Venturers in the Canadian program are for young adults 'typically' 14 to 18 years of age. A Venturee is like a camporee/jamboree/moot, etc.
At this time of year, a Venturee may be in your company's plans. Often an invitation to take part in an event of this kind includes the stipulation that you will help build the program by bringing along a few challenges to throw at other companies. If you want to travel light, you'll want to design challenges that don't need tonnes of equipment.
Whether you're going to a Venturee, looking for a bit of fun for your own company, or helping out at a Scout adventure weekend, here are a few "lightweight" ideas you can try. We thank Scouting (U.K.) magazine's regular contributors Dave Wood, Dave Ludlow, and Ted Gatt.
Challenge teams to build a human pyramid from rows of kneeling people. Which team can build the highest pyramid?
Team members stand one behind the other with legs apart and pass their right hands between the legs to grasp the left hands of those behind. Starting at the back, members crawl through the legs of those in front of them, without losing hand grip, until the whole team is standing in a line holding hands.
Challenge an entire team to stand on one chair unsupported by walls, ropes or third parties. If you don't have a chair handy, improvise.
Each member of the team stands behind a base line holding a large tin of baked beans in each hand. The object is to place one of the tins as far away from the line as possible without any part of the body touching the ground in front of the line. The winning team is the one with the most distant bean can after all members have had a go.
A contestant holds a broomstick against his or her body with nose touching the end of the stick. The person must quickly spin around six times, immediately place the stick on the ground, and attempt to jump over it. The winner is whoever succeeds. Good luck.
Teams must find a way for one member to support the entire weight of the team for 10 seconds. No external means of support allowed.
Team members stand in a circle, arms outstretched and pointing into the centre of the circle. Each person takes the hands of two different people across the circle until all hands are linked. Then the team tries to untie the human knot by stepping over and moving under each other's arms without releasing hands at any time. Great fun that brings out a team's natural leaders.
These northern challenges for individuals, pairs and small groups seem deceptively simple when you read a description, but give them a try and you'll quickly realize how fit you need to be. Stage them on soft, grassy ground or make sure you provide gym mats for soft landings.
Toe Hang requires a team of three - two to hold a pole between them about 1.2 metres from the ground, and one to hang by the toes from the pole. With feet together, toes hooked over the pole, and arms locked behind the knees, the competitor tries to lift his or her body completely off the ground. The longest toe hang wins.
Airplane requires a "plane" and three pilots. The airplane lies face down on the ground with arms straight out at the sides and feet together. One teammate grasps the person's feet and each of the others grasps an arm to lift the plane 60 to 90 cm off the ground and carry it as far as possible. Airplanes must keep the body rigid: sagging, bending arms at the elbow, or dropping shoulders below arm level terminates the flight. The farthest flight wins.
Foot pull is a two-person contest. The two sit facing each other across a line with one leg straight out in front, the other bent at the knee, and arms placed on the ground slightly behind the body for support. There should be 60 cm to 90 cm distance between the feet of the straight legs. Tie together the contestants' outstretched feet and give the signal to start pulling. The winner is the one who pulls his or her opponent's foot across the line.
Arm pull is another "tug-o-war" between two contestants. They sit facing each other with one leg bent and the other straight, hook their right arms at the elbow, and grasp the ankle of the opponent's bent leg with the left hand. On signal, they begin pulling slowly and steadily at the elbow, trying to pull over their opponent or to force the opponent's hand to touch the puller's chest.
For the Muskox Fight, two opponents get down on all fours in a 2.4 metre circle. They place their heads under the collarbones of their opponents, tuck them in, and try to push each other out of the circle. Caution them to push straight. Stop the action if it appears that a muskox is trying to twist the head of an opponent.
You might already be familiar with Leg Wrestling. Two competitors lie on their backs with heads pointing in opposite directions and outside legs bent, feet resting on the ground. They link inside arms at the elbow and each grasps the wrist of his or her linked arm with the free hand. On signal they raise their inside legs, lock them at the knee, and pull them down to try to flip over their opponent.
To provide Inuit high-kicking challenges, you need a portable stand from which you can suspend a soft target on a rope and easily adjust the target's height from the ground. The traditional target is a small stuffed fur sack called "the seal", but a bean bag will do.
For the One Foot High Kick, the starting position can be right under the target or from any distance up to 3 metres away. Start with the target low enough to give a realistic chance of success and raise it slightly for each successive jump. The competitor walks or runs toward the target, jumps from a two-footed take-off, kicks the target with one foot only, and lands on the same foot with which he kicked the target. It's easier to maintain your balance if you allow a little bounce on the landing foot before placing down the other foot. The winner is the one who manages the highest kick. According to our sources, the record is a little over 2.7 metres.
The One Foot Hop Kick is a bit more demanding. The start is the same as for the high kick, but the approach is made hopping on one foot only, with no changes allowed. The jump, kick, and landing must all be made on the hopping foot.
There you have it - challenges to go for maximum fun with minimum fuss - a good choice for Venturers on the go this spring and summer.
From: jim.speirs@canrem.com (Jim Speirs)