SCOUT NOTES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 47, 18 November 1937, Page 15

SCOUT NOTES

the pi0neer badge This is written in "The Seout" by "Gileraft," and is so interest'ing that I am going to put it in these Scout notes for you to rcad. It will help any of you who are going in for this badge. A model bridge or derrick may seem a eurious requirement for a pioneer, but the making of a model bridge or derrick indoors can be of the saiue value to a pioneer as tho drawing of plans is to a builder. Scouting and pioneering are outdoor subjects, but a certain amount of indoor preparation and practice enable us to get fight on with the job when we do get out of doors, knowing what is required of us, what wo have to do, and how we should set about doing it. The pion eering model should, therefore, be i'egarded from that angle. In the Construction of a full-sizc bridge or derrick, more than one pair of hafids is necessary. The making of a model is an individual requir.ement; and this cnodel hould be correct in every detail, and should demonstrate the right kind of lashings, knots and hitches to use. Any old thing will, thorefore, not do; you will want to be more ambitious and more particu! ar than that. A good aim to adopt js that set out in "Preparing the Way: Pioneering," which says: "The actual results produced by Scouts will at firsc be crude, but practice will iiuprove that. Apart, however, from what is aetually learned iu the building of models, a good deal is also learned about the real thing, For instanee, tne model of a bridge tesches the malcer about the different knots and lashings that are needed, the proportions that are necessary, and the way in, which everything has to be set up. In ihe same way the model of a camp site wiil illustrate HiC positions of tents, fires, latrines, and all the other many. things that go to the building up of a good camp. "Model-niaking calls for patifence, care, deftness, originality, , ing'enuity, imagiuation and observation, and piO' Vides a most absorbing hobby. Truth, correctness of detail, and imitation of the real thing, and correctness of sea) 6 will be rewarded by success." Models can be instrumental from tihe point of view of what is learned in the making of them, and of their future use for the prrposes of demonstration. From the latter point of view it is generally best that nodels of such things as bridges should be left not quite finished so as the show the process of construction. First of all, determine the scale of your model: one inch to one foot is the most satisfaetory. Anything lefes than this is too small to allow you to use materials that will enable you to do proper knots and lashings. Then it is best to make a. plan, and even sketch, of the completed article. This will enable you to determine the size of the base that is needed. This base must be strong enough to stand handling and lifting by one end without damage to the model. In order to make the banks of a river to be bridged, blocks of wood of the same width as the base should be firmly secured by serews from underneatih the base. Do not use nails as they may come loose. These blocks should be roughly sliaped so as +o show variations in the sliape of the land, and to give the model a better appeance. The model itself shoul4 be built up bits by bit, in precisely the same way as a full-size job is tackled. Great care must be taken with jtl.i measurements, so that all proportions are correct, and you should take a pride in seeing that everything is done correctly in every detail. Where a lashing is applied to join two spars, the surface of the woods that the lashing is to cross should be slightly gummed so that when the wood shrinks, or the cord stretches the strength of the join will be maintained. The finishing off of your model is important and is worth spending a little time and money on. Thq surface of. the base should be covered with plastic modelling clay. The surface can be painted, and covered with sand, gravel, stones, bushes, etc., as desired. An application of glue will be needed to make sand and so on stick. Trees and bushes can be made out of' small pieces of old sponge soalced in green watercolour paint. Oil colour of a bluish tint will be found best for rivers, as the glazed surface suggests wetness, but if water-colour is used a coat of clear varnish has the same effect. Fishing line or builders' chalk lines are best for the lashings. Model pulley blocks for derricks, if you don't want to make them yourself, can be got from model supply shops, or else you can get Meccano ones which will do quite well.