Spots.
The leader has chosen seven or eight places in the room as the “spots,” and has a list of them at hand. All of them have been carefully chosen, and she alone knows where they are. Guests are standing about informally when the announcement is made that in about two minutes a whistle will be blown, at which time the couple standing on a certain spot will receive a handsome reward. At the same time however, anyone seen standing alone will be fined. A partner is essential to winning a prize or to make one immune to a fine. Even if a person is standing on the lucky spot at the time the whistle blows, if he is alone he must pay the fine, one cent.
To promote a general moving around, and to add to the spirit of the game, lively march music is played all the time the guests are supposed to be moving, although no definite line of march is encouraged.
Two additional rules insure the success of “Spots.” After the first spot has been found and the prize awarded, the game goes on and another spot in some other part of the room is the lucky one. But no person can have the same partner he had while the first spot was being sought. The same fine of one cent is imposed on any two people who seem to think they have an option on each other.
The same thing is true of location. Anyone found standing in the same place he occupied during the first round, is fined, with much publicity.
The game goes on until the seven or eight spots have been located and the “handsome rewards” given out. All the spots have been chosen with the purpose in mind to get guests absolutely relaxed, thoroughly mixed and free from any stiff formality. That is why a definite line of march would be fatal. Instead, let the first spot be behind the piano; the next on the platform; the next leaning up against a pillar, etc., etc.
To sum up, the rules are as follows:
1. Everyone must have a partner.
2. Partners must be changed for every round.
3. No one is allowed to stand in the same place for two successive rounds.
Four or five so-called “policemen” assist the leader in detecting violators of these rules and much publicity is given the fining of the offenders.
The success of the game depends entirely on the ability of the leader to make her guests feel the great desirability of finding one of those elusive lucky spots. No one knows where they are. All they know is that it behooves them to move, to get a partner, to keep moving, and to keep on getting partners!