MAY I make a small but practical contribution to the revamping of Scouting/Guiding badges or indeed, more generally, of the primary school syllabus (“Girlguiding to revamp badges”, The Herald, May 18)?

As a Cub Scout I spent many futile and frustrating hours coming to grips with the sheep-shank and the clove-hitch and so on for my knot-tying badge; all without the slightest need nor desire to use such entanglements subsequently. Rather I suggest the substitution of the very practical requirement most of us will have sooner or later to be able to tie an ordinary bow behind our backs and in the most inaccessible parts thereof. This is certainly an acquired and badge-worthy skill.

A recent visit to the local day-surgery unit rekindled my appreciation of the need for this altogether more practical skill. I refer of course to the fastening of the negligible, infamous theatre gown fixed by tapes, secured by bow at the back. This not only requires knot-tying skills which the mere mortal does not naturally possess but requires contortion of the arms and shoulders which could easily result in the unpractised doing themselves a serious mischief. Of course there is never any help to be had; the nursing and auxiliary staff sensibly not wishing to involve themselves in so delicate a situation.

It makes sense in preparation for later need to acquire this skill from the earliest time when learning new skills is easy and the body lissom. And there is an altogether more satisfying reward too. It avoids the ultimate embarrassment resulting from inability to make the necessary fastenings of having, in frustration, to process with a rather saggy and wrinkled derriere exposed to the wonderment of the ward.

Darrell Desbrow,

Overholm, Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire.