Scouts shouldn’t carry knives?
I’ve heard something about scouts no longer being able to carry knives on camps. And I couldn’t help blogging about how stupid the whole situation is.
When I was in scouts, we used to sit together in little groups and whittle sticks with our penknives. It was part of the camping experience. But the people in charged of health and safety have decided that scouts should no longer have that experience. They seem to think that it is not a good idea for young people to be able to learn how to use dangerous tools safely and responsibly – isn’t this an important lesson that scouting has traditionally taught?
I see no problem with scouts carrying knives on camps. As long as the leaders show the scouts how to use them properly and make sure they can, then it’s safe. You might get a few cut fingers, but nothing serious. Besides, it’s all part of learning what happens when your not careful.
I think people should concentrate more on the people using the knives for crime, instead of the knives themselves. Stopping scouts from using knives on camps isn’t going to help the knife-crime situation. It will, however, put a stop to an old scouting tradition.
