Bear Scouts of Pack 119 Learn Knot Tieing Skills - January 28, 2010
Composed by Leah Williams

Bear Scouts of Pack 119, met once again on Tuesday. This week the Scouts worked on achievement 22. This achievement involves learning how to tie knots. These knots are not your normal everyday kind. It will take time and practice before the boys have fully mastered them. The honored guest helping them achieve this was Mickey Chandler. The beginning of the meeting started with the Scouts saying the Pledge of Allegiance. The Pledge is a requirement that takes place before the start of every meeting.

Den leader, Susan Snider announced the guest, Mickey Chandler to the group, and spoke about what they would be learning that evening. Mr. Chandler explained that the scouts not only had to know what each knot was called, but also what it was used for. The boys were then given 2 pieces of rope, which they had to learn how to braid together. Once everyone had finished braiding, they learned how to keep the rope from coming undone. Ropes are made of twisted fibers. As long as the rope is in one piece, the fibers stay in place, but when the rope is cut, the fibers in the two ends begin to straighten out. There are many techniques you could use to keep this from happening. One is to fuse the rope, using fire. Mr. Chandler made the point that this only worked on certain ropes, like nylon for example. Fusing a rope should only be done with adult supervision. Whipping the rope is another way to bind them together, and can be used on any kind of rope.

The Scouts learned a total of 5 knots. Mickey presented the way each knot was tied, along with what you would use it for.

Square Knot - used in first aid to tie bandages and to join two pieces of rope of the same thickness.

Two Half Stitches - used to tie a rope to a post, a tree, or a ring.

Slip Knot - used to tie a rope to something, the knot slips easily along the rope around which it was made.

Sheet Bend - used to tie two ropes together to make a longer one. This knot can’t be pulled apart.

The knots that the scouts learned that evening were very complicated. It took a lot of hard work and some really great parents to help the boys learn each one. In return the parents learned as well. The next meeting will be on learning how to build a bird house.