 | Annual Contest for all Troops |
| Patrol teams |
| No preparation and no equipment |
With slight changes this game may be used annually by any Troop. Before reading the description, read the story which follows:
This is the story about the rise of Tenderfoot Bill.
Early in his Scout life the fellows called him "Gentleman Bill," because he was polite to everybody. (Courteous)
One day Bill rescued a dog from a bully who was abusing it. The bully called him a "Sissy" and kicked the dog again. He was head and shoulders taller than Bill, but that didn't stop Bill. When the scrap was over Bill knew the roughneck wouldn't kick a dog before him again. (Kind and Brave)
When he joined the Troop his mother said, "Sorry, Bill, no money for a uniform until Christmas." Instead of waiting, Bill cut grass and did odd jobs for neighbors and bought his uniform with his own money. (Thrifty, Helpful)
Bill's dad was proud of Bill's neatness. He always looked spic and span and happy in his Uniform. (Clean, Cheerful)
Bill was proud of his Patrol, and even when things went wrong he stuck by his Patrol Leader. (Loyal, Friendly)
There was no denying it, Bill liked dogs and they liked him. He fed and took care of strays and when they needed it, he gave them first aid. (Kind)
Both the Scoutmaster and the Patrol Leader soon discovered that when Bill promised to do anything, he always came through. (Helpful, Trustworthy)
The Scoutmaster praised this honest-to-goodness Scout because he never had to be told to do a thing a second time, and whatever he did he did with a smile. (Helpful, Obedient, Cheerful)
The Contest
Seat the Troop by Patrols and have Patrol Leaders assign the twelve points of the Scout Law to members. Of course, more than one point must be assigned to some.
An older Scout reads the story and pauses after every paragraph. After a few seconds of silence the Scoutmaster exclaims, "Stand!" Thereupon all Scouts who think the paragraph read illustrates the point assigned to them, stand and name the point. Patrol Leaders score one point for each correct point of the Law.
Tips
It would be ideal if Scouts found the story alone sufficient, but the scoring system seems necessary to maintain interest.
Grasp the opportunity for a discussion if Scouts stand at the wrong time. Give them a chance to defend their answers and if the majority agrees, give them the benefit of the doubt.
