Building Gadgets and Gateways

Hello Troop 184 Families!

One of the scouting activities that the troop does regularly is to construct campsite gateways and gadgets using wooden poles and rope. The gateway is usually an annual project that we do at summer camp for troop pride and for rank advancement requirements. We have also done smaller projects on campouts and for demonstrations at troop meetings and community events.

We have poles that are both five and six feet long, and we use multiple ropes to lash them together to complete a structure, whether it be a gateway, an easel, a tripod or even a table or bench. The technical term for our poles is "staves", which are smooth poles of various length. Think of a closet rod. Another type of pole is a "spar", which is thicker and more natural. It's basically a de-barked length of wood, about 2-3" in diameter.

Take a look at this article to learn more about staves and spars, and scout pioneering.

https://scoutpioneering.com/tag/pioneering-spars/

Yours in Scouting, Ken Neben