Scouting for Boys

by Robert Baden-Powell

  Patrol Call

  Each Scout in the Patrol has to be able to make the call of his Patrol animal—thus every Scout in the “Bulldogs” must be able to imitate the growl of the bulldog. This is the signal by which Scouts of a Patrol can communicate with each other when hiding or at night. No Scout is allowed

  to use the call of any Patrol except his own. The Patrol Leader calls his Patrol at any time by sounding his whistle and giving the Patrol call.

  [Five pages of patrol animals, signs, calls and colours omitted from this edition]

  Woodcraft Trail Signs

  Scout trail signs are made on the ground, close to the right-hand side of the road. They should never be made where they will damage or disfigure private property.

  When a Scout makes signs on the ground for others to read he also draws the head of the Patrol animal. Thus if he wants to show that a certain road should not be followed he draws a Sign across it that means “Not to be followed”, and adds the head of his Patrol animal to show which

  Patrol discovered that the road was no good, and his own number to show which Scout discovered it, thus:

  At night sticks with a wisp of grass round them or stones should be laid on the road in similar forms so that they can be felt with the hand.

  PATROL PRACTICES

  Each Scout should learn the call of his Patrol animal. He should be encouraged to know all he can about its habits, etc. This can be a first step in nature lore.

  Each Scout should know how to make a simple drawing of his Patrol animal. The Scouts should use this as their Patrol signature.

  The special Scout signs should be used out-of-doors. They can be made in the dust, or by using sticks, and so on. A good tracking game can be arranged by using signs only.

  Acting in all forms should be encouraged: Mock trials and impromptu plays are excellent training and useful for evenings around the camp fire or when you have to be indoors.

  GAMES

  Scout Meets Scout

  Single Scouts, or pairs of Scouts or complete Patrols, are taken out about two miles apart. They are then made to move towards each other, either alongside a road, or by giving each side a landmark to move toward, such as a steep hill or big tree which is directly behind the other party and will thus ensure their coming together. The Patrol which first sees the other wins. This is signified by the Patrol Leader holding up his Patrol flag for the umpire to see, and sounding his whistle. A Patrol need not keep together, but that Patrol wins which first holds up its flag; so it is well for the Scouts to keep in touch with their Patrol Leaders by signal, voice, or message.

  Scouts may employ any ruse they like, such as climbing into trees, hiding in carts, etc., but they must not dress up in disguise unless specially permitted.

  This game may also be practised at night.

  Debates

  A good exercise for a winter’s evening in the meeting room is to hold a debate on any subject of topical interest, with the Scoutmaster acting as chairman. He will see that there is a speaker prepared beforehand to introduce and support one view of the subject, and another speaker

  prepared to expound another view. After hearing them, he will call on the others present in turn

  to express their views. In the end he takes the votes for and against the motion.

  At first boys will be very shy of speaking unless the subject selected by the Scoutmaster is one which really interests them and takes them out of themselves.

  After a debate or two they get greater confidence, and are able to express themselves coherently. They also pick up the proper procedure for public meetings, such as seconding a motion, moving amendments, obeying chairman’s ruling, voting, according votes of thanks to chair, etc.

  Mock Trial

  In place of a debate a mock trial may be of interest as a change.

  For instance, the story of the Elsdon Murder given in Yarn No. 2 might form the subject of a trial.

  The Scoutmaster acts as judge, and details boys to the following parts:

  Prisoner . . . William Winter.

  Witness . . . Boy, Robert Hindmarsh.

  Witness . . . Police Constable.

  Witness . . . Villager.

  Witness . . . Old woman (friend of the murdered woman).

  Counsel for Prisoner.

  Counsel for Prosecution.

  Foreman and Jury (if there are enough Scouts).

  Follow as nearly as possible the procedure of a court of law. Let each make up his own evidence, speeches, or cross-examination according to his own notions and imagination, along the lines of the story, but in greater detail. Do not necessarily find the prisoner guilty unless the prosecution proves its case to the jury.

  In summing up, the Scoutmaster may bring out the fact that the boy, Hindmarsh, carried out each part of the duty of a Scout, in order to bring home the lesson to the boys.

  Unprepared Plays

  The plot of a short, simple play is given, and each player is assigned his part, with an outline of what he has to do and say. The Scouts act is, making up the required conversation as they go along.

  This develops the power of imagination and expression.

  Play acting is good fun. It doesn’t matter what kind of voice you have so long as you get out your words clearly and distinctly.

  HINTS TO INSTRUCTORS

  In all games and competitions it should be arranged, as far as possible, that all the scouts should take part, because we do not want to have merely one or two brilliant performers and the others no use at all. All ought to get practice, and all ought to be pretty good. In competitions where there are enough entries to make heats, ties should be run off by losers instead of the usual system of by winners, and the game should be to find out which are the worst instead of which are the best. Good men will strive just as hard not to be worst as they would to gain a prize, and this form of competition gives the bad man most practice.

  Scout War Songs

  The Scout’s Chorus. This is a chant that the African Zulus used to sing to their Chief. It may be shouted on the march, or used as applause at games and meetings and camp fires. It must be sung exactly in time.

  Leader: Eengonyama—gonyama.

  Chorus: Invooboo. Ya-Boh! Ya-Boh! Invooboo! The meaning Is— Leader: “He is a lion!”

  Chorus: “Yes! he is better than that; he is a hippopotamus!”

  The Scouts Rally. To be shouted as a salute, or in a game, or at any other appropriate time.

  Leader: Be Prepared!

  Chorus: Zing-a-Zing! Bom! Bom!

  (Stamp or bang something at the “Bom! Bom!”)

  The Scout’s Call. For Scout to whistle to attract attention of another Scout,

  Scout’s War Dance

  Scouts form up in one line with leader in front, each holding his staff in the right hand, and his left on the next man’s shoulder.

  Leader sings the Eengonyama song. Scouts sing chorus, and advance a few steps at a time, stamping in unison on the long notes.

  At the second time of singing they step backwards.

  At the third, they turn to the left, still holding each other’s shoulders, and move round in a large circle, repeating the chorus until they have completed the circle.

  They then form into a wide circle, into the centre of which one steps forward and carries out a war dance, representing how he tracked and fought with one of his enemies. He goes through the whole fight in dumb show, until he finally kills his foe. The Scouts meantime sing the Eengonyama chorus and dance on their own ground. As soon as he finishes the fight, the leader starts the “Be Prepared” chorus, which they repeat three times in honour of the Scout who has just danced.

  Then they recommence the Eengonyama chorus, and another Scout steps into the ring, and describes in dumb show how he stalked and killed a wild buffalo. While he does the creeping up and stalking of the animal, the Scouts all crouch and sing their chorus very softly, and as he gets close to the beast, they simultaneously spring up and dance and sh
out the chorus loudly. When he has slain the beast, the leader again gives the “Be Prepared” chorus in his honour, which is repeated three times, the Scouts banging their staffs on the ground at the same time as they stamp “Bom! bom!” At the end of the third repetition, “Bom! bom!” is given twice.

  The war dance of the young men of the Kikuyu tribe in Africa provided the inspiration for the Scout’s “war dance”.

  The circle then closes together, the Scouts turn to their left again, grasping shoulders with the left hand, and move off, singing the Eengonyama chorus, or, if it not desired to move away, they break up after the final “Bom! bom!”

  The Eengonyama song should be sung in a spirited way, and not droned out dismally like a dirge.

  NOTE TO INSTRUCTORS

  Although the war dance and songs may seem at first sight to be gibberish— especially to those who have never had much to do with boys— yet there is a certain value underlying them as a corrective of self-consciousness.

  If you want, for instance, to get discipline among your lads it means their constantly bottling up some energy that requires an occasional vent or safety-valve. A war dance supplies such vent, but still in a certain disciplined way.

  Also it forms an attraction to wilder spirits who would never join a band of quieter boys.

  Mr. Tomlin, “the hooligan tamer”, catches and gets his lads in hand entirely by the force of energetic singing and action in chorus.

  Most schools and colleges have their “Ra-ra-ra” choruses, of which “Zing-a-zing: bom, bom” is a type.

  FOR WINTER IN NORTHERN COUNTRIES

  Arctic Expedition

  Each Patrol makes a toboggan with ropes and harness, for two of their number to pull (or for dogs if they have them, and can train them to the work). Two Scouts go a mile or so ahead; the remainder with the toboggan follow, finding the way by means of the spoor, and by such signs as

  the leading Scout may draw in the snow. All other signs seen on the way are to be examined, noted, and their meaning read. The toboggan carries rations and cooking pots, and other supplies.

  Build snow huts. These must be made narrow, according to the length of branches available for forming the roof, which can be made with brushwood, and covered with snow.

  Snow Fort

  The snow fort may be built by one Patrol according to the boys’ own ideas of fortification, with loopholes for looking out. When finished it will be attacked by hostile Patrols, using snowballs

  as ammunition. Every Scout struck by a snow ball is counted dead. The attackers should, as a rule, number at least twice the strength of the defenders.

  Siberian Man Hunt

  One Scout as fugitive runs away across the snow in any direction he may please until he finds a good hiding-place, and there conceals himself. The remainder, after giving him twenty minutes’ start or more, proceed to follow him by his tracks. As they approach his hiding-place, he shoots

  at them with snowballs, and everyone who is struck must fall out dead. The fugitive must be struck three times before he is counted dead.

  In Towns

  Scouts can be very useful in snowy weather by working as a Patrol under their leader in clearing away the snow from pavements, houses, etc. And in fog by acting as guides. This they may either do as a Good Turn, or accept money to be devoted to their funds.

  CHAPTER II

  CAMPAIGNING

  CAMP FIRE YARN NO. 5

  LIFE IN THE OPEN

  Exploration - Mountaineering - Patrolling - Night Work

  Finding the Way - Finding the North - Weather Wisdom

  IN SOUTH AFRICA the finest of the tribes were the Zulus. Every man was a good warrior and a good scout, because he had learned scouting as a boy.

  When a boy was old enough to become a warrior, he was stripped of his clothing and painted white all over. He was given a shield with which to protect himself and an assegai or small spear for killing animals or enemies. He was then turned loose in the “bush”.

  If anyone saw him while he was still white he would hunt him and kill him. And that white paint took about a month to wear off—it would not wash off.

  So for a month the boy had to hide away in the jungle, and live the best he could.

  He had to follow up the tracks of deer and creep up near enough to spear the animal in order to get food and clothing for himself. He had to make fire to cook his food, by rubbing two sticks together. He had to be careful not to let his fire smoke too much, or it would catch the eye of scouts on the lookout to hunt him.

  He had to be able to run long distances, to climb trees, and to swim rivers in order to escape from his pursuers. He had to be brave, and stand up to a lion or any other wild animal that attacked him.

  He had to know which plants were good to eat and which were poisonous. He had to build himself a hut to live in, well hidden.

  From boy to man among the Zul us we have the Urn- Fan (mat boy), the young warrior, and the Ring-Kop veteran.

  He had to take care that wherever he went he left no foot tracks by which he could be followed up.

  For a month he had to live this life, sometimes in burning heat, sometimes in cold and rain.

  When at last the white stain had worn off, he was permitted to return to his village. He was then received with great joy, and was allowed to take his place among the young warriors of the tribe. He had proved that he was able to look after himself.

  In South America the boys of the Yaghan tribe—down in the cold, rainy regions of Patagonia—also undergo a test of pluck before they are allowed to consider themselves men. For this test the boy must drive a spear deep into his thigh and smile all the time in spite of the pain.

  It is a cruel test, but it shows that these savages understand how necessary it is that boys should be trained to manliness and not be allowed to drift into being poor-spirited wasters who can only look on at men’s work.

  The ancient British boys received similar training before they were considered men.

  If every boy works hard at Scouting he will, at the end of it, have some claim to call himself a Scout and a man, and will find that he will have no difficulty in looking after himself.

  Training for the Backwoods

  An old Canadian scout and trapper, over eighty years of age, Bill Hamilton, once wrote a book called My Sixty Years in the Plains describing the

  dangers of the adventurous life of the early pioneer:

  “I have often been asked,” Hamilton wrote, “why we exposed ourselves to such dangers? My answer has always been that there was a charm in the open-air life of a scout from which one cannot free himself after he has once come under its spell. Give me the man who has been raised among the great things of nature. He cultivates truth, independence, and self-reliance. He has generous impulses. He is true to his friends, and true to the flag of his country.”

  The Cub looks up to the Boy Scout, and the Boy

  Scout looks up to the Old Scout or pioneer.

  I can fully endorse what this old scout has said, and, what is more, I find that those men who come from the farthest frontiers—from what we should call a rude and savage life—are among the most generous and chivalrous of their race, especially toward women and weaker folk. They become “gentle men” by their contact with nature.

  “Play Hard—Work Hard”

  Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States of America (1901-1909), also believed in outdoor life. When returning from his hunting trip in East Africa he inspected some Boy Scouts in London, and expressed great admiration for them. He wrote:— “I believe in outdoor games,

  and I do not mind in the least that they are rough games, or that those who take part in them are occasionally injured. I have no sympathy with the overwrought sentiment which would keep a young man in cotton-wool. The out-of-doors man must always prove the better in life’s contest. When you play, play hard; and when you work, work hard. But do not let your play and your sport interfere with your study.”

&nbs
p; I knew an old colonist who, after the South African War, said that he could not live in the country with the British, because when they arrived in the country they were so “stom”, as he called it—that is, so utterly stupid when living on the veldt (the plains of South Africa) that they did not now how to look after themselves, to make themselves comfortable in camp, to kill their food or to cook it, and they were always losing their way in the bush. He admitted that after six months or so many of them learned to manage for themselves fairly well if they lived so long,