Object—Tracking Training

Teams—Patrols Type—Quiet

Space—Large, O Material—Letter with instruction per Patrol.

In camp or at hike destination, Scoutmaster instructs Patrol Leaders to proceed to a certain spot, laying trail marks as they go, each with the Patrol totem scratched in the ground. After a suitable time, Assistant Patrol Leader is given a sealed letter and told to take the Patrol to the Patrol Leader, following his trail signs. When found, the Patrol Leader opens letter which instructs him to lead Patrol back. Speed event.

Object Hunt

Object—Observation

Teams—Whole Troop

Type—Quiet

Space—Medium, I

Material—As needed.

Animal Hunt—Stand a small toy animal somewhere in the room, tell the Scouts to start looking for it, but that each one, as soon as he sees it, is to sit down quietly without giving it away. The fun comes in watching the last ones.

Hunt the Stamp—Played in the same way. Stick a two-cent stamp on the Troop numeral of some Scout. It is hard to see.

Hunt the Candy—Hide candy, preferably paper wrapped, all over the room. Each Scout upon spying a piece must point his nose at it and give his Patrol call, whereupon his Patrol Leader comes and collects it. Patrols then eat the candy collected.

Kim's Game

Object—Observation and

Teams—Patrols

Memory Training

Space—Small, I

Type—Ouiet

Material—Miscellaneous small articles, paper and pencils.

Patrols are called up one after the other, before a tray covered with cloth. Cloth is lifted for one minute, and the Scouts are permitted to study the twenty to thirty small articles which are revealed. There may be a button, pocket knife, clip, nut, coin, pencil, Scout badge, string, etc. Patrol retires, goes into a huddle and makes list of the items. One point for each article remembered, two points subtracted for articles mentioned which were not on the tray.

The Leaking Packsack

Object—Observation and

Teams—Patrols

Memory Training

Space—Large, O

Type—Quiet

Material—As needed. Also paper and pencils.

Game leader arranges various articles along one side of the path not too conspicuously. They may include: Flashlight, toothbrush, soap, toothpaste, stocking, match box, spoon, comb, etc. The whole Troop passes slowly along the road in single file. No one is permitted to walk back when he has passed a certain article. Afterwards Patrols go into a huddle and prepare list of articles seen in right order.

The Robbed Camp

Object—Observation and Memory Training

Space—Medium, O

Teams—Patrols

Type—Quiet

Material—As needed.

One of the Patrol kitchens is arranged with all utensils, etc., placed on the ground, on fire place and table in certain positions. Troop gathers around in horseshoe formation and studies the lay-out for two minutes. Everyone is then told to turn around, while a couple of items are removed and the position of others changed. Afterwards Patrols go in a huddle to produce list of changes and removals noted.

"The Peddler" is a memory game that gives an old Scout the opportunity to display his dramatic abilities.

The Peddler

Object—Memory and Observation Training

Space—Small, I

Teams—Patrols Type—Quiet

Material—As needed. An Assistant Scoutmaster or a Troop Committee member, dressed up as a peddler, enters Troop meeting room with a suitcase. From this he drags out ten or fifteen different articles with a steady stream of sales talk, then retires. The Patrols go into huddle and try to make a list of articles in their proper order.

Haunted House

Object—Observation and Memory Training

Space—Small, I

Teams—Patrols Type—Quiet

Material—As needed. Horseshoe formation, with center the corner of meeting room where a blanket is hung up behind which certain sound effects are produced, such as: Pull a cork out of bottle, drop a key on floor, turn pages of book, turn pages of a newspaper, pour water into a cup, unwrap a cellophane wrapper, strike a match, etc. After having listened, Patrols retire to their corners and make list of noises identified in order of appearance.

Hare And Hounds

Described in Chat 28, Hiking. See Index.

Scout's Pace Games

Scout's Pace Relay

Object—Scout's Pace Training

Teams—Patrols Space—Large, O

Type—Lively

Material—None The Scouts of the various Patrols are scattered along a measured mile of a road, with approximately equal distance apart. On signal first Scout proceeds in Scout's Pace. He tags the second Scout who continues and tags number three. When last Scout passes mile mark, time is checked. Patrol closest to 12 minutes wins.

"Arch Relay." Over and under the arch on the way to and from the goal. A good Relay Race for getting the kinks out of the Scouts.

Bombing The Camp

Object—Scout's Pace Teams—Patrols Training Space—Large, O Type—Lively

Material—One "bomb" (of newspapers) for each Patrol and one pail 01 water.

Returning from a hike, the Troop is stopped one mile from camp by a scared messenger, who tells a fantastic story of having overheard a couple of bandits talking of blowing up the camp in exactly twelve minutes. "Rescue the camp! If you get there 15 seconds too late, it will already have been blown up. If you get there more" than 15 seconds too early, the bandits will not yet have placed the bomb and will be able to blow up the camp at some other time." The judge places "bombs" in position at the camp exactly eleven minutes and forty-five seconds after start of Patrols and removes them thirty seconds later. Each Patrol arriving while "bombs" are placed wins by throwing one "bomb" in the water.

Scout's Pace Window Race

Object—Scout's Pace and Observation Training

Space—Large, O

Teams—Patrols

Type—Quiet

Material—Paper and pencils.

A course is measured half mile from Troop headquarters to a store window containing about twenty -five different objects. Patrols run at Scout's Pace (with three minutes' interval) to store, look in window for one minute (estimated) then return at Scout's Pace. The time of last boy of each Patrol is taken. If performed in 13 minutes Patrol scores 50 points. Two points off for each second off. Then Patrol is given five minutes to prepare list of objects in window. Two points for each object correctly given. Two points off for each object incorrectly given.

Fire Building Games. String Burning

Object—Fire Building Training

Teams—Two Scouts per Patrol

Type—Quiet

Space—Medium, O Material—String, one axe and two matches per Patrol.

A string is stretched tightly 18 inches above the ground between vertical uprights. The pair from each

Patrol gathers wood, cuts it and lays the fire under the string. On a signal, the fires are lighted. After lighting, fires must not be touched, nor extra wood added. The

Patrol whose fire first burns through the string wins

Water Boiling

Object—Fire Building Training

Teams—Two per Patrol

Type—Quiet

Space—Medium, 0

Material—One quart water bucket with wire handle, filled with water to within 1/2 inch of top, teaspoon of soap powder added. One stick seasoned wood, 3"x3"x36"; two matches. Knife, axe. Each Patrol has equipment as listed above.

On signal, Scouts go to work. No preliminary preparation of fire place or of wood permitted. Spilling of water disqualifies. Water must boil over. Speed event.

Fire By Friction Relay

Object—Fire Making

Teams—Patrols

Space—Medium, O

Type—Lively

Material—Fire by Friction set per Patrol.

Parallel file formation. Fire by friction set placed about 30-50 feet in front of each Patrol. First Scout runs up to set, makes fire (must burst into flame), puts it out, runs back and tags second Scout who repeats performance. And so on until eight runs have been made.

Fire By Flint And Steel Relay

Similar to Fire by Friction Relay, except using flint and steel sets instead of friction sets.

Compass Games. Compass Facing

Object—Compass Training

Teams—Whole Troop Type—Lively

Space—Medium, I

Material—None

The walls of the meeting room are called North, South, East, West. All boys stand, or move around in room. Leader calls out various compass directions, whereupon all Scouts face the direction called. Scouts making mistakes drop out. Continue until only one is left or for a certain number of minutes.

Compass Change

Object—Compass Training

Teams—9, 17 or 33 Type—Lively Scouts preferably

Space—Medium, I Material—None

Circle formation, Scouts facing inward, each Scout representing a compass point, except the "It" who stands in the center. "It" calls out two compass points. The Scouts representing the points mentioned attempt to change position, while "It" tries to take the place of one of them. Scout left without place in ring becomes next "It", the other two change name to fit their new place.

Compass Relay

Object—Compass Training

Teams—Patrols Type—Lively

Space—Large, O

Material—One compass per Patrol.

Parallel file formation. About 100 feet in front of each Patrol stands a judge with a compass and a list of eight landmarks. On a signal first Scout runs up and is asked by the judge, "Give direction to church spire." If correct answer is given, the Scout runs back, tags second Scout, who runs up for another question, etc. If answer is wrong, second Scout is asked same question, and relay is continued until all questions are answered, going through Patrol file as often as needed.

A clean miss in "Slap the Duck." It is harder to slap them than it looks. The flapper should keep chin in, so he won't get it bumped.

Treasure Hunts

Described in Chat 28, Hiking. See Index.

Compass Hike

Described in Chat 28, Hiking. See Index.

Bee-Line Hike

Described in Chat 28, Hiking. See Index.

Safety Games. Safety First

Object—Safety Training

Teams—Patrols Type—Quiet

Space—Medium, I Material—According to planning.

All Patrols are sent from the meeting room while Assistants arrange various violations of safety, as for example, thumb tacks on the floor, an open knife on the table, a gasoline bottle without cork (labeled gasoline but with water inside), etc. Patrols are called in, Scouts move quietly about for five minutes, then on a signal retire to Patrol corners where they make list of their observations. All violations are then pointed out to them.

Judging Games. Height Judging

Object—Judging Training

Teams—Patrols Type—Quiet

Space—Medium, 0

Material—Paper and pencils.

The members of each Patrol judge the height of tree (or flag pole, etc.) and write findings on paper.

Patrol Leaders collect papers. Judge adds up results from each Patrol and divides by number of boys.

Patrol closest to correct height wins.