Spotlight Scout Week

●Spotlight the adventure of Senior Scouting during Scout Week, February 6-12. Scouting will be in the national news—newspapers, magazines, newsreels, and radio. People will be especially aware of Scouting. You can localize this priceless publicity by newsworthy activities in your Senior Unit.

Select projects from the outline below, based on the theme “Adventure—That’s Scouting!” Then put the spotlight on your Unit by giving the facts to the local newspaper and radio editors.

In Senior Scouting there is Adventure in Fun and Fellowship. A spotlight activity may be:

Honor Day!

Honor an outstanding student, athlete, musician, teacher, hero, or others deserving special tribute. This may be arranged as a school assembly or chapel program or a special banquet given by the Unit.

In addition to a well prepared sincere tribute, your Unit may give the honored guest a lasting token in the form of a certificate or plaque prepared by members of the Unit.

More than one person may be honored if care is taken not to cheapen the recognition by giving it indiscriminately or by allowing any possible criticism of the Unit making an award for political reasons or to secure privilege.

The type of achievement recognized may vary from year to year to insure honor for someone who greatly deserves it but may otherwise be overlooked. This may include honoring the outstanding youth leader of the community, a minister, an all-round Scout, or all-round girl student.

This acid test must be applied to every recipient if a Senior Scout Unit is to be justified in giving recognition:

1. Is the person a good citizen, recognizing his responsibility in a democracy?

2. Does the person to the best of his ability exemplify the virtues expressed in the Scout Oath and Law in his daily life?

In Senior Scouting there is Adventure in the Outdoors. A spotlight activity may be:

Field and Sports Day!

Run it on an inter-Crew or inter-Unit basis. Let each group invite a guest (prospective member) to take part. Provide coaching for everyone before each competition or demonstration. Give each man a score card so he may keep a record of his proficiency in sports. Crews or Units may alternate as coaches and judges for the various events. The following list suggests enough to make up either a long or a short program:

Emergency Service training.

Mile run—run a mile in 7½ minutes or less. Score 10 for 7½ minutes; add 2 for each half-minute less; deduct 2 for each half-minute more.

Rope work—secure boat to piling (clove hitchor two half hitches), lower man from wall (bowline on bight), secure line to corner of sail or tent where grommet has pulled out (sheet bend), secure rope to tent stake (taut line hitch), throw rope with knot for rescue (bowline). Score 2 for each correct knot.

Rowing demonstration.

Row 50 feet to buoy, turn, and return. Show proper entry, feathering, and stroke of oars; turning boat; holding it on course. Score 10 for perfect demonstration; deduct 1 for each mistake.

Archery contest.

Place shooting line at 15 yards from 48-inch target. Allow 3 arrows for sighting in, and 6 for scoring. Score according to standard archery target points; divide total by 5.

Skish (bait casting) contest.

If floating skish rings are not available, lay out 4 concentric rope rings on ground, 3, 5, 7, and 9 feet in diameter. Place center of target 15 yards from casting line. Allow 5 casts for instruction, and 5 for scoring. Score 20 for cast in or on skish ring or center rope ring, 15 for cast within 2 feet or less (in second ring), 10 for within 4 feet (in third ring), and 5 for within 6 feet (in third ring); divide total by 10.

Rifle shooting.

In prone position shoot 3 rounds for sighting in, and 5 rounds for scoring. Score according to standard target points; divide total by 5.

In the next three events the basic timing of 20, 5, and 3 minutes may not be appropriate for your group. Try each event a few times and determine the average time to use as a base.

Compass racing.

Lay out a course that will take about 20 minutes on the average (seeScoutingMagazine, September, 1948). Score 10 for 20 minutes; add 1 for each half-minute less; deduct 1 for each half-minute more.

Canoe carrying.

Lift a canoe from the ground (with aid of tree or rack to lean it on), make portage carry 25 yards and return, and lower canoe to ground. Score 10 for 5 minutes; add 2 for each half-minute less; deduct 2 for each half-minute more. Disqualify for rough handling of canoe.

Axemanship.

Chop 10-12-inch log in two, using long-handled axe and taking all safety precautions. Score 10 for 3 minutes; add 2 for each half-minute less; deduct 2 for each half-minute more.

Bucksawmanship.

Place 6-inch log on sawbuck. With bucksaw cut off as many sections (about 2 inches thick) as possible in 5 minutes. Score 1 for each section cut.

The following are demonstrations for which you can work out your own scoring system.

Rope rescue.

Rescue a man marooned across a ravine or stream 20 feet wide. Use ropes, vines, temporary bridge, or raft (seeScoutingMagazine, March, 1947).

Wild foods.

Find as many wild foods as possible, and prepare enough for tasting by the whole group.

Overnight camp.

Set up a Crew camp with proper shelter, beds, sanitation, water supply, and fires.

Breeches buoy rescue.

Rescue a man from a mast 40-50 feet away (seeSea Scout ManualChapter 18).

In Senior Scouting there is Adventure in Citizenship! A spotlight activity may be:

Home Management!

Encourage Senior Scouts to take over the management responsibilities of their families for one week, with the cooperation of their parents. Each will plan menus, purchase food (no, he won’t have to cook it), make payments of bills, plan family entertainment, include cost, and finally report to the family showing a saving if possible on a satisfactory program.

Preliminary conferences with mother and dad will be necessary to learn certain routine and long-term obligations as well as to establish a family budget if one is not already in operation.

Rowing and Riflery are Field and Sports Day Events

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