by Ernest Thompson Seton
Many Woodcraft groups that meet in a room, for lack of Council Ring, are put to it for something that will give the picturesque touch, the real Woodcraft flavor, to the circle.
One of the simplest, most satisfactory ways is for each to make his own seat in the council. Assuming that you are in town, and have little to help in the way of tools or materials, the quickest way is for each to get a strong grocery box about 8 or 10 inches high (not over 12 for the inner circle). Draw out all unnecessary nails, smooth it, remove all printing or papers, round the corners. Save the lid, as it will furnish the back pieces. Round off all sharp corners, and vary all straight lines, using a knife, but no sand paper. Finally paint it with any good Woodcraft device in symbols, never in realistic pictures; and never try to hide the structure.
If the wood is cleared off, it will do for the ground color; then the pattern may be put in with black, blue, red, or brown, using one or two, or perhaps three colors. The owner's tribe totem should appear somewhere.
Cuts A and B show one of the stools that I made in l 1/2 hours, then took 1 1/2hours to paint it (C and D) ; total, three hours.
Woodcraft is "What you have, where you are, right now." Therefore, if nothing but grocery boxes are at hand, use them; but out in camp one can get the branches of chestnut or pine, and for these a different pattern is recommended. The simplest is the old log stool. Get a chestnut, pine, or other soft wood log, about 12 inches thick and 16 inches long (E). Split it in or near the middle, with an ax. Now get two smaller logs, each about 6 inches thick and 15 inches long (F and G). Notch the big log so that it sits solid on them and can be nailed there.
Two limbs each 3 inches thick and 20 inches long (H, H) nailed on to both under-log and seat, form uprights to which the back may be nailed (I).
This forms a very strong seat ( J ) and may be decorated as in previous sketches.
