Tarragindi Scouts recently attended the Toohey Forest All Sections District Camp from 13th-15th May at Karingal.

The theme of the camp was ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’. With the Scouts having a range of activities to choose from to participate in, either as individuals, pairs, small groups or their whole Patrol.

Geo Dome 10

Some of the activities on offer were; learning how to sketch in nature, Viking chess, bell-oven cooking and working on a structure made primarily of cardboard that some of them or their whole Patrol could sleep in on the Saturday night. The Scouts could choose when they participated in these activities across the weekend.

After some research in the weeks leading up to the camp Tarragindi Scouts Eagle and Dingo Patrols decided to combine their efforts and attempt to make a ‘geodesic dome’ from cardboard. One of the Scouts took on the task of calculating what dimensions the triangles (which were the basis of the dome) should be to achieve a finished dome of between 3.5m and 4m diameter.

Geo Dome 6 Geo Dome 4 Geo Dome 5 Geo Dome 3

Geo Dome 1Geo Dome 8 Geo Dome 9Geo Dome 2

The dome was made up of 30 isosceles triangles formed into 6 pentagons then joined together with a further 10 equilateral triangles to give it it’s overall structure. The tracing and cutting of the 40 triangles proved to take most of the day on Saturday with the dome finally being erected at dusk on Saturday with all hands on deck to hold the pieces in place.

Quite a few rolls of packing tape were used in joining the triangles and twine (from a Patrol box) being used at the last minute to help attach the final pentagon which was the roof of the dome.

Several of the Scouts slept in the dome overnight which proved to be quite roomy and accommodated them easily.

The Joeys and Cub Scouts also had fun exploring the dome on the Sunday morning before it was pulled down to the original 40 triangles and loaded onto the top of the trailer to be taken back to our Den where hopefully we will again be able to erect it for another camp!

Linda Beckett – Tarragindi Scout Leader