Way back, I submitted the following article on this topic for publication
in KM; that hasn't happened, obviously.
I'd post it here, but for the (&^%^#$) mystical msg. limit that keeps
posts to soundbite size; grrrrr! So, let's see what bits can be given
separately, w/o great loss of thought.
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Setting About Knotting
This article addresses the issue of a "basic knots set", which has
been raised by several prior articles to some degree. To my mind, it
is an ideal task for the IGKT to draw upon the collective expertise
of its membership and by consensus build some knot sets to be promoted
to the appropriate users. This issue was most recently raised by
Howard Denyer's & Colin's requests for comments (KMs 68:45, 69:04) on
the "Surrey Six" (km65:06ff), which I hope garner many contributions.
A similar issue was raised earlier by Peter Goldstone's challenge of
the six "Tenderfoot" knots at the 1996 Gilwell Park AGM (km53:32).
Two replies to Peter were published, and both he and Tony Doran offered
to receive further comments and to publish results (km57:62); but
nothing more was published. This current focus on the scouts-knots
issue is good (overdue!). It's especially good to address the knots
taught to scouts, as thus the IGKT can build its reputation with large
organizations who reach the youth--our future--; this should become an
*official* IGKT task, with healthy deliberation and peer review.
I suggest that we also extend our deliberations to cover other
various users' needs, beyond consideration of "6 scouts knots";
i.e., let's focus on the scouts issue and come to consensus, but
continue the deliberations to try to build some other basic sets
--e.g., for sailing, climbing, and Search & Rescue (SAR). To the
objection that each field has its own experts and can better determine
its own needs, I simply point to extant sets and ask Can they be
improved? I believe that they can. And, re the scouts, we might
want to also suggest something beyond a required or "basic" set,
for those with an interest to pursue knotting beyond the minumal set
(there is presently such a request by an American scout master--cf
www.folsoms.net/knots).
Finally, of my introductory thoughts, I suggest that we try to
define not merely a set of *knots* but rather a set of "solutions to
rope problems" (to borrow Peiter van de Griend terms). Let us give
particular applications to the knots presented, which will help
novices understand the knot; let us describe some rigging paradigms.
And also, let's increase the comprehension of knots with an explanation
of their constituent parts--such as the effect of a round turn (on an
object or within a knot, e.g. double sheet bend)--and how to UNtie them.
Like teaching fishing instead of merely providing fish, let's teach
knotting in explaining the knots in our knot sets; let's seize a good
opportunity for the IGKT to gain recognition as "an authority on knots."
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