Take the simple formula for tying a square knot (right over left, left over right) and repeat 4,189 times.
That's how a group of more than 2,000 Scouts, adult leaders, and parents broke the world record for the longest knotted rope chain created in five minutes. The event happened earlier this month at a huge event held by the New Birth of Freedom Council in York County, Pa.
Once the 4,190 lengths of rope were tied together, the chain stretched 9,744.2 feet, or about 1.85 miles. That shattered the previous record of 6,788 feet set in May in Japan.
To put it in different terms, the rope would span more than 32 football fields.
This type of record-breaking event is well-suited for Scouting. It combines the skill of tying a square knot, something every Scout learns, with the spirit of teamwork that the Scouting program helps instill in young men and women.
Read more about the record at the event's official Web site. It even received coverage in the local newspaper and on the local Fox news station.
(Special thanks to the New Birth of Freedom Council's scout executive, Ron Gardner Jr., for sending us this story.)
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