Sample Of Treasure Type

The Mayan Treasure: A sealed envelope is given to each Patrol Leader. On the outside is written: "To be opened at (time) o'clock at (start position) and read before your Patrol." At the appointed time the Patrol Leader tears open the envelope, which contains a marked map sketch and the following message:

Story—"I am the well-known explorer (name). It has come to my knowledge that an aviator flying over Yucatan has spied a large ruin never before discovered. I have the suspicion that the ruin is that of a Mayan palace and contains the lost treasure of the Mayas. I have therefore called you together so that we may set out and find the treasure. I have already secured provision and weapons for the dangerous expedition. But I have learned that our deadly enemies (names) are planning similar expeditions. They shall not succeed!

Objects—"We will proceed to the Mayan palace (marked treasure on map) where the treasure (a packsack with stones) is buried, dig this up and transport it to our goal, Numa, where we shall be able to convert it into real money. We will do everything in our power to prevent our opponents from getting the treasure and bringing it to Numa.

Score—"Treasure found................10 points

Treasure possessed at the end of game .... 20 points Each opponent captured.................. 2 points

Special Rules—"(Method of capture). Game starts at (time), stops at (time). Troop gathers at (place) at (time)."

Variations Of Treasure Type

The Inheritance: Each Patrol Leader is the son of a man who died ten years ago. On the tenth anniversary of his death each son receives from a lawyer a letter describing where the father buried his treasure, hoping that after ten years the old animosity between the sons would have disappeared. But it is worse than ever. Each son sets out with his own gang to find the treasure and prevent his brothers from getting it. The treasure must be brought to a bank for safety.

The Polar Expedition: Each Patrol is a group of polar explorers racing to the North Pole in competition with the other Patrols. On the North Pole they will find The Flag which Admiral Byrd threw down from his airplane when crossing the top of the world. This flag (signal flag) must be brought back to the office of the Geographical Society, before the explorers' claim can be acknowledged.

The Idol of Bulalonga: Each Patrol is a tribe of Zulus in the wilds of Africa. Through their medicinemen they are informed that the tribe which finds the image of the heathen god Bulalonga and brings it back to the spot from which it was stolen by the pygmies, will forever after be in Bulalonga's favor. The image may be a staff decorated with a couple of neckerchiefs.

The treasure type wide game may be combined with the features of a regular Treasure Hunt (see Chat on Hiking).

Sample Of Seizure Type

The Gems of Mustapha: A sealed envelope is given to each of the two team leaders to be opened at a specified spot at a specified time. Each envelope contains a marked map sketch, and one only of the following two messages:

Message for TEAM I (to be opened at I on map).

Story—"We are the Luxor Desert Police. The rich Arabian Merchant, Mustapha, has come to us and has asked for an escort to take him through the desert. He carries with him a treasure of gems (a packsack filled with leaves) and has learned that the notorious bandit Ali Baba is on the rampage. Our spies have discovered that Ali Baba's righthand man (with turban) still carries with him the loot from the bandits' last robbery (also a packsack with leaves).

Object—"We shall escort Mustapha with his treasure safely from Aswan (I on map) to Kharga (II on map). And while we are out in the desert we shall also use the opportunity to destroy the robbers and recover their loot.

Score—"Mustapha brought to Kharga.......10 points

Mustapha's treasure brought to Kharga.......20 points

Ali Baba's righthand man caught..........10 points

Ali Baba's loot brought to Kharga..........20 points

Each opponent captured.................. 2 points

Special Rules—"(Method of capture). Mustapha wears a neckerchief turban. He must carry his treasure throughout. If treasure is captured it may be recaptured. Game starts at (time). Stops at (time). Troop gathers at (place) at (time)."

Message for TEAM II (to be opened at II on map).

Story—"I am Ali Baba, and you are my gang of desert bandits. I have learned that Mustapha, the rich merchant who always wears a turban, is going to travel through the desert. He carries with him a treasure of gems (a packsack filled with leaves) and has therefore asked the Luxor Desert Police for an escort. But that does not scare us. We have another important job before us. The loot from our last robbery (also a packsack with leaves) which is carried by Ben, my righthand man, must be brought to safety.

Objects—"We shall steal Mustapha's treasure and destroy the police. And also, we shall bring Ben and our loot from here (II on map) to our secret hide-out right in the town of Aswan (I on map).

"X" marks the spot. The treasure caravan starts on its perilous way to "Kharga." This is living "adventure." Leadership is developed.

Score—"Ben brought to Aswan..........10 points

Ben's loot brought to Aswan..............20 points

Mustapha captured ......................10 points

Mustapha's treasure brought to Aswan.....20 points

Each policeman captured................. 2 points

Special Rules—"(Method of capture). Ben wears a neckerchief turban. He must carry the loot throughout. If it is captured it may be recaptured. Game starts at (time). Stops at (time). Troop gathers at (place) at (time)."

Variations Of Seizure Type

The Opium Smugglers: One team is smugglers, the other border police. The smugglers attempt to carry their "opium" to a certain spot, and at the same time take away from the policemen much needed weapons and ammunition. The policemen try to get the "opium" and keep the smugglers from taking their weapons. "Opium" and "weapons" are carried in one or two packsacks.

The Three Musketeers: One team is the three Musketeers and their helpers, the other Cardinal Richelieu and his men. The Musketeers are on their way to Buckingham in England with a code message from the Queen in Paris when they learn that the Cardinal's men have stolen the secret code from Buckingham and are proceeding toward Paris with it. The Cardinal's men in turn have discovered that the Musketeers have a message which decoded would help Richelieu gain his aims. The Musketeers attempt to get the code and the code message both to Buckingham, while the other team tries to get them to Paris. Count extra if the team brings in the decoded message. Code and message are written on large pieces of heavy paper and enclosed in cardboard mailing tubes, to be carried in full view.

The Sacrifice to Bala: The teams are two tribes of Australian bushmen. Each has an idol to whom must be sacrificed a human offering of a child of the enemy tribe. The braves of each tribe have successfully stolen a child from the village of the enemy and are bringing it home when they are informed that the enemy has a child from their village. Each team of braves, of course, wants to rescue the stolen child of its own tribe and also bring home for its idol the enemy child.

To Man—and why not? The modern age has made Scouts planet and inter-stellar space conscious. Here is the game for embryonic pilots.

The "child" is a dummy (a stuffed sack) which must be carried on a stretcher.

Sample Of Conquest Type

The Trip to Mars: A sealed envelope is given to each of the two team leaders to be opened at a specified spot at a specified time. Each envelope contains a marked map sketch, and one only of the following two messages:

Message for TEAM I (to be opened at I on map).

Story—"I am the famous aviator, Colonel Bud Stoop. With you, my brave fellow airmen, I have just completed a flight to Mars where we have landed our stratoplane (indicate by placing four signal flags on

5-foot poles at the corners of a fifteen-foot square). Unfortunately, in landing we smashed our water tank, and since there are no rivers on Mars we are in a dangerous position. We have seen from the air NE from here one of the portable tanks in which the Mars people store their artificial water, but it will be dangerous to reach it since the Mars men are violent enemies of the Earth people.

Objects—"We must capture the water tank (marked by four five-foot poles to which are tied signal flags which must all be pulled out) and bring it to our stratoplane. At the same time we must defend our plane. If the Mars people take it we shall forever be prevented from returning to earth again.

Score—"Water tank captured

(all four poles)................20 points

Stratoplane held intact...................20 points

Each Mars man captured................. 2 points

Special Rules—"(Method of capture). If stratoplane is captured it may be recaptured. Game starts at (time). Stops at (time). Troop gathers at (place) at (time)."

Message for TEAM II (to be opened at II on map).

Story—"I am the king of Mars. Some of the vicious earthmen have just landed on our globe SW from here. They came in one of their great metal birds that rumbles like a volcano. My spies have just told me that they are looking for water and that they may try to get one of the tanks in which we store our artificial water (indicate by placing in the ground four five-foot poles to which signal flags are tied. These poles are placed at the corners of a fifteen-foot square).

Objects—"We must prevent them from capturing our water tank. With its water they will live and kill us all. But they shall not succeed. We shall take their metal bird (marked by four signal flags which must all be pulled up and brought into the water tank square) and we shall destroy every one of the ghastly earthmen.

They have spread out to pick up the lost trail. They are moving warily through the brush. Observation and keenness are developed.

Score—"Metal bird captured

(all four poles)................20 points

Water tank held intact...................20 points

Each Earthman captured................. 2 points

Special Rules—"(Method of capture). If water tank is captured it may be recaptured. Game starts at (time). Stops at (time). Troop gathers at (place) at (time)."

Variations Of Conquest Type

The Fight at the Stockade: One team is Indians, the other settlers. The Indians attack the stockade and defend the Indian village, the settlers the opposite. To make it more exciting, two settlers may have been left in the stockade. The Indians are then to prevent them from getting out and joining their friends, while the settlers are to bring them aid. Stockade and Indian Village are indicated with four poles.

The Escaped Convicts: One team is Scouts, the other convicts. The convicts have landed in a boat near the Scout camp. They are still in their prison garb and must try to get other clothes (contained in four pack-sacks) from the camp which is indicated with four signal flags. The Scouts, on the other hand, have notified the prison of having seen the convicts and must detain the convicts by removing the oars (four pieces of board) from the convicts' boat, which is likewise indicated with four poles.

Only Samples

From the above samples it may be seen that well-planned wide games open up many possibilities for Scout training. Stalking, mapping, observation, use of compass, signaling and many more subjects may be introduced.

Scouts take to wide games readily and will soon start clamoring for more. And, fortunately, more are always available. All that is needed to create them is imagination with which to clothe in the cloak of romance the simple skeletons suggested above—and to design other skeletons or combine those that are available.

And there is someone in every Troop who has that imagination. It is just a matter of finding him.

Here is an arch symbolic of a Scout's growth to manhood. The foundation stones are the Home, School, Church and Scouting.