 | Involves hunting, following compass, measuring distances |
| Patrols compete |
| Trail must be laid in advance |
| Requires fruit or similar dessert for each player |
Preparation
This is recommended as a first treasure hunt for any Troop. Troop leaders can secretly lay the trail while on a hike when the Scouts are actively engaged in something else under the direction of the Patrol leaders. The only thing that must be prearranged is financing and procuring the dessert. The Scoutmaster might make this announcement at the Troop Meeting: "I'll collect 5 cents from every Scout who plans to go on the hike. With this I'll buy the dessert. I'm not telling you what it's going to be, but I am guaranteeing that you'll like it."
The Trail
Lay a trail something like the one illustrated. Start from point No. 1, the camp site, and finish at the same place. In the illustration it is assumed that the trail is laid on three well-marked roads or trails to point No. 4, from which a cross-country compass route is taken to the starting point where the dessert is hidden. If more cross-country courses must be taken, more compass directions will be needed and the chance of error will be greater.
Scoutmaster and Patrol Leaders Make Believe
At the appropriate moment the Scoutmaster and the Patrol Leaders put on an act. The Scoutmaster excitedly assembles the Troop and, pretending to be much confused, says to the Patrol Leaders: "I hid the dessert right here. Someone has taken it to play a trick on us." (Angrily) "Patrol Leaders, take charge of your Patrols and get that dessert back here in three minutes. Go!"
When three minutes are up the Scoutmaster assembles the Patrol Leaders in front of the Troop for a supposedly secret conference. Next, he turns to the Troop, apologizes for appearing to accuse them and suggests that either a thief or an animal has taken the dessert. At the suggestion of a Patrol Leader each Patrol searches a certain area for traces of the culprit. After a few minutes one of the Patrol Leaders finds a note which the Scoutmaster previously gave him, yells and rushes to the Scoutmaster with the whole Troop at his heels. This is the note, which the Scoutmaster reads to the Troop:
Dear Scouts:
I heard about your hike and trailed you and saw Mr. (Scoutmaster) hide the dessert. I tasted some - Oh boy! Good!
I hid it. Here's where - Go down the road, toward town, exactly 400 feet from a line I marked across the road. There you'll fad instructions hidden under 4 stones on the sides of the road. Follow them and you'll fad your dessert if you're good at trailing.
"A Former Troop Member"
The Scoutmaster and Patrol Leaders keep up their act and start guessing who the culprit might be.
When the instructions are found, it is discovered that they are a jig-saw puzzle When the pieces are put together they might read as follows: "Turn here and follow the trail in the direction of the rising sun for 320 feet, and fad the message tacked on the N.W. side of 4 trees on the sides of the trail." That message directs the trailers to Station No. 4. Upon arriving there all who are familiar with the compass sight the 240 degrees, figure their steps in 850 feet and start hiking cross-country.
The last message might read, "The dessert is hidden within a radius of 10 steps from this spot." When the Troop assembles Scouts are told to scatter and hunt.
