My scouts had a go at spoon making

[awarner]

A few weeks ago at my scout survival camp bushwhacker bob gave the scouts a project to create some spoons.
Apart from basic knife instruction they have never had a go at carving before so for young teenagers they have come up with some interesting designs with varying results. The spoons were made at home after camp so they used their own penknives.
Two of the sppons are made from ash one from birch and the final one from a bit of pallet wood.

First carving attempt and glad to report no injuries so it looks like they are taking in what I have taught them about knife handling.

 

[bushwacker bob]

Excellent spoons, even better when you consider they are first spoons made by 12 and 13 year olds! You're doing a good job with those scouts.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Thats brilliant, tell you what second from the right is a lovely shape indeed!

 

[Pignut]

Good work!

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

Better than my first effort and i was in my 30s and had a spoon knife too.
Well done to the lads indeed.

 

[Dannytsg]

Good work from them for sure. It's always good to really challenge the skills they are being taught

 

[awarner]

Excellent spoons, even better when you consider they are first spoons made by 12 and 13 year olds! You're doing a good job with those scouts.

Don't forget you promised them a prize for the best spoon. ;-)

 

[bikebum1975]

Impressive bit of work

 

[bushwacker bob]

Don't forget you promised them a prize for the best spoon. ;-)

I think I need 4 prizes.

 

[Wook]

I thought scouts were no longer allowed knives? Perhaps I was misinformed....

 

[awarner]

Completely, there are many myths around what scouts can and cannot do, even within scouting itself.

 

[roger-uk]

Completely, there are many myths around what scouts can and cannot do, even within scouting itself.

My Cubs [ 8 to 10.5 ] use knives under supervision and they love it - Mind you its like Air Rifles and Archery - mess about and your sitting out the session.

 

[Wook]

This was my source:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-longer-bring-penknives-on-camping-trips.html

So the article is wrong? Good.

 

[awarner]

Penknives etc will always be bought to camp, i prefer to be aware of who has what and credit to them the lads normally tell me who has one before I have to ask. I then operate the three warnings system with the correct handling as normally the thumb tends to drift to the top of the blade etc. I have yet to see any injury from knives in scouts, I'm sure it does happen but its not that common to my knowledge.

Problem with guidance rules and articles even within scouting you find that information is never passed around properly.
The scouting magazine quite often has mistakes and questionable content.
One article as an example that was quite concerning was about making different tea including pine needles with no thought about leaders lack of knowledge to avoid Yew and no real warnings about it. I had to educate one of my leaders on a recent hike on identifying yew as he thought it was just another type of pine and did not know it my name.

EDIT just a quick search found this article from the scout website in reply to the articlie in your link
http://www.scouts.org.uk/news/225/scouting-refutes-knife-ban-claims

And this is the actual publication your link has taken out of context.
http://www.scouts.org.uk/documents/News/080909/Pages from scouting.pdf

 

[Wook]

Certainly no where near as bad as I thought then.

Although the following quote was a little troubling:

The Scout Association does not condone young people carrying knifes on their person as a matter of course, unless there is a specific need for one.

Perhaps children should not have an EDC (I'm not even sure that would be legal) but I don't think hostility to the idea per se is helpful. A knife is the single most useful tool ever invented, so carrying one "as a matter of course" is an entirely sensible thing to do.

In any case I'm dragging your post off topic, I apologise.

They are lovely spoons.

 

[dancan]

Don't forget you promised them a prize for the best spoon. ;-)

I think I need 4 prizes.

I think 4 prizes are in order , great job on all those spoons !

 

[SimonM]

Great work on the spoons...I keep meaning to get my rabble to do some, but never get round to it.

Regarding Scouts and knives...

I was at Gilwell 24 a few weeks ago and had 6 Mora Companion knives in my cargo pocket, + my own knive on my belt, when I was told that I was in breach of POR for using fixed bladed knives. I poltely informed the person they were wrong, but he was adamant that it had been in the "Rules" for over 2 years...

Needless to say, I continued to teach basic knives skills for the remainder of the day, then checked POR when I got home. As I already knew, there is no such rule.

Simon

 

[brancho]

Thats nice work by your Scouts mate. Four prizes needed Bob.

I would suggest that Scout Troops should own fixed blade knives just like the do with axes and saws.

 

[bushwacker bob]

Thats nice work by your Scouts mate. Four prizes needed Bob.

I would suggest that Scout Troops should own fixed blade knives just like the do with axes and saws.

I would agree as it would make teaching them easier!
These spoons were carved in their own time with at best, a Swiss army knife. The pack they belong to is in one of the more deprived areas of Southampton and they are scouts despite their peers and parents.
Ray Mears, the current Chief Scout and even internet forums(fora?)like BcUK have all contributed to renewed enthusiasm for real campcraft skills amongst the scouting movement and I really think the organisation has benefited from the imput.

 

[brancho]

My troop own these

P2252737 by alf.branch, on Flickr


Broken Mora rehandled by alf.branch, on Flickr

I taught over 90 Scouts and Leaders to use a knife at our County winter camp in JanuaryI would noty have tried this with them turning up with a a random set of varying blunt and falling apart folders.
Look HERE for photos of the scouts using knives