Scouting, Volume 58, Number 1, January-February 1970 Page: C33
B1-B14, 54, C1-C64, [6] p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Pioneer Utensils—Spoon and trencher
(platter) used by pioneers. Often boys
carved them. Cub Scouts who are skill-
ful whittlers may try it.
Candle-Dipping — Cub
Scouts will need help for
this pioneer skill. Under the
Den Mother's supervision,
melt the paraffin in a double
boiler, which can be impro-
vised using a large coffee
can or pot, as shown. Pio-
neers made wicks of rolled
cotton, the silky down from
milkweed, or tow string. You
can use heavy cotton twine.
Allow extra length for tying
the wick to a rod for dipping.
Tie a nail (for weight) on the
bottom of the candle. Simply
dip the string into melted
paraffin, dipping and cooling
until the candle builds up to
the desired thickness.
Play Pioneer Boys' Games
Pioneer boys played a number of games quite simi-
lar to those your boys play today. Two hundred years
ago, boys were playing marbles, pitching horseshoes,
spinning tops, running foot races, and wrestling.
They also played tag games; leapfrog; hopscotch;
blindman's buff; and hop, skip, and jump.
Marksmanship was essential on the frontier, both
for food and defense, but boys of Cub Scout age did
not have rifles. Instead they learned to shoot with the
bow and arrow and, by the time they were 10 years
old, could hunt small game with the bow.
These games and sports should suggest activities for
your dens this month. If your pack meeting room is
large enough, or, if you are meeting outdoors this
month, you might schedule an archery tournament
among den champions. Use rubber-tipped arrows.
Tournaments in shooting, foot racing, horseracing, and
wrestling were highlights of any large gathering of
frontiersmen. If archery is not practical for your meet-
ing place, schedule a tournament among den repre-
sentatives for such dual contests as hand wrestling
and Indian wrestling. See Achievement 8, Cub Scout
Fitness, in the Bear Cub Scout Book.
Costumes and Props
The clothing and household goods of the pioneers
naturally varied by periods and by climate. For most
of the pioneers and mountain men who pushed west-
ward during the late 18th and 19th centuries, appro-
priate dress was a loose hunting shirt without buttons
made of linsey-woolsey, a warm and tough material.
It had wide sleeves. Over it was worn a shoulder cape,
often fringed with bright cloth. The pants were of
buckskin, sometimes fringed along the outer seams.
Most frontiersmen wore moccasins. Their winter
headgear was a fur cap—often, but not always, a coon-
skin cap with tail.
Burlap will serve well to simulate the hunting
jacket and cape. Any dark pants will do, and a fur cap
Bowls—In the colo-
nial period, bowls was
a very popular game.
It is similar to an out-
door game now called
spot-ball bowling. The
object is to roll a ball
as close as possible
to another ball, called
the spot-ball.
(perhaps borrowed from mom) will complete a young
pioneer's costume.
For a suggested Pilgrim costume, see the drawing.
Thanksgiving Goodwill
Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks. Cub Scout
leaders may be able to restore some of the original
meaning by emphasizing Thanksgiving as a time of
joy and, also, a time of thanking God for His Blessings.
This may be done at den meetings by stressing the
"Cub Scout gives goodwill" idea during the Den
Mother's closing thoughts at the meeting.
It may also be done by den or pack projects this
month that will aid less-fortunate people—perhaps a
used clothing collection for the Salvation Army or
Goodwill Industries, or gathering canned goods and
other nonperishable foods for distribution by charita-
ble agencies.
Johnnycake
Corn was the staple food for most American pio-
neers. In many homes it was served three times a day
in various forms. At breakfast, it might be johnny-
cake, which was made with a batter of cornmeal, but-
termilk, soda, salt, and shortening. Here is a recipe for
johnnycake.
1 V2 cups cornmeal 1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt 2 eggs, beaten
1 tbs. flour 11/2 cups milk
2 tbs. vegetable oil
Mix all together with a few swift strokes. Drop the
batter by spoonfuls on hot oiled griddle. Fry until
golden brown on each side.
Pioneer Music
Check your local library for books of folksongs with
roots deep in American history. "Skip to My Lou" is
one such song (it was popular in the early 19th cen-
tury) which has been revived in recent years.
C-33
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 58, Number 1, January-February 1970, periodical, January 1970; New Brunswick, New Jersey. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth331804/m1/75/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.