Anybody had experience teaching boy scouts bowdrill?

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Spirit fish

Banned
Aug 12, 2021
338
73
31
Doncaster
This is something id like to do personally, I wouldn't charge to teach these skills because it doesn't sit well with me making money from nature .Anyway with that being said it can take All day to find suitable materials, and in the number thats required for a scout troop this isnt practical .And surely will have a impact , so id get hearthboards cut in a woodmill and square dowels bearing blocks ect then teach them to round shape the dowels into spindles and creating a divot,burning the socket in ,carving in the notches ect and then teaching them position form how to bowdrill transferring ember to flame via tinder bundle ember extenders ect , then if they are interested in making wild foraged sets advise them on that
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
I've taught a lot of folks to make fire. I find it's honestly easiser to have one set that you know really works for you to demonstrate and to work one on one with, and another two (or if you're working with scout patrols, or school (table) groups, one set for each of those to play around with.

Once they see it in action, understand the how and why of it working, then encourage them to use the materials provided and see if they can make a set themselves.

It an all too easily become an overwhelming and frustrating experience trying to herd up to thirty kids all at once.
Best advice it to get the leaders involved right from the start :)

A patrol is six kids, that's manageable to get them from a standing start to making fire in a reasonable time.

It's worthwhile, I found, to provide several kinds of firelighting kits too. From flint and steel to handspindles. The 'pump' drill works well too, and that appeals to many of them.
Basically I just made sure I had masses of hands on stuff for them to experiment with. Lots of tinders, lots of interesting materials.

Mugwort is a very satisfying blow up an ember into flame type thing. Billowing white smoke.
A big fomes with a really hot ember in it lets you carry fire for hours :) Blow on it and it'll glow fiery red.
Chagga is superb too.

All good stuff :) I hope you have fun doing it :)

Up here I need a special certificate that proves I am of sound character (no criminal issues) etc., from Disclosure Scotland ...a PVG certificate.
to work with children, and to be covered with my public liability insurance.
I'm not sure how the Scout Association handles non leaders working with the scouts elsewhere.
 

Spirit fish

Banned
Aug 12, 2021
338
73
31
Doncaster
I've taught a lot of folks to make fire. I find it's honestly easiser to have one set that you know really works for you to demonstrate and to work one on one with, and another two (or if you're working with scout patrols, or school (table) groups, one set for each of those to play around with.

Once they see it in action, understand the how and why of it working, then encourage them to use the materials provided and see if they can make a set themselves.

It an all too easily become an overwhelming and frustrating experience trying to herd up to thirty kids all at once.
Best advice it to get the leaders involved right from the start :)

A patrol is six kids, that's manageable to get them from a standing start to making fire in a reasonable time.

It's worthwhile, I found, to provide several kinds of firelighting kits too. From flint and steel to handspindles. The 'pump' drill works well too, and that appeals to many of them.
Basically I just made sure I had masses of hands on stuff for them to experiment with. Lots of tinders, lots of interesting materials.

Mugwort is a very satisfying blow up an ember into flame type thing. Billowing white smoke.
A big fomes with a really hot ember in it lets you carry fire for hours :) Blow on it and it'll glow fiery red.
Chagga is superb too.

All good stuff :) I hope you have fun doing it :)

Up here I need a special certificate that proves I am of sound character (no criminal issues) etc., from Disclosure Scotland ...a PVG certificate.
to work with children, and to be covered with my public liability insurance.
I'm not sure how the Scout Association handles non leaders working with the scouts elsewhere.
thanks for this insight very informative
 

Duggie Bravo

Settler
Jul 27, 2013
532
124
Dewsbury
It’s great that you want to offer your skills to youth organisations, be prepared to be asked to complete a DBS and to become a leader or Section Assistant.
Minor point in the UK the “Boy” has been dropped and they are Scouts.


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Spirit fish

Banned
Aug 12, 2021
338
73
31
Doncaster
It’s great that you want to offer your skills to youth organisations, be prepared to be asked to complete a DBS and to become a leader or Section Assistant.
Minor point in the UK the “Boy” has been dropped and they are Scouts.


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political correctness ness has gone mad when did they drop the word boy?
 

Duggie Bravo

Settler
Jul 27, 2013
532
124
Dewsbury
I did cubs and scouts icarn t remember if they called us boy scouts or just scouts tbh but my father called me a boy scout though

Looks like the change happened earlier than I thought:

The Boy Scouts Association and its programmes in Britain went largely unchanged until it underwent a major review in the 1960s. The Chief Scouts' Advance Party was formed in 1964 and was sent to survey the association to see why membership numbers were falling. Their report was published in 1966 and changes were implemented later that year and throughout 1967.[25] As a result, the word "boy" was dropped from the association's name which was changed to The Scout Association and major changes were made to the sections and their respective programmes.

From Wikipedia.


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Spirit fish

Banned
Aug 12, 2021
338
73
31
Doncaster
Looks like the change happened earlier than I thought:

The Boy Scouts Association and its programmes in Britain went largely unchanged until it underwent a major review in the 1960s. The Chief Scouts' Advance Party was formed in 1964 and was sent to survey the association to see why membership numbers were falling. Their report was published in 1966 and changes were implemented later that year and throughout 1967.[25] As a result, the word "boy" was dropped from the association's name which was changed to The Scout Association and major changes were made to the sections and their respective programmes.

From Wikipedia.


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Interesting thanks
 

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