 | Preparation Required |
Organize two teams and line them up, facing each other, about four feet apart. The leader of the game names an object in the room, which is the signal for the players of both teams to rush to the object, touch it and return to their positions. Each such round is a game. The team with all its players back on the starting line first wins the round. The team that wins the most rounds is the grand winner.
Suppose the leader wishes the players to touch a door, and there are several doors in the room, he says "Touch," pauses and snaps out "Door!" The players race pell-mell to the nearest door and return to their original places on the line.
The game leader, by being deliberately indefinite and vague in his commands may aid players in developing the habit of observation. He may say, for example, "Touch something colored - Red!" Few Scouts will think to touch the insignia on their uniforms. The leader may command, for instance, "Touch - Glass!" and even the Scout wearing glasses will usually follow the crowd and go out of his way to touch a window pane.
Just before concluding the game, call, "Touch - Me!" and run. Follow this immediately with the command, "Touch - and then come back and sit down - 4 Walls!" The Troop will now be willing to sit and listen to the Scoutmaster tell them a little (not all) about the signaling plan for the evening (not for the month). He may conclude by announcing that at the next meeting they will play Signal Touch, explaining that in this new game, the names of things to be touched instead of being called out, are signaled. Next the teams for the month are formed and their team leaders (Senders) introduced, after which Scouts go to their Patrol corners with their Senders for their first lesson. The Senders, of course, must be briefed in advance.
