On December 5th 1998, the South Florida Council held it's annual Scout Show at the stadium formerly known as Joe Robbie. While that event is usually a hodge-podge of Scouting skills, crafts, displays and games, that year a group of inspired volunteer leaders from Hurricane District decided to shake up the somewhat tired formula by combining the efforts of all of the district's troops in a single-site display of pioneering projects. The result was (we believe) the most effective and entertaining area in the entire Scout Show. The seemingly dying art of lashing several pieces of wood together to create a useful object or fun project was reborn in Hurricane District Scouts by the concerted efforts of a small band of stalwart adult leaders. Our sincere thanks and also credit for the success of the effort goes to Rene Castillo of Troop 215; Luis Moran of Troop 830 (who also is responsible for most of the drawings found on this page... Thanks Luis!); District Activities Chairman Jim Bowers of Troop 10; and SM Bob Wilkes of Troop 10. If you're looking for something that will put a spark back in your program and your boys, you need look no further than Scouting's history. Pioneering projects such as are illustrated here have been a part of Boy Scouting since the first campout at Brownsea. Pioneering teaches Scouts the importance of teamwork and planning along with certain skills that engender a sense of self-sufficiency. All of that, and it's just plain fun! Enjoy your projects! And if you find your guys doing something not illustrated below, PLEASE send me a drawing. Thanks.   Here's a link to a PDF version of the Pioneering Projects. PDF Pioneering Projects Document		BIG NEWS about this page! (Click on it, dummy. It's blue, it's underlined, it's in caps, it says BIG...) LINKS * Where we get our wood. * Pictures of some of the projects listed below as done by Hurricane District Scouts at the SFC ScoutShow, 1998. * Pictures of the South Florida Council Youth Expo, 2000. * Pictures of the 1st "Hurricane District Australian Pine Assassination Day". * The fellows in Barking & Dagenham Scout District (Northeast London) show us basic shelter techniques. (They also have some Pioneering links.) * A tremendous collection of web links on knots by Peter Suber * "Fun with Ropes & Spars" is a 165 page book available on CD Rom and written by Michael Holmes. CD is a really convenient format and a book with that many pages has GOT to contain lots of tips. Email him with this link for information.

GATEWAYS	CAMP GADGETS
Simple Gateway Basic "free-standing" Gateway Covered Gateway Lifting Gateway (Lifting gateway detail) Gateway with Doorbell Troop 870 Gateway Troop 16 Gateway (T16 gateway roof detail) Swinging Gate Covered Gateway w/ swinging gate Two Door Gateway Turnstile Gate From Wayne McMichael in Montana Wierd Looking Gateway Easy "free-standing" Gateway "In-ground" Gateway w/ swinging gate Simple "In-Ground" Gateway Seriously Large Covered Gateway Pack 451's Gateway From Robert Turner in Arizona (this one comes with instructions!!!)	Bulletin Board Stands Lantern Tripod Tool Rack Bear Bag Various Utensils More Utensils Fire Pail Stands Trash Bag Tripods Clothesline Camp Shower (my personal favorite) Camp Podium From Scott Heidemann in Illinois Simple Washstand Also from Scott Heidemann Kitchen Work Table 3 Compartment Sink 3 Compartment Sink w/ Washboard Camp Table Camp Table with Seats Chippewa Cooking Fire Stand Camp Table with Bench & Seat
TOWERS	BRIDGES
Signal Tower Hourglass Signal Tower Ten Minute Tower Brynbach Tower "Pfox Tower" From Larry Montgomery in Texas Stilt Tower Triangular Signal Tower	Monkey Bridge Friction Bridge From Michael Kauffmann in Georgia Another friction bridge This one from Troop 4 in Grass Valley, California Single Lock Bridge Single Trestle Bridge (bridges lashing detail) (bridge walkway framing detail) Drawbridge From "Scouting" magazine (March, '99) Suspension Bridge Troop 18's Drawbridge From Larry Montgomery in Texas
GAMES	ODD STUFF
Kim's Gym Two-man Catapult Troop 10 Catapult Ballista Cambridge Merry-Go-Round Climbing Wall Climbing Wall Components Pulley Team Game Swinging Derrick/Crane Ducking Stool	Latrine Anchor Techniques Scout Cage ? Scaffold Hitch Ladder Hitch

SLIDE SHOW

I've received email messages about this page from Scouts all over the world. People have written from (so far) Italy, Scotland, Pakistan, Singapore, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Texas, Russia, England, Canada, Indonesia, South Africa, Spain, Israel, Morocco, Brazil, Kuwait, Mexico, Germany, New Zealand, Thailand, Greece, and Peru - in addition to Florida and the rest of the United States. (Apparently, we're listed on a couple of search engines :-) Many of these Scouts have generously shared pictures of their own Pioneering efforts. Some of what I've received are put together in a slide show here along with some images of what our boys in South Florida have done. Apologies for the quality of many of these images... especially the tower from South Africa. I've transferred and saved them as jpeg files way too much and that degrades the quality of the reproduction. VIEW SLIDE SHOW.