Follow My Leader
With a large number of boys this can be made a very effective display, and is easy to do at a jog trot, and occasional "knee-up" with musical accompaniment. It also can be done at night, {316} each boy carrying a Chinese lantern on top of his staff. If in a building all lights, of course, would be turned down. A usual fault is that the exercise is kept on too long, till it wearies both audience and performers.
Games in Path-finding
Instructor takes a patrol in patrolling formation into a strange town or into an intricate piece of strange country, with a cycling map. He then gives instructions as to where he wants to go, makes each scout in turn lead the patrol, say, for seven minutes if cycling, fifteen minutes if walking. This scout is to find the way entirely by the map, and points are given for ability in reading.
Mountain Scouting
This has been played by tourists' clubs in the lake district, and is very similar to the "Spider and Fly" game. Three hares are sent out at daybreak to hide themselves about in the mountains: after breakfast a party of hounds go out to find them before a certain hour, say 4 o'clock P.M. If they find them even with field-glasses, it counts, provided that the finder can say definitely who it was he spotted. Certain limits of ground must be given, beyond which anyone would be out of bounds, and therefore disqualified.
Knight Errantry
Scouts go out singly, or in pairs, or as a patrol. If in a town, to find women or children in want of help, and to return and report, on their honor, what they have done. If in the country, call at any farms or cottages and ask to do odd jobs--for nothing. The same can be made into a race called a "Good Turn" race.
Unprepared Plays
Give the plot of a short, simple, play and assign to each player his part, with an outline of what he has to do and say, and then let them act it, making up the required conversation as they go along.