Helping Cub Scouts

[bestgear]

Thanks for reading my wanted advertisement. In the spring of 2017 I am running an event for a planned 500 Cub Scouts in the greater Baltimore area to help them earn what is known as their "Whittling Chip". Right now we think this will be the largest gathering of it's type ever held and hope to get some exposure in publications like Boy's Life and Scouting magazines.

Bear Scouts and Webelos Scouts may earn the privilege of carrying a pocketknife to Cub Scout functions. The objective of this award is to make Cub Scouts aware that a knife is an important tool and that they can do many things with its blades. They will be taught that the cutting blade is the one they will use most of the time and with it they can make shavings and chips and carve all kinds of things. Cub Scouts will also be taught to be very careful when whittling or carving, how to take good care of their knife, remember that a knife is a tool and not a toy and to use it with care so that they don't hurt themselves or ruin what they are carving.' The Cub Scout will then have to sign and carry a Whittling Chip card whenever he has his pocketknife.

The "want" of my advertisement is the need for as many 2, 3 or 4 blade pocketknives as possible. The knives don't need to be new but they have to have at least 90% of the main blade, no blade wobble and no missing handles. The Scouts will use the knife during the exercises and in the end it becomes their first knife when they earn their Whittling Chip. If you have a knife or 2 or 10 that you'd like donate, they can be sent to:

Tom Cosgrove
Post Office Box 12
Davidsonville, MD 21035-0012

When the event is held I will take lots of pictures and post them here so you can see the smile that you donation helped make. Thanks in advance for your kind consideration.

Tom

[glennbad]

Are you specifically looking for cub scout knives (BSA) or just any type of decent quality knife?

I should have a handful of this and that to offer if it is just any type of knife.

Please advise, thanks.

[bestgear]

Great question Glen, I should have been more specific. Official Cub Scout knives would be wonderful but any knife between 3" and 3 3/4" would work for the training. Spear point main blades are best but I could also work with clip and warncliffe blades. Hope that adds some clarity to the want ad. Tom

[TripleF]

So the attendees don't have knives already and aren't going to be purchasing them in advance of this event?

[bestgear]

Some may have them Scott but they are instructed not to purchase or own them until they have earned their Whittling Chip since they can't use them at a Scouting event without the Whittling Chip card.

In trying to be realistic, I don't think I'll get anywhere near the number of knives needed for everyone to have their own but hopefully between what I can accumulate and the Cub Scouts parents purchase I can come close.

On another note, if a leader observes a Scout using a knife in a manner different than how they were trained, a corner of the card is clipped off. When (and if) the forth corner is clipped off, the Scout must be retrained and re-earn the card. In my 50+ years in Scouting I have never seen nor heard of that happening.

Tom

[glennbad]

I did something similar when I was a scout leader, but on a much smaller scale. When my cub den was working on their whittling chip, I had old school cub scout knives for them to use. Once they earned their cards, they were able to keep the knives.

I appreciate and admire your dedication to scouting. I will do what I can to help you reach you goal.

Glenn

[1967redrider]

Wish I had a pile of Imperial Kamp Kings lying around to send off, but I don't. I think they would be perfect for the Scouts; cheap but well made in the USA.

[bestgear]

That's exactly what I'm looking for redrider, something with solid bones that will pass the test of time and might even become a treasured possession.

[Grump01]

Interesting. I have a niece in Severna Park that is helping (Den Mother or Assistant) of her son's troop. I'll have to get the info on it to see if it's going to be involved and what level my Great-Nephew is at or will be when this event occurs.

[bestgear]

Very cool Grump, tell her to keep an eye out in the Area Scouter for upcoming announcements, we are trying to Guinness World Records involved because we think this will be the largest event of it's kind ever held! Tom

[bestgear]

Thank you one and all who have posted here and sent me PM's, your deeds will not go unrecognized. Tom

[orvet]

Tom,
I think I have a couple scout knives around here that might be of use to you.

[bestgear]

Thanks Dale - your use of the words "a couple" made me chuckle

[bestgear]

Thanks to everyone that has responded to this request, you knives are beginning to arrive. I will go through the packages in the next few days and send PM's to those of you that left you AAPK name. To those that contributed anonymously, thank you VERY MUCH! Merry Christmas Cub Scouts!

[bestgear]

This week 2 boxes arrived, one from Dale (Orvet) and one from Joe (FRJ). I am blown-away by your generosity gentlemen, I now have close to 100 knives for my project! If you need more information about my project don't be shy about PM'ing or emailing me; I'm happy to talk about all things Scouting. Merry Christmas and thank you to all in the AAPK community that have contributed pocket knives for this project!