6. Games

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1 Course Routine
2. First Troop Meeting
3. Court of Honor (1)
4. Limbering Up Exercises
5. Inspection, Flagbreak
6. Games
7. Patrol Meetings
8. Progress Report
9. Team Game
10. Patrol Competition
11 Course Till Now
12 Troop in Council
13. Patrol Competition (2)
14. Observation, Deduction
15. Court of Honor (2)
16. Second Troop Meeting
17 Patrols in Council
18 Campfire
19 Court of Honor (3)
20 Early Services
21 Scouts' Own
22. Scout Law & Promise
23. Patrol Meeting Games
24 Patrol Expeditions
25. Patrol Leader Reports
26. Point to Point
27. Final Talk

Scout Books

Site Contents

VI GAMES

Full advantage should be taken of the opportunity this Course provides to put into currency a series of new' games, especially those which are suitable for small numbers and can therefore be used at Patrol Meetings. If the emphasis could be on intelligence and purposefulness so much the better. , All games, however, should have a fairly high fun content, and there will always be room at the right time for a game which has no better purpose than to "let off steam" or release surplus energy. The rule should be : " The rowdier the game, the tighter the discipline." Rules should be observed in the spirit as well as the letter, and the Scouter in charge should allow no deliberate misconduct, however light hearted it may be, to go unremarked. Umpiring should be a combination of the light touch and the firm hand. Between the players themselves the courtesies should be observed for instance, by the tradition of cheering the winners, etc. (Conversely, the tendency which most boys seem to have to cheer themselves should be discouraged !) The Scouter in charge should insist on a disciplined start and finish to every game, with Patrols standing at the alert behind their Patrol Leader

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Emphasis should be on team work, with the Patrol as the unit, and wherever possible instructions should be passed through the Patrol Leader

Games may be used for a variety of purposes

(a) To break the ice at the beginning of the meeting.

(b) To impose proper discipline, or to bring the Troop back under control after a period of scattered activity.

(c) To raise or lower the tempo of a Troop or Patrol Meeting.

(d) To put into practice newly acquired technical training, or to revise old work (e.g. knotting, mapping, etc.).

(e) To build up (or perhaps even deflate) the morale of a Patrol or individual where the tendency is noticeably in the other direction.

Introducing a New Game

(a) Have all gear assembled before the start ; if* necessary the field of play should be marked out.

(b) Use hand signals to line lqp teams, announce name of game, outline field of play.

(c) Give brief description of 'game, if possible through Patrol Leaders (e.g. " This is a simple relay in which every player will be requited to cover the course in both directions. No player must move across the baseline until he is touched off by the previous runner. Every man must use a different method of progression for instance, running backwards, hopping, crawling crabwise, turning

cartwheels, and so on. The first Patrol to complete exercise and stand at the alert will be the winners

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(d) Allow Patrol Leaders time to organize their Patrols.

(e) Invite questions and clear up any possible misunderstanding.

(f) Announce penalties for deliberate rule breaking (e.g. six hand presses to be performed in front of Troop, etc.).

(g) Bring teams to the alert so that they enter the game under discipline.

During the Course, as many boys as possible should

be given the opportunity to run a Troop or Patrol game themselves.