Scouts celebrate new pavilion with ribbon cutting, tree-topping

A tree branch was placed on top of a new pavilion in a tradition called “topping out” on the Griswold Scout Reservation near Gilmanton Iron Works on Friday afternoon. The practice of topping out a new building is tied to ancient Scandinavian religious tradition of placing a tree or large branch on top to appease tree-dwelling spirits displaced in the construction of the building. Now, this practice is purely ceremonial. The pavilion will be used for handicrafts, as well as sustainability education. Scout rangers at the Griswold Scout Reservation cut the timber this winter and milled most of it at the sawmill onsite. Some wood was sent to Woodell & Daughters Forest Products for milling. Northcott Wood Turning provided pegs for the construction, WHS Homes donated the timber frame, and Timberpeg finished the cutting of timber and rallied everyone for the event. Scouts also received help from other New Hampshire businesses. Scout Executive and CEO Jay Garee, of the Daniel Webster Council, gave a speech during the ribbon-cutting event expressing his excitement for the pavilion and what the construction represents. "We can actually teach our Scouts that when you harvest your own wood, you can turn it into a wood product and build a structure like this, and actually use the assets and the resources you have at your disposal to do that type of work," he said. Timberpeg marketing director Joelle Taylor is celebrating her 20th anniversary with the company, and said because of this project, the Scouts gave her two challenge coins, which are given to people who outperform the job. "I have two challenge coins, which I'm told are given to people that go up above and beyond," Taylor said. "And that's not just for me. It's for everybody who helped out here. It's amazing. I'm just so grateful for everybody, and this was a really special project."