Pioneering
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with the proselytization activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses, which uses the term Pioneering (per se).
Pioneering is the art of using ropes and wooden spars joined by lashings and knots to create a structure. Pioneering can be used for constructing small items such as camp gadgets up to larger structures such as bridges and towers. These may be recreational, decorative, or functional.
Pioneering is used to teach practical skills, teamwork and problem solving. It is widely used in the Scouting program. Many Scout groups train their members in pioneering skills and construct projects, both small and large. In camp, Scouts may construct functional items like tables, camp dressers and gadgets, as well as decorative camp gateways.
The name comes from the 18th and 19th century military engineers who went ahead of an army to "pioneer" a route, which could involve building bridges and towers with rope and timber.
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[edit] Pioneering skills
Pioneering skills include knotting (tying ropes together), lashing (tying spars together with rope), whipping (binding the end of a rope with thin twine), splicing (joining or binding the end of a rope using its own fibres), and skills related to the use, care and storage of ropes, spars and related pioneering equipment.
[edit] Basic knots
[edit] Basic lashings
- Square lashing, used to join two poles at a right angle
- Diagonal lashing, used when securing two diagonals to each other
- Round lashing, used to join two poles in a straight line
- Sheer lashing, used to join two poles in a scissors shape
[edit] Pioneering structures
These basic structures are the building blocks for a number of pioneering projects:
- A-Frame - The basis of many tower structures. The horizontal member of the A-frame also makes a convenient springing point for a deck such as a table-top.
- Trestle - Used as a modular element for building bridges and towers. Also used as a 'chariot' for inter-Patrol chariot races.
- Tripod - As end supports for swingbridges, dining tables, etc. and as the basis for the hourglass tower. A tripod is not considered secure unless its legs are staked or otherwise attached to the ground.
[edit] Pioneering projects
- Camp gateways
- Bridges
- Dressers
- Tables
- Camp gadgets
- Flagpoles
- Towers
- Rafts
- Aerial runways
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- E-Quartermaster - information about pioneering equipment
- Scoutbase - UK Scout Association website, with lots of projects
- Ropes and Poles - Pioneering blog - growing collection of unusual projects
- PioneeringProjects.org - Large collection of pioneering projects and links to resources
