War Night

One of the pivotal events in a Senior Boy's life at Fort Scott was participation in War Night. A reader wrote to me and asked for a recap of the rules of the game. Since it took nearly a week to explain all of the various rules to the new players, I have condensed them down to a few paragraphs to give you the flavor of the game. I would love to hear from counselors, especially from before my time to share their versions of War Night

War Night Rules

The Senior Boys will be divided into two teams, Alpha and Bravo. Each member of the individual teams will be assigned a rank and point value. Ranks will start at Private, and graduate to General, with various military ranks such as Corporal and Captain used in between. Point values will range from 1 pt for a Private and 25 points for a General.

The object of the game is to score as many points as possible for your team by capturing members of the other team, or objects of value held by the other team. Objects of value would include three flashlights and three buckets used to hold water balloons.

Game Play
Teams Alpha and Bravo are each assigned a campsite. Historically the campsites are Indian Village and Grubers. There have been times in the past when the number of Senior Boys is so large that additionally campsites have been used. Gilligan’s Island, Trading Post, and Enright’s are among the additional campsites used.

Both teams are required to maintain a campfire at their campsites. The game is over if either campfire is allowed to burn out.

Both teams are also required to provide a campfire and a clear site for the counselors that are stationed at the Main campfire circle.

Once the main campfire is lit, teams are dispersed to their respective campsites to light their fires. Once their sites are inspected by the counselors, a signal is given, and the game begins.


The means to capture an opponent are as follows:
• Breaking a water balloon on an opponent
• Grabbing an opponent and saying the capture phrase. The capture phrase will be explained below. The attacker must maintain contact with his target for the entire time he is speaking the phrase

Once an opponent is captured the capturing player must lead the captive to the Main campfire circle. The capturing player must say “Detriot Mo” every five steps while walking to the Main Campfire Circle. The “Detriot Mo” phrase removes both the capturing player, and the captive from the game and makes them ineligible to capture others, to be captured. If the capturing player fails to say “Detroit Mo” every five steps, the captive player may either break free and attempt to escape, or may try to capture his captor.

When the Capturing player arrives at the Main Campfire circle, they will remain standing at the First Line, which all players will have been shown during the week prior to War Night. Both players will wait there until called forward to the Second Line.

When the players arrive at the second line a Counselor will ask “which team captures which team?” The capturing player would respond “Alpha captures Bravo, Sir”, or vice versa as appropriate. The Counselor then would ask the name and rank of the capturing player, and then of the captured player. Once the names and ranks were recorded, the captured player is instructed to sit in a cool down area, the capturing player is released to return to his campsite. The captured player will be released to return to his campsite after a period determined by the counselors.

Both players must repeat Alaskan Mo every five steps as they return to their campsites. Neither player is allowed to return to the game until they have passed between two trees designated by the Counselors. This leaves returning players particularly vulnerable to capture if the opposing team controls their campsite.

Items of Value
Both teams are issued a number of flashlights and buckets, usually not more than three of each. These items are assigned a point value equal to a mid level player. If these items are captured by the opposing team, their values are added to the that teams total points.

Disputes
In the case of a disputed capture, any involved player can call a Freeze Mo. All players involved will then travel to the main campfire circle under Freeze Mo and have their dispute resolved. All counselors present at the main campfire circle will listen to the account of the dispute and a decision will be rendered by a vote among the counselors. The player that initiates the capture frequently receives the favorable result.

End Game
The Game will continue as long as there is activity or until winning is clearly out of reach for the losing team. Counselors will be sent to each campsite to announce that the game is over, and each team will be instructed to assemble in the main campfire circle. Roll call is made in the main campfire circle, and when all players are accounted for, they are dismissed back to their cabins.

The score is read the next morning at breakfast.

Game Phrases
Capture Phrase:
• Italian Mo Ravish Spaghetti Tree Detroit Mo

Travel to Main Campfire Phrase
• Detroit Mo. This phrase must me spoken every five steps

Return to Base Camp Phrase
• Alaskan Mo

Travel to Main Campfire to resolve a dispute
• Freeze Mo

Alert Counselors of an injury
• Red Cross Mo

Counselor Travel Phrase
• Counselor Mo
•

Rewinding 31 years

April, 1978

31 years ago was the first time I set foot on the Fort Scott property. At that time, the Archdiocese would run ads in the Sunday bulletins at church for the coming summer at Fort Scott. My parents asked me if I wanted to go check it out, and so we packed ourselves into the car and drove out to the open house.

I wish I could remember who gave us the tour of the camp. It might have been Ed Shannon, or maybe Mark Maxwell. I just don’t remember. What I do remember is how big camp seemed. It was open, and green and quiet. We walked through the Boys Camp, and peered into the windows of the cabins. We looked into the 8-1/2 and the playhouse. The tour pretty much ended on the porch of one of the girls cabins that had been opened for the day.

We walked in, and I smelled that cabin smell of forest, and slightly damp lumber. I looked around and saw the bunks and wondered how so many people could live in such a small place. I am sure that I looked at all of the names written on the walls and wondered about the people that had put their names there. At 11 years old, I am sure that I had 11 year old concerns like how would we wake up in the morning, how would we know when to be where, what about this and what if that….

I remember being excited, and apprehensive. I had never been to any kind of camp, although we had a summer cottage in Indiana. I had no idea that by taking that tour on that cool pre spring Sunday, how my life would be changed.

What I find most interesting in this memory is that I underestimated Fort Scott in just about every way possible.

I think that I need to get busy writing again, because it seems that the memories are fading a bit faster than I thought.

Happy Easter to all

Bob