It is almost time for the spring conclave season! Arrowmen from all over your section with soon gather. Check-in will be easy, friends will be met and activities will commence for what will certainly be one of the most exciting weekends of the year. The entire weekend will be full of many different games that are interactive, exciting and worthwhile. Where did all these great game ideas come from? How does the leadership provide all these activities that keep Arrowmen entertained all weekend? There are so many great sources of entertainment, and conclave games are an outstanding opportunity to spark that fire in Boy Scouts young and old.
Perhaps one of the first factors the section team considers is safety. “What games and activities could we provide that youth will find entertaining while keeping them safe?” That question is often asked when planning a memorable conclave. Whenever you need to determine if an idea is too ‘out there,’ the best resource to consult is the Guide to Safe Scouting. If you cannot find anything related to your activity in there, run it by the local Scout Executive for input and permission.
Play into the theme. A great way to make a game absolutely unique is by shaping it around a central theme that is used for the weekend. Think of it this way: the whole weekend is meant to be unique and memorable, so why cannot the games be as well? Nothing is better than when a medieval-themed event has the menu, program, shows, trainings and games all aligned to be an absolute blast together. There just may be a thing or two learned from jousting in a bounce pit or sitting back in a chair eating mutton chops while listening to a training session titled ‘How to: Chivalry with Dragons.’ You never know!
Be creative, but do not feel the need to reinvent the wheel. There are hundreds of websites that have ideas for games and activities to hold during events, whether they are Scouting related or not. From pirates to superheroes to cowboys, just about every idea has some great games that could go with it. Check out the internet for sample ideas to get your brain flowing. From there, you could pick one as a starting point and mold it into something designed for your section conclave, or you could use those ideas to create a game that is diverse and has never been done before. A standard game of corn hole enters a whole new ballpark when it turns into “Super Arrowman’s Lob Toss Challenge.” Know that many people have gone through the same process of not knowing what games to do at an event, so starting from scratch is not at all required. Experience builds, so use it!
Don’t be afraid to recycle ‘ancient’ content. This is where your amazing advisers come into play. Ask around for help and see if the adults have any suggestions of great games they have seen before. Grabbing an idea from 20 years ago (or older) is not against the rulebook of creativity. So, there is no need to be afraid to dig through the archives for inspiration, especially when Adventurer Jones needs to uncover buried knowledge in four minutes or less! Of course, he would need help from a mystery-solving detective and a magical space compass. You make the rules; anything that can quench the excitement the Arrowmen are craving is up to you to discover.
You were sent to seek a vision of yourselves and of your purpose. What do you envision for your new awesome conclave game? That is for you and your team to find out!