Staff/Stave Making
Staff Uses ] Making Staves ] Traditional Staves ] Stave Totems ] Making Medallions ] Manual of the Staff ] The Scout's Staff ]

 

 

 

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Staff Uses
Making Staves
Traditional Staves
Stave Totems
Making Medallions
Manual of the Staff
The Scout's Staff

Activities
Archery
Axe, Boy Scout
Axe, Saw, Forestry
Axe, Saw,  Knife
Axe Use: Beard
Axe Use: Seton
Axe Use: Traditional
Axe Throwing
Beds, Woodcraft
Bedding Materials
Bicycle Maintenance
Birch-Bark Torch
Birds
Bird Houses
Blocks Tackles Purchase
Blood Red Cross
Broom: Camp or Witch's
Buttons
Campcraft
Camp Hygiene
Camp Planning
Campfire Programs
Catapult
Chainsaws
Checklists
Chuck Box Riddance!
City-Craft
Compass Bear Song
Compass, Home-Made
Cooking
Cotton Kills Bear Song
Deduction in Tracking
Deduction & Detective
Drum
Dyes
Edible Plants
Equipment, Leader
Equipment, Personal
Equipment Maintenance
Equipment, Lightweight
Equip, Pickle Bucket Camp
Estimation
Field Signals
Fire-Building
Fire Building
Fire Laying
Fire Lighting
Fire Starters
Fire: Rubbing-Stick
Fire Types, Wood Types
Fire Council Ring
Fires: Woodcraft
First Aid
First Class Journey
Flint & Steel
Flowers
Forest
Gesture Signals
Ground to Air Signals
Handicraft Stunts
High Adventure
Hiking
Hike Planning
Indian Sundial Clock
Insect Collecting
Insect Preserve
Indian Well
Knife & Hatchet
Knots, Bends, Hitches
Knots: Diamond Hitch
Knots: Lashings
Knots: Rope Work
Knots: Seton
Knots: Traditional
Knots & Whipping
Lashings
Lashing Practice Box
Lace or Thong
Learn by Doing
Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace
Lights
Local Knowledge
Log Ladders, Notched
Log-Rolling
Logs: Cut Notch
Logs Split with Axe
Loom and Grass Mats
Lost in the Woods
Manners
Maps
Map & Compass
Maps: Without Compass
Measurement
Measurement Estimation
Menu Worksheet
Menu (Adult IOLS)
Mosquitoes
Mushrooms
Night Tracking
Observation
Old Trails
Paints
Pioneering, Basic
Pioneering Models
Plaster Casts
Preparations
Proverbs
Rake
Rope Care
Rope Making
Rope Spinning
Scout Reports
Signal & Sign
Sign Language
Silent Scout Signals
Smoke Prints
Snakes
Spanish Windlass
Spoons
Staff/Stave Making
Stalking Skills
Stalking & Observation
Stars
Stools
Story Telling
Stoves & Lanterns
Summoning Help
Sun Dial: Scientific
Survival Kit
Tarp Poles
Teepee (4 Pole)
Tent Care
Tent Pitching
Tom-Tom
Tomahawk Throwing
Tomahawk Targets
Totem Making
Totem Animals
Totem Poles
Training in Tracking
Tracks, Ground, Weather
Tracking & Trailing
Trail Following
Trail Signs & Blazes
Trail Signs of Direction
Trail Signs: Traditional
Trail Signs for Help
Trees of the NE
Wall Hangings
Watch Compass
Weather Wisdom
Wild Things

Scout Books

Site Contents

The staff or "stave" is an important part of a Pathfinder's equipment, especially when hiking or camping. It is six feet (or 1.74 meters) in length. Sometimes it carries at its top or on one side a carved head or figure of the Patrol animal or bird of its owner.  If someone in your Scouting group is interested in metalwork, you can also make hiking staff medallions to commemorate shared events or individual achievements. Such staves become prized souvenirs of your Scouting days.

Preferably, an Pathfinder hikes out into the woods to select and secure their staff, having first obtained the necessary permission; it should be a stout straight wood, about 1 1/2" (or 3.5 or 4 cm's) in diameter.

Suitable woods are hickory, ash, oak, iron wood (or "muscle wood"), and good grades of elm, sugar maple, wild cherry, yellow birch, mountain ash, and Saskatoon.

The staff was adopted by the Founder, Lord Baden-Powell, because of its usefulness during one of his early military campaigns in the jungle country of West Africa.  He used it for testing the depths of swamp holes and dark streams; for guarding his face when pushing through heavy bush; for feeling his way in the dark; and for carrying bundles over his shoulder when wading a stream.

Pathfinders have found many other uses for the staff.  It can be especially useful when used with other staffs as poles for making an emergency shelter; for signaling; for improvising a flagpole; for building a light bridge; as handles for an improvised stretcher; for the forming a barrier to control crowds, and for jumping ditches.

The staff should be carried slung over and behind the right shoulder. The thong is passed through two small holes about 10" (or 26 cm's) apart in the upper third of the staff, so placed that the staff clears the ground by several centimeters. The thong is secured by small stop-knots.

Making Your Hiking Stave

1. Select and cut straight, 6 foot sapling, approximately 1 1/2" diameter at thick end (Ash, Maple, and Birch, are good)

2.  Store in cool dry spot for 3-4 weeks.

3.  Trim to 5' 6" length.

4.  Remove bark.  The second 12" may be left on with bark for a better grip.

5.  Trim knots and smooth.

6.  Mark at 12" intervals beginning at top (the thick end).

7.  Mark top 6" at 1" intervals (thin end)

8.  Decorate top with Troop, Patrol, or personal symbols.

9.  Treat with oil stain or preservative.

10.  Cover bottom end with metal or rubber chair glide or crutch tip.

11.  Take stave to camp, hikes, and weekly meetings.

 

See Also:

More on Making Scout Staves

Practical Uses for Scout Staves

Traditional Scout Staves

Carving Scout Staff Totems

Making Metal Stave Medallions

Scout Stave Positions & Drill

 

 

 The Traditional Handbook

 

 

   

 

 


Additional Information:

Staff Uses ] Making Staves ] Traditional Staves ] Stave Totems ] Making Medallions ] Manual of the Staff ] The Scout's Staff ]

Peer- Level Topic Links:
Activities ] Archery ] Axe, Boy Scout ] Axe, Saw, Forestry ] Axe, Saw,  Knife ] Axe Use: Beard ] Axe Use: Seton ] Axe Use: Traditional ] Axe Throwing ] Beds, Woodcraft ] Bedding Materials ] Bicycle Maintenance ] Birch-Bark Torch ] Birds ] Bird Houses ] Blocks Tackles Purchase ] Blood Red Cross ] Broom: Camp or Witch's ] Buttons ] Campcraft ] Camp Hygiene ] Camp Planning ] Campfire Programs ] Catapult ] Chainsaws ] Checklists ] Chuck Box Riddance! ] City-Craft ] Compass Bear Song ] Compass, Home-Made ] Cooking ] Cotton Kills Bear Song ] Deduction in Tracking ] Deduction & Detective ] Drum ] Dyes ] Edible Plants ] Equipment, Leader ] Equipment, Personal ] Equipment Maintenance ] Equipment, Lightweight ] Equip, Pickle Bucket Camp ] Estimation ] Field Signals ] Fire-Building ] Fire Building ] Fire Laying ] Fire Lighting ] Fire Starters ] Fire: Rubbing-Stick ] Fire Types, Wood Types ] Fire Council Ring ] Fires: Woodcraft ] First Aid ] First Class Journey ] Flint & Steel ] Flowers ] Forest ] Gesture Signals ] Ground to Air Signals ] Handicraft Stunts ] High Adventure ] Hiking ] Hike Planning ] Indian Sundial Clock ] Insect Collecting ] Insect Preserve ] Indian Well ] Knife & Hatchet ] Knots, Bends, Hitches ] Knots: Diamond Hitch ] Knots: Lashings ] Knots: Rope Work ] Knots: Seton ] Knots: Traditional ] Knots & Whipping ] Lashings ] Lashing Practice Box ] Lace or Thong ] Learn by Doing ] Leave No Trace ] Leave No Trace ] Lights ] Local Knowledge ] Log Ladders, Notched ] Log-Rolling ] Logs: Cut Notch ] Logs Split with Axe ] Loom and Grass Mats ] Lost in the Woods ] Manners ] Maps ] Map & Compass ] Maps: Without Compass ] Measurement ] Measurement Estimation ] Menu Worksheet ] Menu (Adult IOLS) ] Mosquitoes ] Mushrooms ] Night Tracking ] Observation ] Old Trails ] Paints ] Pioneering, Basic ] Pioneering Models ] Plaster Casts ] Preparations ] Proverbs ] Rake ] Rope Care ] Rope Making ] Rope Spinning ] Scout Reports ] Signal & Sign ] Sign Language ] Silent Scout Signals ] Smoke Prints ] Snakes ] Spanish Windlass ] Spoons ] [ Staff/Stave Making ] Stalking Skills ] Stalking & Observation ] Stars ] Stools ] Story Telling ] Stoves & Lanterns ] Summoning Help ] Sun Dial: Scientific ] Survival Kit ] Tarp Poles ] Teepee (4 Pole) ] Tent Care ] Tent Pitching ] Tom-Tom ] Tomahawk Throwing ] Tomahawk Targets ] Totem Making ] Totem Animals ] Totem Poles ] Training in Tracking ] Tracks, Ground, Weather ] Tracking & Trailing ] Trail Following ] Trail Signs & Blazes ] Trail Signs of Direction ] Trail Signs: Traditional ] Trail Signs for Help ] Trees of the NE ] Wall Hangings ] Watch Compass ] Weather Wisdom ] Wild Things ]

Parent- Level Topic Links:
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Last modified: October 15, 2016.