WEBELOS
Handyman
Heart of America
Council
Handyman is one of the easiest and flexible
activities in the Webelos program. There are fourteen requirements
from which the Den can choose a minimum of six and these can be
selected on the basis of aptitude and availability. Also, the
activity can be worked for the month allocated in the Webelos
calendar, or it can be done in fewer meetings, if the Den Meetings
are prepared and organized. Some of the requirements can be used for
Den Meeting fillers, if you exhaust a topic early or some of the
resources you need for another activity are unavailable.
Plan on
doing more than the minimum number of requirements. The added
exposure adds value, and if a Scout is shaky doing one activity,
he'll have an opportunity to do other activities more confidently
and feel better about earning Handyman.
Den Activities
Heart of
America Council
- At a hardware store, visit the repair shop, and
acquaint the Scouts with a few specific and varied sections in
the store, like electrical supplies and hand tools.
- Arrange a presentation at a well-equipped home
workshop.
- Build a sawhorse.
- Arrange for a local mechanic to visit your Den
or visit his garage, perhaps he can show your Den the safe way
to change a tire, light bulb and to check the oil and
transmission fluid.
- Put on a bicycle rodeo for your pack or
Den.
- Check with the local fire marshal or poison
control center to find out how to store household cleaners and
materials that will be safe from small children.
Projects &
Activities
Heart of America Council
Leaking
Faucet
- A leaking faucet is usually due to a defective
washer and is a problem that can easily and quickly be
resolved.
- Shut off the water! If there isn't a valve
under or near the sink, turn off the main supply valve.
- Unscrew cap nut of faucet.
- Using a flat wrench, unscrew nut on faucet and
pull out stem assembly. (Cloth or cardboard under wrench jaws
prevents scratching.)
- Remove screw on stem assembly, pry out old,
worn washer, wipe out grime and put in new washer.
- Replace screw and reassemble faucet. Turn water
back on.
- Check the garage or storage shed in your house
to ascertain the tools or implements are properly and safely
stored.
- Have a clinic on the care and repair of
bicycles. Set it up like a shop and have each boy bring his bike
and do repairs.
- Have Webelos bring tools to a Den Meeting and
demonstrate different ways to mark them.
- Hold a nail hammering contest. See who can
hammer a nail in the fewest number of strokes.
- Have a family car inspection.
Bicycle Maintenance
Purpose: To familiarize scouts with basic
bicycle maintenance and adjustments. To acquaint the scouts with the
pride and satisfaction associated with being able to personally take
care of one's property. To build the can-do spirit.
Tighten chain, adjust saddle and handle bars
Lubricate chain crank
Check tire pressure
Inflate tire (empty first)
How
to determine proper tire pressure
Every Saturday:
- Give it the air!
- Pump tires to the recommended pressure:
Balloon 22 to 35 lbs.; lightweight 50 lbs.; single
tube 40 lbs.
Every Memorial Day and Labor Day
- Is your chain a daisy?
- It won't be unless you dunk it in oil, let it
drain overnight, blot and apply graphite. Skip the dunk, if
you're lazy, and squirt oil on the chain without taking it off
the sprockets. If it crackles and squeaks, oil it more often
than twice a year. A good chain should be seen, not heard. Clean
and re-grease the crank bearings.
Don't be a poor pedaler! Squirt oil into the inner
ends of the pedals. Spin them now and then. If they don't spin
quietly, oil them more often or repack with grease.