From: gjh@ukc.ac.uk (G.J.Harewood)
Newsgroups: rec.scouting
Subject: One on one challenges [ACTIVITY]
Date: 9 Jan 93 16:39:22 GMT
Organization: Computing Lab, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.


Hi all,

I am looking to add to my set of one on one challenges to use at troop
meetings; I shall list out the ones I can remember off hand and I would
be interested to know of any more... if there is interest I could
probably scrap together a few more myself.

I prefer to use them with paired off Patrols if possible, PL vs PL, APL vs APL
and so on.

I shall refer to the two people from time to time as Alan and Bertie
(my old maths teacher's terminology. For reference there were also
Charlie, Dick, Edward and Freddie.)

--------------------
ARM WRESTLING
Easy enough; it can be done lying on the floor, so you don't need a table.
You're supposed to keep your elbows together and hold hands so that your
thumb muscle is in the other person's palm.


TRACTORS/TANKS
Here the pair is working together to get from one end of the hall to the other
in the shortest time. Alan lies on the floor on his back.
Bertie stands facing him with his feet either side of the first person's
head; Alan grasps Bertie's feet around the ankles. Alan then lifts his legs
up in the air, and Berties grasps Alan's ankles in much the same way.
    It should now be possible for Bertie to dive forward, tucking his
head in, and end up with his back on the floor beyond Alan thus reversing
their positions. Repeat until you reach the finishing line.
And you know the best part is that is really doesn't hurt if you do it right.
It requires a little faith and tuition, but do dive properly, never let go
of the other guy's ankles and tuck your head in!


ARM KNOCKOUT
Alan and Bertie face each other on the floor, press up style. Feet should
be together and bodies should not be bent.  The object is to knock out
the other guy's arms and thus make him collapse - you may not grab the
other guys arm with an open hand. Clearly the best way to do
this is to fake him out and knock his one arm out when his other arms is
trying to knock your wrong arm out of the way. Got that? Terrific.
This is particularly painful with short sleeves.


BACKLIFT
Anne and Brian (variety...) stand back to back and interlock arms at the
elbows. On the word `Go', each has to attempt, by leaning forward, to be
the first to lift the other clear of the ground. You'll want to try to
match heights quite well for this one.


LEG PULL
I would organise this one with all the pairs of boys down the long
axis of the hall; Alans will have their backs to one long wall, Berties
with have their backs to the other long wall. OK. Good.
Now each person lifts his left leg in the air and holds onto his partners
left leg. Upon a suitable command, each player has to hop backwards trying
to pull his partner with him. The one to touch his back on his own wall (or
to corss a line - safer) wins.


SLAPS
This one comes from the playground and you may be a little wary to encourage
your little angels into such violence, but here we go.  You should probably
slip a coin in each case to see who goes first, but we shall assume Alan
goes first.
    Each player holds his hands together in a prayer position, such that
his fingers are pointing at the other player in front of him and his hands
are at chest height.  Some suggest that the two players hands should be
close enough that fingertips are touching and this can be enforced.
Since Alan is going first, he will be attacking. (:-) This involves his
moving one of his hands and swinging it so as the slap Berties hand, for
example Alan may decide to use his right hand, in which case he would slap
Bertie's left hand. 
    Bertie's role in this is to try to remove his hands, and so foil Alan's
swipe. Bertie however may not move his hands until Alan's fingertips have
broken apart; if Alan successfully fakes Bertie into doing so, then Bertie
is required to hold his hands in place while Alan exercises his right to
a free slap. This can inevitably be somewhat harder than combat slaps as
preparation time is available. It is observed that players wishing to retain
friendship with their opposition do not necessarily slap any harder here than
at any other time.
    So far Bertie has done rather badly out of the arrangement. However
a further important rule is thus; if Bertie successfully removes his hands
entirely and Alan thus misses, play changes over such that Bertie is now
attacking Alan.
    The game finishes when one of the players submits to the other and
admits defeat. This is or course subjective.

Slaps is an excellent spectator sport, particularly in watching the colour
of their hands. My campers and PFC Summer camp picked this game up rather
slowly at first (I noted this softness in general in American kids), but
enjoyed in immensely once taught.


CHINESE LADDERS
This games only belongs here insofar as the boys are likely already arranged
in the right format to play it.  The should sit down the length of the hall
facing their partners, with their feet touching those of their partners.


+--------------+
|              |
|              |
|    O== ==O   |
|    O== ==O   |
|    O== ==O   |
|    O== ==O   |
|    O== ==O   |
|    O== ==O   |
|              |
|              |
+--------------+


...like so. Starting at the top end of the diagram, upon command, the boys
jump up, and run down the hall over the legs of their team (who may not
move those legs!) and then touch the end of the hall. They run back around
the outside, touch the top wall, and then make their way over any legs back
to their place, whence the next boy mawy do the same. It's a race.
    Note the way I have described it so that each boy must sit down beyond
the next person in his team; this helps prevent cheating by starting
early.
    This game can be made more interesting by providing simple obstacles
around the two outside edges of the hall, eg car tyres to get through,
turned gym benches to walk along, or chairs to go under.





Greg.

--
Greg Harewood
NMR Physics, UKC.
Newsgroups: rec.scouting
From: chris@scout.demon.co.uk (Christopher T Wilkinson)