I serve as a commissioner for a unit in Newtown with a new Scoutmaster and today they built a catapult. Catapult is a bit of an overstatement, it was more of a lever of death which had equal chances killing the operator versus target based on the sickly wood and D-student lashings. During the entire build process I stood in front of the device talking with the unit leaders until the device was done where I continued to stand in front and talk to the leaders that kept looking back anxiously at the siege weapon being constructed. I continue standing in front of the device as the leaders edged back and stood my ground as the device was test fired. The Scouts heaved mightily but as the basket lifted, the payload shifted, the basket rotated and a grapefruit-sized rock hits some kid in the junk.
Unit Leader:Â Why didn’t you move out of the way when we fired?
Me: (to steal from Bagger Vance) I saw you building it and reckoned standing in front bore the least risk.
Ah… Scouting.