By K. Graham Thomson
Are you afraid of the dark? Most of us are at some time or other, though really, in
England nowadays, there is hardly ever any reason to be scared. If you were in some
country strange to you, with a tiger, or a human enemy, looking for you--as the Chief
Scout [Baden-Powell] has been often enough you might have some excuse for "getting
the wind up," as we used to say during the Great War [World War I].
However, I don't suppose the Chief ever felt frightened, either of the enemy or of the
dark, and there is no reason why you should be, if you set to work to train yourself the
right way. Night Scouting is jolly good fun [sweet], and there are bags of ripping [phatt]
games to play and things to do which will prepare you for facing real danger or difficulty
in the dark at some time or other.
The practice of Night Scouting can be carried out first in the daytime, by blindfolding
yourself or, indoors, just by covering the windows and putting out the light. Then it can
be practiced, too, after about four o'clock on a winter evening; and later on by older
Scouts, in the middle of the night with other Scouts, or alone.
You will be wise to take to Night Scouting in that order; first, blindfolded, or
indoors with the lights out; next, early in the evening in autumn and winter; and,
finally, later at night alone; and that is the order in which I intend to deal with the
subject.
Patrol Leaders
And here I must say a few words to you Patrol Leaders and older fellows, who are never
afraid of the dark, and perhaps already know the joys of lying up in a wood alone in the
night, listening to the stirrings of birds and animals all round you. Remember always that
little chaps [guys] and youngsters are often more than a bit scared of being by themselves
in a dark room, let alone in a dark wood.
Any " funny stuff " with white sheets--or even the telling of ghost
stories--may give them frightful scares or nightmares, which may be seriously harmful.
Never play the fool with a youngster's nerves, but graduate your training so that he grows
accustomed to darkness and the exaggerated noises of the night, and learns by experience
that there is really nothing to be scared of in mere darkness.
Take the whole Patrol on your night games and practices at first, and never leave one
of the kids alone in the dark until he has learned the rudiments of Night Scouting, and
has faced and conquered his perfectly natural fear of the dark.
Now it is best to begin your Night Scouting in daytime, using your Troop scarves to
blindfold yourselves. Or you can make some small black masks out of cloth wide enough just
to cover the eyes, with tapes sewn on to tie round the head. See that the cloth is
completely opaque, and that everyone is quite " blind " before you begin.
Blindfold Passing
Relay
You can have a lot of fun with a Blindfold Passing Relay. Two Patrols or more may take
part, if there are equal numbers of players in each Patrol. All are blindfolded, and stand
in line, extended to two arms' length between each Scout in the Patrol. Beside the player
at one end of each Patrol, is placed a chair on which sundry articles are put, identical
for each team: a Scout hat, scarf, penny, clock or watch, matchbox, shoe; but nothing
edged or sharp-pointed.
When the whistle blows, number one of each team starts passing the things, one at a
time along the line, until all are collected by the player at the other end. The first
team to have the whole lot at the other end, wins.
Any article dropped must be found by the player who last held it in his hand, by
groping round; and no player may hold more than one article at a time. That means that if
there is a hold-up in the line because of a dropped article, players must pass the
remaining articles back again up their line, until word comes that the dropped article has
been found and is on its way, when the passing of the others will be resumed.
Night Alarm Race
Here is another clubroom stunt which is worth practicing, and is also
jolly good fun.
Each Patrol goes to its own corner of the room, and every Scout takes off his hat,
scarf, belt, knife or whistle, lanyards, garters, stockings, and shoes. He lays them, with
his staff, on the floor; and then he lies down flat alongside his own pile.
When everyone is ready, all lights are put out and the umpire blows his whistle.
Immediately each Scout must get up, put on all his uniform and gear correctly, and fall in
with his hat on and staff in hand, in his proper place in his Patrol, in line in its own
corner. All this must be done without noise or talk. As soon as the PL knows his Patrol is
complete and in line, he may call out " Curlews, alert! " and the umpire (with a
small pocket lamp to guide him) notes which Patrol is first, and how many minutes it has
taken.
Points are allotted as follows: a maximum of 20 points for each Patrol while in the
dark, and the umpire deducts one point for each sound he hears from any Patrol Comer; and
a maximum of 10 points for inspection after lights have been turned up, with one point
deducted for each item wrongly or crookedly worn ; and a bonus Of 5 points for the first
Patrol to be in line alert, 4 for the second Patrol, and so on.
Star-Gazing
Night Scouting
