Hints to Instructors
In all games and competitions it should be arranged, as far as possible, that
all the scouts should take part, because we do not want to have merely one or
two brilliant performers and the others no use at all. All ought to get
practice, and all ought to be pretty good. In competitions where there are
enough entries to make beats, ties should be run off by losers instead of the
usual system of by winners, and the game should be to find out which are the
worst instead of which are the best. Good men will strive just as hard not
to be worst as they would to gain a prize, and this form of competition gives
the bad man most practice.
Scout War Songs
The Scout's Chorus (Eengonyama). This is a chant that the African Zulus used to sing to
their Chief. It may be shouted on the march, or used as applause at games and
meetings and camp fires. It must be sung exactly in time [See "Scout War
To hear the tune below, enable your computer's sound system
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Chorus: Invooboo. Ya-Boh! Ya-Boh! Invooboo!
The meaning is:
Leader: "He is a lion!"
Chorus: "Yes! he is better than that; he is a hippopotamus!"
The Scout's Rally
To be shouted as a salute, or in a game, or at any other
Leader: Be Prepared!
Chorus: Zing-a-Zing! Bom! Bom!
(Stamp or bang something at the "Bom! Bom!")
The Scout's Call
For Scout to whistle to attract attention of another Scout.
Scout War Dance
Scouts form up in one line with leader in front, each holding his staff in
the right hand, and his left on the next man's shoulder.
Leader sings the Eengonyama song. Scouts sing chorus, and advance a few steps
at a time, stamping in unison on the long notes.
At the second time of singing they step backwards.
At the third, they turn to the left, still holding each other's shoulders,
and move round in a large circle, repeating the chorus until they have completed
They then form into a wide circle, into the center of which one steps forward
and carries out a war dance, representing how he tracked and fought with one of
his enemies. He goes through the whole fight in dumb show, until he finally
kills his foe. The Scouts meantime sing
The war dance of the young men of the Kikuyu tribe in Africa
provided the inspiration for the Scout's "war dance".
the Eengonyama chorus and dance on their own ground. As soon as he finishes
the fight, the leader starts the "Be Prepared" chorus, which they
repeat three times in honor of the Scout who has just danced.
Then they recommence the Eengonyama chorus, and another Scout steps into the
ring, and describes in dumb show how he stalked and lolled a wild buffalo. While
he does the creeping up and stalking of the animal, the Scouts all crouch and
sing their chorus very softly, and as he gets close to the beast, they
simultaneously spring up and dance and shout the chorus loudly. When he has
slain the beast, the leader again gives the "Be Prepared" chorus in
his honor, which is repeated three times, the Scouts banging their staffs on
the ground at the same time as they stamp "Bom! bom!" At the end of
the third repetition, "Bom! bom!" is given twice.
The circle then closes together, the Scouts turn to their left again,
grasping shoulders with the left hand, and move off, singing the Eengonyama
chorus, or, if it not desired to move away, they break up after the final
The Eengonyama song should be sung in a spirited way, and not droned out
dismally like a dirge.
Note to Instructors
Although the war dance and songs may seem at first sight to be gibberish—especially
to those who have never had much to do with boys—yet there is a certain value
underlying them as a corrective of self-consciousness.
If you want, for instance, to get discipline among your lads it means their
constantly bottling up some energy that requires an occasional vent or
safety-valve. A war dance supplies such vent, but still in a certain disciplined
Also it forms an attraction to wilder spirits who would never join a band of
Mr. Tomlin, "the hooligan tamer", catches and gets his lads in hand
entirely by the force of energetic singing and action in chorus.
Most schools and colleges have their "Ra-ra-ra" choruses, of which
"Zing-a-zing: bom, bom" is a type.