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 Communication
Communication
Skills
Skills
HANDBOOK
HANDBOOK fOurtH
fOurtH eDitiON
eDitiON

Jane
Jane summers
summers | Brett
| Brett smitH
smitH
Communication
Skills
HANDBOOK
FOURTH EDITION
Communication
Skills
HANDBOOK FOURTH EDITION

Jane SUMMERS | Brett SMITH

Fourth edition published 2014 by
John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
42 McDougall Street, Milton Qld 4064

First published 1995 by the Faculty of Business & Commerce,

The University of Southern Queensland
Second edition 1997
Third edition 2001
Fourth edition 2001

First published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2002

Revised and updated edition published 2004

© J.Summers and B.Smith 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006,

2010, 2014

The moral rights of the authors have been asserted.

National Library of Australia

Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Author:    Summers, Jane, author.

Title: Communications skills handbook /
Jane Summers, Brett Smith.
Edition: Fourth edition.
ISBN: 9781118646014 (pbk.)
Notes: Includes index.
Subjects: Communication in accounting.
Written communication.
Oral communication.
Other Authors/Contributors: Smith, Brett, author.
Dewey Number: 657.014

Reproduction and Communication for educational purposes

The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of
one chapter or 10% of the pages of this work, whichever is the
greater, to be reproduced and/or communicated by any educational
institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational
institution (or the body that administers it) has given a r­emuneration
notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL).

Reproduction and Communication for other purposes

Except as permitted under the Act (for example, a fair dealing
for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part
of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
­communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without
prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the
publisher.

Cover and internal design images:

© Cienpies Design/Shutterstock.com

Cartoons by Shane Collinge

Printed in China by
Shenzhen Donnelley Printing Co., Ltd.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
P R E FAC E  x i
OBJECTIVESxii
A B O U T T H E AU T H O R S  xiii
AC K N O W L E D G E M E N T S  x i v

1 G uidelines for assessment 1

1.1 Introduction 3
1.2 Assignment preparation guidelines 3
1.3 Writing guidelines 4
1.3.1 Nonoffensive language 8
1.3.2 Use of numbers 8
1.3.3 Tables, figures and graphs 9
1.3.4 Titles of assessable work 10
1.3.5 Foreign terms and acronyms 10
1.3.6 Parentheses 10
1.3.7 Points of ellipsis 11
1.3.8 Bullet points 12
1.4 Presentation guidelines 12
1.5 Thesis writing 14
1.6 Making the most of the library 16
1.6.1 What is in the library? 16
1.6.2 Finding your way in the library 16
1.6.3 Ways to access information 16
1.7 Summary 17

2 R eferencing 19
2.1 Introduction 21
2.2 Unethical behaviour 21
2.2.1 Plagiarism 21
2.2.2 Collusion 23
2.3 Referencing — general information 24
2.3.1 When to provide a reference 24
2.3.2 Referencing — a helpful hint 25
2.4 Methods of referencing 25
2.5 The Harvard AGPS system 26
2.6 In-text references 26
2.6.1 Format 26
2.6.2 When to include page numbers 27
2.6.3 Footnotes 27
2.6.4 Short quotations 27
2.6.5 Long quotations 27
2.6.6 Single author 28
2.6.7 Two or more authors 28
 2.6.8 Two or more works in one citation 29
2.6.9 Newspapers 29
2.6.10 Personal communications 30
2.6.11 Anonymous works 30
2.6.12 Publication date unavailable 30
2.6.13 Sponsoring organisation 30
2.6.14 Unpublished works 31
2.6.15 Citations for sources other than the original 31
2.6.16 Tables and figures either extracted or taken whole 32
2.7 LOR entries for paper-based sources — specific rules and examples 32
2.7.1 LOR — book citation 33
2.7.2 LOR — article or chapter in an edited book 33
2.7.3 LOR — lecture notes/study notes 33
2.7.4 LOR — books of readings 34
2.7.5 LOR — indirect quotation 34
2.7.6 LOR — article in journal 34
2.7.7 LOR — sponsoring organisation 34
2.7.8 LOR — multiple publications by the same author 35
2.7.9 LOR — conference paper, working paper series and thesis 35
2.7.10 LOR — article in newspaper or magazine 35
2.7.11 LOR — unpublished works 36
2.8 Electronic referencing method 36
2.8.1 Electronic referencing — general information 36
2.8.2 In-text references — electronic sources 37
2.8.3 LOR — electronic sources, general 37
2.9 LOR entries for electronic sources — specific rules and examples 37
2.9.1 CD-ROM — book/electronic books 37
2.9.2 Electronic journal articles 38
2.9.3 Internet sites (author and date available) 38
2.9.4 Internet sites (author and date not available) 38
2.9.5 Newspaper articles 38
2.9.6 Discussion group messages/Weblogs/Wikis and podcasts 39
2.9.7 Personal email message 39
2.10 Films, videos, television and on-line images 39
2.11 Legislation and legal authorities 40
2.12 Summary 40
2.13 Example of the Harvard AGPS referencing system 41
2.14 List of references 42

3 R eport writing 43
3.1 Introduction 45
3.2 Report structure 45

vi CONTENTS
 3.2.1 Assignment cover sheet 45
3.2.2 Letter of transmittal 45
3.2.3 Title page 47
3.2.4 Executive summary 47
3.2.5 Table of contents 49
3.2.6 Introduction 49
3.2.7 Body 50
3.2.8 Conclusions 51
3.2.9 Recommendations 51
3.2.10 Bibliography or LOR 51
3.2.11 Glossary 52
3.2.12 Appendices 52
3.3 Summary 52

4 T he case study  53
4.1 Introduction 55
4.2 Preparing a case analysis 56
4.3 The structure of the case analysis report 58
4.3.1 Introduction or case background 59
4.3.2 Body of the analysis 60
4.3.3 Formulation of alternatives or possible
solutions62
4.3.4 Recommendations or choice of solutions 64
4.3.5 Implementation plan 64
4.4 Strategic analysis tools 66
4.4.1 The SWOT analysis 66
4.4.2 Situation analysis 67
4.5 Summary 67
4.6 List of references 68

5 E ssay writing 69
5.1 Introduction 71
5.2 Selecting the topic 71
5.3 Analysing the topic 71
5.4 Planning 72
5.5 Research 72
5.6 Writing the essay 73
5.7 Style 74
5.8 Sample essay 74
5.9 Summary 78
5.10 Some variations on the formal essay structure 78

CONTENTS vii
 6 O ral presentations 79
6.1 Overview 81
6.2 Oral presentations at university 81
6.3 Preparing the presentation 82
6.3.1 Presentation venue 83
6.3.2 Structure of the presentation 83
6.3.3 Introduction and conclusion 83
6.3.4 Body of the presentation 84
6.3.5 Visual aids 84
6.3.6 Audience handouts 85
6.3.7 Practising the presentation 85
6.3.8 Planning for contingencies 86
6.3.9 Just before the presentation 86
6.3.10 Equipment 86
6.3.11 Anxiety 86
6.4 Delivering the presentation 87
6.4.1 Delivery speed 87
6.4.2 Gestures 87
6.4.3 Audience rapport 87
6.4.4 Reading the speech 87
6.4.5 Stance during the speech 88
6.4.6 Humour 88
6.4.7 Nervousness 88
6.4.8 Annoying habits 88
6.4.9 Presenting in teams 88
6.5 Handling questions from the audience 89
6.6 Presentation software 89
6.6.1 Preplanning 89
6.6.2 How will the presentation be used? 90
6.6.3 Creating the presentation 90
6.6.4 Rehearsing the presentation 95
6.6.5 Delivering the presentation 95
6.6.6 Using presentation software: summary 96
6.7 On-line presentations and meetings 96
6.7.1 Presenting over the web 97
6.7.2 Web meetings 97
6.8 Summary 98
6.9 Alternatives to oral presentations for distance education students 99

7 E x amination techni q ues 101

7.1 Introduction 103
7.2 General hints 103

viii CONTENTS
 7.2.1 When to start studying 103
7.2.2 Revision 103
7.3 Pre-examination planning 104
7.3.1 Perusal time 105
7.3.2 After the examination begins 105
7.4 Content and style of questions 107
7.4.1 Subject matter limited 107
7.4.2 Scope limited 107
7.4.3 Combined subject and scope limited 107
7.4.4 Multiple-choice questions 107
7.4.5 Short-answer questions 108
7.4.6 Point-by-point questions 108
7.4.7 Essay-style questions 108
7.4.8 Hybrid questions 109
7.4.9 Case studies 109
7.4.10 Other types of questions 109
7.5 Answering exam questions — what to do and what to avoid doing 109
7.6 Summary 110

8 W inning the ’ right ‘ job 113

8.1 Introduction 115
8.2 The job search 115
8.2.1 What is the ’right‘ job? 115
8.2.2 Conventional ways to find the ’right‘ job 116
8.2.3 The Internet 116
8.2.4 On-line recruitment sites 117
8.2.5 Social media 117
8.2.6 Once opportunities are identified 118
8.3 Preparing ’my story‘ 119
8.3.1 Research the job requirements 119
8.3.2 What should my job application contain? 119
8.3.3 The covering letter 119
8.3.4 Preparing an effective CV 119
8.3.5 The format of your CV 120
8.3.6 Answering selection criteria 121
8.3.7 Referees‘ reports 122
8.3.8 Dos and don‘ts 122
8.3.9 Summary 123
8.4 How will I be ’assessed‘ by my potential employer? 123
8.4.1 Preparation 123
8.4.2 The interview 124
8.4.3 Questions that can be difficult to handle 125
8.4.4 Telephone interviews 126

CONTENTS ix
 8.4.5 Bring the interview to a conclusion 127
8.4.6 Dos and don‘ts 127
8.4.7 Psychometric testing 127
8.5 What do I do after the interview? 128
8.6 Summary 129
8.7 List of references 129

R esources 131
Key instructions 133
List of references 134
INDEX135

L I S T O F TA B L E S
TABLE 1.1 Quick reference to the Style manual 12
TABLE 3.1 A guide to the length of an executive summary 48
TABLE 4.1 Example of problem identification process 61
TABLE 4.2 Evaluating alternative actions 63

LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1.1 Some common writing errors and hints 6
FIGURE 3.1 Example of a letter of transmittal 46
FIGURE 3.2 Example of an assignment title page 48
FIGURE 3.3 Sample table of contents 50
FIGURE 4.1 An example of a list of main points 59
FIGURE 4.2 Example of problem analysis process 62
FIGURE 4.3 List of alternative actions 63
FIGURE 4.4 Recommendations65
FIGURE 4.5 Implementation65
FIGURE 4.6 SWOT analysis 66
FIGURE 4.7 The situation analysis 67

x CONTENTS
Preface
The primary objective of this handbook is to provide guidelines for students who are
tasked with preparing and presenting written and oral material for assessment. The
content in the handbook is aimed mainly at students undertaking university study.
However, non-tertiary authors and presenters may also find the information useful.
Techniques for addressing the issues most commonly encountered by students are
offered. Generally accepted standards and expectations for preparation and presenta-
tion of assessable work at university level are also discussed. Readers should note
that there will be minor variations between the guidelines presented here and specific
requirements for particular courses of study. Students are therefore strongly advised
also to consult their individual instructors for information relating to presentation and
other requirements for assessment in their courses. The handbook also covers tech-
niques and tips to assist students to prepare for and sit examinations, and offers guide-
lines for graduates and others to help in their quest for employment.
The Commonwealth Government’s Style manual (2002, now in its sixth edition) has
long been regarded as the standard work of reference for all authors, editors and
printers in Australia. Therefore, to assist students in navigating the Style manual for
more detailed guidance on preparing and presenting written reports and assignments,
a quick reference guide is included in Chapter 1.
The internet and social media are now tightly interwoven into modern communication
and, as such, play a key role in education, business and recruitment. Therefore, ­specific
information relating to the usage of ePortfolios, Wikis and Weblogs for assessment; the
role of Turnitin and Wikipedia; and techniques for determining the quality of on-line
sources has been included. Techniques for using social media effectively in the job
application process are also discussed.
This handbook has received overwhelming endorsement from both students and staff
since its inception in 1995. Amendments and improvements are constantly being made
to ensure that it remains current while maintaining its brevity and relevance. To this
end, we are always grateful for feedback from students or academic staff.
Jane Summers
Brett Smith
March 2014

P R E FA C E xi
 Objectives
The objectives of this handbook are:
■■ to provide students with guidelines that are consistent across their university
studies and to outline the minimum requirements for formal presentation of
­written and verbal assignments
■■ to assist university staff to apply a consistent approach to the assessment of
­formally presented written and verbal material by students, irrespective of
­university, department, course or level of study
■■ to reinforce among students the view that communication skills are an integral
component of their studies and essential to their careers, rather than optional
skills isolated from their chosen disciplines.
Explanation of symbols
The following symbols are used throughout this book to highlight features that have
proved particularly useful for students.

Hints
! hint

Examples of concepts being discussed

example

xii OBJECTIVES
About the authors
Dr Jane Summers is an associate professor of marketing in the School of Management
and Enterprise at the University of Southern Queensland. She has spent many years
both as a marketing practitioner and as an academic. Her teaching and research inter-
ests are in the areas of consumer behaviour, sports marketing and digital pedagogy.
Brett Smith has been a practitioner in business systems and technology for more than
two and a half decades, during which time he has relied heavily on well-developed
communication skills to formulate and communicate business systems solutions. His
career has spanned both the corporate and academic sectors and he holds three
degrees in business and technology related areas. Brett currently provides business
systems consulting services to the corporate sector through his company, BisVision
Australia.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS xiii

 Acknowledgements
This handbook uses recommendations and examples from a range of sources.
In ­
particular, we acknowledge the input and advice from the staff of the Faculties
of Business, Commerce and Arts at the University of Southern Queensland and, for
guides to layout and content, the Business Studies Department of the University of
Queensland, Gatton College. Original conceptual ideas for this style of book for use
by university students came from the work of Dr Jane Summers and Mr Cec Pederson
while at Gatton College in 1993. Additional material and examples have been drawn
from the sources listed in the List of References. The authors would also like to thank
Rae Wear and Tricia Rooney for their valuable contributions to the creation and
­publication of the first edition of this book.
The following individuals also deserve mention for their specific contributions to
­earlier editions of this handbook: Cec Pedersen for his input into the sections on case
studies and report writing; Dr Lesley Willcoxon for her help with the referencing sec-
tion; Professor Chad Perry for his contribution to the section on thesis writing and
for other general style comments; the late Frank Jarvis for his input into the examina-
tion techniques section; and Dr Meredith Lawley for her contributions to the general
­guidelines section.

xiv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
 guidelines
for assessment
chapter 1

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Assignment preparation guidelines
1.3 Writing guidelines
1.4 Presentation guidelines
1.5 Thesis writing
1.6 Making the most of the library
1.7 Summary
 1 Guidelines for assessment

1.1 Introduction
When preparing and presenting written material, a number of key areas will, if tackled
conscientiously, help to make the process easier and increase the chances of achieving
a satisfactory mark. The following points are universally accepted as applying to all
formal written work, including assignments, reports, case studies, essays, reflections,
reviews, blogs, books and journal articles.
Writing for assessment or review is a means of communicating ideas and/or demon-
strating analytical skills in a structured way. Generally, all written assessment tasks
have a purpose and it is important to ensure that you carefully read the instructions to
clarify that purpose.

1.2 Assignment preparation guidelines

Writing for assessment can be daunting and students may be tempted to leave things
to the last minute, believing they can complete a satisfactory product on the night
before the due date. Such last-minute efforts are obvious to markers. The following
hints may prove helpful in making writing less arduous. They may also help you to
overcome the temptation to procrastinate.
If you have a choice of topic for your assignments, be sure to choose one that appeals
to your imagination and interest. This will make any research or study much easier.

Try to find out exactly what the instructor is looking for.

!hint
1 Read and reread the assignment information carefully and thoughtfully.
2 Read all guidance and instructions you are given relating to the assignment,
particularly information relating to layout and format.
3 Find the relevant sections in your assigned text and read these for increased
understanding.
4 Listen to any audio or watch any video instructions provided.
5 Research the topic using library and Internet resources (being careful to
record the source of information for later referencing — see chapter 2).
6 Share your views with other students in study groups, tutorial groups or
discussion forums where these are available, but remember that unless the
assignment has been nominated as a group assignment, you will be required
to submit your own work and to use your own words.
7 If you remain uncertain, consult the instructor or course examiner or your
assigned tutor.

It is important to continue to recheck the direction and focus of your work during
the preparation and writing stages. Most courses will have very detailed assessment
requirements, which may include marking guides or hints to help identify the correct
focus or important points.

CHAPTER 1: Guidelines for assessment 3

 In general, markers will seek to determine whether you have:
■■ fully comprehended the point at issue and have kept to the topic
■■ argued the ideas within the word limits (if provided)
■■ presented your thoughts reflectively and critically (marks will generally be lost
for unsupported opinion)
■■ shown an original and imaginative approach to the topic
■■ shown evidence of extensive reading and research on the topic or issue
(demonstrated through in-text referencing and a list of references)
■■ presented your thoughts coherently and logically.
Make sure that you have clearly understood the question and check that all required
components have been answered. For example, does the question contain a descriptive
or analytical element, or an element requiring your opinion and recommendations? It
is possible that the assignment will contain a number of different elements. (Refer to
the Resources section of this book for definitions of directive terms.)
Completing any written assessment task requires planning to ensure that all relevant
elements have been dealt with and that the finished material is presented logically (i.e.
after a suitable introduction, one idea leads to the next and finally to the conclusion).
Where appropriate, make use of minor headings to help structure and focus your
work. Headings help the reader follow your argument and train of thought. In assign-
ments that include headings, consider using a side heading every two or three pages
and a run-in heading (set in bold and ending with a full stop, at the start of the first
line of text) every three or four paragraphs. Running headings may also be useful.
Good academic writing requires not only carefully structured analysis but also a
thoughtful balancing of theoretical ideas and their application to the topic. Analysis is
not purely descriptive; theory and other evidence (statistical data for example) should
be used as a framework to support your recommendations and conclusions. However
be careful not to overdo the use of theory and citations. Students who simply provide
a series of direct quotations or sections from the text without integration of these
thoughts and viewpoints into a broader discussion and analysis are unlikely to do well.
Markers want to see why these views, thoughts or pieces of text are relevant to the
question you are answering.

1.3 Writing guidelines

It is important to remember not to write in the same way that you speak. Conversational
English is not acceptable in any formal or assessable writing. It may be acceptable for
assessment tasks such as blogs and Wikis or possibly even discussion forums, however
be careful to check the expectations of your assessment task first – don’t take a chance
and ASSUME what the appropriate style will be.
In formal assessment tasks, such as reports, essays and case analysis, a formal style
should be adopted and the use of colloquialisms or slang words and phrases, which
might be acceptable in conversation, should be avoided (see figure 1.1 for examples).
The reason for this is that written work, unlike the spoken word, is a permanent tran-
script of a writer’s thoughts and ideas. The reader has time to go back over what was
written and to consider how information has been presented, however they do not

4 C O M M U N I C AT I O N S K I L L S H A N D B O O K
have the luxury of non-verbal cues and the ability to ask questions (which would be
the case in a conversation) to assist them to interpret your meaning.

Slang — to be avoided
‘The experiment was a dud.’ Not everyone knows what a ‘dud’ is.
‘Sales went through the roof.’ Not a very professional or informative way to say that sales
increased rapidly.
‘Toyota is a very successful company.’ Not very useful to a discussion and probably an
irrelevant statement.
Grammar/style — common errors
‘It was done so as to prove the final result.’ The ‘so as’ is not needed in this sentence. Avoid
unnecessary words.
‘It was obvious that .  .  .’ If it is obvious, you should not have to say it.
‘As said before, the company was .  .  .’ If it has been said before, do not repeat it; alternatively,
think of another way of re-emphasising the point.
Be aware of commonly misused homonyms that will not be detected by your spell checker
as they are real words, just with different meanings. These are words that sound the same
but have different meanings, such as weather and whether. Here are some examples of
commonly misused homonyms.
Where and wear
Where = is a question. For example, Where is everyone?
Wear = a reference to clothing. For example, What will I wear today?
Whether, weather and wether
Whether = An introduction to a question. For example, I will leave this here for you whether
you decide to use it or not. Does anyone know whether Phil rode his bike to work today?
Weather = the atmospheric conditions. For example, I wonder what the weather will be like
in Sydney next week?
Wether = A neutered male sheep. For example, How many wethers are you planning to sell
this year?
Lose and loose
Lose = a verb meaning to lose. For example, The Broncos didn’t lose today’s game but they lost
the game yesterday.
Loose = can be a verb, an adjective or an adverb. For example:
A verb — Don’t loose the dog from its chain. The activists are loosing the monkeys from
the lab.
An adjective — He prefers to wear loose clothing when exercising. That screw is loose.
An adverb — The rancher turned the horses loose.
Note: The two words have different pronunciations. The ‘s’ in ‘lose’ has the sound /z/. The ‘s’ in
‘loose’ has the sound /s/.

(continued)

CHAPTER 1: Guidelines for assessment 5

 Then and than
Many people confuse and misuse these two words. Then (rhymes with Jen) is a word that’s
used to mark time, or show a sequence of events. For example, Sift the flour and then add
one beaten egg to the mixture. Than (rhymes with Jan) is used to make comparisons and
only to make comparisons. Anytime you use than, you should be able to substitute the words
‘compared with’ or ‘in comparison to’. If it doesn’t work, you probably meant to say ‘then’.
For example, I am older than you. You have a faster car than Roger does.
Punctuation — some hints
The addition of an apostrophe ‘s’ means a noun becomes possessive; that is, something
belongs to it. In cases where the noun ends in any letter other than an ‘s’ or ‘x’, an apostrophe
followed by an ‘s’ signifies possession (e.g. ‘John’s leg hurt’, ‘Kenwood’s deep fryers were the
most expensive’). If a noun already ends in an ‘s’ or ‘x’ and is of one syllable, then possession
is again indicated by an apostrophe ‘s’ (e.g. ‘Keats’s poems’, ‘Marx’s theories’). Exceptions to
this rule include classical names (e.g. ‘Mars’ wrath’). In words of more than one syllable
ending in an ‘s’ or ‘x’, only an apostrophe is added (e.g. ‘Hopkins’ poems’).
An apostrophe can also indicate that a letter or letters are missing from the word or that two
words have been combined to make a shorter one (a contraction) — do not becomes don’t
(the second ‘o’ is removed); have not becomes haven’t, and so on.
A common mistake with the apostrophe is failing to distinguish between its and it’s.
Remember,
its = is possessive (‘The dog loved its bone.’)
it’s = means ‘it is’ (the second ‘i’ is missing) (‘It’s a great day.’)

FIGURE 1.1 Some common writing errors and hints

In a conversation or oral presentation, points that are unclear can be clarified immedi-
ately. In written work, this is not possible. The reader must interpret your meaning
and conclusions as you have presented them, without the benefit of explanation or
clarification from you, the writer. Therefore, you must choose your words carefully and
provide the reader with a logical progression of thoughts and evidence that leads to
the conclusion. To this end, the following points should be considered.
■■ Ensure the work is completed at least one day before the due date (preferably
longer) to allow time for proofreading. It is often useful to give the work to
someone not involved with the subject to read. If that person understands it and
agrees with your conclusion, it is likely that you have produced a well-structured
piece of writing. If this option is not possible, many writers find it valuable to
read their written work aloud (make sure no one else is around!). This helps
you determine what you have really written (not what you meant to say or
assume you have written) and helps to establish the natural punctuation breaks
and emphases (see figure 1.1 for more hints and examples of common errors in
punctuation and grammar).
■■ Checking spelling has been made much easier by wordprocessing software.
You should use the spellcheck function before submitting the assignment,
but be careful; this will not pick up words that have been misused

6 C O M M U N I C AT I O N S K I L L S H A N D B O O K
 (as shown in figure 1.1). Words often confused by students include its and
it’s; affect and effect; compliment and complement; alternate and alternative.
There are many guides to English usage that can help. If you are not using a
computerised spellchecker, a dictionary must be used to ensure no errors in
spelling have occurred. Also try the grammar checker to help you with common
errors such as passive voice and poorly structured sentences.
■■ Care must be taken to ensure that all work is free of spelling, grammatical and
punctuation errors. It is inexcusable for any assessable written work to have any
of these.
■■ Slang and conversational English should be avoided (see figure 1.1).
■■ Be sparing in the use of adjectives and adverbs, which are often essentially value
judgements (things like enormous growth, excessive praise, massive debt and so
forth).
■■ Many style guides recommend not using contractions (e.g. don’t, can’t, haven’t)
in formal writing. This recommendation applies to assignment submissions too.
■■ Some contractions and abbreviations do have a place in academic written work.
For example, in reference citations you may use contractions such as eds (for
editors), edn (edition) and nos (numbers), and abbreviations such as vol. (for
volume), pers. comm. (personal communication), ver. (version), rev. (revised),
n.d. (no date). Be careful to distinguish between contractions, which include the
last letter of the word and so do not take a full stop, and abbreviations, which
end with a full stop to denote omitted letters at the end of the word. Established
abbreviations such as ‘US’ (used only as an adjective) and ‘ASEAN’ do not require
full stops.
■■ Use italics for emphasis very sparingly (as a rule of thumb, no more than once or
twice per page). Overuse of italics reduces their impact.
■■ Use single quotation marks for all direct quotations except for quotes within
quotes, for which double quotation marks should be used.
■■ Capital letters are used for the first letter in every sentence, the pronoun I
and the initial letter of all proper names (i.e. the names of people, places,
organisations, book titles and so on). Initial capitals should be used for a full
or specific title, but lower case should be used otherwise. For example, ‘The
University of Southern Queensland was one of many universities visited by Prime
Minister Howard. It has been rare for prime ministers in recent years to visit
regional centres .  .  .’ As a rule of thumb, if in doubt, use lower case. Also avoid
using all capitals in headings; a mix of upper- and lower-case letters is easier
to read.
■■ Formal work should be written in the third person, using plural pronouns
(e.g. use they instead of he or she). This will ensure that all work is perceived
as objective (not a personal, unsubstantiated view) and nonsexist. Occasional
use of I and we is acceptable when describing what you actually did but not
to present your own value judgements (as in I feel .  .  . or I consider .  .  .) unless
it is specifically required in the assessment instructions. Assessment tasks such
as reflections will often require a personal view as will some discussion forum
and peer assessment tasks. In report writing and case study analysis particularly,

CHAPTER 1: Guidelines for assessment 7

 avoid using words such as I, me, we, our, he, she. Refer to the Style manual
(2002, pp. 55–62) for more information.
1.3.1 Nonoffensive language
Be careful to avoid using discriminatory language. As the Style manual puts it:

Linguistic discrimination can take various forms that may marginalise or exclude par-
ticular segments of the population — whether unwittingly or not. Stereotypical descrip-
tion of any group of people or a member of an identifiable group is probably the most
insidious .  .  . When referring to an individual, that person’s sex, religion, nationality,
racial group, age or physical or mental characteristics should only be mentioned if this
information is pertinent to the discussion. (2002, p. 55)

Writers should always pay particular attention to context — all writing has a context —
and should be guided by discretion, tact and sensitivity in making the necessary deci-
sions on appropriate language. Furthermore, they:

should always bear in mind the diversity within their audiences, and ensure that refer-
ences to and about particular people or social groups are couched in inclusive terms.
(2002, p. 55)

Read the Style manual (2002, pp. 55–62) for further guidance.

1.3.2 Use of numbers

Numbers should be expressed in figures when they accompany a symbol or unit of
measurement and in tables. For example, $6.50, 9.45 am, 60 L, 9 per cent and 16 years.
When showing statistical results using percentages, the words per cent must be written
out, except in a table, where the percentage symbol (%) should be used. For example,
‘Thirty per cent of all students experience problems in referencing’.
When using numbers, the Australian standard is to use a space to separate each group
of three figures in numbers greater than 999. For example, 5000, 10  000 and 2  000  000.
Commas are not recommended to separate large numbers.
If presenting numbers smaller than one, a zero should be placed before the decimal
point. For example, 0.25 and 0.67.
Numbers below 100 are generally expressed in words; however, numbers greater than
ninety-nine may also be expressed in words when the numerical expressions are used
to convey approximation.

example Only a few hundred people attended the game, in spite of the 800 flyers
distributed to people in the area.

Numbers that begin a sentence should be expressed in words; this also applies to
years.

example Nineteen ninety-four will always be remembered .  .  .

If using two series of numbers in a passage, one series should be expressed as words
and the other as numbers to avoid confusion.

8 C O M M U N I C AT I O N S K I L L S H A N D B O O K
example Twelve students scored 16 marks, and thirty students scored 24 marks.

Use numerals for parts of a document (e.g. ‘chapter 3’ or ‘figure 6.4’).

If a number includes a fraction or refers to a page number, or if there are sets of
numerals, some of which are higher than ten, they should all be expressed as a
number. For example, 7, 21,133, not seven, 21, 133. Dates are written as 23 April
2001; decades as the 1970s (not the 1970’s); year spans as 1984–85 (not 1984–5).

1.3.3 Tables, figures and graphs

Tables, which are generally systematic presentations of data in columns and rows, are
used to clarify complicated data. Note that a marker should not have to look at tables
and figures to follow your argument. Any important points made in a table or figure
should be incorporated in your text. Your text should summarise the information so
that a marker merely has to consult the table to check the accuracy of your interpreta-
tion. Similarly, tables and figures should be comprehensible and independent of the
text, so titles and column and row headings should be self-explanatory.
All tables and figures should be numbered within the text of the assignment and have
a title. They should also all be referred to in the text of the work. Tables and figures
that are not referred to in the text will, generally speaking, not be considered by a
marker. Tables should be placed immediately after (or as close as possible to) the
paragraph containing the text that refers to them. Tables that are less than a page long
should not be split over a number of pages; they should start at the top of the fol-
lowing page. A space must always be inserted above and below a table, particularly
when more than one table occurs on a page.
Figures are used to represent information, such as models, diagrammatic line draw-
ings, pictures and other illustrative forms. They can also be used to present textual
information that cannot be shown logically in tabular form (i.e. in columns and rows).
All tables, figures and graphs used in assessable work must:
■■ have a clearly definable purpose and be referred to in the body of your work
■■ have a caption or title set in bold; figure and table titles should be clearly
descriptive and be about half to three-quarters of a line long
■■ be numbered, and be referred to in the text by that number rather than by
‘above’ or ‘below’. For example, Table 1 shows that the costs of production have
been steadily increasing since 2004.
■■ be enclosed by a border or be in a box
■■ be referenced correctly when referring to another author’s work, noting if
adaptations have been made to the original work (see section 2.3 for referencing
techniques). A source line beneath a table or figure takes the form of author or
sponsoring organisation, the year in brackets and the page reference if required
as when referencing for direct quotes, (e.g. Source: Gibbs (1999, p. 63) or
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2003) or Adapted from Smith & West (2005)).
Footnotes can be used in tables to explain specific data or to provide general informa-
tion relating to the data in the table.

CHAPTER 1: Guidelines for assessment 9

Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 CHAPTER XIV—THE AUTOCRAT
The enterprise which Pee-wee was now about to launch was the
most gigantic of any that had ever emanated from his seething brain.
We shall have to follow it step by step. His first call was at
Administration Shack where he asked Tom Slade, camp assistant, if
he and his patrol might have the use of the old float for cruising.
“You know the one I mean,” he said; “it’s the one I fell off of that
summer when I was diving for licorice jaw breakers. Don’t you
remember the day my mouth was all black? It’s got four barrels
under it to hold it up—”
“What, your mouth?” young Mr. Slade asked.
“No, the old float, and the barrels are airtight, because they were
filled with water when the float was drawn up and I’ve got two in my
patrol and they haven’t shrunk, I mean the barrels, so will it be all
right for us to pitch our tent on that old float and kind of be sea
scouts, because anyway all of us know how to swim and I saved a
scout from drowning last summer. Can we?”
Young Mr. Slade was not too ready with his approval of this
scheme; he said he would take a look at the old mooring float.
Pee-wee did not wait for his approval but proceeded immediately
to the cooking shack where he accosted Chocolate Drop, the smiling
negro chef.
“I want an onion and an empty bottle and a lot of other things to
eat,” he said. “Three of us are going camping on an old float and we
want beans enough to last for a week and some Indian meal and
some flour and some bacon and I’ll give you a note to say we’ll pay
for them. We want some sugar too, and some egg powder and if the
bottle’s full of olives or pickles, it won’t make any difference because
we can empty it and we want some coffee too and some potatoes.”
 “Lordy me, Massa Pee-wee! What else you want, eh? Yo’ hev a
reckezishon from Massa Slade, hey?”
“I’ll get it,” said Pee-wee; “you get the stuff ready.”
It was the rule that supplies for bivouac camping and camping
outside the community limits should be supplied by the commissary
at nominal prices. Scouts could give their I. O. U.’s for such supplies
and these charges appeared upon the regular bills for board and
accommodation. But requisitions, properly endorsed by either
scoutmaster or camp official, were necessary to the procuring of
such supplies.
“I’ll get it, I’ll get it,” Pee-wee shouted, waving all doubts aside; “I’ll
get it from Tom Slade. Do you know what an enterprise is? I had an
inspiration about an enterprise and my patrol is going to make lots of
money and we can pay for everything, because if you’ve got an
inspiration about an enterprise you can get credit, can’t you?
“Listen, Chocolate Drop, do you remember that summer when all
the scouts were jollying each other about going scout pace around
the lake? Do you remember? Do you remember you said that every
scout that went scout pace around the lake in an hour could have
three helpings of dessert for the rest of the season? Gee whiz,
you’re the boss of the desserts, you have a right to do that, haven’t
you? Gee whiz, you’ve got just as much right to offer prizes for scout
stunts as anybody, haven’t you? Because anyway you’re an official.
One thing sure, you’re the boss of the eats, aren’t you?”
Chocolate Drop was certainly the boss of the eats, desserts
included. Not even John Temple himself was such an autocrat as
Chocolate Drop in his Utopian dominion. Within those hallowed
precincts he waved his frying-pan like a sceptre of imperial authority.
He and he alone was never interfered with by officials higher up. Not
even the National Scout Commissioner could tell Chocolate Drop
what he should serve for dessert. The President of the United States
could not add or subtract one dab of icing to or from those luscious
cakes.
Every time an honor medal was awarded the proud recipient
received an “honor pie” from Cooking Shack, a huge round medal,
as it were, more precious than shining gold. Yes, the will of
Chocolate Drop was supreme and he spoke to the multitude as no
one else could speak.
His liking was expressed in crullers, his tribute to prowess or
heroism found voice in puddings. He conquered with fried corn
cakes. He made friends and converts with fudge. His cookies were
like so many merit badges. He was such an artist that he could
reproduce these in icing. Once, upon a mince pie (a hot one)
Chocolate Drop designed in luscious jelly the First Aid badge. For
Chocolate Drop had a sense of humor....
 CHAPTER XV—BON VOYAGE
Pee-wee had the freedom of the cooking shack. Being a specialist
on eats, he was honored with this privilege. It was like a college
degree conferred upon him, in testimony of his wonderful
achievements in the world of food. He now sat upon a flour barrel
strategically near a dishpan full of cookies. As he talked his hand
made occasional flank movements in the direction of this pan.
Sometimes he captured some prisoners.
“That offer still holds good,” he said, as he munched a cookie,
“because you never took it back. So it’s open yet?... Isn’t it?” he
concluded anxiously.
“It’s open yet, Massa Pee-wee, coze it ain’t never been done nor
ever will n’ it was jes’ a joke n’ a lot of nonsense ’n’ you better not try
it coze ’f you do you’ll jes get dem feet of yourn wet ’n’ Chocolate
Drop he hev ter put cough mixture in dem cakes. How you like dat,
Massa Pee-wee?”
“Anyway will you cross your heart that if any feller hikes scout
pace around the lake in an hour he can have three helpings of
dessert for the rest of the time he stays?”
“So dats th’ kind of a insperize you got?” Chocolate Drop laughed,
showing his white teeth and placing his flour covered hand on Pee-
wee’s khaki shirt. “Dere’s my hand on it, Massa Pee-wee. You jes’ go
scout pace around dat lake in sixty minutes n’ you get dat three
helpings all de time you here. You hear that?”
“Or any other scout?”
“Das it,” laughed Chocolate Drop.
“Three helpings? Regular size ones?”
“You ain’t nebber see no other sizes hab you, roun’ here?”
“All right,” said Pee-wee, jumping off the barrel and beating the
flour from his shirt, “you’re a scout just as much as anybody else
here is, because Mr. Temple says that the rules are for everybody
that has anything to do with scouting, and the rule says a scout has
to keep his word, see?”
“It don’t say nuthin’ ’bout him keeping cookies, does it?” the cook
asked. “Here, you take a pocketful ’n’ doan’ you lose no sleep ’bout
ole Chocolate Drop keepin’ his word coze he am a scout. ’N’ you
come back here with your paper signed ’n’ you get rations for one
week, ’n’ extrees. Now how’s dat?”
That was perfectly satisfactory and Pee-wee returned to the float
where a curious throng of scouts was assembled. The two little hop-
toads seemed rather embarrassed to be the center of so much
interest.
Tom Slade was also there considering the seaworthy qualities of
the old float. He found the four barrels (one under each corner) filled
with water which had kept the staves tight, and it was only necessary
to pump the water out to have as bouyant a raft as one could want,
its flooring well clear of the surface of the water. So gayly did it ride
when it was pushed in that it seemed more likely to go up in the air
than to sink. As for tipping over, a ferry-boat was cranky compared
with it. It was in no more peril of capsizing than a turtle is.
In the presence of the curious multitude (rivaling the watchers who
had seen the Pilgrim Fathers depart), the food (properly
requisitioned) was put on board, the tent was raised, and a couple of
old grocery boxes and a dilapidated camp stool contributed as deck
furniture. Nor was this all; for Tom Slade, always careful and
thorough, made the two small followers of the great adventurer swim
from the float to the springboard to determine their skill in that
necessary art.
Since nothing less than a volcanic upheaval could capsize the
float, the only danger seemed to be that of falling off it. This danger
was greatly minimized by the placid character of the lake which was
usually as gentle as a cup of tea. It would have been difficult for this
gallant bark to drift out to sea by reason of the surrounding
mountains which completely enclosed the little lake. The only real
peril lay in the possibility of a storm so terrific as to lift the float and
blow it over the mountains. But even then it would stand a good
chance of alighting in the Hudson River and being stopped before it
reached New York. For the rest, as young Mr. Slade said dryly, the
reckless voyagers would have to take their chances.
Behold, then, the new Hop-toad Patrol standing on the deck of
their gay platform as it bobbed near the shore, with Scout Harris, a
patrol leader at last, posing defiantly upon a keg of assorted edibles
and raw materials for cooking. Under one arm he held a tin lock-box
(for what terrible purpose no one knew), while in his hand he held an
apple (extracted from the keg), for what purpose everybody knew.
“What’s the big idea, kid?” some flippant scout called.
“Don’t hurry back,” called another.
This encouraged a laughing chorus as the float drifted out upon
the lake.
“Come over and see us some time when you can’t stay.”
“If you happen to be passing we’ll be glad to see you—pass.”
“Remember, the other side of the lake is best for camping.”
“What’s the tin box for? Buried treasure?”
“Speech, speech!” half a dozen yelled.
“No hard feeling, is there?” one clear, earnest voice called. It was
that of the new raving Raven, Billy Simpson. “You sure about plenty
of fun?”
“Sure I’m sure,” Pee-wee shouted at the boy who had succeeded
him in the patrol. He scorned to answer any of the others. “I’m
pronouncing the world—”
“He means denouncing,” said a scout.
“Do you mean renouncing?” another called.
“I’ll give you a tip,” he called to Billy Simpson; “because I’m not
mad at you on account of your joining—”
“He’s more to be pitied than blamed,” Roy Blakeley shouted.
“It’s better than if he was in the Silver Foxes,” Pee-wee screamed.
“Hey, Billy Simpson, you look for a bottle with invisible writing and
hold it over the campfire, so that proves I’m not sore at you! It’s a
mystery.”
“A how?” several called.
“We’re going to make a fortune,” Pee-wee yelled defiantly. “We’re
going to be the richest patrol—”
 “On the other side of Black Lake,” a laughing voice called.
“You’d better all look at regulation seven,” Pee-wee shouted;
“you’d better all look at regulation seven, that’s all I say!”
His mouth now embraced the remainder of his apple in a
touching, last farewell. His voice was stifled by the clinging core.
Then, in a kind of agony of parting forever, he threw the core from
him and it floated through the air like a thrown kiss, and landed plunk
in one of the twinkling eyes of Roy Blakeley, patrol leader of the
Silver Foxes.
The Hop-toad Patrol was off upon its great adventure.
 CHAPTER XVI—REGULATION SEVEN
“The plot grows thicker,” said Roy. “What’s all this about a bottle?”
“And regulation seven,” said another scout. “What the dickens
regulation is that? Let’s go up and see.”
Just for the fun of it they all strolled up toward Main Pavilion.
Fastened to the trunk of an oak tree just outside it was the bulletin-
board at which Hervey Willetts, the most picturesque scout that had
ever visited camp, had thrown a luscious, soft tomato, which exploit
had an interesting sequel elsewhere told. How strange the camp
seemed that summer without the captivating personality of that
wandering minstrel.
“He said he wouldn’t be here this summer,” said a scout
reminiscently.
“That’s what makes me think maybe he will be,” said another.
“Anything’s likely with him,” said a third.
“One, two, three, four, five, six, here it is—seven,” said a scout,
following the rules down with his finger, and reading aloud:

7—The rights of property, owned or hired, are to be respected

by all scouts. A scout shall not trespass upon any farm or other
property while a guest at this camp. It is likewise unscoutlike for
a scout to enter without permission the cabin, tent or precincts,
of another scout, or of a troop or patrol of which he is not a
member. He shall not use without permission any boat or canoe
assigned to other scouts. No explanation of practical joking or of
other innocent intent shall excuse him from the stigma of
trespassing when he crosses or enters property officially
assigned to others within the camp limits.

“What’s the idea?” a scout asked curiously. “Just a few of us sat

on the edge of the float. The kid didn’t seem to object.”
 “Maybe he means we’d better not go near his stalking signs while
he’s away,” another said. “He’s watching a couple of nests in that big
elm.”
“I guess he’s got the rule mixed up with some other rule,” another
suggested. “Everything is all jumbled up in his massive dome.”
Since the scouts were in the habit of observing at least the spirit of
this good rule, the group concluded that Pee-wee’s ominous warning
referred to some other rule. He had been greatly excited, as was
natural when setting off upon a cruise of perhaps a mile or more.
There was one scout among them, and only one, who entertained
any serious thoughts about Pee-wee and his epoch-making
enterprise. This was Billy Simpson. He could not rid his mind of the
thought that his position in the Raven Patrol was somewhat that of a
usurper. He had sized Pee-wee up very accurately and he had an
uncomfortable feeling that the little former mascot was merely on a
sort of adventurous spree and did not realize what he had done in
his thoughtless resignation from the patrol.
 “WE’RE GOING TO MAKE A FORTUNE,” PEE-WEE YELLED DEFIANTLY.

It consoled him somewhat, and eased his conscience, to know

that at least Pee-wee was having the time of his life as a leader,
even though he had only two followers. He could not do otherwise
than laugh at Pee-wee, but all the while he had a queer feeling about
the whole matter. He hoped that everything was all right and that
Pee-wee knew his own mind.
As if there was anything that Pee-wee didn’t know....
 CHAPTER XVII—TEARS
Pee-wee had sticking in his belt an envelope which he had sealed
and addressed to the Hoptoad Patrol. Being the only one in authority
in that patrol he now opened it and read aloud the letter within it
which he had likewise written himself. Its contents must have
surprised him greatly for he scowled as he read the portentous
words:

The cruiser Hop-toad will go to the other side of the lake and
we will get it into Goldenrod Cove so as it’s wedged in, kind of.
Then we’ll eat.
After that we’ll write a message with an onion and cast it in
the sea—that’s the same as the lake. That message will tell
them they can hike around the lake in sixty minutes and we’ll
charge them five cents each to cross our property and I’ll be the
treasurer and we’ll divide up even. If anybody wants to back out
he can say so now or he can stay till the death.

“Are we going to get killed,” Willie Rivers asked anxiously.

“Staying till the death means till it’s all over,” Pee-wee explained.
“Now I’ll tell you about those sealed orders, only usually nobody but
the captains know about those. Last year Chocolate Drop, he’s cook
and I stand in with him, last year he said every scout that could go
scout pace around the lake in an hour could have three helpings of
dessert for the rest of the season. But anyway nobody did it because
on account of Goldenrod Cove; that’s an outlet of the lake.
“So now we’re going to sail into that cove and you’ll see how it is
when we get there. It’s kind of like a cove only different. So now we
have to do what it says in the sealed orders. And you’ll see how I’m
going to win the pioneering badge too.”
 “What are we going to write in the note that’s invisible?” little
Howard Delekson ventured to ask.
“We’re going to tell them the way is clear for them to hike around
in less than an hour if they want to.”
“Why don’t we send it right away so they’ll be sure to find it soon?”
Willie asked.
“Because the bottle’s full of stuffed olives and we have to empty it
first but anyway that reminds me that I’m hungry.”
“Can we help you empty it?” Howard asked tactfully.
“Sure you can,” said Pee-wee, fishing the bottle of olives up out of
the keg; “I never knew I wanted some olives till you reminded me.”
The bottle was soon emptied, and now Pee-wee, kneeling at an
old grocery box, stood his precious onion on it like an inkstand.
Having next produced his scout note book and laid it solemnly upon
the grocery box, he brought forth a deadly skewer which he had
extracted from a ham in Cooking Shack, and with it stabbed the
onion to the heart. Perhaps it was because their gallant bark was
nearing the middle of the lake and the beloved camp receding in the
distance, or perhaps it was from sheer joy at the great good turn he
expected so soon to perform, but it is a fact that at the very moment
he punctured the onion with his makeshift pen, his eyes filled with
tears.
With the pensive tear-drops standing on his round cheeks and
with eyes glistening from the sadness of parting, or from some other
equally logical cause, he penned the following missive, stabbing the
onion afresh for every tender word he wrote, and weeping so
copiously that he could not have deciphered the writing even if it had
been visible. These were the words, all unseen, which he penned
with the magic onion juice:

The offer of three helpings all through the season is still open
and the cove is bridged and any feller can hike around scout
pace in less than an hour so now’s your chance.
Harris—hop-toad,
Ex-raven
 He strained his eyes to read those memorable words which were
to mean so much to him, and to all the scouts at camp. To say
nothing of the camp commissary. But the spirit of the onion spoke
not to those who did not know its secret. Not a sign of writing was
there upon that virgin page.
Pee-wee rolled the missive, injected it into the bottle, and corked
the bottle tight. He then produced a small limp article connected with
a short stick. On blowing through the stick the limp attachment
swelled to astounding dimensions as Pee-wee’s cheeks puffed more
and more till they seemed like to burst. Now upon the inflated
balloon appeared the words Catskill Garage in conspicuous white
letters.
The limit of Pee-wee’s blowing capacity having been reached, he
jabbed the blow-stick into the onion to check the egress of air, when
suddenly that humble vegetable, so modest that its very blood
shunned the gaze of prying eyes, threw out a veritable spray in every
direction like an electric sparkler, as the balloon grew smaller till it
staggered, then collapsed, leaving the Hop-toad Patrol weeping and
sneezing and groping frantically for their handkerchiefs, no doubt as
flags of truce.
“I—eh—eh—chhh—ew—chh—I—llchew—try it—again.”
 CHAPTER XVIII—THE BATTLE OF THE BURS
The gallant bottle with its aerial companion attached was not yet
set free upon the angry waves of Black Lake. For the epoch-making
announcement must not be premature and the good bark Hop-toad
had still some yards to travel before bunking against the farther
shore.
Indeed, it did not bunk against the farther shore at all. Like the
ships of another famous adventurer (Christopher Columbus) it
reached a destination, but not the destination intended. It flopped
against the shore at the northern extremity of the lake, where the
natives (consisting of three turtles) fled precipitately upon the
approach of the explorers.
“We’ll have to pull it around,” said the leader of the Hop-toads;
“we’ll have to coast along shore. Our port is due west of the camp.
Maybe it’s kind of south by due west. Come on, let’s pull.”
“Is it deep enough all the way around by the shore?” Howard
asked.
“You mean the coast, not the shore,” said Pee-wee; “we have to
go coastwise; we have to hug the coast; that doesn’t mean putting
our arms around it.”
By reason of the surrounding hills the shore of Black Lake was
precipitous all the way round, except where the camp was. The
water was therefore comparatively deep, even close under the
shore. Wriggling in and out of the tiny passes near the lake wound a
trail which would have completely encircled it, notwithstanding many
smaller obstacles, save for Goldenrod Cove which was the
beginning of the lake’s main outlet.
By dint of pulling on the bushes and pushing with a couple of
scout staffs and dancing on the unsusceptible platform, they
succeeded in getting it along the shore till the camp was almost
opposite them across the water.
 The progress of the gallant bark was something like the progress
of a stubborn mule, and it certainly hugged the shore with an
altogether affectionate embrace. It would flop along but nothing
would tempt it to tear itself away from the sheltering bushes. These
hung so low that in places they playfully removed our hero’s hat and
ruffled his curly hair and deposited volleys of clinging burs upon his
martial regalia.
Scout Willie and Scout Howard wrestled valiantly with these leafy
tormentors, closing their eyes and sweeping the assaulting clusters
aside as the noble float flopped resolutely along. But they were
covered with burs from head to foot; there were prickling burs on
their stockings, down their necks, and worst of all, in their shoes.
Burs lurked in their hair and would not be routed. One bur, more
valiant than the rest, dared to penetrate within the khaki shirt of our
hero, taking up a strategic position in the small of his back where it
kept up a running assault with a hundred million tiny prongs. It was in
vain that he approached this invader from the rear; in vain that he
wriggled and twisted and almost tied his heroic body in a knot. The
tormentor was not to be harried or dislodged.
“I got burs all over me,” said Scout Willie; “wait a minute, I have to
take off my shoe.”
“Feel down my neck,” said Scout Howard; “it tickles.”
“Do you think that an explorer—do you think that—Peary—was
scared of burs?” Pee-wee demanded contemptuously, the while
madly scratching his back.
“Maybe they don’t have burs at the North Pole,” Scout Howard
ventured.
“Don’t you suppose there were burs in France?” Pee-wee said.
“Maybe French ones aren’t so bad,” Howard suggested, removing
his shoe and extracting a whole regiment of burs, while Willie made
a sudden raid up one sleeve with his hand.
“Burs are—they’re just like natives,” Pee-wee said. “You’re not
scared of natives, are you? Scouts are supposed to love everything
in the woods.”
“They ain’t in the woods when they’re on stockings, are they?”
Willie asked, rather boldly.
 Our hero was now reduced to the use of one arm in poling the
float, his other hand being continually engaged in scratching his
writhing back. With that one stalwart arm he tried to keep the float far
enough off shore to be clear of the assaulting legions. Willie Rivers,
having battled nobly, sat helpless on the stubborn float, holding a
shoe in one hand and clearing the gory field of his stockings with the
other. The naked, undefended area between the ends of his loose
khaki trousers and the tops of his stockings was swarming with the
enemy.
The tent, knocked askew by the assaulting branches, was
covered with clinging burs. It seemed to reel and stagger under the
attacks of the aroused and enraged brush. All the famous sea fights
of history were nothing to this. Scout Howard, warding off the
relentless onslaughts with one sturdy arm, was trying vainly to reach
the small of his back over his left shoulder with the other.
Suddenly the voice of our hero rose above the roar of battle,
“Look out for the poison ivy! Give her a push out! Quick!”
Withdrawing his hand from the forlorn enterprise down his back,
Scout Howard grasped a scout staff and gave a mighty shove
against the shore sending the harassed cruiser clear of this ghastly
peril just as a low hanging branch, lurking unnoticed like a
sharpshooter, toppled over the keg of provisions and it went rolling
into the water.
This dastardly attempt to starve out a gallant adversary was met
by quick action from the leader of the Hop-toads. Giving one frantic
look at a package of Uneeda biscuits floating near the bobbing keg,
he plunged into the angry waters and returned triumphant with
several varieties of commissary stores, while Scout Rivers, forgetting
all else at the thought of his commander’s wrath, reached out with
his scout staff and brought the rolling keg safely aboard.
But alas, just in the moment of this heroic rescue, the float,
unguided for the moment, bobbed plunk against the shore and into a
veritable jungle of tangled vines.
“Wild roses! Wild roses! Look out for the thorns!” cried
Commander Harris.
 But it was too late. Already they were surrounded, enveloped,
embraced, in a very labyrinth of Nature’s barbed wire
entanglements. The wounds and scars of battle were already upon
them. The uncovered portions of Scout Harris were tattooed with a
system of scratches which ran here and there like bloody trails. A
scratch was on his nose and his hair was pulled up in the combing
process of the thorned tentacles. The martial regalia of the three
warriors was in tatters.
But they did not give up. Lying flat upon the raft they pushed with
all their might and main till their staffs sunk into the spongy shore.
And at last, by dint of superhuman effort, the cruiser Hop-toad
emerged from this fearful trap and was happily caught in the flowing
water which bespoke the neighborhood of Goldenrod Cove.
 CHAPTER XIX—SAIL ON, THOU BOTTLE!
This famous cruise to the remote farther shore of Black Lake is
famous in camp history. And the awful conflict there is often spoken
of as The Battle of the Burs. The losses on the side of the invaded
coast were about fifty million burs, several entire branches of the
Wild Rose Battalion and a ton or two of grassy earth.
The losses of the exploring party were one khaki jacket, three
scout hats, six stockings, one box of egg powder, four cans of
condensed milk, one scout staff, a package of spaghetti, one shoe,
four buttons and three tin spoons. The wounded were one nose,
three ears, two knees, two heads of hair, three arms and about one
square mile of scratches. There is at present a movement in Temple
Camp to safeguard the neighborhood from the recurrence of such a
frightful world catastrophe.
One thing remained unscarred after this sanguinary adventure.
The bottle with its companion balloon had been safe within the tent.
The Hoptoad was now carried merrily into the cove upon the
hurrying water and proceeded as far into the outlet as its dimensions
would permit it to do. Here it stopped, just as its far-seeing navigator
knew it would do, wedged immovably between the two shores. Pee-
wee had always claimed to be lucky, and his luck was faithful to his
purpose here. For the two ends of the trail ended at the opposite
sides of the lumbering float. A line across the float and the trail would
have been unbroken.
Goldenrod Cove could not quite be seen from Temple Camp
across the lake, but in the early fall its profusion of yellow was visible
like a dab of gold across the water. And when that dab of gold
appeared, the scouts still at camp knew that presently school would
open and the camp close for the season. Some fanciful youngster
had said that that golden area was the shape and color of a bell, and
it came to be called The School-bell by the scouts of camp. But the
momentous affair of Goldenrod Cove was in the earlier summertime
and there was no school-bell there.
Let us observe the geography of this dim, quiet spot, made
memorable by the immortal exploit of Pee-wee. The cove at its
widest point (that is, where it joined the lake) was about twenty feet
wide. It narrowed gradually till it was just wide enough to let a little
brook from the lake pass through. This trickling outlet found its way
to the lordly Hudson.
Hiking around the lake by the trail, the scout came upon the shore
of this cove where it was perhaps fifteen feet wide. You will say that
he could swim across, and so he could. But that is just where the
joker came in, for the standing offer of Chocolate Drop stipulated for
an unbroken hike. The unbroken hike around Black Lake was like
the fountain of perpetual youth that old What’s-his-name searched
for in Florida. There wasn’t any.
The tempting offer of three desserts for the balance of the season
as a reward for an unbroken hike was just a practical joke. A very,
very cruel practical joke to those who love and reverence desserts.
Every new scout tried it with high hopes till he reached the
challenging shore of the cove. If he followed this shore to a point
where he might wade across he would consume more time than he
could afford.
That smile of Chocolate Drop’s which showed all his white teeth
was not a vain and meaningless smile. “This thing could not be did,”
as Roy Blakeley had said. It had come to be the hoary-headed
tottering old practical joke of the camp. And so it remained until Pee-
wee Harris touched it with the wand of his genius.
“Sling the bottle in the water,” he said; “throw it as far as you can.”
This romantic form of announcement, borrowed from shipwrecked
mariners of old, was of course not essential to Pee-wee’s mammoth
enterprise. But in the field of romance and adventure he was nothing
if not thorough.
The bottle splashed into the lake beyond the area of outflowing
water and the balloon advertising the Catskill Garage was caught in
the breeze and wafted off upon its mission. It hovered a yard or more
above the bobbing bottle, leading and dragging it eastward like a