You can not escape the Wood Badge experience without hearing “Game with a purpose” at least 100 times and the reason is that all of it is a Game with a purpose. Scouting is a Game with a purpose and so when you do Scouting you should always play the game.
Young men learn better when they are engaged in play. The develop teamwork, practice fairness, express a healthy competitive spirit, get physically fit, and above all have fun.
Every game we play in Scouting can be a learn adventure. A simple game of Sharks and Minos can be a lesson in team work, fair play, and fitness.
Games that require skills and provide a mental challenge are great ways to build the team, test leadership, and communication.
In short, this game that we play has meaning, a purpose. To support the Aims of Scouting.
Tonight our SPL and JASM had a great game for the troop during their interpatrol competition time. Straw rockets. A simple game that required the Patrol leaders to communicate, assign tasks, follow through with the project. Each Patrol was given a brown paper bag and told to use the contents to move their rocket down a line that was suspended between two chairs.
In the bags were 2 straws, 2 balloons, some tape, and 2 paper clips.
The Patrols went at it. They had 14 minutes to build their rockets and have them ready to launch.
The Patrols that worked together and stayed focused on the task did well, the patrols that made the choice to mess around did not. One of the Patrols had a real cool looking rocket and it won. They worked well together, assigned tasks and proved that working together they could accomplish anything.
The SPL conducted a short reflection of the activity before I did the Scoutmaster Minute on Team work.
I love it when we see the game being played and played well.
Play the game!
By the way, in the picture above are the three of the Scouts in the New Scout Patrol being guided by their SPL in the making of their rocket.
Have a Great Scouting Day!