By Edward A. Carlson
It is the aim of the Evening Program Committee at Camp Delmont to have a variety of
activities planned in such succession that they will not become tiresome to the boys.
It has been found that a number of camp fires interspersed with night games makes
an ideal program for the week's activities. As a suggestion for a weekly program,
the following has been found to be very interesting.
Saturday Evening is a General Get-Together
The first camp fire on Saturday evening is a general get-together and
jollification night for the boys. On this night, camp songs are taught and stories
are in order. The Scoutmasters may be introduced and be included in this program as
it gives the boys an opportunity to know them and also is an invaluable help to the staff
in finding just who the best story tellers, song leaders and stunt men are among the
campers.
Sunday Night is "Staff Night"
The Sunday evening program every second week is known as Staff Night, at which time the
members of the staff are introduced to the campers and each one in a very short talk tells
just what his duties are at camp, and in this way gives the new boys an opportunity to
know just who to go to for nature work, water activities, forestry, and other Scoutcraft
activities on Monday morning, and thus saves confusion on the part of the boys in not
knowing who to approach for the different phases of the Camp work. The other Sunday
evening is usually taken lip in story-telling and songs, at which time the general feeling
trends toward proper observance of the day, especially in the singing, although regular
camp songs are intermixed with the others.
Night Game Instead of Camp Fire
On Monday evening about once every two weeks a night game known as Smugglers in the
Square is put on instead of a camp fire, although after the game is over and the spoils of
war have been disposed of, the boys all gather around a large camp fire and relate their
experiences in the game. This camp fire is for the purpose of toning the boys down so that
when Taps is blown the excitement of the game has worn off.
The Smugglers in the Square is played by having the camp divide into two groups.
One-half of the camp as guards and one-half as smugglers. Ordinary lanterns are placed at
four corners of a large square, a red lantern is placed in the center. The guards
are placed between the white lanterns, making the four sides of the square.
Near the red lantern are placed a number of boxes with each box having a miscellaneous
assortment of cakes, candy, peanuts, etc., with only a small quantity in each box, and
several of the boxes filled with stones. The smugglers try to get through the square, get
a box, and get out of the square without being tagged. Other rules may be made as desired.
A Dual Camp Fire
Tuesday evening would be a Dual Camp Fire. At this camp fire, the boys who are at
camp for the first time attend one fire, at which all the old traditions and stories of
Camp Delmont are told and all the old songs of Camp Delmont are sung. All the other
Scouts in camp attend another camp fire where the usual games and activities possible at a
camp fire of that kind are carried on.
A Night Battle
On Wednesday evening, a game known at Delmont as 'The Night Attack" is played.
In this game, the camp is divided into two parts with about three quarters of the
Scouts as Guards and one quarter of the Scouts as Attackers. The invading party try
to write their names on the camp building with chalk--each building having a certain value
in points according to its strategic position in camp. At the end of a certain
period when the bugle blows "Recall" points are totaled up for either side.
The "Challenge" Camp Fire
On Thursday evening there may be the Pequea Camp Fire. At this fire the circle is
large so that contests may be used throughout the entire evening. This is nothing
more than a challenge fire throughout the entire evening, at which time such games as Pole
Tilting, Talkfest, Brother-Brother Game, Indian Leg Wrestle, Horse and Rider, and other
such contests in which the boys may take part. Due to the fact that the circle is very
large it is difficult to have singing at this camp fire.
Two or three times during the camping season, the dance of the White Caribou is
featured. This dance can be gotten from Ernest Thompson Seton's Indian book.
Here Comes the Ghost
On Friday evening, the Ghost Camp Fire is held. This is a weekly affair, and
seems to grow more interesting each week, even to the boys who have been through it
several times. A Ghost trail leading into the woods and ending up in a secluded
place makes the right spirit when the boys come to the camp fire. All along the
route they see many things in the way of ghosts, a skeleton and the Devil, who at the end
of the trail, with red fire in his hands, leads him into the ghost camp fire site. A
hole may be dug in the ground and one of the staff put in the hole and covered over with
fire wood. The first story is interrupted by this member of the staff jumping out of
the hole with a weird shriek.
Songs sung to slow music like the Funeral March or the Old Oaken Bucket, very slowly,
are featured. Each camp fire and each activity at Delmont always ends with the singing of
the camp song, "The End of a Delmont Day," as the Scouts gather around the camp
fire, after which they all sing Taps.
The program is from time to time changed and new things added as time permits. The
Stunt Night, at which each Troop is given an opportunity to put on some kind of a stunt,
works very successfully.
Campfire
Helps
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