Mr. T’s Games Ideas

RECON MISSION

This is a multi-patrol game. Each patrol is given a piece of paper on which they are to draw a map or the surrounding area. The patrol leader stays at the base with the paper and he sends his patrol mates off to take a look around the area and then report back to him with details about what they found. The patrol leader draws a map of the surrounding area based upon what his patrol mates tell him. Team with the most detailed or accurate map wins.

CATCH THE THIEF.

A red rag is hung up in the camp or room in the morning the umpire goes round to each Scout in turn, while they are at work or play, and whispers to him: "There is a thief in the camp;" but to one he whispers: "There is a thief in the camp, and you are he--Marble Arch," or some other well known spot about a mile away.

That Scout then knows that he must steal the rag at any time within the next three hours, and bolt with it to the Marble Arch. Nobody else knows who is to be the thief, where he will run to, or when he will steal it.

Directly any one notices that the red rag is stolen, he gives the alarm, and all stop what they may be doing at the time and dart off in pursuit of the thief.

The Scout who gets the rag or a bit of it wins. If none succeeds in doing this, the thief wins. He must carry the rag tied round his neck, and not in his pocket or hidden away.

SHOOT OUT.

Two patrols compete. Bottles or bricks are set up on end, one for each Scout in the two patrols; the patrols take their stand side by side and facing their respective enemy (the two "patrols" of bottles or bricks), and await the word "fire."

They are armed with twelve stones each. As soon as a target falls over a corresponding man of the other patrol has to sit down--killed.

3. SCOUT HUNTING. A Buddy Pair of Scouts are given time to go out and hide themselves-- the remainder then start to find them. The object of the hidden Scout pair is to get back to the starting-place as soon as they can without being caught. The seekers advance from the starting-place in a circle, gradually expanding outwards--so the further the Scouts go 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.

FLAG RAIDING ("Capture the Flag").

This game is for two patrols, or a larger number divided into two parts, each under one Patrol-leader. Three flags (signaling flags will do) are posted within a given tract of country at about 20 yards apart. It rests upon the judgment of the leader of the defending party to choose the spot. He then posts his patrol not less than 200 yards from the flags, and the game begins.

The attackers send out Scouts to discover (1) where the flags are, (2) where the outpost is placed. They then try and reach the flags and carry them off without being seen by the outpost. One Scout may not take away more than one flag. The defending patrol may not come within the 200 yards of the flags, and to capture one of the raiders they must have at least two Scouts within 10 yards of him, and call out "hands-up."

At a signal given by one of the Patrol-leaders or an umpire, to show that time is up, all must stand up in their places, to see how near the raiders are, and the exact position of the outpost. It is a great point for the Patrol Leaders to keep their own patrols in touch.

If they like the attackers can arrange a false alarm on one side, while a single Scout makes for the flags from the opposite direction and secures one.

At night lanterns can be substituted for flags.