Sulekha Rani. R 's Blog for Guiding and Guide Activities

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

KNOTS

KNOTS

By Sulekha Rani.R , PGT Chemistry,KV NTPC Kayamkulam

1. WHIPPING

A piece of rope and a piece of string or chord 12 inches long. Use brightly colored string to decorate your jump rope or on a drawstring bag.

1. Make a loop with one end of the string and lay the loop along the rope with the ends of the string hanging off the end of the rope.

2. Hold string in place with your left thumb. With your right hand, wind the long end of the string tightly over the loop and around the rope. The short end will be left hanging.

3. Wind the string around the rope for at least an inch. Wind firmly and closely but do not overlap. When you have wound far enough, tuck the end you have been winding through the loop. Hold it with your left hand thumb so it does not loosen.

4. Take the other end and pull slowly. The loop will disappear under the winding. Pull until the loop is halfway under the winding. Trim the ends to make a neat finish.

2. REEF KNOT

Take a rope end in each hand.
Cross the right hand end over the left hand rope. Bend it back under, then forward and up. The ends will change hands.
Cross the end now in your left hand over, back, under and forward of the end now in your right hand. The short ends should lie flat beside the long pieces of rope.
Pull tight.

Unique a square knot by holding the ropes on both sides of the knot and pushing them toward the center. Or take one end and yank it hard toward the center of the knot. Then you can slip the rope ends apart.

Many Girls Scouts say this as they tie this knot:
Right over left and left over right Makes the knot neat and tidy and tight!

Uses

This is used for tying together two ends of a rope. It is also the knot, which should be used for tying triangular bandages. It is a good knot for fastening parcels or the ropes round the rolls of bedding. Dhobis use it for typing up the ends of the their bundles. It is a flat knot, does not slip and is easily untied.


REEF KNOT

3. SHEET BEND

Sailors call some of the ropes used on sails, "sheets". A "bend" is a way of making a loop.

Take the little rope or cord in your right hand and the big rope in your left hand. Tie a square knot but do not pull it tight. If you want to experiment, pull it tight and see what happens. Then tie another square knot.
Cross the short end of the cord over the long part of the cord and stick the end of it down into loop of the rope.
Pull long end of cord and long end of rope to tighten.

Uses

This is used for tying together 2 ropes of equal or unequal thickness and for tying a rope a loop or for joining ropes to material such as staff, sails or cloth. The loops should be made in the thick rope.

4. CLOVE HITCH

Take one end of rope in your right hand. With left hand hold rest of rope across front of post.
Pass end of rope around in back of post.
Bring it around to front of post. Cross it over long part, making an X. Hold X with left thumb and forefinger.
Pass rope to the right again, wrapping it around post below first turn.
Push rope end under X, going from left to right so that it comes out between the two turns around post.
Pull short end to the right, long end to the left. As long as there is a steady pull on long end the hitch will not loosen.

Practice tying the knot to the left, then tries tying it up and down on a crossbar.

Untie or loosen it by pushing both ends towards the center.

Uses
Use it to fasten one end of a rope around a post or tree; to put up a clothesline or badminton net; to start lashing. Do not use it to hold a moving object, such as an animal, because the moving will loosen the hitch.

5. SHEEP SHANK

This is useful to the rope when you do not want a cut it or cannot get at the ends, which are fixed. Therefore when you practice making it, do not use the ends of the rope but make half hitches at any convenient distance away from each ends as shown in the diagram. This is also useful to take the strain of any weak bit or rope. It may be used in the home to shorten an electric lamp cord that is hanging too low and is often used to shorten guy-lines on tents.

6. BOWLINE

Lay long end of rope in your left hand with your right hand make a little loop in the rope just where you ant the knot to be. The loop must go over the long part of rope. Hold loop in place with your left hand and let the end hang down in front.
With your right hand take short end push it up through the little loop. Now you have another loop. Pull the end until this big loop is the size you want to have when you are finished.
Pass this end around behind long part of rope and then down through little loop again.
Hold long part of rope with your left hand. Hold short end and right side of the big loop with your right. Pull with both hands to lighten.

Uses

This knot makes a loop that will not slip and is therefore, very useful for rescue work. It is made at one end of a lifeline and thrown out over the water to a drowning man or it may be fastened round any one who has to be lowered from a height from a burning house or into a well. It can be used as a lead for a collarless dog and is especially used for tying animals. When required for lowering anyone the loop should be used as a seat. It is passed over the head and shoulder and the standing part in front of the body is grasped with both hands (though more difficult).

7. FISHERMAN KNOT

This knot is used for tying two wet or slippery ropes. With running end of each rope tie a over hand knot over the other. Pull the standing parts in opposite directions together.

8. ROUND TURN 2 HALF HITCHES

This knot is also used to attach a rope to a pole or a tree, when there is tension at the other end. It is safe no matter what direction the pull comes. So it is suitable for typing up a boat or an animal. Make sure that the same direction, i.e. with the short end going over the standing part first. This knot does not easily jam, since the turn round the pole takes the strain while the hitches are being completed and it is the most useful knot for towing a broken-down car.

9. TIMBER HITCH

A knot to begin the diagonal lashing - using to move logs, to improvise anchor with a heavy stone for hoisting or dragging cylindrical objects, boards etc. for drawing a bundle of sticks, poles etc.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

LASHING

LASHING

Sulekha Rani.R, PGT Chemistry, KV NTPC Kayamkulam

1. Square lashing

Square lashing is a type of lashing knot used to bind poles together. Large structures can be built with a combination of square and diagonal lashing, with square lashing generally used on load bearing members and diagonal lashing usually applied to cross bracing. If any gap exists between the poles then diagonal lashing should be used.

Square lashing steps

1. Begin with a clove hitch on the vertical pole beneath the horizontal pole and tuck the loose end under the wrapping.

2. Wrap in a square fashion (behind the back pole, over the front pole, etc.) about three times around the poles.

3. Frap two or three times, pulling often to work the joint as tight as possible.

4. Tie two half hitches around the horizontal pole

5. Cinch the half hitches into a clove hitch, an additional clove hitch may be added if desired.

When the turns are taken around the vertical pole they should be inside the previous turns. The ones around the cross pole should be on the outside of the previous turns. This makes sure that the turns remain parallel and hence the maximum contact between the rope and wood is maintained.

Tie a clove hitch to upright stick. Be sure a knot is on side of stick and long end of chord is in front of you. Place other stick across upright stick.
Pass long end of chord down over cross stick and around in back of upright stick. Bring cord to front under cross stick. Then bring up and over cross stick and in back of upright. Bring down over cross stick as in beginning.
Wind exactly this way about three times. Pull cord tightly as you workout make it lie neatly beside earlier turns.
Now you are ready for "frapping". Wind the cord about three times between the two sticks to tighten. Pull as tight as you can.
To finish, make two half hitches around one stick. Or tie the two ends together with a square knot. Trim the ends and tuck them underneath the lashing.

Uses:
To make racks for towels or bathing suits, coat hangers, picture frames.

2. Diagonal lashing

Diagonal lashing is a type of lashing used to bind spars or poles together, to prevent racking. It is usually applied to cross-bracing where the poles do not initially touch, but may by used on any poles that cross each other at a 45° to 90° angle. Large, semipermanent structures may be built with a combination of square lashing, which is stronger, and diagonal lashing.

Baling twine has sufficient strength for some lashing applications but rope should be used for joining larger poles and where supporting people sized weights.

Diagonal lashing steps

1. Begin with a timber hitch around the juncture of the two poles.

2. Make three turns in each direction - tightening steadily throughout the turns.

3. Make two frapping turns, tightening the joint as much a possible.

4. To end, make two half hitches

5. Cinch the half hitches into a clove hitch

A lashing stick can be used to safely tighten the joint. Strength will be improved if the first turn is 90° to the timber hitch and if care is taken to lay the rope turns parallel with no crossings.

A diagonal lashing is used to secure two poles, which are likely to be pulled, or to spring, apart.

1. Commence with a timber hitch.
2. Make three turns following the directions of the timber hitch.
3. Now make three turns round the other fork.
4. Tighten the lashing with two or three frapping turns, and complete with a clove hitch on any of the poles.

3. Sheer lashing

Shear lashing uses two or three spars or poles, 15 - 20 feet (6.1 m) of rope.

Tying: To tie a shear lashing, begin with a clove hitch around one spar. Then wrap the free end of the rope around both spars about seven or eight times. Make about three fraps around the lashing, and end up with a clove hitch on the second spar.

Use: Tying spars or poles together when they must subsequently be swung apart slightly in a scissors motion (shear legs). Shear lashings may also be used in place of round lashings to join spars of unequal thickness in a straight line

A sheer lashing is used either to form 'legs' from two poles (Type 1) or to join two poles together make a longer pole (Type 2).

Type 1:

1. Start with a clove hitch round one of the (not both) and twist the free end round the rope.
2. Make about ten turns round both poles; do not make these too tight otherwise you will have difficulty with the frapping turns.
3. Make two frapping turns between the poles.
4. Finish off with a clove hitch round the other pole.

Type 2:

1. Place the two poles to be lashed together side by side. They should overlap by at least a quarter of their lengths; otherwise the extended length will not be firm.
2. Two lashings will be needed, both of which are made in the same way. Star with a timber hitch round both poles.
3. Wind exactly this way about three times. Pull cord tightly as you workout make it lie neatly beside earlier turns.
4. Now you are ready for "frapping". Wind the cord about three times between the two sticks to tighten. Pull as tight as you can.
5. To finish, make two half hitches around one stick. Or tie the two ends together with a square knot. Trim the ends and tuck them underneath the lashing.

Uses:

To make racks for towels or bathing suits, coat hangers, picture frames.

4. FIGURE OF EIGHT

So we come to the Figure of Eight Lashing, which is used to lash three poles together in order to form a tripod of "gyn". Lay the three spars together so that the end of the center spar points in the opposite direction to the ends of the outer spars. The lashing starts with a clove hitch around one of the outside spars at a reasonable distance from the end. Six or seven turns are then taken quite loosely round the spars, working under the over alternately, like a Figure of eight. The lashing is finished off with loose frapping turns and clove hitch on the other outside spar. If the lashing is too tight it will not be possible to bring the legs to form an equilateral triangle on the ground.

HOW TO WRITE A PROFICIENCY BADGE NOTEBOOK

HOW TO WRITE A PROFICIENCY BADGE NOTEBOOK?

Sulekha Rani.R , PGT Chemistry ,KV NTPC Kayamkulam

1. THE PB SHOULD BE COVERED(WHITE/BROWN)

2. THE EMBLEM OF THE PB SHOULD BE DRAWN/PASTED ON THE COVER

3. THERE SHOULD BE A BIO-DATA PAGE

4. FIRST COH GIVING YOU THE PERMISSION TO START WORKING ON THE PB

5. SYLLAUBS OF THE PB (AS PER APRO PART 3)

6. FOLLOW-UP (NOTES)

7. SECOND COH CERTIFYING THAT YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE WORK

8. PB CERTIFICATE SIGNED BY THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER IN THE PRESCRIBED FORMAT

( LET THE PICTURES GET PASTED ON THE LEFT SIDE PAGES OF THE PB NOTEBOOK)

About Flags

FLAGS.

Sulekha Rani.R , PGT Chemistry, KV NTPC Kayamkulam

The Bharat Scouts and Guides Flag

The Bharat Scouts and Guides Flag shall be in dark blue color, the emblem in yellow colour shall be in the center of the flag with Ashoka Chakra in blue color. The size of the flag shall be 180 cms. In length and 120 cms. in width, the emblem will be 45 cms by 39 cms. The size of the Group Flag, which is the same as above, shall be 180 cms X 120 cms. with proportionate emblem. The name of the group shall be written in a yellow color below the emblem in straight line. The Fleur-de-lis the International emblem of Scouting and Ashoka Chakra is meant to emphasize the all-India character of the Movement. The super imposed trefoil represents the guide wing of the B.S.&G.

The World Guide Flag

The World Guide Flag, which every guide must know how to draw and describe, is the symbol of the unity of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts of the world.

The design of Miss Kari as, Chief Guide of Norway, was chosen for our World Guide Flag

It is used at International Guide Camps, Conferences, and can be used at enrolment ceremonies.

The golden trefoil is world badge and symbolizes the three fold Promise of the Guide. The colors were chosen to represent the sun shining in a blue sky. The two starts in the leaves of the trefoil remind us of the leading stars of our Guide life. The Law and the Promise, and the vein or line is like the compass needle, which guides us on the right cause. The trefoil rest on a flame like base and is a copy of the "feu" or fire of heraldry. It represents the spirit of service and the flame of the love for mankind, which burns in our hearts and is a symbol of our international out book.

The World Scout Flag

The World Scout Flag consists of the World Scout Badge in white encircled by a white chord the ends of which are tied with a Reef-Knot, set on purple back ground; the size of the flag will be in the ratio of 3:2 Purple is the International color of Scouting the Knot is the symbol of the Scout Brotherhood.

NATIONAL FLAG

THE NATIONAL FLAG OF INDIA is in tricolour ( TIRANGA) of deep saffron (Kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportions.

The Indian flag is a horizontal tricolour in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is two is to three. In the centre of the white band, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law in the Sarnath Lion Capital. This center symbol or the ‘CHAKRA’, is a Buddhist symbol dating back to 200th century BC.

Its diameter approximates the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes, which intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation. The saffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation; the white, for purity and truth; the green for faith and fertility.

The design of the National Flag of India was adopted by India’s constituent assembly on 22nd july, 1947. It’s use and display are regulated

ABOUT FLAG

THE FLAG PARTS:

Flat Mast: The pole on which the flag is unfurled.
Halyard: The rope which hauls the flag up or down
Flat Mast: A short wooden piece attached to the top end of the stay rope at the hoist.
Hem or Seam: The portion of the flag nearest to the flag mast.
Fly: The portion of the flag away from the flag mast. It seems to fly.
Cleat: A short piece of wood or metal fixed to the flag mast at the shoulder height to which the halyard is tied.

FLAG DOWN:

Just before sunset or at the end of a program a fully uniformed member brings down the flag. He/she first unties the rope from the cleat and gives a long whistle, hearing which everyone stands alert towards the flag. He/she slowly brings the flag down and gives a short whistle indicating completion. No one salutes in this procedure.

PATROL FLAG:

You can't very well imagine a real Scout Patrol without a flag of its own-one that follows the gang wherever it goes.

If you have taken over an old Patrol, you are fairly certain to have a flag already. Take good care of it. Many of the traditions of the Patrol are tied in with the flag!

If you're a new Patrol, get busy and get yourself a flag. To start with, you may decide to buy one of the flags that are available through the National Supply Service-the printed or the embroidered one. But, eventually, you will want to make your own. Then it is completely up to your gang to design exactly the kind of flag you want.

To get your design, try an "art contest" in the Patrol. Divide the gang into buddies, and challenge each buddy team to produce a rough sketch. Place the sketches on exhibit for everyone to see and vote for the best.

Then set out to get it made n whatever material you like. It pays to use a material that is strong and tough, of a colour that will stand rain and sun without fading. Green is good. So is light khaki.

Making the Patrol flag should be a Patrol job, not a one-man affair. Get one boy to make the final design, another to secure the material and transfer the design to it, still another to do the painting. One boy cuts the staff in the woods, someone else carves it, and one more boy gets hold of streamers to hang from its top.

When you have the flag ready, remember that it does not become a real Patrol flag unless it follows the Patrol wherever it goes. The dates and place names on the staff are put their not only to show where the Patrol has been, but also so that the flag can say, "I was there, too, by golly!" Before you know it, the boys will instinctively feel that something is wrong hen their emblem isn't with them.

As the flag begins to stand for the traditions of the Patrol, there are a number of things you can do to it.

If a boy distinguished himself in someway, his initials may be painted on the flag. If a majority of the fellows earn a certain Merit Badge, that Badge can go on the flag. Ribbons of many different colours tell of important hikes and camps the Patrols have been on.

FLAG FOLD:

Two persons are needed to do this. One person will hold the flag at each end fold it in half lengthwise, as in the diagram. The toggle is on the top; bottom end of the rope on the same side of the flag. The opposite end of the flag is spoken of as the 'fly' end. Now fold lengthwise again as in the diagram. Remember that the person at the hoist end of the flag should hold on that. Fold the flag inwards on to itself and if the flag is a large one, it may be necessary to do this twice, and then roll it up as tightly as possible from the doubled end. Twist the rope once, round the rolled flag and push a loop of it under the turn as shown in the diagram. The flag is now ready for hoisting.

FLAG HOIST:

The flagstaff has rope attached to it, which slides on a pulley, or through a hole made on the top of the staff. This rope is called the halyard. The cleat on which the loose ends of the halyard are wound is usually a piece of wood or a clamp attached to the flagstaff, about four feet from the bottom.

Attach the end of the right hand halyard to the toggle, with a clove hitch, slipped completely over the toggle, and attach the left hand end of the halyard to the loop at the end of the rope fixed to the flag, with a Sheet Bend. Now pull carefully on the halyard above the Sheet Bend until toggle reaches the top of the pole. Hold both ends of the halyard firmly and wind the rope on which you have been pulling, round the cleat until all the slackened rope is wound up. Finish it off with a half hitch, taking care not to pull on the halyard, which is attached to the loop. The flag is now ready for breaking.