Posted on 09/07/2009 6:29:09 AM PDT by Daffynition
New advice published in Scouting, the official in-house magazine, says neither Scouts nor their parents should bring penknives to camp except in "specific" situations.
Scouts have traditionally been taught how to use knives correctly, using them on camping trips to cut firewood or carve tools.
At one point Scouts were allowed to carry a sheath knife on their belt as part of their uniform although this is no longer the case. In recent years the Scout Association guidance has been that parents should carry knives to camps or meetings.
Dave Budd, a knife-maker who runs courses training Scouts about the safe use of blades, wrote that the growing problem of knife crime meant action had to be taken.
"Sadly, there is now confusion about when a Scout is allowed to carry a knife," he wrote. "The series of high-profile fatal stabbings [has] highlighted a growing knife culture in the UK.
"I think it is safest to assume that knives of any sort should not be carried by anybody to a Scout meeting or camp, unless there is likely to be a specific need for one. In that case, they should be kept by the Scout leaders and handed out as required."
Troops leaders however have said the decision is "very sad". Sheila Burgin, from 4th Sevenoaks Scout Group in Kent, said: "Scouts by law are allowed to have Swiss army knives. I think this is going too far – you just don’t know when a Scout will need a knife.
"It is also suggested that the leader keeps control of the knives when they go camping, but I think that is completely wrong. The first Scout Law is 'The Scout is to be trusted'. Scouts love having knives and using them properly. There is nothing wrong with it."
Miss Burgin, who offers lessons in carving using penknives, added: "If you teach children to use a knife properly they won’t abuse it. If someone wants to cause harm they will do it anyway. It is a real shame it has come to this."
A Scouts spokesman said: "We believe that young people need more places to go after school and at weekends, where they can experience adventure without the threat of violence or bullying and the need to carry weapons.
"Scouting helps to prepare young people with valuable life skills, while keeping them safe by not carrying knives."
Meanwhile a school has banned giving out goldfish as prizes at its fetes after it was criticised by animal welfare societies.
John Porteous, the headteacher of Turton School, in Bromley Cross, near Bolton, Greater Manchester, has pledged that they will not hand out goldfish as prizes after coming under fire from the Captive Animals' Protection Society (CAPS) and RSPCA.
(grin!) it isn't quite as bad as all that, yet -- tho' it is rapidly getting that way.
Here is a link from the same Scouting website that summarizes the relevant UK law nicely.
Lawful Purpose would probably keep the Scouts out of trouble. What is Lawful Purpose? Well, cutting string and peeling oranges are "Lawful Purposes" for carrying a small pocket knife. As a Prepared Boy Scout should always have a piece of string with him, he should always have a Lawful Purpose for his pocket-knife.
My read of the Scouts' guidance is that their organization is acting from an abundance of caution, as the UK is experiencing a significant number of knife crimes. Once the gummint banned guns, the Crims armed themselves with bladed objects, to nobody's surprise...
The new standard Scout Swiss Army Spoon.
“Scouting helps to prepare young people with valuable life skills, while keeping them safe by not carrying knives.”
This line had me laughing.
Freegards
> This once formidable, resilient nation that alone stood up to Hitler and established the rule of law around the world has become a nation of wimps.
Not all of us, mate. Not all of us.
Leave it to UK scouting to turn bright boys into nice young women.
SnakeDoc
> The British bulldog is now a poodle.
A full-size poodle is smarter than a German Shepherd (*that* is saying something!) and tougher than most other dogs. They are hunting dogs not to be meddled with.
I always thought the BS were the BEST. Dad had a troop all the way through Explorers and I’d sneak into all the meetings held at the house. GS didn’t really, at that time encourage pocket knives, not that they were discouraged either, which is what endeared the BS to me.
Hatchets, axes, knives and learning to sharpen them properly. Cool stuff. And don’t get me started on ax throwing! ;-D
All the boys went on to become Eagle Scouts and one of them went on to become an executive in the BSA headquarters. Good times.
Being a Scout prepared me for becoming a Guardian Angel later in life. It was a life-shaping experience that I wish every boy could have. It really bugs me that Boy Scouts is under assault by the PC brigade in this fashion.
........then the laughter turns to seething anger!
So they are no longer Scouts, but little sissy boys?
I actually think it would be better to teach boys the responsible use of a knife rather than simply ban them.
#1 “life skill”: learning to be safe by not carrying a knife.
oofa.
Freegards
This is right were we are with firearms. Lord help us.
HAHAHA! You’re so ghey! ;D
My first Class son and my Webelo son each got a very large official Boy Scout locking blade pocketknife for Christmas, to add to their ever growing collection. They also received a shotgun.
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