Improving the Scout Center

The International Scout Center of Rustavi, Georgia, is constantly expanding and improving. Initially a simple wasteland, the area has seen various annexes pop-up over the years, including a recently-built restaurant which opening is scheduled for next September.

Planned for some time already, the obstacle course has entered in the first stage of its construction during the past weeks, in which I had the pleasure to take part.

With the return of the warm weather comes the pleasure of working outdoors. Under a hot Caucasian spring sun, we set out to erect a rope crossing obstacle.

The heavy wooden posts were cut, assembled and treated before being transported to the construction site by hand.

Past this point, it was necessary to dig the foundations, fix the structures by adjusting them relative to each other, concreting everything and keep it in place with ropes and pegs until it dried completely.

Summing up in a few lines the amount of work done is quite unfair given the amount of time spent on the task, as the whole operation was punctuated with ideas, efforts and unforeseen events.

To see the tractor-borne auger break in two only two holes from completion or to find that the axis of the concrete mixer was distorted, thus preventing its operation were unfortunate mishaps, giving an unexpected job to the maintenance team and compelling us to prepare the concrete the old-fashioned way right on the ground.

These minor problems, however, did not affect the morale of the troops and after a few days, the structures stood proudly, prefiguring future obstacles to be added to the course.