From: jim.speirs@canrem.com (Jim Speirs)
To: dannys@iis.ee.ethz.ch (Danny Schwendener)
Subject: Patrol Corner
Summary: four more patrol ideas from The Leader, August/September 1982


Article #R112c.
===============

Patrol Corner
Phil Newsome
The Leader, August/September 1982


The time is now, right at the beginning of a new Scouting season, to
get out of the troop room and show your boys what it's all about. Take
them outdoors for some traditional Scout activities that are fun to do
and will help both boys and leaders assess the state of the troop's
Scouting skills.


Careless Camp Observation Game

Set up a tent and simple fireplace and scatter mistakes on site: a
carelessly dropped ax; a glass jar next to the fireplace; poorly set
tent pegs and badly tied guylines; etc. Include, as well, some
personal items like sleeping bags, patrol scarfs, shirts with
identification on them, name tags, etc.

Give patrols five minutes to study the site. They are not to talk, but
they can touch what they see as long as they leave an item exactly as
they found it. Patrols then huddle to prepare a list of all the things
they found wrong in the camp. Best list wins. As patrols hand in their
lists, add to the contest by giving each a card of questions asking,
for example, How many boys were camping? What troops or patrols do
they belong to? etc.


Knotty Trail

Tie together several pieces of rope of various thicknesses using
several different knots. Use a clove hitch to tie one end of the rope
to a tree and another knot to tie the other end to a second tree. Give
patrols about 2 minutes to walk along the rope from tree to tree and
back again. Silently they observe the different knots and try to
remember what they are, before huddling to list the knots in the
correct order, including the knots used around the trees. Give extra
points to the patrol which can tell you how many ropes were used.


What Happened?

Prepare a tracking pit by raking a sandy area about 3 by 4.5 m. Stage
three simple scenes: a blind man with a cane enters the pit and is
joined by someone who takes his arm and escorts him away; four men
carry a picnic table into the pit, set it down, sit on the benches,
get up, pick up the table and carry it off; a heavily-burdened person
stumbles into the pit and collapses before two others enter, pick him
up and carry him off. Patrols study tracks for 5 minutes, discuss
them, then relate their deductions to Scouter. Give no indication of
their accuracy. When all have reported, rake pit and have track-makers
repeat their actions for the troop.


Flip a Coin

Here's an idea for the city. Give each patrol a map of the area around
the troop room, a pencil and a coin. Take them to the first
intersection and have them flip the coin to decide the next direction.
Heads they go right, tails they go left. They mark the route on their
map and continue to the next intersection where they again flip the
coin to determine their next direction, and so on. Remind them to mark
the route carefully. They continue for half an hour, after which they
consult the map and take the quickest route they can back to
headquarters. Don't tell them, but the first back may be the losers.
Winning patrol is the one to cover the greatest distance in the time
allowed.