. The Scouts learn a skill, and then they immediately put that new skill into practice by building something with each other’s help. This hands-on experience helps them to better understand and retain those skills, while also having a lot of fun.

This week’s agenda focused on various lashings, which the Scouts practiced for the first part of the meeting. They then used those knots to build flagpoles out of staves, walking sticks, and whatever else we had available.

The following is a brief account of the meeting from one of our Scouts who is currently serving as the troop’s Webmaster…

This week we continued our pioneering theme by putting together flagpoles.

First, we divided up into two groups and headed outside. After that, each team got started by tying three poles together. Once we had done that, we stood them up with stakes and rope. Then we had to tie the flag to the pole.

The winning team got bragging rights and then as usual we wrapped up with the Lord’s Prayer and headed home for the night.