Camping For Boys Part 28

Purpose of Games

The spirit of camping is too frequently destroyed by over-emphasis upon compet.i.tive games. Play is necessary for the growing boy and play that engages many partic.i.p.ants has the most value. America today is suffering from highly specialized, semi-professional athletics and games. "When athletics degenerate into a mere spectacle, then is the stability of the nation weakened. Greece led the world, while the youth of that great country deemed it an honor to struggle for the laurel leaf, and gymnasiums were everywhere and universally used and the people saw little good in an education that neglected the body. It is a significant fact that the degeneracy of Greece was synchronous with the degrading of athletics into mere professional contests. What had been the athletics of the people became a spectacle for the people." [1]

[Footnote 1: Emmett D. Angell in "Play," p. 19.]

Baseball League

Do not allow the athletics and games of the camp to become a mere spectacle for the campers. Something should be planned for every boy and every boy encouraged to partic.i.p.ate in the program. Nothing has yet taken the place of the good old American game of baseball. Divide the camp boys into teams. Have a league playing a series of games. The teams may be named after the different colleges or prominent cities or as one camp named the league, the "Food League" after popular camp dishes, such as: "Prunes," "Beans," "Soup," "Hash," "Mush," "Chipped Beef." It is needless to state that the boys in the league not only had a lot of fun, but the camp paper contained very amusing accounts of the games played.

Arrange a schedule of games and keep accurate records of all games played either in the "Camp Log" or camp paper. A dinner given to the winning team adds to the excitement of the league's existence. Do not neglect the younger boys; have two "Midget" teams engage in a series for best two out of three games. Occasionally a game between the leaders and older boys is the exciting game of the season, especially if the leaders are defeated.

The same rule of partic.i.p.ation should govern the athletics of the camp.

Inter-tent games help to develop group loyalty, cooperation, fair play, and courtesy to opponents so desirable.

Groups

In some camps the boys are divided into two groups, those under five feet in height and those over five feet. Events are planned for these two groups. The system of grouping suggested by the School Athletic League, is that of grouping the boys according to physiological rather than chronological age, as follows: Pre-p.u.b.escent boys under 90 pounds.

p.u.b.escent boys or juniors, 90 to 110 pounds.

Post-p.u.b.escent or intermediates, 110 to 130 pounds.

Seniors, above 130 pounds.

The boys are weighed in competing costume. This system is looked upon as being fair and practical.

What to Avoid

The following should be avoided--Marathon runs, sustained effort in and under water and compet.i.tive long-distance running. The longest sprint race should be, for boys, 50 yards, for juniors, 75 yards. No adolescent who is not past the p.u.b.escent stage should run sprint races longer than 100 yards. Cross-country running is beneficial when taken at a slow pace and without compet.i.tion. Every boy should be examined for heart weakness before entering the strenuous games.

The above is the opinion of physical directors from twenty-one different States and may be considered authoritative. This same opinion prevails among most of the experienced camp leaders and workers among boys.

Events

The athletics usually planned for camp are: 50 yard dash for boys; 75-yard dash for juniors; 100 yard dash for seniors; running high jump; running broad jump; pole vault; 8 and 12-pound shot-put; baseball throw and relay race.

Awards

Ribbon awards presented to the winners at a special meeting of the campers aid considerably in fostering the true spirit of clean athletics and wholesome sport and are appreciated by the winners as souvenirs of the good-natured contest.

Camps possessing a stereopticon[1] should secure the set of slides and lecture accompanying from the Moral Education League of Baltimore, Md., ent.i.tled "The True Sportsman." Rental terms are five dollars a week and expressage.

[Transcribers Footnote 1: stereopticon: A magic lantern, with two projectors arranged to produce dissolving views.]

A perpetual cup for all-round proficiency, upon which is engraved the name of each year's winner, is a good way of recording the annual athletic meet.

A shield with the names of the winners of the season's events painted or burned upon it and hung up in the camp lodge helps to retain the interest of the winner in the camp after he has become a "grown-up" or alumnus.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Take-off; Cross-section of Take-off; Jumping Standards;]

Apparatus

Boys who like to make things may be put to work making various pieces of athletic apparatus. A Take-Off may be made of a plank or board, 8 inches wide and 36 inches long, sunk flush with the earth. The outer edge of this plank is considered the scratch line. Remove the earth to a depth of three inches and width of twelve inches.

To make a pair of jumping standards, first saw out the bottom blocks, each being 10 x 10 inches and 2 inches thick. In the center of each block chisel out a hole 2 x 2 inches and about 1 inch in depth. Into these holes fit the ends of the upright pieces, which should be 5 feet long and 2 inches square. Before securing the upright pieces, bore holes an inch apart, into which may be inserted a piece of heavy wire or large wire nail to hold up the cross piece or jumping stick. Be sure to s.p.a.ce the holes alike on both uprights, so the crosspiece will set level when the standard is in use. Four 5-inch braces are fastened in at the lower part of the upright. Study the diagram and you will succeed in making a pretty good pair of standards.

Campus Games

After supper is usually a period in the camp life rather difficult of occupation. "Campus Games" appeal to most boys. These games are designed especially for the after-supper hour, although they may be played at any time.

Circle Jumping

Stand the boys in a circle with all hands clasped. One of the crowd lies down in the center with a rope as long as one-half the diameter of the circle. To the end of the rope is tied a small weight like a sand bag. He whirls the weight around with the full length of rope revolving with increasing rapidity. As it approaches the players, they hop up and let it pa.s.s under their feet. The one whose foot is touched is out of the game and the boy who keeps out of the way of the rope the longest is the winner.

Wolf

Here is a j.a.panese game full of fun and action. Place a dozen or more boys in line, and have each fellow place his hands firmly on the shoulders of the boy in front of him. Choose one of the fellows for the "Wolf." The first boy at the head of the line is called the "Head" of the Serpent, and the last fellow is the "Tail." The "Wolf" stands near the head of the Serpent until a signal is given. Then he tries to catch the "Tail" without touching any other part of the snake. The boys who form the body of the Serpent protect the "Tail" by wreathing about in all sorts of twists to prevent the "Wolf" from catching the "Tail." This must be done without breaking the line. When the "Tail" is caught, the "Wolf" becomes the "Head," and the "Tail" becomes the "Wolf." The last boy in line is the "Tail." The game can be continued until every boy has been the "Wolf."

Rover, All Come Over

A line is marked dividing the campus. All the boys gather on one side. One boy in the center endeavors to have them step over the line by calling out, "Rover, Rover, all come over!" At the word "over" everybody is expected to run and cross the line, while the center man endeavors to catch one. The one caught must help him catch the others. If any one runs over before the center man calls "over," he has to go to the aid of the catcher. When all are caught the game begins again.

[Ill.u.s.tration: German Nine Pins--Camp Becket]

Indian and White Man

The game of "Indian and White Man" is interesting. A circle is drawn on the campus. It is supposed that the white people are travelling over the prairie, and at night time they prepare to camp. The circle represents their camp. The Whites lie down to sleep and sentries are posted. The Indians discover the camp and endeavor to capture the Whites. Then comes the battle royal. Every Indian captured in the white man's circle counts one, and every white man captured by the Indians outside the circle counts one for their side. The game continues until all of either side are captured. The players are divided into two groups. The Indians are concealed in the bushes or some place unseen by the Whites and they make the attack.

Such games as "Three Deep," "Bull in the Ring," "Tag Game," "Leap Frog,"

will be found to interest the boys during the after-supper period.

The following are campus games requiring apparatus:

German Bowling

Plant in the ground two posts, leaving at least 15 feet above ground.

Spike a 10-foot piece across the top (see page 218). An ordinary ball used in bowling is used by plugging shut the holes and inserting a screw eye in one of the plugged holes. Tie tightly to this screw eye a strong piece of rope. A good-sized screw eye is fastened in the cross piece of the frame, and to this tie the ball. Nine bowling pins are used. The score is the same as bowling. The pins are knocked off by the return of the ball, as shown in the diagram.

[Ill.u.s.tration: German Bowling]

Tether Ball

The upright pole should be standing ten feet out of the ground and firmly imbedded in the earth so as not to vibrate.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tether Ball]

The pole should be 7-1/2 inches in circ.u.mference at the ground and tapering toward the upper end. Paint a black or white 2-inch band around the pole 6 feet above the ground. Draw a circle about the pole on the ground having a 3-foot radius. A 20-foot line must bisect the circle. Use a tennis ball having a netted or tightly fitting linen cover. The ball is fastened to a string with a ring and suspended from the top of the pole by a piece of heavy braided fish line. The cord should allow the ball to hang 7-1/2 feet. Tennis racquets are used. The two players stand at point marked with an X in the diagram. In the toss-up for courts the loser is the server. The ball may be struck in any manner with the racquet, the endeavor being to wind the string upon the pole above the painted band.

Volley Ball

Stretch a tennis net across the campus and mark a court fifty feet long, to be divided equally by the net. The play consists in keeping in motion the ball over the net from one side to the other, until one fails to return it, which counts as an out. The ball used is similar to a football, only smaller. The game consists of twenty-one points.