WOLFRAM|DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECT

Boy Scouts' Compass Course

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number of points
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
scale
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
random seed
123
dist. (m)
azimuth (deg)
1
7.5
336.5
2
5.
126.5
Start at point: 8End at point: 5
Skill with a map and compass is a central skill in Boy Scouts. Certain levels of mastery must be demonstrated to earn the Second and First Class Scout ranks. In this Demonstration, we generate a random compass course that can be used as a training exercise. The Scout is given the starting point on the E/W line and the distance and compass directions to each point in sequence and he must determine the location of the end point along the E/W line by following the points in order. In practice, the exercise takes place in a 100m×100m area and the instructor needs to lay out a 100m line with numbered markers every 10m along an E/W line at the southern end of the area. This can be scaled to fit a specific area if needed using the "scale" option. The red dots indicate the location of the starting and ending point markers. In practice, this is not a timed event and teams can be scored by how close they come to the correct end marker.