US1519133A - Educational game with particular respect to the organization of boy scouts of america - Google Patents

Description

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Patented Dec. f6, 1924.

UNITED STA rss ROBERT G. HALL, OF SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS.

EDUCATIONAL GANE wrrn rAnTIcULAR RESPECT ATo THE ORGANIZATION or Bor scoUTs or AMERICA.

Application led April 9, 1923. Serial No. 630,719.

To all whom it may concer/n! Be 'it known that I ROBERT G. HALL, a citizen of the United tates, and a. resident of Swampscott, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improve-- ment in Educational Games with Particular Respect to the Organization of Boy Scouts of America, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specifica-tion, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates tol games of the game board type and has for its obj ect the production of an instructive and an educational game for children and others adapted to impress upon the players cardinal principles of a beneficial code of action and the penalties for the violation of the teachings of such code.

More particularly the invention relates to a boy scout game particularly constructed and designed to entertain and amuse those interested-in the Boy Scout organization and to impart instructions in the cardinal principles and tenets characterizing the Boy Scout organization.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a gamedirecting attention to. and emphasizing the boy scouts duties and obligations in his daily life and in his progress toward the goal of noble and useful citizenship.

Another object is to call attention to various of the merit badges and' like insignia which may be earned by a boy scoutduring his advance along the path leading to the goal of a good and noble citizen. Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates a preferred form of game board particularly designed for accomplishing the above purposes;

Fig. 2 represents 'a preferred type of ame piece bearing the insignia of a tenderp f"-.f'the insignia of afirst class scout;

ing the progress o thepiece representing the player toward the goal.

In the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed herein the starting point l is designated by the words Tenderfoot scout and the insignia of a tenderfoot scout of the Boy Scout organiza-tion. rlhe successive steps of the path or trail are represented by circles 2. Certain of the ysteps are provided with directions 3 of advancemen-t or setback 4 representative of minor hazards which may be encountered by the boy scout during his dail life,s'u`ch, for example, as good deeds, aily helps, or failures to act when opportunities are presented and stations 5 illustrative of scenes and incidents specific to boy scout life such as fishing, camping, swimming, games, etc., and other stations 6 illustrative of forbidden acts.

The game board also comprises stations 7 bearing the insignia of the oilicial merit badges of the Boy Scout organization which may be earned by the boy scouts together with suitable directions for advancement along the path as a reward for the attainment of such merit badges. Other stations 8 bear insignia of the various grades or classes of the organization. The path terminates in the goal 9 of good and noble citizenship.

Any type of piece or man may be--em ployed in playing the game, but preferably pieces of diii'erent color are provided for the respective players, each player being rovided with aplurality of pieces bearing lnsi nia of the various grades of scout of the oy Scout organization, the pieces of each player being interchangeable or reversible so that the proper insignia may be displayed by the player when the moving piece has reached a station calling for advancementl and bearing an insignia of promotion corresponding to one of the players pieces, the substituted or reversed piece'then being used until the next station of promotion is reached.

Any suitable means may be employed to determine the number of steps which the plece'shall advance upon each play. Preferabl i a part or the whole of a usual deck of p aying cards is employed, the cards from the ace to the six-spot inclusive preferably being used. The cards are first well shuiiied, then placed face downward and the players draw cards from the top of the pack 1n succession making moves of the number o f steps corresponding to the number of spots upon the-card drawn. The piece is first placed u on the starting or tenderfoot statlon and t e piece moved therefrom the number 'of steps called for by the card turned up. If, for example, the three-spot 1s drawn the piece is moved to the third step which bears the legend Go onl, it being understood from the instructions of the game that this indicates that the boy scout has performed an act worthy of commendation which advances him along 'the l,path toward the goal of a good and noble citizen;

If, roi` example, the player draws a {ive-spot the plece is moved from the tenderfoot statlon to the fifth step (4) which `bears'the legend Go back 1 which the scout learns from the instructions of the game indicates that the scout has failed to accept an opportunity presented to perform a good act,

or has been careless in his' appearance, or

has violated some other rule or tenet of the organization which sets him back tempora` ril7 in his progress along the path.

v f, upon the next play, vthe player draws a card which causes the piece to move to the seyenth step or station which bears the 1ns1 1a of a merit badge it indicates that -the oy scout has passed the test for angling and has received al merit badge which -en'v titles him to advance much more rapidly along the progress a predetermined number of steps auch as` indicated by the direction Advance 4.'

Various of the other stations bear thein- I signia of merit badges of the Boy Scout organization with suitable directions for advancement upon acquiring the merit badge when, during the play, the piece stops upon the station bearing the insignia of the merit badge. Thus the player -is tau ht and be-l comes familiar -with various o the merit bad 'es of the scout organization.l It also teac esl thetplayer that-it is not necessary the player upon approaching one of the merit badges may elect to lose his turn until the proper card is drawn to place his piece upon the elected merit station.

The path or trail is also interspersed with stations illustrative of some of the major acts which are considered disgraceful by the Boy Scout organization such, for ex ample, as those designated by the numeral 6 in the drawing, the first of which bears the legend Unseem but took part in foull act with a penalty Go back 6. This teaches the player that his progress along the path toward a good and useful citizenship is greatl retarded by a foul act performed lby him a though unseen. Likewise the smoking of cigarettes, whichis prohibited ,by the Boy Scout or anization is accompanied by the penalty o back 7..

Other stations are provided along the 4 path toward the goal which are accompanied by illustrations or suitable legends calling the players attention to various deeds which until a proper number is drawn to place the piece upon the station or step entitled Ready to take seaman test adjacent to which is illustrated a boat and a series of trailers resting -upon a pond Aand it may be further required that the; piece cannot be advanced until the proper number is drawn to' place, the piece upon the last. boat or trailer illustrated.

Various other hazards may be imposed according to the rules and instructionsof the game to make the progress of the scout slower, for example, instead of using al1 of the cards of the four vsuits for purposes Vof advancement one or more of the suits,

for example, the suit of clubs may be employed as a penalizing suit and the player required to move his piece backward a number of steps corresponding to the number of spots upon the card drawn, while the other cards of the Vpackare used to designate advancement. l

.'While the movement of the piece is de -l scribed herein as preferably controlled by usual playing cards it will be obvious that f any of the other numerous methods which are `employed in playing games of like char- I acter may be used to determinethe ste s of advancement of the playing piece, itv ing understood that Athe present game differs Y from previous games principally in that the board is provided with illustrations or legends lindicative of various 'incidents encountered in thelife and progress of a boy n scout toward lthe goal of a noble citizenship and further in that means are provided for retarding and setting back the progress of the piece for failures of the scout to grasp opportunities or violations of the rules andtenets of the Boy Scout organization.

Instructions.

Any suitable instructions, based upon the cardinal principles or tenets of the Boy Scout organizationv or other helpful organization, may be employed, such instructions desirably being as complete asvpossible with the view to. instructing the player in respect to religious duties, honor, obedience, faithfulness, 'trustworthinesa cheerfulness, loyalty, courtesy, and other tenets of the organization, and also accomplishments such as are designated by the various merit badges which suggest that when the-players plece rests upon the station bearing the legend or insignia of the merit badge it indicates that the Scout has passed satisfactory requirements necessary to obtain the 'eward of merit indicated upon such staion.

The instructions also may set forth the i requirements for advancement to the grade of second class scout, first class scout, life scoutand star scout, and with'older players the instructions may provide that the player cannot advance from the merit badge station or promotion station, upon which his piece rests, until he has stated the requirements necessary to pass the examination for vthe merit ,badge designatedand further that when the piece rests upon the promotion station, such as', second class scout, rst Vclass scout, etc., the pie-ce can-V notbe moved until the player states the requirements for advancement to the higher grade of scout designated by the station.

it should also beunderstood that Where a merit badge has been earned and thereafter the player is set back behind the station indicative of the merit badge he cannot again obtain the advantage of advancement if his piece should a second time rest upon the merit badge station, the merit badge station in such instances corresponding merely toone of the individual steps in the path.

It will thus be seen that the Vpresent game may be employed ina simple form to amuse and instruct children, who `are not of sulicient age to enter the -Boy Scout organization, with the cardinal principles and tenets of that organization and thus in a measure to prepare them for entry into the organization as tenderfoot scouts, and also that it may be employed not only to amuse, but to instruct .members of the Boy Scout organization and others in tests and vother re uirements necessary to` obtain merit bailges and the requirements for advancement through the various grades of scouts to the desired goal of good 'and noble citizenship.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention particularly shown and described herein is illustrative and.- not restrictive and that While the game is particularly designed for the purpose of educating players in the cardinal principles of the Boy Scout' organization it may, with suitable 75 modification, 'be applied to other helpful organizations or other commendable uses Within the spirit and scope of the following claims. v

Having thus described vthe invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to vbe secured by Letters Patent, is:

' l. An educational game comprising a game board having a predetermined path, for piecesmovable by the respective players, g5 leading from a starting point to a goal of designated high attainment, said path being provided with steps certain of which represent hazards of success or failure with associated indicia directing respectively an 9@ immediate predetermined advancement, arrest or predetermined setback and including stations .bearing insignia representing attainments of merit accompanied by indicia of award and ydirecting further predeg5 termined advancement along the path.

2. An educational game comprising a game board having a predetermined path, for pieces movable by the .respective players, leading from a starting point to a goal of 10c designated high attainment, said path being provided with steps certain of which represent hazards of success or failure With associated ,indicia directing respectively an i immediate predetermined advancement, arrest or predetermined setback and including stations bearing insignia indicative of promotion to a. higher grade with appropriate reward.

3. An educational game comprising a 10 game board having a predetermined path, for pieces movable by the respective players, leading from a starting' point to a goal of designated high attainment, said path being provided with steps certain of which repre- 15 l sent hazards of success or failure with associated indicia directing respectively an immediate predetermined advancement, ar-

-rest or predetermined setback, and including stations bearing insignia indicative .of pro- -motion to a higher grade with appropriate reward and also including stations representing attainments of merit accompanied by indicia of award and directing-further predetermined advancement along thepath. '4. An educational 'game comprising a game board having a predetermined path, for pieces movable by the respective players, leading from a starting point to goal of designated high attainment, said Vpat being provided with steps certain of whichrepresent hazards of success or failure .w1th associated indicia directing respectively an immediate redetermined advancement, ar-

rest or pre etermined setback and including stationsbearing insignia. representing attainments of merit accompanied by indicia, 'of award and directing further predetermined advancement along the path and also including stations indicative of disgrace with appropriate penalizing directions.

' 5. A scout game comprising a game board having a predetermined path, for pieces representing the scouts,- movable by the respective players, leading from a tenderfoot station to the goal of a good and noble citizen,

said path comprising a series of steps illus foot station to the goal of a good and noblecitizen, `said` path comprising a series of steps illustrative of incldents in the scouts life, certain of said steps vrepresenting hazards of success or failure encountered by the scout with associated directions for immediate predetermined advancement, arvrest, vor predetermined setback, and also having stations indicative of promotion in grade bearing the insignia of such grade together with directions for appropriate reward, and other stations bearing respectively illustrations of merit badges of the Scout organization, representing the earning of such merit badges bythe scout and accompanied by directions giving suitable reward of advancement.

7.' vA scout game comprising a game board having' a predetermined path, for pieces representing the scouts, movable by the respective players, leading from a tenderfoot station to the, goal of a good and knoble citizen, said path comprising a series of steps illustrative of incidents. in the scouts life, certain of said steps representing l hazards of success or failurev encountered by the scout with associated directions for imwith directions or appropriate rewar andstations indicative of promotion in grade' bearing the insignia, of such grade together other stations bearing respectively illustra.-

l tions of merit badges of the Scout organization, representing the earning of such merit badges by the scout and accompanied by directions giving suitable reward of advancement', and other stations representing station to the goal of a good and noble citil zen, said path comprising a series of steps illustrative of incidents in the scouts life, certain of said steps representing hazards of success or' failure encountered by the scout with associated directions for immediate predetermined advancement, arrest, or predetermined setback, and also having stations indicative of promotion in grade bearing the insignia of such grade together with directions for appropriate reward, in combination with exchangeable pieces bearing respectivel the insignia of the progressive grades o scout corresponding to the insignia upon the stations of promotion and adapted to be substituted when the piece has reached the station bearing such insignia.

9. A scout game comprising a game board having a predetermined path, for pieces representing the scouts, movable by the respective players, leading from a tenderfoot station to the goal of a good and noble citizen, said path comprising a series of ste s illustrative of incidents in the scouts li e, certain of said steps representing hazards of success or failure encountered by the scout with associated. directions for immescout organization, a series of interchange-.-

able pieces bearing respectively the insignia of corresponding grades of the scout organization whereby the proper insignia of the grade of the scoutv may be displayedupon the movable piece when and arter the station bearing such insignia of grade has been reached during the advancement of the i piece. i 11. In

combination with" a ,scout game having 4i-predetermined path for movable ,pieces representing the' iscouts movable by thp respective players and having stations iso bearing insignia of various grades of the after thestation bearing such insignia of scout organization, a series of reversible grade has been reached during the advanceblocks having faces bearing respectively the ment of the piece.

insignia of corresponding grades of the In testimony whereof, I have signed my 5 Scout organization whereby thev proper inname tothis specification.

signa of the grade of the scout may be displayed upon the movable piece when and ROBERT G. HALL.

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