For as long as it takes ScoutLock-down Our Magazine for Isolated Scouts

12th April 2020 Issue No. 04 Free

Feature project Windmill Plus New Story

Lock-down Scout Contents Scouts and Covid-19 Camp-at-Home Beavers: Siren of the woods Cubs: Windmill Scouts: Fire- flint and steel Explorers: Magnetic bearing Thought for the week Idea from Amazing knots Northumberland Story: Part 2 Scouts. Boomerang See page 3 Recipe puzzle Guess where? Name the author

Harpenden and Wheathampstead (+Kimpton) Scout District Lock-down Scout

Let us echo the Queen’s message: “...that the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country”. want to thank everyone on the NHS front line, as well as care workers and those carrying Iout essential roles, who selflessly continue Three things to remember:“ their day-to-day duties outside the home in support of us all. 1 School comes first. Organise your workplace and do the assignments. Together we are tackling this disease, and I want This is a priority. to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it. 2 Don’t get in the way of your parents working at home. They need space to succeed. As far as possible be self- I hope in the years to come everyone will be able sufficient. Share time when it is okay to to take pride in how they responded to this do so. challenge. And those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as 3 You are a Scout. However young, any. That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet however old, you made a promise. Live good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still up to it! characterise this country. The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future.

While we have faced challenges before, this one is different. This time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavour, using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal. We will succeed - and that success will belong to every one of us.

We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.

A Cub’s personal challenge But for now, I send my thanks and warmest good 4th Harpenden, April 2009 wishes to you all.

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“Here’s another Great idea! Visit the website. Get involved” Russell Brooks DC Northumberland Scouts presents… #CampAtHome VISIT https://www.campathome.org.uk/ Calling all young people from across Northumberland, the UK, and the Wider World. COVID-19 may have changed the way we do things, but it won’t stop Scouts camping!

We’re organising a month-long Virtual Camp across April, from the 01/04- 30/04/20.

Take up the challenge and let’s keep on; #VirtuallyCamping Here are the “Rules”. We’re asking you all Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Network, Leaders, Parents, and all Young People interested in joining in the fun to:

Pack a bag Build a den at home / pitch a tent in the garden/ hang up a hammock Sleep in your shelter of choice Build a ‘campfire’ (real or virtual) Take part in a “Scouty activity” Help with cooking a meal

MOST IMPORTANTLY……. Each night you participate share a creative photo, video, blog, etc. to our social media with: But #CampAtHome Also Get ready for Virtual St. George via Zoom! I need your photos of any Scouting activities you have done at home. Your projects, serious or light-hearted, please send them to me, Russ at: [email protected]. Please send them as soon as possible but absolutely no later than Tuesday, 21st April. More next issue. My thanks to you all. Russ (DC) 3 Lock-down Scout Beavers 12th Harpenden Beavers

Siren of the woods

ere’s a way to make sound with only a blade of grass. Choose a strong blade and catch it Hbetween the heels of your thumbs one end and the tips at the other. Tighten the blade and blow through the gap between your thumbs. You will produce a reedy howl that will impress your family. Try it straightaway!

nd yet another way. The original idea uses a tree leaf sandwiched between two strips of birch bark. AWith gentle pressure from your fingers to keep it flat, put it to your lips and blow through the gap. The sound will be deeper and distinctive.

Two pieces of cardboard are likely to work as well as the bark.

Illustrations from ‘Lonecraft’ by John Hargrave

Did you know? Beaver Scouts were trialled in Scotland in and then introduced to to whole of the United Kingdom in October 1982.

Today, there are 103,226 Beaver Scouts

4 103,226 Beaver Scouts, Lock-down Scout

4th Harpenden Cubs in London Cubs

Build a simple Windmill

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHzBjhxQhwg

his simple but very attractive windmill is Tsurprisingly effective even in gentle wind. The paper should ideally be 100g or 120g paper. (Standard printer paper is 80g).

The pin in the middle is the tricky bit. Follow the design if you can but if you haven’t got a push- pin, glue a small disk of paper on the centre of the windmill (to strengthen it) and use a small nail or dressmaker’s pin. The pencil used for a handle can be changed for a thicker, longer dowel or even a tube of paper.

Take care of the nail or needle point at the back by pressing a piece of cork or a blob of hot-melt glue. Be creative and find a way to keep it safe.

Build to a high standard. Your finished windmill will spin amazingly fast Quality matters! with a gentle blow. Try it in the garden. Why not plant it among the flowers?

Place a coin on your elbow and try to catch it with the same hand before it strikes the ground your answer with your parents 5 Lock-down Scout Fire-lighting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxagchOOj84 Conventional

SCOUTS Fire-lighting 1st Harpenden Scouts PART ONE: AND STEEL

t camp, Scouts chop wood and prepare their fire. Usually, they strike a match and light some Awhich catches the kindling that progresses to the of the fire. But how can we start a fire if we don’t have a match? Make some char-cloth To make a piece of char-cloth, find a scrap of that Before , people had tinder boxes that carried a is destined for the dump and cut a piece about A4 size. flint stone and a steel to strike it. This created sparks that Take it outside, put it on the end of a stick and set it were aimed at charred (char-cloth). A lucky alight. (Lots of care!) When it is mostly black let it fall the would set the char-cloth aglow and this would be used to ground (on an old board) and smother it with another ignite a ball of tinder. The user would hold the tinder in board. Snuff out any parts that smoulder. The black the hand, blow into it until it caught fire and then used the pieces are the char-cloth that should be collected up and flame much like we use a match today to light fire-wood. put in a poly-bag or tin.

A tinder box that stowed Make some tinder flint and steel in one Before you throw sparks into the char-cloth, make some compartment and char-cloth tinder. Tease out a little cottonwool, shred some paper in the other very finely, or open out a little string into its fibres. Make a ball of tinder about the size of a tennis ball and set it aside. Make fire! In a safe place outside, put an old board down to protect This metal tinder the surface and place some char-cloth in the middle. box from the Boer war Take the flint and steel and strike sparks onto the char- kept the char-cloth dry. cloth. In only a few strikes, a spark will catch and the char-cloth will begin to glow. Place it in the middle of the We can find flint stones in practically every garden and ball of tinder in your hand and blow the tiny spark into a allotment in Harpenden and Wheathampstead so a fist- flame. When it is alight, drop it onto the board and snuff it sized flint should be easy to find. For a steel, an old file out. from the garage will serve nicely. (Note that soft steel won’t create sparks. It must be hard steel as in a file). You have made fire from a spark!

Practice making a spark. Hold the flint in one hand and strike it downwards with a glancing blow with the file. Be careful of your fingers. Wear a tough glove if the flint is YouTube small. Turn the flint for best sparks. Enter ‘fire by flint and steel’ Many excellent tutorials available

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EXPLORERS Play with a Explorers supporting Green Beret Nov 2006 frictionless magnetic bearing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n3ZBGzIT8s

agnetic bearings have no friction and Paralysed Finger so, as in the simple experiment above, Bend your middle finger Mthe flywheel of old batteries goes on like the picture on the left turning for ages. It eventually come to rest shows and put your because of the tiny friction at the pencil point. hand on the table. Then Because magnetic bearings have no friction lift your thumb, index they require no lubrication and so they can work finger, and pinkie. No in vacuum and have extremely long life. problem, right? Now try the ring finger. This is an example of a passive (permanant magnet) bearing. In industry, magnetic bearings The tendons in your fingers are independent are often active using current through coils to from one another apart from the ones in your control them. In one application, a company in middle and ring finger. These tendons are Switzerland has created a motor that can rotate connected, so that when your middle finger at 500,000 rpm, a world record. is folded down you cannot move your ring finger. It feels like your ring finger is stuck! Make the model and get a feel for magnetic bearings.

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Thankfulness ind a moment to look afresh. See with new eyes the wonder of your friends. See their beauty, the harmony of their bodies in play, the sparkle in their eyes, their laughter, their skills and cleverness, their spirit that Foverows to celebrate life, the warmth of their friendship. This is yours, given for free: nd a way to say thank-you. Look at the world afresh. See the miniature things like spider's web, snowakes and butteries; see the horizon, the skies, forests and mountains; see in the wild places the deer at the stream and the eagles above. Notice the fragile orchid; hear the exquisite birdsong and the feel sensation of sunshine. These are yours, given for free: nd a way to say thank-you.

Look afresh at your clothes, computers and possessions. Look afresh at roads, architecture, reservoirs, aircraft and all things made by man. All once were raw materials without form from the earth: just crude stone, bre and clay. Wonder at how the art and endeavour of others have created our world. It is your heritage, given freely; nd a way to say thank-you.

Look inside, deeper this time than ever before. Be still for the mystery of life is within: mind, spirit and conscience. Here is the wellspring of all that you are, out of nothing – your intellect, your energy, your humanity. This gift of life is given freely. Whenever you feel the privilege of this precious gift in our beautiful world, know that you are a part of it and nd a way to say thank you. Feb 2014

Amazing Knots

For the best practice Alpine rope, choose 6mm, 3 strand, white rope. Avoid rope that Butterfly has a tracer pattern. 3 turns around the About 1.5 or 2 metres right palm. Knot in length is best to A strain bearing practice all the knot in the standard knots. Place the turn middle of a rope nearest thumb eBay item number: to the middle 392 468 528 156 -as shown. is offering 5 metres for he Alpine Butterfly Knot is £2.76. Pull out the tied in the middle of a turn now Trope to create a loop that nearest will take strain equally in either thumb.... direction. Although a climber’s knot, Scouts often use it to ...and tuck it secure a line over a high under the two remaining branch. The knot is tied at the turns. Hold this centre of a line, one end is loop with the thrown over the high branch and left hand and passed through the loop. The Alpine butterfly knot can be loaded equally either way The pull the right knot is then pulled up to the hand away. branch where it fastens securely, and that rope can be Shape into the Butterfly loaded. A pull on the idle rope Knot. The rope should exit the knot in-line both brings the knot back to ground. sides. 8 Lock-down Scout One Good Turn A short story in two parts published in the ‘Scout’ Oct The three emerged a few minutes later dragging a huge 1921. Like many of the stories in early Scouting, it tarpaulin sheet which was ordinarily used for covering features adventure and the heroism of Scouts. stacks during hay-making time. With the aid of a ladder It also give us a glimpse of Old England. Guy got to the top of the second rick pulling behind him the canvass sheet and this he tugged around until it Synopsis: Guy, patrol leader of the Curlews, had covered the side exposed to roaring flames. rescued a cyclist whose brakes had failed on the steep hill. The cyclist had crashed and tumbled into a river. “Get as many buckets of water as you can” he shouted Guy dived in and pulled him to safety. out hoarsely, and through the blinding smoke he saw the Scouts and farm hands rush off. Already showers of The Curlews were camping in a field and they see a fire sparks were falling on the tarpaulin, quickly to be beaten at nearby Orchard Farm. They dashed to the flames to out with the wet sacks. see what they could do. In the excitement, the favour is repaid. One of the Scouts' came hurrying back carrying a bucket, and with a gallant effort he climbed up the ladder and PART 2 handed it to Guy's outstretched arms. Carefully the water was poured down the covering, and the sparks quickly Fire at the farm extinguished. n a flash Guy jumped to the situation. “Stay there, Bosco," yelled out the Leader to the Scout, I perched on the ladder, and a second later another bucket “There's some dirty work here," he cried. was passed up. By this time the heat was almost unbearable, and Guy felt his skin scorching as the angry " Arnold, dash back to the camp and get your bike, and flames tried to leap the breach between the two stacks. cycle as fast as ever you can to Lingport. The wet tarpaulin stopped their progress, however, and “Call out the fire brigade, and warn the local police. Guy continued to pour buckets of water down. His head Bosco, you run round to the farmhouse and knock them was swimming, and his eyes were smarting terribly. all up." Would he be able to hang on long enough?

Two other Scouts had now come running up, attracted by One giant flame leapt across, and caught a wisp of hay at the blaze, and wheeling round, Guy ordered: his foot. Quickly he stamped it out, and the next bucket, " Jenner and Fielding, follow up those fellows that have he tipped over the stack itself. The tarpaulin was just bolted. Keep them in sight at all costs, and find now, and in a few minutes, nothing could where they go.” save the rick! The strain was awful, and he stumbled with the next pail, but just managed to regain his balance. “Come on, Palmer," he called to the remaining Scout, "lend a hand," and, picking up a sack nearby, he ran Suddenly the clang of the engine was heard. The farm across to a pond, dipped it in, and tore back. hand whose acquaintance we have already made has now taken Bosco's place on the ladder, and the Scout ran The Scout followed his example, and two commenced towards the gate to give what assistance he could to the beating wildly at the flames. Fortunatelly there was very firemen. little wind, but the fire had already got a good hold. Grimes, for that was his name, handed up another The strong smell of petrol left no room for doubt as to bucket, but Guy's strength was rapidly failing, and as he how it had been started. The tremendous heat and took it, he stumbled again. This time he made no effort to whirling sparks made much progress impossible, save himself, and with a sharp cry fell in a crumpled heap although the two youngsters fought magnificently. to the space between the two stacks below.

The farmer himself had now come running up, still pulling Then the terrible thing happened! Grimes was sliding on a few clothes. Two farm hands followed, and with a down the ladder to help the Scout when he saw the start Guy exclaimed to one: blazing stack quiver convulsively and lurch in an ominous way. The whole scene was bathed in bright yellow light, “Why you're; the chap whose bike ran away down and he gasped as he saw Guy's still form in the narrow Cowslip Hill. The recognition was mutual, but there was space between the ricks. only time for a few hastily exchanged words. All now worked with a will to fight the rapidly spreading fire, but Scarcely realising what he was doing, he ran forward. after a few minutes Guy stumbled up to the farmer. The heat from the blazing mass was terrific, and for a moment he faltered—but only for a moment. A memory of " There's no hope for this one," he choked out, “I'm going that awful ride to death down Cowslip Hill, and a further to try, and prevent it spreading to the next," and he ran off shaking of the burning stack, drove him to action. He to the barn followed by two of the Curlews. dashed through and, seizing the helpless figure in khaki, dragged it out—not a moment too soon!

9 Lock-down Scout One good turn (Continued)

n a flash Guy jumped to the situation. The three emerged a few minutes later dragging a huge tarpaulin sheet which was ordinarily used for covering I stacks during hay-making time. With the aid of a ladder “There's some dirty work here," he cried. Guy got to the top of the second rick pulling behind him the canvass sheet and this he tugged around until it " Arnold, dash back to the camp and get your bike, and covered the side exposed to roaring flames. cycle as fast as ever you can to Lingport. “Get as many buckets of water as you can” he shouted “Call out the fire brigade, and warn the local police. out hoarsely, and through the blinding smoke he saw the Bosco, you run round to the farmhouse and knock them Scouts and farm hands rush off. Already showers of all up." sparks were falling on the tarpaulin, quickly to be beaten out with the wet sacks. Two other Scouts had now come running up, attracted by the blaze, and wheeling round, Guy ordered: One of the Scouts' came hurrying back carrying a bucket, " Jenner and Fielding, follow up those fellows that have and with a gallant effort he climbed up the ladder and just bolted. Keep them in sight at all costs, and find handed it to Guy's outstretched arms. Carefully the water where they go.” was poured down the covering, and the sparks quickly extinguished. “Come on, Palmer," he called to the remaining Scout, "lend a hand," and, picking up a sack nearby, he ran “Stay there, Bosco," yelled out the Leader to the Scout, across to a pond, dipped it in, and tore back. perched on the ladder, and a second later another bucket was passed up. By this time the heat was almost The Scout followed his example, and two commenced unbearable, and Guy felt his skin scorching as the angry beating wildly at the flames. Fortunatelly there was very flames tried to leap the breach between the two stacks. little wind, but the fire had already got a good hold. The wet tarpaulin stopped their progress, however, and Guy continued to pour buckets of water down. His head was swimming, and his eyes were smarting terribly. Would he be able to hang on long enough?

One giant flame leapt across, and caught a wisp of hay at his foot. Quickly he stamped it out, and the next bucket, he tipped over the stack itself. The tarpaulin was smouldering now, and in a few minutes, nothing could save the rick! The strain was awful, and he stumbled with the next pail, but just managed to regain his balance.

Suddenly the clang of the engine was heard. The farm hand whose acquaintance we have already made has now taken Bosco's place on the ladder, and the Scout ran towards the gate to give what assistance he could to the Hay ricks common on firemen. farms at the time of this story Grimes, for that was his name, handed up another bucket, but Guy's strength was rapidly failing, and as he took it, he stumbled again. This time he made no effort to The strong smell of petrol left no room for doubt as to save himself, and with a sharp cry fell in a crumpled heap how it had been started. The tremendous heat and to the space between the two stacks below. whirling sparks made much progress impossible, although the two youngsters fought magnificently. Then the terrible thing happened! Grimes was sliding down the ladder to help the Scout when he saw the The farmer himself had now come running up, still pulling blazing stack quiver convulsively and lurch in an ominous on a few clothes. Two farm hands followed, and with a way. The whole scene was bathed in bright yellow light, start Guy exclaimed to one: and he gasped as he saw Guy's still form in the narrow space between the ricks. “Why you're; the chap whose bike ran away down Cowslip Hill. The recognition was mutual, but there was Scarcely realising what he was doing, he ran forward. only time for a few hastily exchanged words. All now The heat from the blazing mass was terrific, and for a worked with a will to fight the rapidly spreading fire, but moment he faltered—but only for a moment. A memory of after a few minutes Guy stumbled up to the farmer. that awful ride to death down Cowslip Hill, and a further shaking of the burning stack, drove him to action. He " There's no hope for this one," he choked out, “I'm going dashed through and, seizing the helpless figure in khaki, to try, and prevent it spreading to the next," and he ran off dragged it out—not a moment too soon! to the barn followed by two of the Curlews.

10 Easy to make and it works! Boomerang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBRw4sqVFew

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Answers to match puzzles from Issue 2 6

3

1

Rearrange two matches to make Answers to Knot or not?, in Issue 2: seven squares. A = No; B = Yes; C = No Answer: Next issue

Andrew Digswell Akela 10th Harpenden A Can you name this place?

Answers in Next issue of Lock-down Scout

B

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NAME THE AUTHOR Andrew Digswell Akela 10th Harpenden

1) 2) 3)

4) 5) 6)

7) 8) 9)

10) 11) 12)

1) 2) 3)

4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9)

10) 11) 12)

Answers in Next issue of Lock-down Scout 13 Lock-down Scout

n putting these ideas before you in Lock-down Scout it is my Ihope that they are more than mere diversions. To create the windmill featured on the front cover, for instance, requires precision cutting and folding. This is much more than being fussy Extra activities available because it is in pursuit of a form that has both beauty and function. It can only said to be ‘crafted’ from Scouts.org when the finished thing looks good. It should have the attribute of art.

Find out more at: All the activities should be taken up in this spirit because craft, a cleverness with your hand and https://www.scouts.org.uk/the-great-indoors/ eye, is a life skill. And so, while these activities should be fun, engage your skills, be creative, make what you do an art. Enjoy.

Feedback and contributions to [email protected] rv

In lock-down

SPRINGTIME Harpenden and Wheathampstead Scout District

We can still enjoy the flowers! 14