What are the Rope Awards?
The Troop 260 Rope Awards are a symbol that a scout is proficient in a wide range of knots that includes and extends beyond those listed in the scout book. The awards aim to promote knot tying ability and skill among the Troop by encouraging friendly competition and mutual learning, as well to provide additional learning and teaching opportunities to newer and more experienced scouts respectively.
Upon earning a Rope level, the scout is given a symbolic rope which can be worn as part of their Class A uniform. The Rope is wrapped around the belt on the left thigh, with two cords hanging down. Only one Rope is worn at any time.
Rope Requirements
| Bronze Rope | 10 knots (Must include: square knot, sheet bend, two half hitches, tautline hitch, clove hitch, timber hitch, bowline ) |
| Gold Rope | 20 knots |
| Silver Rope | 30 knots |
| Extra knots | Every 5 extra knots (Scout may add a marker – tbc!) |
What counts as a knot
A knot is created by twisting, turning and/or wrapping a knot in a certain way in order to give a rope additional features and purpose.
When a scout is counting the distinct knots for their award, the knots must be completely different.
- Different ways of tying the same knot (eg. bowline and one handed bowline) count as 1 knot only,
- Enhancements or variation of another knot (eg. sheet bend, and double sheet bend) count as 2 knots
- Lashings do not count as knots, but hitches such as the clove hitch or timber hitch do.
Earning an award
In order for a scout to earn their knot award, the scout must following these rules:
- Two scouts holding the knot rank being sought (or higher) must observe the candidate scout (eg. asking two gold level scouts to test for the bronze level award).
- If there are no scouts of the required rank, or none available, the scout can ask a scoutmaster or assistant scoutmaster to observe.
- The scout is allowed to make 1 mistake in any observation at any rank level. A mistake is counted after the scout presents any knot as complete.
- The scout must complete two successful observations for the rank, at an interval of no less than 1 week (to ensure retention of knowledge)
If there are no scouts of the required rank, or none available, the scout can ask a scoutmaster or assistant scoutmaster to observe.
Rope Award holders
| Name | Highest Rank | Date gained |
| Harris Clark | Silver | September 2021 |
| Aidan Rock | Gold | November 2021 |
| Matthew Lewis | Bronze | October 2021 |
| Emily Clark | Bronze | October 2021 |
| Bryson Moffat | Bronze | December 2021 |