Camping For Boys Part 29

Many of the camps have tennis courts and hold tournaments. This game is so universal and familiar that no description will be made.

AQUATIC SPORTS AND WATER GAMES

Aquatic sports may be arranged so that active interest will be taken by all the boys, or they may be simply an exhibition of the swimming abilities of several boys. The former is decidedly preferable. Events should be arranged for the small as well as the large boys.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Human Frog at Camp Kineo]

ATHLETICS AND WATER SPORTS 221

The program of events should include a short dash, swimming under water, diving for form, fancy swimming and special stunts, ribbon awards or inexpensive cups to be given the winners. The Life Saving Corps will have an opportunity to give an exhibition of their skill and alertness, as well as patrol the swimming beach. Good reliable fellows should be appointed to watch each swimmer when in the water. Run no chances at any time that boys are in the water. The following water games have been suggested by A. B.

Wegener.

1. Three-legged swimming.

2. Tug of War.

3. Bobbing for Corks.

4. Plunging through hoops for height or distance.

5. Diving for objects.

6. Egg Race; holding the egg in a spoon either in the mouth or hand.

7. Tag games.

8. Potato race; using corks instead of potatoes.

9. Candle race; candles are lighted and must be kept lighted.

10. Various land games may be adapted for water use, such as ball pa.s.sing (using a water polo ball), relay race, etc.

Water Basket Ball

Two peach baskets, or rope baskets, or two iron rings are hung upon poles five feet above the water and forty feet apart. The game is played similarly to basket ball, except that the players are allowed to advance with the ball. Tackling and ducking are fouls and penalized by allowing a free throw for goal from a point fifteen feet away.

There is no out of bounds, and a basket may be thrown from any place in the water. A field goal counts two points, and a goal from a foul one point.

Water Baseball

The outfit required is a tennis ball, a broom stick and four rafts-- one large and three small. The batsman and catcher stand on the big raft. On a small raft, ten yards away, stands the pitcher and the other two rafts are placed at easy swimming distance for bases. In striking, everything counts--bunt, swat or foul tip. The moment bat and ball come in contact the batsman starts for first base. There are five men on a side. Lots of fun. Avoid remaining in fresh water too long as it has a tendency to weaken vitality.

Old Clothes Race

The contestants are dressed in a full suit of old clothes. At the word "go" they dive into the water and swim to a float placed at a certain distance away, undress and return. This is a very funny race.

Tilting

Two boats manned by four boys each. One boy is the spearman and is armed with a light pole about eight or ten feet long, having a soft pad of rags, or better yet, of water-proof canvas duck to keep it from getting wet and soggy. If a flat-bottom boat is used, the spearman stands on one of the end seats. A quarter-deck or raised platform should be built on an ordinary boat or canoe. The battle is fought in rounds and by points. If you put your opponent back into the boat with one foot it counts you 5; two feet, 10. If he loses his spear you count 5 (except when he is put overboard). If you put him down on one knee on the "fighting deck," you count 5; two knees, 10. If you put him overboard it counts 25. One hundred points is a round. A battle is for one or more rounds as agreed upon. It is forbidden to strike below the belt. The umpire may dock for fouls.

Canoe Tag

Any number of canoes or boats may engage in this water game. A rubber football is used. The game is to tag the other canoe or boat by throwing this into it. The rules are as in ordinary cross tag.

Whale Hunt

The "whale" is made of a big log of wood with a rough-shaped head and tail to represent a whale. Two boats are used, each manned by the boys of one tent--the leader acting as captain, a boy as bowman or harpooner, the others as oarsmen. Each boat belongs to a different harbor, the two harbors being some distance apart. The umpire takes the "whale" and lets it loose about half-way between the two harbors and on a signal the two boats race out to see who can get to the "whale" first. The harpooner who first arrives within range of the "whale" drives his harpoon into it and the boat promptly turns around and tows the "whale" to its harbor. The second boat pursues and when it overtakes the other, also harpoons the "whale," turns around and endeavors to tow the "whale" to its harbor. In this way the two boats have a tug-of-war and eventually the better boat tows the "whale" and possibly the opposing boat into its harbor.

Shoot-the-Chute

[Ill.u.s.tration: Diagram For "Chute"]

A "Shoot-the-Chute" is great fun and one should be built in every permanent camp and "Swimming Hole." The one described is by A. D. Murray and has stood the test of several years in a number of camps.

The plan drawn is for a chute 40 feet long, 3 feet wide and 18 feet high.

These dimensions can be changed in length and height, but not in width.

The chute is built of 7/8-inch matched pine boards, to the same width as sheet zinc, usually 3 feet; the boards being firmly cleated together on the under side by 2 x 6-inch cleats 5 feet apart, throughout the length of the chute. Boards should be screwed to the cleats from the face of the chute with 1-1/2-inch screws, the heads being counter sunk. The several lengths of zinc are soldered into one piece, the joints being on the under side (as s.h.i.+ngles on a roof) fastened to the boards with 8-oz. tacks; set in from the edge about 1 inch and about 6 inches apart. The side strips of maple (soft wood will not do on account of the danger of splintering) 2 inches wide and 3 inches high, rounded slightly on upper edge, are placed directly over the edge of the zinc and covering the tacks. Screw the strips firmly to the chute with 2-inch screws from the under side. These ought to be placed not more than 2 feet apart. Probably each will have two or more strips in making a piece of sufficient length. If so, care should be taken to have the pieces joined on a bevel with a slant from outer edge toward bottom of chute so as to leave no edge. The utmost care should be used to have a perfectly smooth surface on the inside of the chute. A pump or bucket is needed at the top of the chute to wet the surface before the swimmer starts his slide. The supports A, B, C, should be firmly braced with 2 x 4-inch timber, D, and lower end of chute should extend over the pier at least 1 foot and not nearer the surface of the water than 3 feet perpendicularly, allowing the swimmer to enter the water as in a dive. The chute can be fastened to the supporting braces through timbers E, F, into maple side strips with a good heavy log screw. A platform 3 feet wide and 4 feet long near the top of chute, and set just waist deep from the top of chute will make starting easy.

Archery

Richard the Lion-hearted, of England, said the five essential points of archery--standing, nocking[1], drawing, holding, and loosing--"honestly represented all the principles of life."

Archery develops the muscles in all-round fas.h.i.+on, particularly those of the shoulder, arm and wrist.

[Transcriber's Footnote 1: A nock is the groove at either end of a bow for holding the bowstring or the notch in the end of an arrow that fits on the bowstring.]

The Target

A target can be made of a burlap sack, or oil cloth, about five feet square. Stuff this with hay or straw. It may be flattened by a few quilting st.i.tches put right through with a long packing needle. On this the target is painted. In scoring, the centre is 9, the next circle 7, the next 5, the next 3 and the last circle 1. The shortest match range for the target is forty yards.

The Bow

The bow may be made from any of the following woods--mulberry, sa.s.safras, southern cedar, black locust, black walnut, apple, slippery elm or hickory. In making a bow, select wood with straight grain. The length of the bow should be about the height of the boy using it, or if the boy is between ten and fifteen years of age, his bow should not be less than four feet in length and not more than five feet. When buying a bow get one of lancewood backed with hickory.

Making A Bow

The making of the bow and arrow is described by A. Neeley Hall, as follows: "Cut your piece of wood five feet long, and, after placing it in a bench vise to hold it in position, shape it down with a drawknife or plane until it is one inch wide by one-half inch thick at the handle, and three quarters inch wide by one-quarter inch thick at the ends. The bow can be made round or flat on the face toward the archer. Cut a notch in the bow two inches from each end, as shown in the ill.u.s.tration, from which to attach the bow-string. A cord with as little elasticity as possible should be used for this. A good string can be purchased for twenty-five cents.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Notch for Bowstrings; Length of Bow 5 feet. Wire nail with head cut off (arrow head) Old Canvas Stuffed (target); Loop (in bowstring); slip knot.]

With a home-made bow-string, a loop should be made in one end and bound with thread, as shown in ill.u.s.tration, p. 227. Slip the loop over the upper notch, bend the bow until the center of the string is about five inches away from the handle, and attach the loose end to the lower notch by means of a slip-knot similar to that shown in the drawing. The bow should then be sandpapered until smooth, and thoroughly oiled with linseed oil. Glue a piece of velvet about three inches wide around the center for a handle."

Making Arrows

Arrows are divided into three parts: the head, sometimes called the pile, the shaft and the feathers. The shaft is generally made of hickory, ash, elm or pine, and its length is dependent upon that of the bow. For a five-foot bow, make the length two feet and the width and thickness about one-half inch. For target practice a wire nail driven into the end of the pile, as shown on page 227, with the head of the nail filed off and pointed, makes an excellent head. Feathering is the next operation. Turkey and goose feathers are generally used. Strip off the broader side of the vane of three feathers and glue them to the shaft one inch and a quarter from the notch, s.p.a.cing them equally from each other. One feather should be placed at right angles to the notch. This is known as the c.o.c.k feather and should always point away from the bow when the arrow is shot.

Archery

The rules for the five essential points are these:

Standing: In taking position to draw the bow, the heels must be seven to eight inches apart, feet firm on the ground, yet easy and springy, not rigid.

Nocking: This is manipulating the bow string. Hold the string with two fingers and the arrow between the first and second fingers. Grip firmly, but not so as to give awkwardness to any finger.

Drawing: In drawing stand with the left shoulder toward the target, turning the head only from the neck and looking over the left shoulder.

Then raise the bow with the left hand, keeping the upper end inclined one or two degrees from the body. With the right hand draw the arrow to chin-level and below the ear.