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Spring Camporee Theme- "Gladiator Challenge"


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Our Troop is hosting our district spring camporee. The PLC has decided that they want a snazzy theme to attract participation from local troop and have settled on "Gladiator Challenge". We have some ideas for evenst and activites, but we'd love to hear ideas from folks on the board.

 

No, we can't feed any scouts to the Lions:-)

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Well, a catapult/trebouche contest is such a natual that I hesitate to mention it, but I did

 

Have a Javelin Catch, that sounds like something Gladiators would do, its a twist on the Egg toss, have the boy gently toss back and forth and the winner are the two whose javelin travels the greatest distance without hitting the ground (O yeah, use pool "noodles" for javelins. PS for extra fun have the patrols bring their own customized javelins, built from 6 foot pool noodles of course (Wormser from Revenge of the Nerds anyone?)First Prize for distance and another for "decoration"

 

Have the patrols build and bring a Chariot and race them, either together a la Ben Hur or against the clock (and you didnt think I could make a movie reference older than the Revenge of the Nerds)

 

Have an axe toss, make up a Hun's shield for the target and use real throwing 'hawks to see who can make it stick the most times

 

For first aid, give them a gladiator who was just run over by a chariot (scenario wise only of course) have them assess, splint, bandage, whatever and transport the patient to the "hospital"

 

Teach the staff latin phrases and use them as it fits

 

Carpe Diem "Seize the Day"

Tempus Fugit "Time Flies"

etc

 

 

The Campfire has to be started with Greek fire

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party stores have plastic gold coins which often have an emperor-type dude on them.

 

Lions and Gladiators - two teams. players have a 'tail' or 'plume' which the other team tries to remove to take the player out. Last team with their tail or plume receives gold.

 

Messenger - first person on team has an important message read to him. He runs 1/4 mile or so and relays the message to next team member, and so on to the emperor. Fastest teams with most correct messages get more gold.

 

BDPT: our district camporees are usually hosted by a troop or two and other troops are often asked to man a specific activiity. It works very well.

 

Scout On

http://ScoutChallenge.com

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  • 2 months later...

Refreshing this post for any additonal inputs. We have a lot of good ideas we're selecting from, but anything additional is still welcome.

 

Also, we're looking at using Pugil sticks in one of the events. Does anyone have any experience using these for Boy Scouts? We'd like to make or buy them cheap if we can. Any lessons learned from a safety standpoint are appreciated too.

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Pugil sticks: Boys wear football helmets, and shoulder pads. Five foot long, 1 1/2 inch diameter poles. Stick ends need to be well padded (foam rubber, heavy plastic bags, duct tape), like six inches thick, and covering both ends (kayak paddle style) of the 5 foot long pole down a foot or so. Make the pole padding tough, it will take a beating!

Lots of internet references.

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Oh, latin...

No PLC, Centurions... No Troops, Legions.... The Patrols might be temed maniples, but I don't know for sure if that would be the appropriate subdivision. A century was a hundred or so men, a maniple a subdivision of the century, if memory serves.

 

 

 

 

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It is a little far reaching, but for a larger project/event, how about having an Aquaduct building competition? The Romans were masters of manipulating water and building aquaducts. Make the competition specific and measurable, like you must transfer x gallons from point A to point B. Points A and B must be so far apart, and the start point must be a minimun of a certain height. Use raingutters and lashing for stands/tripods.

 

This may make a nice alternative to the catapult.

For the best camporee-catapult story ever, see my post from a little over a year ago--

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=258614#id_258614

 

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We have used the traditional travois as chariots at COR off and on for years, as well as at troop level. While they have no wheels, they are easily dragged, often modified with a fourth cross piece as a pusher. One scout rides on the device, and they have to redo the lashings at the spot,if it comes apart. You might be able to modify it to actually have wheels, but could become an issue of time and so on. Might allow patrols to bring their own wheeled spar, but still have to put it all together. Or, you might furnish the wheeled spar at the game site. Experience suggests that you might want to have helmets for the rider, and maybe even elbow and knee pads if desired. The kids love it, but the spills can be a bit scary on occasion.

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