 | Scout way of teaching many subjects I |
| ndividual or Patrol event |
| Novice can lead the game |
| Pencil and paper for each Patrol |
I am a Cat
Read the eight statements about a house cat. The first one in the list, the least obvious, is numbered 8, the last one, which reveals the identity, is numbered 1.
8. I am a mammal. I have four feet, but my track would lead you to believe I have but two.
7. I can move through the woods more quietly than any other animal, excepting other members of my own family.
6. I am normally carnivorous, but often learn to eat other things.
5. I have no distinct marking, but am most often black or white or gray, though I am sometimes tan.
4. My tail almost equals the length of my body.
3. I feed whenever food comes my way, but especially delight to prowl at night.
2. I have been domesticated, but my veneer of domesticity is always very thin.
1. My call is distinctive, and is often heard on the back fence at night.
If the game is played in a Patrol meeting, supply each member with a card and pencil. If played in a Troop meeting, in Patrol corners, supply each Patrol with a card and pencil. It is described here as a Troop game.
Before starting the game, have each Patrol Scribe write the figures 8, 7. 6. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 in a column on the left-hand side of a card. Read the first statement No. 8. Pause, while Scouts whisper their answers. The Scribe writes the name mentioned by the majority, opposite No. 8 on his card. Then the leader reads No. 7 and the Scribes usually write the name of a wild animal. After reading No. 6 he explains that "carnivorous" means meat eater. Before reading No. 4 the leader might say, "If some of you wrote 'rabbit' for No. 5, you were wrong, listen." Usually some of the Scribes write "cat" for No. 4. Before reading No. 2, the reader says, "If I were to tell you what the fifty cent word in this statement means, I'd be letting you have the answer, so I'll skip it." Of course, by the time he reads No. 1, everyone has the answer. Then each Patrol tells its score, calculated as follows: Add the numbers of all lines on which the word "cat" was written.
I am a Skunk
8. I am a mammal. I am an important fur-bearing mammal.
7. I am distinguished by the large size of the back half of my body, and my long bushy tail.
6. I am most commonly found in areas of mixed woodland and fields, and generally live in holes in the ground.
5. I am omnivorous, but live mainly upon insects or rodents.
4. Differing from most animals. I walk upon the soles of my feet instead of my toes.
3. I am gentle, readily become domesticated, and make a delightful pet.
2. My color is black, striped with white, and I sometimes weigh 10 pounds.
1. In spite of all the above, I am probably the most unpopular of all animals because of my method of defense.
I am a Cottontail Rabbit
8. I am a mammal. My color is brown and white and I weigh from 2 to 3 pounds. 7. I like to live around the bushy borders of cultivated fields.
6. I may live in a burrow or in a dense clump of grass or shrubbery.
5. I line my nest with fur pulled from my own body.
4. When greatly terrified I utter a shriek, which is often taken for that of a human being. 3. I am a strict vegetarian.
2. My front feet track close together, and my hind feet wide apart.
1. My tail is short and white on its under side.
I am a Bat
8. I am a mammal. My body when full grown is about four inches long.
7. I have four feet, but very seldom walk.
6. My habits are nocturnal, though I may come out just before sunset.
5. When feeding I carry my young with me, often until their weight is greater than my own.
4. I sometimes migrate like a bird, going south in September or October and returning in May.
3. I am insectivorous, and especially fond of mosquitoes.
2. During the day I like to hang, often head down, from some projecting limb.
1. I have wings with a spread of about 12 inches, and many people incorrectly think I'll get in their hair.
