Object—Physical Action

Teams—Half Troop

Type—Vigorous

Space—Medium, 1-0

Material—Mat or chalk

Two opposing teams line up equally distant from a mat or space chalked off on the ground about 25 square feet. At the leader's signal they rush for the mat and try to place as many men thereon as possible. At the end of one minute a whistle is blown and the team having the most men on the mat wins. Opponents can be pulled, pushed or thrown, but clothing must not be grasped.

Pull Him Over

Object—Physical Action

Teams—Half Troop

Type—Vigorous

Space—Medium, I-O

Material—None

Two parallel lines attempt to pull each other across a mark. The contest continues for a certain length of time, or until all of one side have been pulled across line. Hands are clasped across the line to start with.

After that Scouts grab any opponent's hands they can reach, calling upon team mates for help.

Heads And Tails

Object—Attention, Exercise Teams—Half Troop Type—Vigorous Space—Large, 1-0 Material—A coin

The Scouts are divided into two teams of equal numbers and agility, facing each other toeing a line across center of room or field. Game leader names one side "heads," the other "tails." He then tosses the coin and calls the side that comes up, thereby giving the team called the alarm to run back to the goal, twenty to fifty feet from center line. If on this run the Scouts are tagged by boys of the other team before reaching goal, they are won over to other team. Repeated as desired.

Fish Net

Object—Physical Action

Teams—Half Troop

Type—Vigorous Space—Large, O Material—None

Troop divided into two teams. Teams line up at either end of play field. One line is the net, and the Scouts in it clasp hands. The other team are the fish, "swimming" separately. The lines move toward each other, the net trying to encircle and tag as many fish

"Wheel-barrow Race." This puts lots of novelty into relay races. Variations on old games make them popular as possible in one sweep down the field. Fish try to escape around ends of net. Captured fish are out. If net breaks, all fish caught on that sweep are free. After each sweep teams change roles.

Walking Statues

Object—Attention, Stalking

Teams—Half Troop Type—Lively

Space—Medium, 1-0

Material—None

Two teams starting from opposite ends of a room, or field, advance on a leader who stands in the center. A team can only advance while the leader is facing the opposite way and counting. He stops counting suddenly and turns around whereupon everyone must be motionless. If he detects the least movement, the guilty party is sent back to the starting line. This continues until some player reaches the center and touches the leader, thus winning for his team and becoming the next leader. The players soon find that they must advance very cautiously to be able to stop instantly in any position when the leader turns.

Cr-R-Rows And Cr-R-Ranes

Described in Chat 5. See Index.

Seize The Bacon

Object—Attention

Teams—Half Troop

Type—Lively

Space—Medium, 1-0

Material—One hat er neckerchief

Troop, in two teams, lines up with thirty feet between the lines. Teams face each other and number through, thus there are two Scouts for each number— one in each line. Two "ones," two "fives," etc. The "bacon"—a hat, neckerchief—lies on the ground in the center. The leader calls "sixes," and the two "sixes" dash out, each trying to seize the "bacon" and get "home" before the other "six" tags him. Score: one point for getting safely home, or for tagging Scout carrying the "bacon."

Capture The Flag (Flag Raiding)

Object—Physical action

Teams—Half Troop Type—Strenuous

Space—Large, O

Material—Two signal flags.

Each team has its own territory in which its Scouts are free to move as they please, but on which opponents enter at their peril. The territories are separated by a boundary line such as a brook or a trail, etc. Any Scout crossing this line may be captured by the enemy.

Are these boys sewing wood without a saw? Yes. Try discus throwing without a discus. Chop up imaginary kindling without an axe.

The teams assemble close together at a starting point near the center of the line, each team in its own territory. On a signal the teams proceed to set up their flags at any point within one hundred paces of the starting point. The flags must be visible, although it is permissible to place them as inconspicuously as possible.

After three minutes another signal is given for start of game. The object now is to enter the enemy's territory, capture the flag, and carry it across the line into home territory without being caught. Scouts may be posted to guard the flag, but must not get nearer than fifty feet to it, unless an enemy Scout goes within the fifty-foot circle. They may then follow him.

Any Scout found in the enemy's territory may be captured by grasping him and holding him long enough for the. captor to say, "Caught!" three times. When a Scout is captured he must go with captor to the "guard house"—a tree or rock twenty feet from the line at the starting point.

A prisoner may be released by a friend touching him, provided the prisoner at that time is touching the guard house with a hand or a foot, whereupon both return to their own territory. If the rescuer is caught by the guards before he touches the prisoner, he, too, must go to the guard house. A rescuer can rescue only one prisoner at a time.

If the flag is successfully captured, it must be carried across the line into home territory. If the raider is caught before he reaches home, the flag is set up again at the point where it was rescued and the game goes on as before. If neither side captures the enemy's flag within the time agreed upon (say, one hour) the game is won by the team having most prisoners.

Border Scouting

Object—Physical action

Teams—Half Troop

Type—Strenuous

Space—Large, O

Maternal—Four signal flags or substitutes.

The available play space is divided into two equal parts, the line dividing being called the boundary or border. A "customs house" or "den" about twelve feet square is marked off on the boundary line with four signal flags, stones, etc. One team stands in the den, the other scatters and hides. As soon as all are hidden, their leader calls "Ready", and the team in the den starts out to find them, one Scout remaining in the den as "den keeper." Throughout the game he must stay inside of the den. Each Scout of the other team tagged is a prisoner and is brought to the den by his captor, where he must stay until the end of the game or until he is freed. A prisoner may be freed by one of his own team running through the den and tagging him. The den keeper may make both Scouts prisoners by tagging the rescuing Scout while he is in the den. The game ends when all Scouts of the hiding Patrol are tagged or after a previously determined time.

"Skin the Snake" is a strenuous active hearty game that develops stamina and agility

Patrol Teams Skin The Snake

Teams—Patrols

Object—Coordination Space—Medium, 1-0

Type—Lively Material—None

Parallel file formation. Each player stoops over, putting his right hand between his legs and grasping the left hand of the player behind him. At a given signal the last man in line lies down on his back, putting his feet first between the legs of the player in front of him. The line walks backward, striding the bodies of those behind, and immediately lying down upon having no more to stride. Upon completing the transformation, all are lying on their backs. Then the last man who lay down rises to his feet and strides forward up the line, the rest following as fast as their turn comes. Team which breaks grasp is disqualified.

Antelope Race

Object—Coordination,

Teams—Patrols

Action Space—Large, O

Type—Vigorous

Material—None Parallel file formation. On signal, Scouts run in single file with hand on the belt of the Scout ahead to a point fifty yards away, make left turn and run back to starting point. Falling down or breaking apart throws out the team.

Under And Over Relay

Described in Chat 5. See Index.