LearningKnots for Scouting

Scouting is fun and adventure. In 1906 and 1907 Robert Baden-Powell, a lieutenant general in the British Army, wrote a book for boys about reconnaissance and scouting. Baden-Powell wrote Scouting for Boys (London, 1908), based on his earlier books about military scouting, with influence and support of Frederick Russell Burnham (Chief of Scouts in British Africa), Ernest Thompson Seton of the Woodcraft Indians, William Alexander Smith of the Boys' Brigade, and his publisher Pearson. In the summer of 1907 Baden-Powell held a camp on Brownsea Island in England to test ideas for his book. This camp and the publication of Scouting for Boys are generally regarded as the start of the Scout movement.

"To tie a knot seems to be a simple thing, and yet there are right ways and wrong ways of doing it, and scouts ought to know the right way."
Baden-Powell, Scouting for Boys, 1915

One of the basic scouting skills is rope handling and knot tying. People have been tying knots for thousands of years. Today, despite technology, knots are still as necessary as ever. All knots have a purpose and it is just as important to understand what that purpose is, and when the knot is used, as having the ability to tie it. It really is a great feeling of achievement to construct a major bridge and framework across a river. Such pioneering activities can bring together not only your knotting skills but principles of teamwork, self motivation, physical abilities and problem solving.

Safety in Scouting. In all Scouting activities, safety must come first. In and through the challenges, fun, and rewards that go hand in hand with pioneering, there can be no substitute for prudent behavior and common sense. As you begin your pioneering activities, safety must be your first consideration. Remember to handle ropes and knots with care.