Chapter I: How to Become a Tenderfoot (2)

To tie a knot seems a very simple thing and yet there are right and wrong ways of doing it, and Scouts ought to know the right way. For sometimes even lives depend on a knot being properly tied, as with sailors or men in building trades, and in case of fire-rescue.

The right kind of a knot is one which you can tie easily and be certain it will hold under any normal strain, and which you can easily undo.

A bad knot called a “granny” is one which slips when you pull hard, or which gets jammed so tight that you cannot untie it.

Of course there are several ways of tying the same knot, and so if your sailor uncle can show you a good way to make a bowline don’t tell him the one in this book is the only way.

The Parts of a Rope

The End.

The Bight or Loop, formed by turning the rope back on itself.

The Standing Part, or long portion of the rope.

Whipping

Rope ends that ravel are annoying and before working your scout rope too hard in practicing all these knots it is a good plan to whip the ends.

This is how you do it. Hold the rope end in your right hand. Take about 10 inches of twine, make a loop and lay it parallel on the rope so that the end of the twine extends about two inches beyond the end of the rope. Hold it firmly and with your left hand wind the standing part of your twine around your rope neatly up toward your right thumb. When you have bound the twine loop on to the rope for say an inch, then tuck your winding end through the loop, pull both ends of the twine, and cut them off close to the rope.

Now you are ready to work. There are two simple devices which will help you to learn the knots in the Tenderfoot test more easily, so it is well to master them first.

One is the

Overhand Knot

which is the very easiest of all to make. It is the first half of the square knot, and is a part of many other knots.

Back the end around the standing part and through the bight and draw tight.

The other is the

Running Noose

If you hang out some clothes on the line when there is a thunderstorm in the air, it will be well to tie up your clothes line with a slip knot at each end, as clothes and all can be taken down in a hurry. A slip knot made in one end of your cord, can be useful when you want to tie up a big parcel, for you can get a good “purchase” on the cord; it is also good in hitching a horse to a post.

Make a bight. Put your thumb and finger through it and pull up a loop of the free end of the rope.

Reef or Square Knot

The square knot (or reef knot) is the best simple all round knot, as it will not slip or jam and is easily untied. It is the safest knot to tie your parcels with when mailing them. It is also used to join two ropes, mend the clothes line, and for a hundred other uses. It is called a reef knot because it is used to reduce the size of a sail on a boat. As it is flat it is much used in First Aid, for tying a sling or triangular bandage.

Take an end of rope in each hand. Cross right end over the left and twist; then the same end (which is now in your left hand) over the other end, and twist again. Then pull the standing parts.

If you are left-handed, of course you would naturally first put your left end over your right. The thing to remember in tying a square knot is that the ends must alternate; otherwise you get a “granny,” or “lubber’s” knot.

Sheet Bend

The Sheet Bend (or Weaver’s knot) is good to use when you want to join a thick line to a thin one, or attach a rope to a loop or ring. They use this knot on steamboats when the big hawser can’t be thrown on shore, but a light line can be attached and easily thrown to the dock. It is a good knot for Scouts to use when making a guard line to keep back crowds, at a rally for instance. With this knot you can join your wool when knitting, and it is an excellent way to attach a fly to a fishing line.

Make a loop AB with one rope; pass the end, C, of your other rope through this loop, round both sides of the loop and down under its own standing part. Pull firmly.

Clove Hitch (or Builder’s Knot)

The clove hitch is used when fastening two poles together as in scaffolding, as either end will stand a strain without slipping either lengthwise or downwards. It is also used to tie a boat to a stake, or in First Aid to tie on a splint.

Pass the end around the post, below the standing part; around the post again, over the standing part, and tuck it down between the standing part and the turn.

Half Hitch

The half hitch is a very useful thing to know. It is not really a knot, but a loop used in tying many of the harder knots. A double half hitch is needed to make a secure knot and is used for fastening awning ropes, flag rope, etc. The more it is strained the faster it holds. It is a simple way of making a rope fast in a hurry, where a long continued strain is not expected, thus it is used in tying a boat’s painter, which is not a man but a rope fastened to the bow of a small boat.

Bowline

A Bowline makes a noose that is permanent, neither jamming nor slipping. It is useful in hoisting and lowering, as in case of fire, rescuing from drowning, a painter’s chair, etc. It is also used in a guard line, as a halter for animals, or wherever a safe loop is needed.

Take end in right hand: measure with your left sufficient rope for the loop you want; make a bight in your left hand and hold it. Now take the end of the rope in your right hand, put it up through the bight, round the standing part, and down through the bight again: pulling the end and both sides of your permanent loop with the right hand against the standing part in your left hand; (three against one).

Sheepshank

A scout would not waste a rope by cutting it but would shorten it by making a sheepshank. This will stand a great strain without slipping, but will loosen when held slack.

Lay the rope out straight. Cross your hands and take hold of the rope. Take up the slack by drawing your hands past each other. Hold the three parts of the rope between the loop and the end, and put it over the loop, leaving sufficient loop sticking out so the half hitch won’t slip off it; then pull. Do the same at the other end, and put it over the loop, leaving sufficient loop sticking out so the half hitch won’t slip off it; then pull. It can be untied by a quick jerk of the outside ropes forming the bights. To shorten a rope permanently this way, pass the ends through the loops, and the knot will hold for any length of time.

Fisherman’s Knot

This knot is used to tie two unequal thicknesses of rope. It gets its name from the fact that it is always employed in joining silkworm gut for fishing purposes.

Lay the two ropes parallel, the ends pointing different ways. Tie an overhand knot on rope one with the end of rope two, and then tie an overhand knot on rope two with the end of rope one. Now pull the standing parts and the knots will jam against each other and remain firm. To untie, pull the short ends apart, and then loosen.

When a girl has passed her Tenderfoot test, she is ready to become a full-fledged Scout. She pays to Headquarters her registration fee, 25 cents, and receives the registration card which is a sort of certificate of membership and shows that her name is registered at Headquarters. Now she is entitled to wear the uniform. And more than all, she makes her Scout promise solemnly before the troop, and thus becomes one of the Scout sisterhood. This is not an appropriate occasion on which to admit the public, or to make any great show or fuss.

F. DRILL AND EXERCISE

Scouts learn drill to enable them to be moved quickly from one point to another in good order. Drill also sets them up, and makes them smart and quick.

It strengthens the muscles which support the body, and by keeping the body upright the lungs and heart get plenty of room to work, and the inside organs are kept in the proper position for good digestion of food, and so on. A slouching position, on the other hand, depresses all the organs, and prevents them doing their work properly, so that a stooping person is generally weak and often ill. Growing girls are very apt to slouch, and should therefore do all they can to get out of the habit by plenty of physical exercises and drill.

Stand upright when you are standing, and when you are sitting down sit upright, with your back well into the back part of the chair.

On the word “Alert,” the Scout stands upright with both feet together, hands hanging naturally at the sides, fingers straight, and looking straight to her front.

A Scout will never build up a healthy, sound body if she is not prudent about her health. Elder girls can easily help the younger ones by leading them to tell of their state, and should urge them not to go long marches if they are not fit, or allow their feet to remain damp or cold at such times, as it is very bad for them. They may not feel it at the time, but it may lead to illnesses years afterwards. It is their duty to promote their health and to nurse it into a good sound condition, which will make them hardy in after life.

Scout Setting Up Exercises

I. Positions

1. _Standing:_ Feet parallel, few inches apart. Stand erect, top of head high (note: top of head is above ears. Forehead is not the top), chin parallel with floor, arms easy at side. The ears, shoulders, hips and ankles should be in a straight line, weight over ankles.

2. _Sitting:_ Keep back straight in sitting, lower back against the back of the chair, and feet on the floor. Note: Arm stretch positions named in exercises

—downward straight at sides.
—upward close to ears.
—sideward on shoulder level.
—forward at shoulder level.

When doing exercises, remember always to keep good standing position. Execute the exercises in brisk rhythm, without jerks. Repeat each several times, but not so much that it tires you.

II. Breathing

1. Arms from downward through forward, to upward stretch counting “one.” Arms down counting “two.” Take deep breath as arms go up, and breathe out as arms come down.

2. Arms from downward through forward, to upward, counting “one,” to side stretch, counting “two,” taking full breath, accenting “two” with side stretch. Down to side counting “three.”

Count while doing these exercises, accent on “_one_.”

III. Arms

1. From downward to side stretch counting “one,” return to downward counting “two.”

2. From side to upward stretch counting “one” (look up), return to side, counting “two.”

3. From downward to forward stretch, counting “one” (don’t slump), return to down, counting “two.”

4. From arms easy, at side, to down stretch, counting “one” (don’t hump), return to arms easy, counting “two.”

5. Arms easy, turn palms out, expanding chest and flattening shoulder blades, stretching down, counting “one,” return to arms easy, counting “two.”

6. Elbows, on shoulder line, and bent, palms horizontal, tips of middle fingers together, thumb touching chest. Move elbows back, flattening shoulder blades, finger tips separating (thumbs make a line outward on chest), counting “one,” return, counting “two.”

7. From last position, elbows bent, stretch arms, sideways, backwards, counting “one,” return, counting “two.”

8. Arms upward stretch, close to ear, body bent continuously side to side. (Do not twist.)

IV. Legs

(These exercises cannot be done in stiff shoes.)

1. From good standing position, roll feet outward, weight on outside of feet, toes curled in, counting “one,” return counting “two.”

2. Alternate foot stretch. Foot stretch is done by raising the heel, bending the knee, the toes and ball of foot remaining on floor. Count “one,” “two,” one count for each foot.

3. Alternate foot stretch, at same time bending the knee, of weight bearing leg, count as in ex. 2. Keep body straight, hips steady.

4. Double knee bend (bend both knees, raising heels, keeping back straight). The knees should bend straight forward over the feet. Count “one” on bend, “two” on return.

5. Alternate backward kick, bending at knee only, counting as in ex. 2.

6. Same as exercise 5 in double quick time. (This is running in place.)

7. Alternate front high knee bend, raising foot from floor. Count as in ex. 2. Keep body straight.

8. Same as exercise 7, in double quick time.

9. Deep double knee bend, raising heels from floor, bringing arms from downward to side stretch with the bend. (This helps to keep balance.)

10. Arms upward stretch, body bent front, hands touching floor.

V. From Lying Position

1. Legs alternately upward stretch, making right angle with the body.

2. Same exercise both legs together.

3. Same as exercise 2, letting feet go back over head.

NOTE: The best time to take these exercises is before
dressing in the morning or the last thing at night
before going to bed. Corsets should never be worn
during exercises where the arms are raised above the
height of the shoulders. No matter how loose they may
be, it causes actual injury. Keep watch and see that
the feet remain parallel. The tendency with most people
is for them to turn out.

A New England farmer’s wife was baking several kinds of pies for Thanksgiving. To distinguish them she marked some T. M. for “’tis mince” and the rest she marked T. M. for “’tain’t mince.” When you are reading this book you will now and then see two mysterious letters which you will promptly obey whether you are sitting or standing. They are the letters S. T. and they mean Sit Tall and Stand Tall.

Tenderfoot Investiture

The Captain calls “Fall in.” The troop is formed in a horse shoe, with the Captain and the Lieutenant in the gap. When ordered to come forward by the Captain the Patrol Leader brings the Tenderfoot to be invested to the center, where they stand facing the Captain.

The Captain then asks: “Do you know what your honor means?” The Tenderfoot replies: “Yes, it means that I can be trusted to be truthful and honest” (or words to that effect).

Captain: “Can I trust you on your honor to do your duty to God and to your country, to help other people at all times, and to obey the Scout Law.”

Tenderfoot: “On my honor I will try to do my duty to God and to my country, to help other people at all times, and to obey the Scout Law.”

The Captain then says: “I trust you, on your honor, to keep this promise.”

While the recruit is making her promises aloud, all the Scouts remember their own promises, and vow anew to keep them.

The Captain orders: “Invest,”—and pins on her trefoil badge, explaining that it is her Scout’s life. If, for misbehavior her trefoil or life has to be taken from her, she becomes a dead Scout for the time the Captain orders—a day or a week—and is in disgrace. The badge may be worn at all times, but the uniform is worn only when the patrol meets.

The new Scout is then initiated into the mysteries of the secret passwords, “Be Prepared” (said backwards), or “Little Friend of all the World.”

The Scout should salute the Captain, when she gives her her badge.

The lieutenant hands the new Tenderfoot her registration card, and her hat. (This part of the ceremony may be omitted if desired.)

Captain orders: “About Face”—“Salute”—

Tenderfoot faces the troop, who give her the full salute to welcome her into the troop, and then she and her Patrol Leader march back to their places.

Now the Scout is a regular member of one of the Patrols in the troop. A Patrol is a group of six or eight Scouts who work together as comrades under a girl who is the Patrol Leader. The Leader has an assistant called a Corporal. All Scouts must obey the Leader and Corporal.

Each troop is called after a bird or flower. When the Scouts first started troops they were only called after flowers but there were many girls who felt that though a flower is very pretty and gives out a sweet influence round it, it doesn’t last long, nor does it “hustle around and do things”; they wanted something more active as their emblem. So now a troop can choose which it likes, a bird, or a flower, or tree or shrub.

The troop may have a flag, which has the number of the troop on it, and besides this each Patrol Leader may have a small flag, ten inches deep, on a staff, with the crest of her troop in cloth stitched on to it on both sides.

Each member of the troop wears an emblem badge sewn over her left pocket flap, and a shoulder knot of the colors chosen by her troop.

Every Scout is expected to know all about the life history of the emblem of her troop. If it is a flower, she should know what it looks like, when and where it blooms, and she should if possible grow it herself. If the emblem is a bird the Scout should know what it looks like, its call or song, its food, where to look for its nest, the color of its eggs and time of migration.

BIRD. ATTRIBUTE. COLOR.

Robin. Brave and friendly. Brown and red.

Swallow. A quick home worker. Dark blue and white.

Wren. Modest and plucky. Brown.

Sparrow. Busy and home-loving. Black and brown.

Bantam. Plucky and strong. Red and yellow.

Canary. Makes sunshine in the Yellow and white.
house.

Thrush. Gives joy to all. Brown and yellow.

Blackbird. Happy and helpful. Black and yellow.

Cardinal Bird. Beautiful and lively. Rosy red.

Mocking Bird. Courageous and singing Greyish brown and
while he works. white.

List of Troop Crests Always Kept in Stock

Sunflower.
Red Rose.
White Rose (Cherokee).
Oak.
Pansy.
Fuchsia.
Poppy.
Narcissus.
Jonquil.
Holly Leaf and Berries.
Red Clover.
Lily-of-the-Valley.
Daisy.
Goldenrod.
Forget-me-not.
Lilac.
Violet.
Iris.
Pink Carnation.
Morning Glory.
Pink Wild Rose.
Thistle.
Nasturtium.
Daffodil.
Dogwood.
Holly.

A Cuckoo Patrol

A jay is a showy, gaudy kind of bird and, like her bigger friend the peacock, has a rasping, raucous voice, and she eats other birds’ eggs, and generally does more harm than good in the world. There are human jays and peacocks, but you won’t find them among the Scouts. The English cuckoo is a curious bird of another kind. She makes herself out to look somewhat like a hawk, and somewhat like a dove, you don’t know whether she is very bold or very peaceful; at any rate she lets you know that she’s there. She uses her voice freely. But she’s a lazy creature, does not bother to make a nest of her own, but goes and puts her eggs in other birds’ nests—rather deceitful, because she often makes her eggs match those in the nest she is using—gives them all the trouble of bringing up her young ones. She leaves them and goes off South in July, before her offspring can fly with her. In fact, she is a fraud, she imitates others and blusters about a lot for a short time, but she does not do any real work.

Sometimes there have been imitation Girl Scouts, who dressed themselves up in our uniform, gave themselves similar badges, made themselves unpleasantly conspicuous, but never really grasped the Scout spirit nor did the Scout work, and so they won for themselves the name of cuckoo. So don’t belong to a cuckoo patrol.

If you are the Scout you ought to be, you will start to work to make your own patrol the best in the troop and to make yourself the best Scout in the patrol—for smartness, for efficiency, and for happiness.