Scouts : Programme Ideas

Obstacle Course Training

Obstacle courses are a great way to train your Patrol Leaders with practical exercises The course consists of five obstacles, that should be set up prior to their use by members of your team. The obstacles should be set apart from each other so that the Patrol can work in isolation. There is no correct solution to any of these problems.

Each Patrol may have the same approach or indeed a different approach to each problem. The purpose of the exercise is to examine and promote the use of teamwork and co-operation skills, therefore the obstacle will provide the Patrol Leader with an opportunity to show his /her Patrol in action utilising all the skills.

Each obstacle should be ?manned? by a Scouter the scouter should explain the problem to the Patrol Leader on their arrival at the obstacle. The Scouter should act as time keeper and rule master. The time limit must be strictly adhered to. The scouter should give time countdowns at suitable time intervals. At the end of the obstacle the Scouter should direct the Patrol to their next obstacle.

The last Patrol to visit an obstacle should assist in the stripping down of the obstacle and in helping to return the equipment to the stores.

The obstacles

Happy landings

A parachutist has landed in a tree. He is unconscious but only barely breathing possibly due to the fact that the cords of the parachute are tied and tangled around his chest and throat. He also appears to have broken arms and legs. Your Patrol has arrived at the scene and must get the injured parachutist to the ground as quickly as possible to render first aid.

Equipment available:-2 No. ropes, 2 No. pulleys

Set up instructions

Obtain a dummy or mannequin and place in a tree at least 10 ft above the ground. The dummy should be heavy. The dummy should also appear as if it has parachuted into its location this can be done by wrapping the dummy in sisal and perhaps a piece of nylon cloth. In set up this obstacle remember that it has to be set up for each Patrol (Five times) so don?t get to complicated in its setup. You may need two Scouter manning this obstacle for this purpose.

White out

You and your Patrol have been caught out in a dense fog. So bad is the weather conditions that you cannot see the hand in front of your face. The problem to erect your tent as quickly as possible and get your Patrol undercover until such time as conditions improve.

Equipment: Icelandic tent

Set up instructions

In order to run this obstacle you will require eight set of swimming goggles and a jar of Vaseline. The Vaseline is spread over the goggles so that it is impossible to see through them. It will be possible for the Patrol to see extremely blurred images at close range. This is an exercise in organisation. They have done it before so know what to do.

The Great Escape

You and your Patrol have managed to escape from your captures and now face the final obstacle to freedom - the electrified gate. You have with you a barrel and a plank which you can use but you have to take with you as you need it to build a raft to effect your escape on the opposite side of the fence.

You must bring the barrel and plank with you.

You cannot go under the fence.

You must operate you escape from six feet on either side of the fence.

If one of your Patrol is unfortunate to touch the fence then they must be removed from the area and receive artificial respiration for one minute before he and his first aider can return to the fence.

Set up instruction

A wooden trestle is erected as shown with the crossbars approx. six feet from the ground. An area of six feet on each side of the fence should be marked out. The plank should be a scaffolding plank about 14 feet long. The problem for most patrols will be to get the barrel over the fence. The throwing of the barrel and plank over the fence should be discouraged - Patrols should be asked to use their imagination rather than brute ignorance to overcome the problem. The Patrol can go through the X of the trestle if they wish but not under it.

Alligator swamp

You have arrived at a swamp which is infested with alligators within the swamp is a number of small islands created by large tuffs of grass. On the ground beside the swamp is a short plank which originally belonged to the bridge that crossed the swamp. The problem to get your Patrol to safety. You can only stand on the tuffs of grass and cross between them by means of the plank. you cannot jump between the tuffs.

Set up instructions

Set up the swamp area as shown in diagram. The tuffs of grass are car tyres which are spaced as shown. The plank will not reach to every tuff therefore there is a correct route through the swamp. The swamp has one entry point and one exit point. The problem for the Patrol is how it is going to get the whole Patrol to safety. In order to do that the whole Patrol must be taken along as they go, resulting in at least four people on each tuff and this can result in some great fun. However, it should be pointed out to the patrol that feeding time in the swamp is in 15 minutes and alligators can jump up onto the tuffs. The plank should be about eight foot long.

The fire raft

This obstacle can be done in two ways depending on the location used.

Location 1 - tree

You and your patrol must construct a small raft on which a small fire should be lit. This raft should be capable of floating in the basin of water provided. When this is completed the basin containing the raft, and fire lighting must be hauled up the tree , over a branch and returned to the ground without extinquishing the fire.

Equipment: Metal basin, rope, pulley, raft materials, tinder and matches

Location 2 - river bank

You and your Patrol must construct a raft on which a small fire should be built. You should then float the raft across the river so that it burns through the string stretched across it.

Equipment: Raft materials, Tinder and matches, String

Setup instructions

The location of the obstacle will determine what has to be done to set up this obstacle. If a tree is to be used then you should use a tree which has two branches one above the other at a reasonable height. If a metal basin cannot be found then use a biscuit tin or large billy. If a riverbank is to be used as the location then pick a spot on the river where the river flows reasonable fast. This will add to the difficulty of the task, in that, the raft will have to be controlled for long enough for it to burn through the string. At this location stretch a piece of string across the river about a foot off the surface of the water. Two marker should be put in the middle of the string to mark the spot where it is to be burnt. It maybe a good idea to set up the five pieces of string at once to save you the trouble of crossing the river every time the string is burnt.