Page:Scouting for girls, adapted from Girl guiding.djvu/115

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SIGNALLING BY SOUND
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ink on a card) is pinned on her chest. Each then is allotted a place to stand, in a field or open space (her distance away can be arranged by the Captain to suit the capability of the Scout). The Captain stands so that the Scouts are before her in a large semicircle, and all can see her. Her object is to signal in Morse and move the Scouts—two changing places (as in the game of "General Post"). If she sends A, P,—A and P each start forward, and run across the field, taking up each other's positions. This means that every Scout must have her eyes fixed very attentively on the Captain. Each Scout has five "lives." If she starts forward when her letter has not been sent she loses one "life": if she fails to start before the Captain has counted six from signalling the second letter, she loses a life. At the end of a given time, Scouts who have lost least lives are considered the winners. Of course all speaking must be strictly forbidden during this game. The Captain must arrange to give each Scout an equal number of chances to move. It should not be played too long at a time. More than twelve should not play, or the letters cannot each be sent often enough to keep up the interest. This game teaches the Scouts to read Semaphore, and also absolute concentration and alertness. (Notice that this concentration is not an undue strain, as it is relaxed while the two Scouts are running across to change places.) If the Leaders are sufficiently good signallers they may be allowed to do the sending, the Captain acting as umpire and scorer.

It is difficult to describe any actual games which will incorporate signals by smoke, sound, movement, etc. But