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Re: Wood Carving @ Summer Camp
Charles Schmidt (schmidt@UNIX1.IS.TCU.EDU)
Mon, 27 Jun 1994 14:09:46 CDT
Ed,
As a scouter with an interest in woodcarving and a Scoutmaster who has
had boys injured almost every year in the course of working on the merit
badge, I appreciated your comments on the problems encountered. I might
add that this badge along with basketry and leatherworking are ones
which first year campers are apt to sign up for, compounding the
problem.
Having agreed with you, I would like to add my pet peeve to the list.
The difficulty of the patterns offered by the BSA is a smaller problem
than the quality of the wood used. The course-grained pine used to make
these items is really only suitable for whittling toothpicks. For a
small additional price, bass wood could be used giving the boys a
fighting chance to carve a decent object. In fact, I suspect the cost
of the wood is negligible. I know that this isn't the only case of poor
quality or design items being sold (I must take care or I will slip into
a diatribe on the new shorts and slacks), but it seems an easy one to
fix.
Wood carving is one of the most satisfying of the things a boy can do if
he is given the right kind of encouragment. Let's hope this discussion
helps.
Charles Schmidt
schmidt@unix1.is.tcu.edu
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
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