Boy Scouts Handbook Part 67

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The simplest way of scoring is to make a list of the articles in the room on your scoring paper with a column for marks for each scout against them, which can then easily be totalled up at foot.

Follow the Trail

Send out a "hare," either walking or cycling, with a pocketful of corn, nutsh.e.l.ls, confetti paper, or b.u.t.tons, etc., and drop a few here and there to give a trail for the patrol to follow.

Or go out with a piece of chalk and draw the patrol sign on walls, gate posts, pavements, lamp posts, trees, etc., every here and there, and let the patrol hunt you by these marks. Patrols should wipe out all these marks as they pa.s.s them for tidiness, and so as not to mislead them for another day's practice.

The other road signs should also be used, such as closing up certain roads as not used, and hiding a letter at some point, giving directions as to the next turn.

Scout's Nose In-doors

Prepare a number of paper bags, all alike, and put in each a different smelling article, such as chopped onion in one, tan in another, rose leaves, leather, anise-seed, violet powder, orange peel, etc. Put these packets in a row a couple of feet apart, and let each compet.i.tor walk down the line and have five seconds sniff at each. At the end he has one minute in which to write down or to state to the umpire the names of the different objects smelled, from memory, in their correct order.

Scout Meets Scout in Town or Country

Single scouts, or complete patrols or pairs of scouts, to be taken out about two miles apart, and made to work toward each other, either alongside a road, or by giving each side a landmark to work to, such as a steep hill or big tree, which is directly behind the other party, and will thus insure their coming together. The patrol which first sees the other wins. This is signified by the patrol leader holding up his patrol flag for the umpire to see, and sounding his whistle. A patrol need not keep together, but that patrol wins which first holds out its flag, so it is well for the scouts to be in touch with their patrol leaders by signal, voice, or message.

Scouts may employ any ruse they like, such as climbing into trees, hiding in carts, etc., but they must not dress up in disguise.

This may also be practised at night.

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Shoot Out

Two patrols compete. Targets: bottles or bricks set up on end to represent the opposing patrol. Both patrols are drawn up in line at about twenty to twenty-five yards from the targets. At the word "fire," they throw stones at the targets. Directly a target falls, the umpire directs the corresponding man of the other patrol to sit down--killed. The game goes on, if there are plenty of stones, till the whole of one patrol is killed. Or a certain number of stones can be given to each patrol, or a certain time limit, say one minute.

Kim's Game

Place about twenty or thirty small articles on a tray, or on the table or floor, such as two or three different kinds of b.u.t.tons, pencils, corks, rags, nuts, stones, knives, string, photos--anything you can find--and cover them over with a cloth or coat.

Make a list of these, and make a column opposite the list for each boy's replies.

Then uncover the articles for one minute by your watch, or while you count sixty at the rate of "quick march." Then cover them over again.

Take each boy separately and let him whisper to you each of the articles that he can remember, and mark it off on your scoring sheet.

The boy who remembers the greatest number wins the game.

Morgan's Game

Scouts are ordered to run to a certain boarding, where an umpire is already posted to time them. They are each allowed to look at this for one minute, and then to run back to headquarters and report to the instructor all that was on the boarding in the way of advertis.e.m.e.nts.

Snow Fort

The snow fort may be built by one patrol according to their own ideas of fortification, with loopholes, etc., for looking out. When finished, it will be attacked by hostile patrols, using s...o...b..a.l.l.s as ammunition. Every scout struck by a s...o...b..ll is counted dead. The attackers should, as a rule, number at least twice the strength of the defenders.

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Siberian Man Hunt

One scout as fugitive runs away across the snow in any direction he may please until he finds a good hiding place, and there conceals himself. The remainder, after giving him twenty minutes' start or more, proceed to follow him by his tracks. As they approach his hiding place, he shoots at them with s...o...b..a.l.l.s, and every one that is struck must fall out dead. The fugitive must be struck three times before he is counted dead.

Hare and Hounds

Two or more persons representing the hares, and provided with a large quant.i.ty of corn, are given a start of several minutes and run a certain length of time, then return by another route to the starting point, all the time scattering corn in their path. After the lapse of the number of minutes' handicap given the hares, those representing the hounds start in pursuit, following by the corn and trying to catch the hares before they reach the starting-point in returning.

The handicap given the hares should be small, depending on the running abilities of the hares and hounds. The fastest runners are usually picked for the hounds.

Chalk the Arrow

This is usually played in the city streets, one player running and trying to keep out of sight of the others who follow. The runner is given time to disappear around the first corner before the others start after him, and at every corner he turns he marks (with chalk) an arrow pointing in the direction he takes. Those pursuing follow by the arrow, the first one seeing him being the runner for the next time.

This may also be played by having any number run and only one follow, the first becoming "it" for the next time.

Dodge Ball

Of any number of players, half of that number form a circle, while the other half stand inside of the ring (centre) facing outward. Now, the game for those in the centre is to dodge the ball which is thrown by any of those forming the circle with the intention of striking the centre ones {313} out. Every time a member is struck he is dead, and takes his place among those of the circle. Now he has a chance to throw at those remaining in the centre. This arrangement keeps all taking part busy. Only one is out at a time. This being kept up until finally only one is left. He is hailed the king. For next round, players exchange places, i. e., those who were in the centre now form the circle.

Note: If the touch is preceded by a bound of the ball it does not count.

Prisoner's Base

Goals are marked off at both ends of the playground, the players divided into two equal divisions, occupying the two goals. About ten paces to the right of each goal is a prison. A player advances toward the opposite goal, when one from that goal starts out to catch him. He retreats, and one from his side runs to his rescue by trying to catch the pursuer--who in turn is succored by one from his side, and so on.

Every player may catch anyone from the opposite side who has been out of goal longer than he has. Any player caught is conducted to the prison by his captor and must remain there until rescued by some one from his side, who touches him with the hand. The one who does this is subject to being caught like any other player.

Throwing the Spear

The game is an old Greek and Persian pastime. "Throw the spear and speak the truth," was a national maxim of the Persians that we may copy with advantage.

The apparatus required is some light spears and an archery target. The spears should vary from five to six feet in length; the point should be shod with a steel tip, having a socket into which the wooden handle is fitted, and made fast by small screws pa.s.sing through holes in the sides of the metal, and then into the wood itself. The wood, for about a foot above the barb, should be about three quarters of an inch in diameter, and from thence gradually taper to about a quarter of an inch in thickness until the end of the spear is reached.

Some spears are fitted with feathers, like an arrow, but these are not necessary to obtain a good throw, and soon get dismantled in continually falling upon the ground. Any ordinary target will serve.

It may be an archery target, a sack full of straw, or a sod bank.

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