Mudboy : 01 - Scouts stories (mm/m, m+/m)
Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:23 pm
Mudboy's stories
01 - Scouts stories
Story index at the bottom
By Mudboy
Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:16 am
Lots of you have asked me to write about my childhood experiences of tie-up games. Well… a few of you have. Er, OK, one of you has asked. And so you shall receive…
The Prologue
As a youngster I was in the Boy Scouts, as it was then called in the UK. Later I became a Venture Scout and I was also in the School’s Air Cadets *. As a young adult during my 20s I was a Venture Scout Leader.
My childhood was great. They were perhaps more innocent times than today. Kids had fun, tie-up games were just part of being a kid and adults could and did play with the youngsters without risk of malicious accusations flying around. If you haven’t placed the era yet, well it was the 1960s.
I remember pretty well every Scout camp having its fair share of tie-ups, sometimes with the leaders’ consent, often not. We used to think that our leaders didn’t know what we were up to but as I grew older I learned that they did know all along, for the most part. And they didn’t stop us either, unless things started getting out of hand. Later, as a young leader, I too found that to be the best way to operate.
By the time I got to Venture Scouts, we had refined our tie up games quite considerably. Being bigger and stronger helped too. Surprisingly, the Air Cadets also turned out to be a rope infested place, especially at the summer camps, with inevitable consequences. And one year, age about 17, I went on the Army summer camp, which probably had a more concentrated level of tie-up mania than anything that had gone before. Imagine one kid in RAF uniform (me!), surrounded by a bunch of Army Cadets – you get the idea.
Above all, these games were always consensual. Of course the victim would struggle a bit and perhaps even protest at being tied up yet again but anyone that really didn’t want to play didn’t have to. I don’t remember a single occasion where there was any malice or cause for distress. It is a tribute to the sort of people that become Scouts, Cadets, etc. that very few refused to play tie-up games. Some positively asked for it!
So I’ll try to relive some of those halcyon days. The mists of time inevitably mean that the stories will be based on perhaps faulty memories and even my sometimes vivid imagination. But in all cases the story will have a basis in something that actually happened. Hopefully, along the way, some of today’s Scouts, Cadets or whatever will be moved to write about their experiences. Or anyone else, for that matter.
Finally, I should explain that all my stories are about lads having fun together. In the 60s Scouting was for boys only, as was the Cadets. I offer no opinion as to whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. It just was.
_________________________________
* Note for non UK readers:
- Boy Scouts, later renamed Scouts, was for boys, age 11 to 16.
- Venture Scouts was again for boys only, age 16 to 20.
- Air Cadet Units were run by schools as part of a Combined Cadet Force (Army, Navy, Air Force) or as separate organisations. The age range was about 14 to 20.
1. The bench
It was a lovely warm day at the Scout camp and everyone was wearing the usual camp “uniform†of shorts and T-shirt. In those days that tended to mean short cotton gym shorts, not the knee length baggy things that kids wear these days.
Alex (not his real name) was about 13. He had finished his jobs for the time being and decided to wander over to the central area, where the leaders tended to hang out, in search of entertainment. He got a little more than he bargained for!
Finding a vacant wooden bench seat, Alex laid down on it whilst chatting to one of the Venture Scouts who was at the camp as a young leader. Slowly he stretched his arms above his head until he was lying fully stretched out along the entire length of the bench, basking in the sun. To the other Venture Scout looking on from nearby this was really too good an opportunity to miss.
Some lengths of knotting rope were procured from the quartermaster’s store. As a young leader, the Venture Scout didn’t have to give a reason for needing the rope, which was probably just as well!
Alex, blissfully unaware of his predicament continued chatting to his mate, who was, of course, in on the plot. Suddenly a rope was slung over Alex’s waist and quickly tied underneath the bench. The look of surprise on Alex’s face was priceless! Alex was game for most things however so after recovering from the initial shock he just relaxed, smiled and said “OK guys, go for it!â€.
The two Venture Scouts made quick work of securing Alex to the bench. His wrists were soon tied to one end of the bench and his ankles to the other. Alex was going nowhere now! More ropes were tied around his knees and chest making sure that he didn’t have much wriggle room either. The Venture Scouts stood back and admired their handiwork.
Before long other Scouts began hurrying over to find out what all the commotion was all about. One of them was Alex’s Patrol Leader, who found the whole thing very amusing! Definitely an opportunity here, it seemed. A couple of leaders came by too but seeing that Alex was happy enough and nothing untoward was happening, they soon wandered off again.
“Let’s tickle him!†shouted one of the Scouts. “Yeah!†yelled everyone, “Do it!â€. So, without further ado, off came Alex’s trainers and socks and the tickling began. Alex was very ticklish! Within seconds he was writhing around and giggling uncontrollably. After a few minutes of relentless tickling he was sweating profusely. “I’m hot†he declared.
“Soon sort that out†said his PL. And so a bucket full of water was produced and a few seconds later, Alex was nice and cool again… and very wet!
Alex didn’t seem to mind staying tied to the bench, so some of the Scouts sat with him, chatting about this and that for about half an hour until it was time to start getting the evening meal ready. They untied him but kept the rope for another occasion!
This was not the only time that Alex got tied up at that camp. In fact he made a bit of a habit of it! And he did get revenge on the Venture Scouts a few days later, but that’s another story. I wonder if he is reading this forum?
----------------------------------------------------------
Tue Jul 18, 2006 9:56 pm
2. The initiation
The Venture Scout Unit was going well. Not only were most lads from the Scout Troop going on to join the Unit but also several young guys who had never been in the Scouts before were joining up.
One such was a young fellow whom we will call Steve. Well known around the village as a bit of a prankster and a good all-round sportsman, he was, on the face of it the ideal sort of guy to join the Venture Scouts.
But he’d managed to get on the wrong side of a couple of the Unit members on account of his frequent pranks, some of which had ended in embarrassment and, occasionally, worse. The Unit Executive Committee, made up of some of the more senior Venture Scouts, decided that Steve’s investiture into the Unit would be a little different! A cunning plan began to take shape…
From the outset, the leaders were in on the fiendish scheme. The only stipulation they made was that Steve’s parents should be secretly asked for their permission to do the dread deed. This they gave with great pleasure and much amusement! Clearly there was now no escape for the poor lad.
The day of Steve’s investiture arrived. It was a pleasant summers evening and all the Unit members arrived at the Scout hut a little earlier than usual, carrying with them an unusual assortment of weighty equipment, concealed in rucksacks, cycle panniers and so on. The scene was set – all we needed now was the man himself…
Steve arrived on his bike. He’d been told to turn up in old clothes and he was wearing a tatty pair of football shorts and a well worn white T-shirt. Perfect! As he walked in through the Scout hut door about ten Venture Scouts rushed him and dragged him to the floor. Gawd, he was strong – all that sport, no doubt. But by sheer weight of numbers he was eventually subdued and once his arms were tied behind his back he realised that the game was up and decided to play along. The Venture Scouts finished their handiwork by tying Steve’s ankles back to his wrists in a tight hogtie and gagging him, non to effectively as it turned out, with a Scout neckerchief.
But Venture Scouts can be very inventive. Our hero’s initiation had only just begun!
The immobilised Steve was bundled into the back of the leader's estate car and off it sped to the local woods, hotly pursued by all the Venture Scouts on pushbikes, scooters and other dubious means of teenage transport. Once there he was lifted out of the car and his legs were untied so he could walk into the woods. An isolated spot was chosen with a couple of trees spaced about 3m (10ft) apart. Now the initiation could begin.
The Venture Scouts quickly tied Steve between the two trees in a standing spreadeagle. They made sure he was tied nice and tight and he certainly looked very vulnerable with his arms and legs spread in a wide X and secured to the trees. With our man definitely not going anywhere, it was time for the formal part of the investiture. The Unit chairman led the proceedings, reciting the Scout Promise, which Steve duly repeated word for word. He was now a member of the Venture Scout Unit.
Only now did the other Venture Scouts reveal the heavy contents of their rucksacks. A bewildering array of messy substances… all for Steve! He got treacle down the neck; eggs, flour, shaving foam and baked beans just about everywhere, custard in his shorts and semolina on his head. What a mess! Five minutes later, Steve was hardly recognisable and with a final bag of flour tipped over him he was a bit pale to boot.
Steve’s was probably the messiest investiture that the Venture Unit ever did. Some others came close, so there might be a few more stories in similar vein yet to surface in my mind. Suffice to say, Steve thoroughly enjoyed all the attention and was talking about his investiture for months afterwards. He went on to be a successful and highly regarded Venture Scout.
__________________________________________________________________________
Mudboy's stories
Index of all stories in the "Archive for Everyone" section
01 - Scouts stories
Story index at the bottom
By Mudboy
Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:16 am
Lots of you have asked me to write about my childhood experiences of tie-up games. Well… a few of you have. Er, OK, one of you has asked. And so you shall receive…
The Prologue
As a youngster I was in the Boy Scouts, as it was then called in the UK. Later I became a Venture Scout and I was also in the School’s Air Cadets *. As a young adult during my 20s I was a Venture Scout Leader.
My childhood was great. They were perhaps more innocent times than today. Kids had fun, tie-up games were just part of being a kid and adults could and did play with the youngsters without risk of malicious accusations flying around. If you haven’t placed the era yet, well it was the 1960s.
I remember pretty well every Scout camp having its fair share of tie-ups, sometimes with the leaders’ consent, often not. We used to think that our leaders didn’t know what we were up to but as I grew older I learned that they did know all along, for the most part. And they didn’t stop us either, unless things started getting out of hand. Later, as a young leader, I too found that to be the best way to operate.
By the time I got to Venture Scouts, we had refined our tie up games quite considerably. Being bigger and stronger helped too. Surprisingly, the Air Cadets also turned out to be a rope infested place, especially at the summer camps, with inevitable consequences. And one year, age about 17, I went on the Army summer camp, which probably had a more concentrated level of tie-up mania than anything that had gone before. Imagine one kid in RAF uniform (me!), surrounded by a bunch of Army Cadets – you get the idea.
Above all, these games were always consensual. Of course the victim would struggle a bit and perhaps even protest at being tied up yet again but anyone that really didn’t want to play didn’t have to. I don’t remember a single occasion where there was any malice or cause for distress. It is a tribute to the sort of people that become Scouts, Cadets, etc. that very few refused to play tie-up games. Some positively asked for it!
So I’ll try to relive some of those halcyon days. The mists of time inevitably mean that the stories will be based on perhaps faulty memories and even my sometimes vivid imagination. But in all cases the story will have a basis in something that actually happened. Hopefully, along the way, some of today’s Scouts, Cadets or whatever will be moved to write about their experiences. Or anyone else, for that matter.
Finally, I should explain that all my stories are about lads having fun together. In the 60s Scouting was for boys only, as was the Cadets. I offer no opinion as to whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. It just was.
_________________________________
* Note for non UK readers:
- Boy Scouts, later renamed Scouts, was for boys, age 11 to 16.
- Venture Scouts was again for boys only, age 16 to 20.
- Air Cadet Units were run by schools as part of a Combined Cadet Force (Army, Navy, Air Force) or as separate organisations. The age range was about 14 to 20.
1. The bench
It was a lovely warm day at the Scout camp and everyone was wearing the usual camp “uniform†of shorts and T-shirt. In those days that tended to mean short cotton gym shorts, not the knee length baggy things that kids wear these days.
Alex (not his real name) was about 13. He had finished his jobs for the time being and decided to wander over to the central area, where the leaders tended to hang out, in search of entertainment. He got a little more than he bargained for!
Finding a vacant wooden bench seat, Alex laid down on it whilst chatting to one of the Venture Scouts who was at the camp as a young leader. Slowly he stretched his arms above his head until he was lying fully stretched out along the entire length of the bench, basking in the sun. To the other Venture Scout looking on from nearby this was really too good an opportunity to miss.
Some lengths of knotting rope were procured from the quartermaster’s store. As a young leader, the Venture Scout didn’t have to give a reason for needing the rope, which was probably just as well!
Alex, blissfully unaware of his predicament continued chatting to his mate, who was, of course, in on the plot. Suddenly a rope was slung over Alex’s waist and quickly tied underneath the bench. The look of surprise on Alex’s face was priceless! Alex was game for most things however so after recovering from the initial shock he just relaxed, smiled and said “OK guys, go for it!â€.
The two Venture Scouts made quick work of securing Alex to the bench. His wrists were soon tied to one end of the bench and his ankles to the other. Alex was going nowhere now! More ropes were tied around his knees and chest making sure that he didn’t have much wriggle room either. The Venture Scouts stood back and admired their handiwork.
Before long other Scouts began hurrying over to find out what all the commotion was all about. One of them was Alex’s Patrol Leader, who found the whole thing very amusing! Definitely an opportunity here, it seemed. A couple of leaders came by too but seeing that Alex was happy enough and nothing untoward was happening, they soon wandered off again.
“Let’s tickle him!†shouted one of the Scouts. “Yeah!†yelled everyone, “Do it!â€. So, without further ado, off came Alex’s trainers and socks and the tickling began. Alex was very ticklish! Within seconds he was writhing around and giggling uncontrollably. After a few minutes of relentless tickling he was sweating profusely. “I’m hot†he declared.
“Soon sort that out†said his PL. And so a bucket full of water was produced and a few seconds later, Alex was nice and cool again… and very wet!
Alex didn’t seem to mind staying tied to the bench, so some of the Scouts sat with him, chatting about this and that for about half an hour until it was time to start getting the evening meal ready. They untied him but kept the rope for another occasion!
This was not the only time that Alex got tied up at that camp. In fact he made a bit of a habit of it! And he did get revenge on the Venture Scouts a few days later, but that’s another story. I wonder if he is reading this forum?
----------------------------------------------------------
Tue Jul 18, 2006 9:56 pm
2. The initiation
The Venture Scout Unit was going well. Not only were most lads from the Scout Troop going on to join the Unit but also several young guys who had never been in the Scouts before were joining up.
One such was a young fellow whom we will call Steve. Well known around the village as a bit of a prankster and a good all-round sportsman, he was, on the face of it the ideal sort of guy to join the Venture Scouts.
But he’d managed to get on the wrong side of a couple of the Unit members on account of his frequent pranks, some of which had ended in embarrassment and, occasionally, worse. The Unit Executive Committee, made up of some of the more senior Venture Scouts, decided that Steve’s investiture into the Unit would be a little different! A cunning plan began to take shape…
From the outset, the leaders were in on the fiendish scheme. The only stipulation they made was that Steve’s parents should be secretly asked for their permission to do the dread deed. This they gave with great pleasure and much amusement! Clearly there was now no escape for the poor lad.
The day of Steve’s investiture arrived. It was a pleasant summers evening and all the Unit members arrived at the Scout hut a little earlier than usual, carrying with them an unusual assortment of weighty equipment, concealed in rucksacks, cycle panniers and so on. The scene was set – all we needed now was the man himself…
Steve arrived on his bike. He’d been told to turn up in old clothes and he was wearing a tatty pair of football shorts and a well worn white T-shirt. Perfect! As he walked in through the Scout hut door about ten Venture Scouts rushed him and dragged him to the floor. Gawd, he was strong – all that sport, no doubt. But by sheer weight of numbers he was eventually subdued and once his arms were tied behind his back he realised that the game was up and decided to play along. The Venture Scouts finished their handiwork by tying Steve’s ankles back to his wrists in a tight hogtie and gagging him, non to effectively as it turned out, with a Scout neckerchief.
But Venture Scouts can be very inventive. Our hero’s initiation had only just begun!
The immobilised Steve was bundled into the back of the leader's estate car and off it sped to the local woods, hotly pursued by all the Venture Scouts on pushbikes, scooters and other dubious means of teenage transport. Once there he was lifted out of the car and his legs were untied so he could walk into the woods. An isolated spot was chosen with a couple of trees spaced about 3m (10ft) apart. Now the initiation could begin.
The Venture Scouts quickly tied Steve between the two trees in a standing spreadeagle. They made sure he was tied nice and tight and he certainly looked very vulnerable with his arms and legs spread in a wide X and secured to the trees. With our man definitely not going anywhere, it was time for the formal part of the investiture. The Unit chairman led the proceedings, reciting the Scout Promise, which Steve duly repeated word for word. He was now a member of the Venture Scout Unit.
Only now did the other Venture Scouts reveal the heavy contents of their rucksacks. A bewildering array of messy substances… all for Steve! He got treacle down the neck; eggs, flour, shaving foam and baked beans just about everywhere, custard in his shorts and semolina on his head. What a mess! Five minutes later, Steve was hardly recognisable and with a final bag of flour tipped over him he was a bit pale to boot.
Steve’s was probably the messiest investiture that the Venture Unit ever did. Some others came close, so there might be a few more stories in similar vein yet to surface in my mind. Suffice to say, Steve thoroughly enjoyed all the attention and was talking about his investiture for months afterwards. He went on to be a successful and highly regarded Venture Scout.
__________________________________________________________________________
Mudboy's stories
- 01 - Scouts stories (mm/m, m+/m)
Index of all stories in the "Archive for Everyone" section