Preliminary: Start a Patrol quest to discover historical facts and features of your locality. Have the Patrols consult the library, their school teachers, and the Local Chamber of Commerce, if any. Report at a special "historical" Troop meeting. Decide upon a hike route which will include greatest number of interesting spots.

Execution: Send out the Patrols independently, with orders to make a study of various features, different for the different Patrols. Announce time limit and point at which Troop will gather to hear accounts of the findings of the Patrols.

2. Patriotic Pilgrimage

Preliminary: The yearly pilgrimage of Scouts to the grave of Theodore Roosevelt at Oyster Bay, Long Island, N. Y., to the shrine of Abraham Lincoln at Springfield, HI., to Valley Forge, Pa., and many other memorials, have become noted throughout the country. Undoubtedly there is in your locality the resting place of a famous native son, or a memorial to an episode in your State's history. Join forces with other local organizations for the establishment of the tradition of a yearly pilgrimage to the spot.

Execution: Hike to the place in proper Troop formation. Have someone tell the significance of it. Place a tribute of flowers or leaves, preferably gathered by the boys themselves.

3. Nature Lore Hike

Preliminary: Each Patrol is required to bring a book made up of newspaper in sheets approximately 8x11 inches, in which to press and carry specimens of flowers and tree leaves. Each Patrol also is to have a notebook for listing of birds, and a Handbook for Boys as a reference book.

Execution: On out-trip, Patrols collect and identify specimens and make bird lists. The books are given to hike leader upon arrival of the Patrols at the hike destination at a previously announced time. Various nature games are played, such as Nature "Scavenger" Hunt for about a dozen items—including for example, a piece of bark from shagbark hickory, a dried acorn, a wild rose thorn, a three-lobed sassafras leaf, etc.—these items to be found within a certain length of time. Or have a Tree Identification Game in which numbered tags are placed on several trees by the leader after which Scouts find tags and make list of the names of the trees to which they were attached.

4. Collecting Hike

Preliminary: Have Patrols bring newspaper book as mentioned in Hike No. 3; white paper, grease and candle for smoke printing (HPL, Page 424); plaster of paris for track casting (HPL, Page 426); Scout knives for whittling wood specimen paper knives (HPL, page 428).

Execution: Similar To Hike No. 3

The birds they discover on hikes, the notes they take, the scrap books they prepare—all are records that leave their imprint on the growing Scout's mind. The skill learned in stalking birds is useful in many ways. Power of observation, quick wit, and keen vision are developed on such hikes. Plans for Nature Lore Hike are on opposite page.

5. Star Hike

Preliminary: Make this a part of a late afternoon and evening hike. Date may be set in advance for Star Hike, or star study may be undertaken when occasion presents itself. In first instance it may be combined with visit to local observatory, or private owner of telescope. For beginners, a night lighted by a moon in its first or last quarter is best. At such time all smaller stars and the milky way disappear, thus emphasizing the stars which make up the constellations.

Execution: Focus flashlight into a strong, narrow beam and use this for a pointer. Starting with the Big Dipper and the Polar Star, point out the main constellations in a natural, progressive manner. Make explanations short and snappy. Have a pointing contest with every Scout pointing out constellations as requested. Who knows most? Which constellation is most helpful?

6. Hunt The Orchid

Preliminary: Find out from a local botanical expert which are the rarest flowering plants in your vicinity, and where they may be found. Get complete descriptions and if possible, as many colored pictures of them as you have Patrols. (By the way, the "Orchid" does not have to be an Orchid.) At a Troop meeting tell a story of explorers penetrating the Brazilian jungles in search of the "Black Orchid," and the terrifying experiences they had. Announce a similar expedition for the following hike.

"Hare and Hounds"—an old favorite—can be a wonderful teacher in rapid trail laying and tracking. No litter of torn papers on a Scout "Hare and Hound" hike, but a trail of cracked corn useful to the birds. 0r a bent twig—stone on stone—all Scout trail markers, can be used to make this fascinating game an interesting way of training Scouts.

Execution: Give each Patrol necessary description of "Orchid" and route it is to follow through the "jungle." Also hour at which to meet at designated spot. The "Orchid", if found, must not be picked. One leaf may be carefully removed as evidence, and the spot marked so clearly that it can be located later. On arrival at hike destination, "evidence" is presented, and a report is made of the Patrols' experiences by the respective Patrol Leaders.

7. Hare And Hounds

Preliminary: One person (or two) for each Patrol represents the hare. He is given material for laying a track, such as cracked corn or chicken feed, and a destination. He is to take any route he chooses to get there.

Execution: After the lapse of the number of minutes' handicap given the hare (about five minutes), the hounds (the rest of the Patrol) start in pursuit, following the track and trying to catch the hare before he reaches his destination (not known to hounds). The hare should make a clear track by throwing small handfuls of his material every 25 to 30 feet. He is permitted to try to deceive the hounds by doubling back or making false tracks. When the hare runs out of tracking material, he must hide within fifty feet of the last track. If discovered and called by name by the hounds, he must run for home (the destination of the hike). If he succeeds in reaching it, he wins; if he is caught, the hounds are the victors. If hounds must give up their search, they call "Come out," in which case the hare is winner.

8. Explorers

Preliminary: An envelope is prepared for each Patrol with a small map sketch and a letter with the following contents: "You are a group of explorers sent out from the American Museum of Natural History. You have landed in a far-off spot of the globe and it is your job to make a survey of the territory from here to the spot marked with an X on the map. We want to know its (1) birds, (2) animals, (3) trees, (4) land formation and general type of country, (5) roads and paths, (6) lakes and rivers, (7) inhabitants, and its (8) history. In order that as much information as possible may be gathered in such short time, the Patrol should divide itself into pairs, each pair specializing in two of the subjects mentioned. The pairs will start out independently as soon as the instructions are understood. Your whole group of explorers must come together again at the point marked X on the map at a given time precisely, ready to make a report of its findings and submit possible drawings and map sketches made along the way." It is recommended that the hike be approximately five miles and the Patrols be allowed three hours in which to cover the dis-stance and make their observations.

Execution: On a given signal, the Patrols are permitted to open their envelopes. They are to proceed as soon as they have noted their contents. Upon arrival at the hike destination, they are judged on precision and the quality of their reports.