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Directions:
Quick Sight” can be taught with the same apparatus as used in Spotty Face, by allowing the Scouts to come fairly close, and then merely showing your card for five seconds, and allowing them to mark their cards from memory. The one who is most correct wins.
Reading the Map none The leader in command takes his patrol into a strange town or an intricate part of the country and through them he wishes to find out particulars about the neighborhood; so he shows the Scouts a map of the district and appoints to each a place to be visited, showing the route on the map, and pointing out churches, inns, etc., to be noted on the way. Each Scout should have a fixed distance to go and a certain number of points to be noted. Then they start off, and as they return the leader takes down their reports. The winner is the Scout who brings in the best report in the shortest time.
Red Cross Hero none One day while the whole camp are enjoying themselves a messenger arrives and tells a Patrol leader that while he was being pursued by the enemy on their side of the border he saw one of his men lying on the ground, wounded, and was unable to render him any assistance. The Patrol leader then tells his men the bad news, and calls for a volunteer to go and bring or endeavor to bring their comrade back to camp. Thus the Red Cross Hero is found. His duty is to find the wounded man (who will have been placed in a fairly hidden position beforehand) and then carry him back to camp, without being captured by the opposing Scouts. This game needs a Scout of brain and resource to act the part of the Red Cross Hero for he is supposed to be in a hostile country with a wounded man whom he must bring back to camp. If seen he must endeavor to dodge. Two of the enemy must get hold of him before he is captured. This is a game which will severely test the resourcefulness of the Scout. For example, if pressed he might be sharp enough to leave his comrade completely hidden until he has knocked his pursuers off his track. When the wounded Scout has been hidden all who can be spared from camp should go out to act as enemy, then one comes in as messenger and describes roughly where the wounded man is. There could be several wounded men and Red Cross heroes, if the enemy's number is sufficient.
Relay Race none One patrol is pitted against another to see who can get a message sent a long distance in the shortest time by means of relays of runners (or cyclists). The patrol is ordered out to send in three successive notes to be obtained from a certain house, or tokens such as sprigs of certain plants, from a place say two miles distant or further if the patrols are on cycles. The leader takes his patrol out and drops Scouts at convenient distances, who will act as runners from one post to the next, and then back again for the second note or token. The runners should be started at certain intervals.
Ring Catching Rope rings One Scout, the Thrower, is armed with half a dozen rope rings, about four or five inches in diameter, which he throws to another Scout, who has to catch them one by one on his staff. The Thrower must deliver the rings fairly quickly, only giving the Catcher time to come smartly back to the engage position, after catching or missing each ring. The rings should not be thrown from the same spot each time; but the Thrower should never approach within three yards of the Catcher. Short throws, high throws, and long throws should be all given, in order to make the game more exciting. The pole should have a piece of leather slipped over it to protect the hands from being hurt by the rope rings. Of course, the range and other distances can be made to suit local conditions.
Rival Dispatch Bearers none The game is played between two rival patrols, which for convenience we will name the Wolves and Peewits. From each patrol one Scout is selected as dispatch bearer. The Scoutmaster takes up a position at a certain spot, preferably in the middle of a wood, or if in a town at the junction of several streets, and the chosen Scouts start from opposite points about two miles distant from the Scoutmaster and attempt to reach him. It is the duty of the remainder of each patrol to try to prevent the rival dispatch carrier reaching his goal. Thus the Wolves will watch the stretch of country over which the chosen Peewit is likely to come, and as the winning patrol is decided by the first dispatch carrier to reach the Scoutmaster, the Wolves will do all they can to capture the Peewit and secure the dispatch. The Peewits in their turn will naturally try and affect the same result. When the carrier has his dispatch captured he must not of course continue. The patrols must keep 200 yards away from the starting and finishing point, thus giving the dispatch-bearer a better chance of reaching the leader. To be captured, the dispatch-bearer must be actually held by one of the defenders.
Rooster Fight none Players hop on one foot with arms folded, shoulder each other in an attempt to make opponent place other foot on the floor.
Rope Rush none A long rope, hundred feet or more, is placed an equal distance between two teams. Opponents rush, attempting to carry as much of rope over opponents' line as possible. After a time limit, whichever team has greater length over opponents' line wins.
Round the Ring none About one dozen players sit down in a ring with their feet pointing inwards. The feet make a circle, just big enough for another player to stand in. The player inside the circle stands perfectly rigid, and as soon as the other players are ready let’s himself fall either backwards or forwards, on to the outstretched hands of the players forming the ring. The members of the ring push the center player from hand to hand, and when one of the former lets him fall he changes places with the center player and in his turn is passed round the circle.
Running the Blockade none Two good Scouts have to deliver an imaginary message to the Scoutmaster, and all the rest of the troop act as the Indian, and do all they can to prevent either Scout coming through. The Scouts take up a position several hundred yards away and do not start until the Scoutmaster blows a whistle. The Indians spread out in a long line about half way between the Scouts and the Scoutmaster, and may not come any nearer the Scoutmaster, but start for the Scouts if they wish when the whistle is blown. To win, the Indians must catch and hold both Scouts. Scouts are appointed each time, or may be those who do most to capture the previous Scouts. With two Scoutmasters on the ground real messages may be transmitted.
Scout Baseball none A list of questions is made up beforehand and divided Into three columns for the three ranks in Scouting. Four chairs are placed to represent four bases, also a chair for a pitcher's box if desired. Of course the players' benches must not be forgotten. The fielders are placed as in baseball and a Scout comes up to bat. The pitcher asks him a question according to his rank. If he fails and the catcher answers it, it is a strike. If the catcher fails also, it is a ball. If he answers correctly he is allowed to ask a question of the baseman. These questions to basemen start at first and go right around the diamond in order as different men come up, but start at the first baseman every inning. If the baseman muffs the Scout goes to first. If he answers correctly it constitutes a put out. Scouts advance around the bases by being forced, but if a man wants to steal he can obtain permission from the umpire to put a question to the next baseman. If the baseman fails the runner takes one base, but if he answers correctly the runner is out. In like manner if a baseman wants to try a put out on a runner who has an imaginary lead he can put a question to the runner. If the runner answers correctly he advances one base, if not he is out.
Scout Hunting none One Scout is given time to go out and hide himself-- the remainder then start to find him. The object of the hidden Scout is to get back to the starting-place as soon as he can without being caught. The seekers advance from the starting-place in a circle, gradually expanding outwards--so the further the Scout goes from home to hide himself, the further apart the seekers will be when they reach his hiding-place, but he will then have a longer distance to go to reach home again.
Scout Meets Scout none Patrols are taken out about two miles apart and made to work towards each other, either alongside a road, or by giving each side a landmark to work to, such as a steep hill or big tree. The patrol which first sees the other wins. This is signified by the Patrol-leader holding up his patrol flag for the umpire to see, and sounding his whistle. A patrol need not keep together, but that patrol wins which first holds out its flag, so it is well for the Scouts to be in touch with their Patrol-leaders by signal, voice, or message. Scouts may employ any ruse they like, such as climbing; into trees, hiding in carts, and so on, but they must not dress up in disguise. When a troop is meeting for any purpose it is a good practice to arrange that on nearing the place of assembly, each patrol should try to be the first to see the others.
Scout Spelling Bee none Line the teams up as for an old fashioned spelling bee. The leader puts Scouting questions to the Scouts according to their rank. If a Scout fails, the question goes to the next man of the other team of the same rank, and the Scout who failed is spelled down. This game may be played with knots, each Scout having a small piece of rope, and being required to tie a certain knot. And still another is good -- give each Scout instructions to apply a triangular bandage to his right or left-hand neighbor using the above rules to eliminate the ones that fail.
Scout Tag none This is similar to knot tag. A circle is formed, a Scout is chosen to be It and one to be the runner for him to chase. When the runner succeeds in stepping into the circle at any point the Scout to his left instantly becomes the runner. This game also reminds one of three deep.
Scouting in the Open Red sashes A certain bit of country is chosen, the side of a hill if possible, about five miles across each way (it should be much less if you are only out for a few hours); the boundaries of the ground have to be clearly understood by everybody before starting. Then, in the early morning, four boys go out to act as hares. They can go together or separately, wherever they please, and though they may hide whenever they like, they should, as a rule, keep moving, from one part of the ground to another. Each hare wears a red sash across his shoulder. An hour after the hares have started, the rest of the party, generally numbering sixteen, go out as hunters to find them. The hunters can go all together, or singly, or in pairs--any way they please; but as a rule, the best fun is for the hares to go singly and the hunters in pairs. It is well for the hunters to wear a colored sash across their shoulders--say, yellow or blue-so that they can be distinguished from ordinary country people moving about the ground. Thus the game is for the hunters to go looking about till they see a hare, and then they run after him and try to catch him. They only catch him when they touch him. This all gives excellent practice to both hunters and hares in hiding, stalking, tracking, and getting across country, and is a most exciting game. Towards the evening the game ends, and all make their way home.
Scouts and Indians none Two lines are drawn about 10 yards apart, the space back of one being the stockade and the space back of the other being the Indian 'village'. The neutral apace between the two is dangerous to both, but of course each is safe in his own territory. Each party makes raids into the neutral territory and captures members of the other team, bringing them bodily into their headquarters. At the end of 5 minutes the team that has captured the most of the other boys wins. A captured boy is out of the game.
Scout's Chess Map The first thing needed is a rough map or plan of the surrounding country, on a very large scale. It can be chalked on the floor or a table in the clubroom, or on the wall, and be kept permanently. On the map should be marked all paths and roads, and if in the country, the fields, with the gaps in the hedges and places to get through carefully marked. Then something is needed to represent Scouts: ordinary chessmen will do, or if the map is on the wall, small flags to stick in the wall. With these, various kinds of Scouting games can be played. Each Scout” can move one inch (or other distance according to the scale of the map) each turn. The best game is for one dispatch runner to try and get from one place to another on the map without being overtaken by the enemy, one patrol, who should only be allowed to walk (i.e. go half the distance which the runner is allowed to go each turn). To capture him two Scouts should get within two turns of him, by driving him into a comer. They can, of course, only go along the recognized paths and tracks.