April Week 4
Cub Scout Meeting Schedule
Theme: Compass Challenge
(See detail planning sheets)
Time
Activity
Additional Information
Run by
7:00 pm
Gathering Activity
Knots Game / Collect dues
All
7:15 pm
Opening Ceremony
(See the Cub Scout Leader Handbook)
7:25 pm
Theme Activity
Compass Challenge
8:10 pm
Six Meeting
8:20 pm
Closing Ceremony
8:30 pm
Good Hunting!
Badge
Links:
Green Star B #4
Meeting Notes:
Meeting Notes: This meeting could take place outdoors. Invite older Scouts to assist with the Compass
Challenge area.
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JUMPSTART—CUB SCOUTS: Compass Challenge 1
Gathering Activity
Compass Area #1
Knots
Compass Lesson - Which Way is North?
This game is best played with 12 or less players. Divide
into two teams before starting.
How to Play:
Cubs Scouts stand in a tight circle, shoulder to shoulder.
They stretch their hands into the centre. Each Cub
Scout is to hold the hands of two other players – not
their immediate neighbours. Once hands are joined, the
object of the game is to untangle themselves without
letting go of their hands. They do this by weaving in and
out, over and under each other. When finished, there
should be one complete untangled circle. Sometimes
you’ll end up with two circles.
Theme Activity
Compass Challenge
Set up the three compass areas before the meeting.
Divide the Cub Scouts into three teams, one team to
each area. Older Scouts will assist each team. Allow 15
minutes per area, then signal the Cub Scouts to move to
the next area. Review information about the compass at
each of the areas, reinforcing how to use a compass and
how to find North.
The compass needle always points north, right? Wrong!
The needle has two ends, and one points south; to avoid
confusion, the distinction between the ends must be
kept in mind. OK, the north end of the needle always
points north, right? Wrong! The compass needle points
to magnetic north, not true north.
The Compass Points
Once you know where north is from looking at the
compass needle, you should have no difficulty in
finding the principle points of the compass. When you
face north, south is then directly behind you, west on
your left, and east on your right. An easy way to help
remember these is to use mnemonic device, such as
“Never Eat Shredded Wheat” or “Never Eat Soggy
Waffles.” Show the Cub Scouts how each letter in
the phrase stands for a direction (the “n” in “never”
represents “north”), and teach them that the order of
the directions in the mnemonic device is the same as the
rotation of a clock’s hands.
North by Northeast Game
Equipment:
A compass for each youth
Instructions:
With the group find north and identify an object that is
directly north in the playing area. Do the same for each
direction (east, west, south). Cub Scouts stand in the
middle of the playing area. A leader calls out a direction
and the Cub Scouts must run to the object that is in that
direction. The last youth to reach the spot is out. As the
game progresses, more complicated directions such as:
north-east, south-west, etc. can be added.
2
JUMPSTART—CUB SCOUTS: Compass Challenge
Compass Area #2
The Dutch Compass Game
Compass Lesson - How Your Compass
Works
Equipment:
The important part of a compass is its magnetized
needle, balanced on a pin-point, and free to swing
around. When the needle is left to itself, the earth’s
magnetism makes the needle of the compass point
towards magnetic north. This end is either painted
(black or red), stamped with the initial “N”, or shaped
like an arrowhead.
Instructions:
Remember that the north seeking end of the compass
needle must be aligned with North on the compass
housing. If the other end of the needle (usually painted
white) is aligned with north, your bearing will be exactly
180 degrees off. On orienteering compasses, there
usually is a box with lines at North. Teach the Cub
Scouts to always put the needle in the box – that way
they will be pointing to North.
JUMPSTART—CUB SCOUTS: Compass Challenge A broomstick, masking tape, rope
Using the rope, set up a circle about four metres in
diameter. Mark the eight compass points around the
circle with the tape. Stand a Cub Scout at each of the
compass points, leaving one blank. The blank space on
the compass becomes north. The leader stands in the
middle of the circle with a broomstick held upright with
one end on the ground. He calls out a compass point
and at the same time releases the broomstick from his
grasp. The player standing on that position must run
in and catch the broomstick before it hits the floor. If
the player is successful, the game continues as usual; if
he fails to catch the broomstick, he goes to the north
position. His empty space on the compass becomes
the new north position. Allow players a few seconds to
figure out where they are then resume again. If the game
becomes too easy or you want to include more people,
expand the compass into its full sixteen points.
3
W
N
Hold the compass in your hand quite flat, so that the
compass needle can turn. Then turn yourself, your hand,
the entire compass, making sure the compass housing
doesn’t turn, and turn until the compass needle is
aligned with the lines inside the compass housing.
N
Look on the compass housing to find northwest. Turn
the compass housing so that northwest on the housing
comes exactly where the large direction of travel-arrow
meets the housing.
E
You’ve got a turnable plate on your compass. We call
it the Compass housing. On the edge of the compass
housing, you will probably have a scale. From 0 to 360
or from 0 to 400. Those are the degrees or the bearings.
And you should have the letters N, S, W and E for North,
South, West and East. If you want to go in a direction
between two of these, you would combine them. If you
would like to go in a direction between North and West,
you simply say: “I would like to go Northwest “.
S
What if you don’t want to go north, but in a different
direction?
Now, time to be careful! It is extremely important
that the red, north part of the compass needle points at
north in the compass housing. If south points at north,
you would walk off in the exact opposite direction of
what you want! And it’s a very common mistake among
beginners. So always take a second look to make sure
you did it right!
E
Compass Lesson - The Compass Housing
W
S
Compass Area #3
Northwest
Red arrow at North!
When you are sure you’ve got it right, walk off in the
direction the direction of travel-arrow is pointing. To
avoid getting off the course, make sure to look at the
compass quite frequently, say every hundred meters at
least. Aim on some point in the distance, and go that
way, checking your compass occasionally to be sure you
aren’t varying off course.
Paper Bag Compass Game
W
S
Northwest
Equipment:
A paper bag and compass for each Cub Scout
N
E
Put a paper sack over each Cub Scout’s head and give
each a compass. They can only hold the bag open
enough with one hand so that all they can see is the
compass. Ask them to spin in a circle, then walk a given
number of steps North and stop. Tell them not to
take the bag off until you tell them. If done correctly,
they should all be facing the same direction, and be
approximately in a straight line.
Replace the bags and give them another direction to
walk in.
W
S
N
E
4
Badge Link:
Green Star B #4
Red arrow at North!
JUMPSTART—CUB SCOUTS: Compass Challenge
Closing
Give the Scouts a Grand Howl as a thank you for their help
during the Compass Challenge. Ask Cub Scouts to bring in
food flyers next week for menu planning for camp.
“Good Hunting!” Dismiss the Cub Scouts.
JUMPSTART—CUB SCOUTS: Compass Challenge 5