For Boys

A Party for Young Carpenters | A Kite Party | "No Sissy Games" | The Fellows Like Things a Bit Rough! | Come on Over, Fellows | A Magician's Party! | A Party for Boisterous Boys | A Stag for the Thirteeners | A Teen-Age Party

A PARTY FOR YOUNG CARPENTERS

Tommy wanted a birthday party. In fact he in­sisted upon it. Naturally we hesitated. It would take some doing, we reasoned, to entertain a bunch of wrestling, scrapping, shoving young eight-year-olds.

Nevertheless a birthday can't be ignored. Nothing to do but settle down with young Tom and plan a party.

Tommy, screwing his face into a thoughtful frown, said, "I wish we could build something. All the guys like to saw and pound." That was the springboard of our idea. A bright cardinal whistling from our neighbor's feeding tray gave us the next thought. A bird-feeding tray wouldn't be too hard for an eight-year-old to make and there would be just about time enough after school for each boy to make one. That suited Tommy.

First came the invitations. They read:

A carpenter's party at

Tommy Durand's house,

Friday after school.

We printed them on pieces of shingle four inches long and one inch wide. On the reverse side of the shingle went the guest's name. Tommy delivered these invitations to his guests the following day. Needless to say, the boys were immediately interested.

Next came getting material for the trays. The wood must be soft enough to be easily handled. Wooden fruit boxes from the neighboring store are just the thing. The store was glad to get rid of them as it saved hauling them away.

Tommy's Dad collected an adequate supply of orange crates, narrow-stripped cantaloupe boxes, and sturdy ap­ple boxes. Tommy and his Daddy took the crates apart and piled the boards neatly into a miniature lumber yard at one end of the basement. From friends we borrowed enough additional saws and hammers to provide for each guest. These were arranged in a neat row on Tom's work bench.

Even though the work bench is a large one we felt that if eight young sprouts hammered and sawed at the one bench it was likely to result in pounded fingers and ruffled tempers. Therefore we arranged solid wooden ap­ple boxes in a circle around the work bench, thus provid­ing each boy with a place to work.

When Friday came the boys were right on hand after school. Each boy was given a boy-size carpenter's apron with a supply of shingle nails in the pocket. Each apron was made of sturdy material and was about eighteen inches long and twelve inches wide. A crosspiece was stitched on the lower half of the apron and up through the center to form two pockets. Sturdy tape was sewed to the top for a halter and the same tape was used for the apron strings. Every boy has seen carpenters wear such aprons, and each was delighted to have one of his very own.

We showed the boys the feeding tray next door think­ing they might like to follow its pattern. We told them they were to take home their finished trays. One practical lad immediately asked, "Where'll we get the lumber?" And we answered, "You'll find lumber and tools in the basement."

The boys tore through the house like a thundering herd and down into the basement. In no time at all each boy was choosing from the little lumberyard the boards with which he wanted to work. In a shorter time than it takes to tell, each boy was busy making a tray of his own design.

The saws hummed and the hammers pounded as the happy voices of the youngsters compared notes on their progress.

Near the end of the afternoon we inquired if they were ready to eat. For the first time in our experience with boys at parties we were greeted with "Can't we have just a little more time? We aren't quite through."

At last all were ready to eat. To each one we handed a workman's box lunch. The boys were excited over this new version of a birthday party lunch. Each box con­tained peanut butter and lettuce sandwiches, a half pint bottle of milk and a straw, an apple, a piece of birthday cake and a sucker.

After lunch the trays were brought up for display. Not one of the young carpenters had copied the neighbor's tray but each had followed his own design. They were all very clever. One was simply a tray with an edge around it to prevent food from falling off. Another was a bird house with a tray porch while still another had a broad peaked roof.

On leaving the party each guest was presented with a package of bird seed from the dime store. While the boys were collecting their trays, bird seed and carpenter's aprons to take home, one enthusiastic lad said, "This is the best party I've been to in three years." A little tousle-head replied, "What d'ya mean—three years—it's the most fun of them all." Then we knew that our carpenter work­shop idea had made a hit.

If your noisy lad wants the gang in for a party don't hes­itate to give the go-ahead signal. For a party that's fun, economical and easy to manage try the carpenter work­shop idea—it really works.

A KITE PARTY

"Gee Mom, March is a punk month for a birth­day. You can't have a sleigh ride because the snow's gone. You can't have a picnic 'cause it's too cold. I wish my birthday came some other month."

Nine-year-old Chuck pressed his snub nose against the windowpane as he looked out at the bleak day. "If it were near the end of March maybe the weather would be half­way decent—but March 6th—that's awful."

"We can always have an indoor party and play games, Chuck," I suggested brightly.

"Yeah we've done that at every birthday party all win­ter. The fellows are all tired of that."

"There must be something we can do for the boys on your birthday that would be fun." We both looked out at the tree tops bending low in the strong March wind.

I had a thought. It'll soon be kite time. "Chuck, why not have a kite party?"

Chuck looked up with a pleased grin. "A kite party! What'd you know? Well—it's different anyway. What's the idea?"

That was the beginning of Chuck's kite party given in the blustery month of March, when it's too raw and dis­agreeable to give a party outside and yet not wintry enough for a skating or sleigh-ride party.

"First come the invitations. Let's have them different too." Chuck had forgotten his disgust and the plans were on.

From the dime store we bought white cards three by five inches and cut them kite-shaped. The invitations read:

Kite time is here. Come to Chuck's party Friday night after school.

An address and stamp on the reverse side and the invi­tations were ready for the mail. Curiosity ran high with the crowd. What was going to happen? This sounds like fun.

Ahead of party time Chuck bought a supply of balsam wood from which he cut thin strips to be used for the frames. Then we laid in a supply of bright-colored crepe paper, a jar of paste and plenty of strong string. We were all set for the excited crowd that arrived breathlessly after school. On birthday party nights boys always run all the way from school to get to the party quickly. No time to waste when a party is on.

As soon as the boys had gathered Chuck showed his guests a kite he had made as an experiment and then told the boys if they would like to build kites the "makings" were in the basement. In less time than it takes to tell the crowd was downstairs looking over the material, fingering the saws and setting up shop on a sturdy apple crate.

We have long since learned that where many boys are working with tools it is better to have saws and hammers for each. We had supplemented our own supply by bor­rowing from our friends. So that each boy would have a place to work without interference we had put in a sup­ply of strong apple boxes from the corner grocery. These make excellent individual work benches.

For a small outlay kites all ready to assemble can be bought at the dime store, but Chuck felt the boys would enjoy making their own.

The kites are really simple to make. The frame is made with two or three sticks to form a cross, or an X with a crosspiece. Tiny nails from cigar boxes can be used to nail the sticks in the form wished.

By cutting a groove in the ends of the sticks, a strong string can be strung from stick to stick forming the frame on which to stick the paper.

The kite frame may then be covered with common tis­sue paper, light-weight wrapping paper, or even newspa­per. We chose crepe paper because of its decorative value. It is a little harder to paste, but kites covered with crepe paper fly very smoothly.

When each boy had completed the body of his kite the tail came in for consideration. Because the tail must be as light as possible to avoid weighing down the kite, we tied small pieces of paper about a foot apart on a long light string. The small pieces of paper are loosely rolled, then tied in the middle like a bow.

Before too long the boys had finished their kites. While they were waiting for the paste to dry we called the boys up to the kitchen for refreshments. To keep in the groove with boy taste we served the traditional hamburgers and buns, with brimming cups of hot chocolate in which floated a marshmallow. The birthday cake dessert was decorated with nine small kites of frosting with a candle in the center of each.

Lunch over, the boys went to the school ground to test-fly their masterpieces. Before they left the house we gave each a card on which we had typed the following safety rules for good kite fliers. These rules are issued by the Safety Service of Electrical Companies throughout the country, and the National Safety Company.

A good kite flier does not fly his kite near electric tele­phone or trolley wires, or near high voltage trans­mission towers.

He does not use wire or tinsel twine of any sort or even a wet string.

He does not fly his kite in a thunderstorm.

He does not use a kite with metal ribs.

He does not run across highways, but flies his kite in open places away from traffic.

At dusk Chuck's father rounded up the gang of happy kite fliers and took them home. Each boy declared he enjoyed making his own kite and was pleased to have it for future flying days. The boys voted Chuck's party "a high-flier of a birthday party."

”NO SISSY GAMES"

"Take a tip from me," warned my friend, "and never, never give a party for a bunch of ten-year-old boys. After Hugh's last party it took a week to clean up the wreckage."

I quaked in my boots at her warning because I had al­ready promised our rough-and-tumble Sandy a party. What to do! I didn't want to back out, for if Sandy was ever to become a gracious host now was the time to start. We all realize that social ease can't be put on like a new coat at a certain age, but is acquired by practice and usage as a youngster develops.

So Sandy and I sat down at the kitchen table to plan his party. "We don't want any sissy games, Mother," said Sandy running his fingers through his mop of curly red hair. "The fellows like things lively."

I suppressed a shudder—we have no amusement room and "lively" games for a dozen active ten-year-olds didn't sound too promising for our living-room furniture. But the party must go on. So after much discussion pro and con—I supplied most of the cons—we settled on a "G-man" party.

Then came the search for games—games tailored to our chosen theme; games boisterous enough to suit Sandy and his friends and at the same time leave the living room in good shape for future use.

Since ten-year-olds get an extra thrill from an evening party, an evening party this must be from seven to nine o'clock. Two hours for which to plan entertainment. Al­lowing twenty minutes for refreshments—a ten-year-old can do pretty well for himself in that time—we would still have an hour and forty minutes for games. We have learned from experience that about seven minutes is a good average for a game. Therefore we needed fifteen games to fill out the evening.

When we had decided on our games we gathered all the necessary props. We then pasted a list of the games to the inside of a kitchen cupboard door where they could be referred to quickly to avoid delay between games. For we have learned—the hard way—that a few idle moments is apt to result in a wrestling match which can quickly develop into a free-for-all.

On the night of the party promptly at seven the guests, cowlicks slicked down and shirts stuck in, arrived. Our well-scrubbed Sandy met them at the door with a hat full of small red stars and green paper shields. The red stars bore the letters F.B.I. The green shields a big T. This drawing automatically divided our "G-men" into two camps. The first boy to draw a star became the F.B.I, captain. The first boy to draw a shield became "T" cap­tain.

Sandy announced that the F.B.I, men would compete with the "T" men in games. Points would be given the winners. Sandy asked each captain to appoint a score-keeper for his team. He announced that the side with the most points at the close of the evening would be served refreshments by the losers.

The first competition was a "Footprint Relay" race scaled to fit our living room. Boy-sized paper footprints marked two circles around the room, one for each team. To make the footprints we had traced around the sole of Sandy's shoe on white wrapping paper. When cut out these were surprisingly good. Then we scotch-taped them to the carpet at various angles. Each boy had to fit his foot exactly to each print. Each boy completing the circle started the next boy in line on his team by touching him. The team that finished first was awarded ten points.

To find out which team was the stronger we conducted tournament style a bottle wrestle. We put six empty milk bottles around the room with plenty of space between. Then each F.B.I, man chose a "T" man opponent as nearly his own size as possible. With the bottle on the floor between them they faced each other and placed hands on partner's shoulders. The object of the game was to see which man could pull or push his partner until he forced him to bump over the bottle. The one who bumped over the bottle was the loser, of course. All of the winners then played each other until there was only one winner left. The winner was awarded twenty-five points for his team. For evenly matched boys this proves a very strenuous game, takes very little room and is not as rough-house as it sounds. But it will completely wind the most active young­ster.

To give the boys a chance to catch their breath we next had fingerprint fortunes. Beforehand we had written some fortunes on pieces of white paper with secret ink. To do this we dissolved one tablespoonful of common ta­ble salt in one half cup of water and wrote with a clean stub point pen. In writing with secret ink dip the pen fre­quently. Then before the writing dries draw a black pen­cil line under the fortune to indicate the location of the sentence on the paper. Let the writing thoroughly dry before laying the papers together.

Sandy handed these apparently blank sheets of paper to the "G" men who were told to press their thumbs on an ink pad and then on the paper. Thus they finger-printed their own fortunes. Sandy then told the boys that five points would be awarded the team that first discov­ered their own fortunes. Each boy was given a soft lead pencil. They soon found that words would appear by rub­bing the pencil lightly over the paper. Here are some of the fortunes we used, geared strictly to boy humor.

1. Don't get killed in the dark of the moon it's fatal.
   
   
2. You'll soon be dead  dead wrong.
   
   
3. Don't watch the clock so much it may strike.
   
   
4. It's unlucky for you to drown on Friday the 13th.
   
   
5. Don't cultivate a taking way your friends may miss things.
   
   
6. Your rich relatives will soon leave you but they won't leave you much.
   
   
7. If you're searching for clue, look under "c" in the dictionary.
   
   
8. Never take a job on the 32nd day of the month.

For the next contest the F.B.I, men lined up on one side of the room and the "T" men on the other. The cap­tain of each team was presented with an ordinary paste­board fan. In front of each team was laid a small tissue-paper fish marked "clue." These detectives were told to fan their clues to the opposite end of the room and back—then to pass the fan to the next man on their team. If you've ever tried this stunt you'll see why the boys en­joyed it so much. The first team to finish was given twenty-five points.

These were the games that delighted Sandy and his crowd right up to refreshment time. At the close of the evening the scores were added and the losing team took their places behind the dining-room table which was cov­ered with a paper tablecloth. The losing F.B.I, men then donned aprons and served "hot dogs" and buns to the winning "T" team. The "T" men were very demanding that the losers doctor the wieners with just the right amount of mustard and piccalilli. After the winners were filled up, a fresh supply was brought on for the losers.

The only trouble with this party was the difficulty in getting the lads to go home on time. Each one had a stunt that he wanted to show the fellows. We really knew that Sandy and his guests had a rousing good time, and not a bit of damage was done to the living-room furnishings. I'll admit the boys kicked up some dust and made a lot of noise, but after all this was a boys' party and we all enjoyed their harmless hilarity.

THE FELLOWS LIKE THINGS A BIT ROUGH!

"Be sure to have some boisterous games, Mom. The fellows like things a bit rough, you know." That was our ten-year-old's comment as we sat down together to plan a party.

My heart did a flip-flop because we have no amusement room and "boisterous" games for a bunch of ten- and eleven-year-olds sound like a bad omen for the living-room furnishings. However, we didn't refuse because we genuinely wanted to welcome Tom's friends to our home. Because all boys at one time or another dream of life on the wide open ranges, we decided this would be a cowboy party. For invitations Tom gathered some birch bark and on it printed in black ink the following:

All cowhands are invited to the Bar-B Ranch on Friday night next at 7 p.m.   Tom.

The invitations set tongues awaggin'. All the boys came on time—cowboy outfits complete even down to the six-shooters. As the guests arrived Tom gave each lad a brand to wear for the evening—half were Bar-B and the other half QT ranchers. All guns were checked at the door, because as Tom said this was no shootin' fray.

As soon as the lads had all got there, Tom asked the boys from the two ranches to line up in two separate lines for a "Bundle Relay." Then he gave the first player in each line a ball of cord. When the signal was given each leader passed the ball to the next boy in line but held on to the end of the string. As the balls passed down the lines the cord unwound. When the end of the line was reached the balls in each line were passed up the lines behind the backs of the players until they reached the first players again. The object was to see which team could first wrap itself into a bundle.

The sequel to the race consisted in untying the bun­dle by passing the balls back and winding the cord as it went.

Next was a circle game with one of the QT ranch hands on the outside of the circle. He tapped one of the Bar-B hands on the back and said, "Good Morning." The Bar-B boy answered, "Good Morning." The QT lad said, "Have you seen my calf?" The Bar-B boy asked, "How is it dressed?" The QT rancher then described a boy in the circle. As soon as the "calf" recognized himself or the Bar-B boy knew who was being described, both began to run outside the circle, the Bar-B boy trying to catch the calf before it got back to its place in the circle. When this happened the calf had to go into the center of the circle, which was the corral, where he remained until the end of the game. Whether or not the calf was caught, the Bar-B rancher became the next questioner outside the circle. The questioner did not chase. When he had described his calf he stepped into the place left by the Bar-B rancher whom he had just questioned. There was no escape from the corral. Players who were caught remained in the cen­ter until the end of the game.

Good cowhands must be good horsemen and have good balance. Lacking horses at this party, Tom substituted a broomstick balance. A bridge was made by laying a broomstick on the seats of two chairs a slight distance apart. With the aid of a cane the contestant seated him­self on the broomstick and crossed his legs. When he was nicely balanced he endeavored to remove with his cane two handkerchiefs that were hung on the back of the chair behind him. Three falls were allowed before he was de­clared a loser.

The hands from the two ranches took turns trying this balance game. The ranch with the most winners of course won the relay.

"Fetch and Carry" was a bit different in the way of relays. Two players, the first and second, in each team joined hands. When Tom said, "Go!" they ran to the goal line across the room. The first remained there while the sec­ond hurried back and joined hands with the third player. These two ran to the goal, and the second player remained while the third returned for the fourth. The ranch that first transferred all its members to the goal line won the race.

Boys always like to test their muscles, so we chose "Hand Push" for a living-room challenge. Two boys, from the two ranches, stood facing each other with their toes touch­ing. They had their palms also touching on a level with their chests. In this position each pushed the other's hands until one was forced to step back. The player who forced his opponent backward was the winner. As soon as the boys saw this game, nothing would do but all must try it.

For refreshments Tom led his ranchers into the big kitchen where his mother had set out a hearty lunch for hungry cowhands. The only light in the room was fur­nished by a flickering barn lantern set in the middle of the table.

The dishes were tin, the table was bare. The fare was simple but hearty and, followed by strawberry shortcake and tall glasses of milk, satisfied even the hungriest rancher. By curfew time, the lads picked up their guns and bade Tom a hearty good night with a "Thank you for lots of fun."

COME ON OVER, FELLOWS

"You're a glutton for punishment. I wouldn't have a bunch of ten-year-old boys in my house for a party again for anything. The last time that crowd was over here it took a week to repair the damage."

Such were the opinions expressed by the mothers of my ten-year-old son's friends, when I said that my Dick wanted to give a party.

The general opinion seemed to be that the boys could get along very nicely without parties until they reached an age when a general wrestling match was not of such paramount importance in their scheme of things. But how are these youngsters ever going to acquire any of the social graces if they have no chance to practice during their formative years?

With this thought in mind we were more than happy to allow Dick to entertain as many of his friends at a party as he wished, and thereby learn as much about being a host as he could.

Dick telephoned his invitations, "I'm having a few of the fellows over Friday night from seven to nine for an evening of fun. I'd like to have you come over." The boys accepted. An evening party; what a lark!

Next Dick and I went over the plans for the evening. As we have no amusement room the games could not be too wild and still they must be wild enough to satisfy the most active. And husky ten-year-olds are plenty active. Some of the games that I would have chosen Dick vetoed as "sissy." Occasionally we suggested a milder version of Dick's idea but eventually we worked out an evening's program.

We had two hours of entertainment for which to plan. Refreshments, of course, would take a while. Dick thought fifteen minutes would be long enough for eating and I thought a half hour. We compromised on twenty minutes, and because our refreshments were light that was about the correct time. That left one hour and forty minutes for games. From past experience with boys' parties (we're blessed with a family of sons) we have learned that the time consumed by the average game is seven minutes. Of course some games take longer and others only a few minutes but seven minutes is a good average.

Soon we had a list of fifteen suitable games. Then we went over each game and gathered together any neces­sary "props" that might be needed so as to avoid any de­lay between games.

The guests arrived promptly at seven p.m. No group of adults ever gathered so promptly at an hour set. We di­vided the boys up into two teams of five each and told them to see which side could make the most money first.

The leader of each row was given an empty quart milk bottle and a tablespoon. In front of each leader, placed on the buffet or a stand before a mirror, was a dish of pop­corn (unbuttered and unsalted). The object is to hold the bottle, top up, on the head and, while looking into the mirror, spoon as many kernels of popcorn into the bottle as possible in three tries.

The row finishing first was given a paper on which to dump all the corn accumulated in the bottle, each kernel counting $1000. As soon as the other row finished they too counted their money. It was soon discovered that the row finishing first did not make the most money. The row finishing last had the most corn in the bottle. This game took more than seven minutes, of course, but the next took less.

Dick asked the boys if any of them had ever seen an "Indian Wedding." He said he had heard about one and told the boys to stand in a row, facing front, shoulders touching and he'd explain how it was done. The steps of the game are:

1. The ten boys stand shoulder to shoulder, facing the front.
   
   
2. All raise hands above the head.
   
   
3. Bend to kneeling position, keeping the knees tight together.
   
   
4. Put hands behind back and clasp firmly.
   
   
5. Bend over and put forehead on the floor.

As soon as all the boys were in this position, Dick gave the lad on the end a stiff nudge, whereupon the whole group toppled over on their sides. The boys thought it great fun to have the whole row fall over. Being in kneel­ing position no one was hurt.

Next we had a relay called "High, Wide and Hand­some." We laid newspapers on the floor a good step apart. Divided the boys into two teams of five each. Gave the leader of each team a book, told him to balance the book on his head and walk on the newspapers across the room and back. On his return the next one started. The team finishing first, of course, won the race.

Then came "Dog's Day." Ahead of time we had typed out on slips of paper, one for each lad, stunts such as these:

1. Imitate a dog meeting a cat.
   
   
2. Imitate a dog howling at the moon.
   
   
3. Imitate a dog chasing its tail, etc.

Each boy drew a slip from a hat and was warned not to let anyone see what was written on the slip. Then each fellow did as his slip directed while the rest guessed what he was doing. Some of the stunts were very amusing and some of the guesses equally so.

These were some of the games that the boys enjoyed at Dick's party. You will notice that we gave no prizes. We have found that if the games are such that everyone can participate winning seems to satisfy without a prize. Not one game called for expensive equipment. The equip­ment we used were things that every householder has on hand.

Although we had fifteen games planned we used only fourteen. Dick and his guests had a rousing good time and not one bit of damage was done to the household furnish­ings.

A MAGICIAN'S PARTY!

Every boy is born with a touch of Houdini in his soul. By the time he's twelve he'd rather pull a trick on a pal, than eat—almost. Next best he likes to watch another perform tricks of magic. So when Gray and Bernie wanted to entertain their scout troop at a magician's party, we buried our misgivings and gave the go-ahead signal.

The invitations they extended over the telephone were at least unique. "Houdini's nephew will be at our house on Friday evening. Drop around. He's going to show a few clever tricks. If you know a good stunt to show him bring it along."

This was strictly a no-refusal party. Each guest accepted and arrived promptly at seven. The guests were met at the door by two young magicians—one was attired in a Prince Albert coat and silk topper—the other wore the tradi­tional Hindu garb. A turkish towel wound around his head served as a turban and a gay bathrobe covered his regular clothes.

The first two boys to arrive were handcuffed together. Subsequent arrivals were also handcuffed in pairs. This was done by tying each end of a forty inch string to one boy's wrists. Then another string of equal length is passed between the first boy's string and his body. Then the ends of this string are tied to his partner's wrists, linking the two boys together. The couples are to separate themselves without breaking or untying the strings.

This was an intriguing game on which the boys concen­trated earnestly. It was not too long until one lad stum­bled onto the solution. Yielding to loud demands he ex­plained carefully that if one of a handcuffed pair would make a loop in his string and tuck it under the string around his partner's wrist and pull it over his partner's hand, the partners could be separated without break­ing or untying the strings. Of course, the strings remained tied to the wrists. The solution was so simple it was hard for some of the boys to accept it so they continued to experiment for some time.

Next on the game list was the magic stick. The young hosts explained that touching the magic stick would pre­vent one from walking straight across the room to pick up a book from the floor and place it on a chair standing in one corner of the room. "Oh yeah" was the skeptical re­sponse. The boys all squatted on the floor to watch the loudest skeptic make the first try.

Following directions he stood in the center of the floor, cupped his hands over the head of a cane (yardstick) and leaned his forehead on his hands. Watching the end of the cane on the floor, he circled it six times. Then he dropped the stick and reeled across the room toward the book. He zigged when he meant to zag and landed in a heap on the floor. The boys rolled on the floor in glee. Each was sure he could do it without staggering. Each boy loath to give up tried it again and again.

Next each lad was given five toothpicks. Then Bernie announced that he'd give six more to anyone who could make them into nine toothpicks. All toothpicks must be used. Before long one bright lad discovered that by lay­ing the toothpicks so as to print the letters N I N E he had used all his toothpicks.

Then the boys asked their guests to be seated around the floor. Bernie announced that he would remove Gray's shirt without removing his coat. Gray took a chair and the boys eyed him closely. Gray was very properly dressed with a dress-shirt—no tie—and coat. Bernie stepped up to him saying, "I don't like the way your collar buttons." He then unbuttoned Gray's collar and a couple of buttons down the front of the shirt. Then he criticized, "These are funny cuffs." He reached down and unbuttoned Gray's cuffs. Finally he said, "I don't like the looks of your shirt at all." He firmly gripped the back of Gray's shirt collar and pulled a bit. The shirt came off without Gray's coat being even unbuttoned.

The lads were all eyes and demanded an explanation, so after due deliberation and consultation Gray and Bernie decided they'd show the boys the stunt. The secret was that Gray had let the shirt hang down his back. By button­ing the collar and a couple of buttons down the front, and buttoning the cuffs around his wrists, the shirt appeared to be on when he was wearing a coat. When Bernie un­buttoned these few buttons it was a simple matter to pull the shirt out from under Gray's coat. However, it did look very mysterious and the boys were all anxious to try the stunt.

By the time every lad had lost his shirt at least a couple of times, the boys were ready for another trick. Gray ap­peared with three paper rings of identical size which hung over his left arm. "These," he said, "are magic Hindu rings. As you see they are all the same size but I will cut them in such a way that one will become two rings, an­other will be one long ring, and the third will make two linking rings."

He then took the first ring from his arm and cut around the ring as near the center as possible. This made two complete rings: all very simple and easy to understand.

The second ring he removed from his arm and cut ex­actly as he did the first, but it made one long ring. The boys began to sit up and take notice.

The last ring he cut exactly in the same way as the others, but it turned out to be a ring within a ring. Im­mediately the boys were clamoring to be in on the know-how, so Gray explained.

Using an ordinary funny paper so as to have bright-colored rings, he cut three strips four inches wide the full length of the longest way of the newspaper. He then pasted the two ends of one strip together the flat way— that is, when the ends were pasted together it made a plain circle or ring. This is the ring that makes two plain rings when cut.

For the second ring—the one that turns into one long ring when cut—make one turn in the paper before past­ing the ends together flatwise.

For the third ring—the one that makes a ring within a ring—make a double twist in the paper before pasting to­gether. When Gray hung these rings over his arm the twists in the paper were not noticeable.

Before the evening was over each lad present had not only tried all the stunts the boys had prepared but had shown at least a trick or two of his own.

Tales of tricks and mystery continued as the boys sat around the table consuming huge squares of gingerbread with mounds of whipped cream. On the top side of each marshmallow, dropped into a cup of hot cocoa, was a face outlined with melted chocolate. Immediately each lad named his marshmallow for his best pal; John, Tom, or what have you.

The departing boys claimed this party was "A bagful of tricks."

A PARTY FOR BOISTEROUS BOYS

Here's a party that teen-age boys like. They like boisterous games—"not sissy-birthday-party games." By boisterous games they mean games where they can make plenty of noise and games that re­quire lots of action. Did I hear you say you haven't a rumpus room? Neither have we, but there are some boisterous games with lots of action that can be played in the ordinary living room and still not destroy the furni­ture.

Perhaps you'd like to hear about some of the games the thirteeners played at our house recently. We started off with one called "Jump the Shot." It calls for action and speed and does not need too much room. Tie an old shoe on one end of a rope. The boys form a circle sufficiently large so that each one will have room to jump. The "swinger" takes his place in the center of the circle. His rope must be at least as long as the radius of the circle. He begins by swinging the weight on a short radius, paying out the rope as he increases speed, so that by the time the object at the end of the rope reaches the players in the circle, it will be in steady motion close to the floor. Each player jumps over the rope as it passes him. It is against the rules to step out of the circle to avoid jumping. When a boy misses he drops out of the game until a second boy misses. Then these two players exchange places.

Boys love this game, but it is rather strenuous and should not be played for too long a time.

By the time this game was finished there was no trace left of the "social ice" that was so apparent when the young­sters first arrived. Most of the guests were so winded they were glad to drop into chairs or on the floor for a few moment's rest.

Now the boys were ready for a relay. Don't be alarmed —relays that are fun can be done in a small space. "Neck­tie Relay" is a lot of fun for fellows of this age. At best they are none too good at tying neckties and in the excite­ment of a relay they are indeed all thumbs, which of course only adds to the merriment. The players divide into two groups of equal numbers. Each group lines up in single file. The first player in each line is given a necktie. At the starting signal he ties the necktie around the neck of the boy just behind. As soon as the four-in-hand is tied the second player unties it, turns and ties it on the third boy and so on to the end of the line. The team who fin­ishes first wins the game. But just a note of warning— don't use Dad's best tie—such furious tying and untying is a bit hard on the ties.

The next stunt gives the young hopefuls a chance to use some lovely big words, a la some of the radio come­dians. Each boy takes his turn in making the longest sentence he can, beginning each important word with the same letter. For instance: "So-long sister, see you soon in San Francisco, selling silly symphonies to sarcastic sobsters." It is well to give them from three to five minutes to think up their lingo, then let each take his turn to spout. Most of them after listening to Fibber McGee and some other radio comedians will have a lingo on tap to use. A prize can go to the fellow with the most words in his sentence or the most sense in his speech.

Refreshments can be simple for boys but should be something of which they are especially fond. Ice cream and cake is always a favorite with youngsters of this age and they like plenty of it. We set up a card table across the kitchen door and used it for a counter. The fellows lined up to get their ice cream and cake, then dropped down in some convenient place to "lick the platter clean."

After refreshments we expected the young lads to take their departure, but by this time they were thoroughly warmed up and stayed to demonstrate stunt after stunt. Each one had something to show or some trick to try.

This was one party when the boys thought the fun never ran out.

STAG FOR THE THIRTEENERS

Have you a thirteen-year-old son who'd like to give a party? If you have I'll wager you are quak­ing in your boots, but there's really nothing to fear. Parties for lads of this supposedly trying age needn't be free-for-all wrestling matches. They actually can be quite enjoyable for the parents as well as the boys if you practice a little know-how.

Parties for these active youngsters must be better planned than for any other age group. If not well planned the boys' excessive spirits are apt to get the better of them and the furniture suffers accordingly. We have on a num­ber of occasions given such parties in our living room with no more damage than a little stirred-up dust. The secret is to have enough planned games to occupy the entire eve­ning—not sissy games, because boys like to be active—but games where they can move about, meet competition, and laugh at the other fellow.

Just recently our young thirteener asked to have "the fellows in for a stag party." A bit breath-taking at first thought, but we soon learned that he wanted fourteen of his classmates in for an evening party. He had ideas about the party and we had ideas about the living-room furni­ture, so we sat down together and worked out a scheme of entertainment that proved to be very successful.

We decided to have a field meet of two competitive schools. We chose red and green as school colors. For decorations we used red and green balloons. It's fun to stick balloons on the walls and ceiling for decoration. Don't be shocked—our method leaves no marks on the wallpaper or paint. By rubbing an inflated balloon lightly and quickly on a wool rug and immediately touching the rubbed surface to the wall, the balloon will stick indefi­nitely. In case of a boy's party it is well to have the balloons on the upper wall or ceiling as they are less handy to pop with a pin.

As soon as the boys arrived we passed a hat in which had been placed small red and green paper pennants. The red pennants were banners for the school we called "Eatmore," the green we labeled "Sowhat." This draw­ing automatically divided the guests evenly between "Eatmore" and "Sowhat."

The groups were then told that the Eatmore and So­what schools were having a field meet. Various types of activities were to be participated in at the event. Points would be given the winner of each contest. At the close of the contest the losing team would serve as waiters to feed the winning team. The boys were immensely interested and this way of dividing them into groups left no room for hurt feelings.

We then asked each group to make up a school yell for their school to encourage the contestants. The groups re­tired to different rooms and had a hilarious time creat­ing their school yell. Then they chose their own cheer leader.

The first event was a discus-throwing contest. Each school group chose a lad they felt would be the best at throwing a discus. The contestants lined up and were given paper plates which they attempted with much hil­arity to throw across the room. Did you ever try to throw a paper plate? Each man was given three throws, and five points were awarded the winner of each trial. The cheer leaders led the yells to support their contestants. Each team had a scorekeeper.

The next event called for great lung power. When the men with the greatest chest expansion were chosen, one from each school, goal lines and starting lines were set and each man was given a balloon—the color to represent his school. We picked the needed balloons off the wall. The rules of the game were then given. Each man got down on his hands and knees and was told to blow his balloon across the room to the goal line without touch­ing the balloon. The man who blew his balloon across the goal line first received ten points.

Not to be one-sided we next held a debate, two men to a team. The question was "Resolved that Eatmore is a better school than Sowhat." Naturally the Eatmore boys took the affirmative and the Sowhat boys the negative. Constructive speeches lasted three minutes and rebuttal two minutes. The guests then chose the winning team and ten points were awarded the winning side.

"Shot-put" next took the limelight. Empty milk bottles were placed on the floor, and the contestants stood erect and dropped beans into the bottle. The winner, the one with the most beans in the bottle, received ten points.

"Chinese Get-up," played tournament style, was next. Each Eatmore boy picked an opponent from the Sowhat school group. Each pair of boys sat on the floor back to back with their arms folded across their chests. At a signal they all tried to rise without unfolding their arms. This is lots of fun and boys love it. The Eatmore winners then competed with the Sowhat winners until there was one remaining winner. If two men from the same school are winners then twenty-five points can be awarded each man.

The scores of all the games were then added up and the losing team retired to one side of the dining-room table which was covered with a paper tablecloth. A plentiful supply of hot wieners and a heaping platter of buttered buns was set before the losers, who were given aprons. The losers then served the hot dogs over the counter (din­ing table) to the winners. Mustard or piccalilli was served upon request. After the winners were completely filled up a fresh supply was brought for the losers.

The main difficulty with this party is getting the boys to go home at the scheduled time. Each one has a stunt he'd like to offer. When this happens you can be sure the boys have had a good time. For some time after the party, Eatmore and Sowhat were by-words with the boys.

A TEEN-AGE PARTY

A party for a bunch of thirteen-year-old boys— I quailed at the prospect. A party for younger boys (and there had been plenty of them at our house) was all right and easy to manage. But thirteen! That fussy age—too old for a small boy party and not quite old enough for a young man party. However our thirteen-year-old was all for giving a party for the bunch. We did not want to refuse because we believe along with many others that it is wise to welcome your sons' friends in the home.

"Shall it be a dinner party or an evening party, and do you want to invite both boys and girls?" I asked, hoping that girls might be included for their supposedly quieting influence on lively boys. No, this was to be a "stag" in the evening with refreshments.

"We don't want a bunch of paper and pencil games, Mother," he admonished. "That's too much like school."

Already I had pictured the boys quietly sitting around card tables playing card games or doing quizzes. Quickly I revised my thinking—this was to be an active party for active boys. The boys, fourteen of them, were invited, and games were planned. The evening arrived and so did the boys. Some were dressed in suits and white shirts, others in flannel shirts and corduroys, while several arrived dressed as comedians. While the boys were arriving they seemed to be a bit self-conscious. Lads at this age are not exactly social butterflies, although these boys came from homes where parties among both adults and children were fre­quent.

As soon as the clan had gathered and as a starter for the evening's fun we placed empty quart milk bottles (seven of them) around the room with plenty of space between. The boys were matched in pairs according to size as much as possible for the good old "bottle wrestle." Each boy places his hands on his partner's shoulders facing each other with a bottle between them. The object of the game is to push or pull your partner in such a manner that he is forced to bump over the bottle. The one who knocks the bottle down is the loser of course. All of the winners play each other, tournament fashion, until there is only one winner left. For evenly matched boys this proves a very strenuous game, takes very little room and is not as "rough-house" as it sounds.

The little "stiffness" at first apparent was entirely lost during and after this game. The fellows were so winded they subsided into chairs or on the floor for a moment's rest.

As soon as the boys had regained their breath they were ready for a relay. They divided into two teams, seven on each side. Two strips of white tape (the kind that comes in rolls for sewing) were stretched across the floor, with ends pinned to the rug. This represented two back fences. The boys became cats. The leader of each team starting at the same time, backed along the fence (tape) with both hands and feet on the tape. When they reached the other end of the fence they turned and backed again to where they had begun. As soon as the leaders were back the second ones in line started. The side finishing first won the relay. This relay is exciting, requires skill and speed, and can be harmlessly played in a small space.

Boys enjoy this next game because it not only gives them plenty of action but also calls for noises with their vocal chords. The lads were arranged in little circles of three all about the room. A chosen leader gave directions such as "traffic to the right," at which call the little circles turned to the right and kept turning until the leader said, "traffic to the left," when they quickly shifted and started turning to the left.

When the leader called, "beep beep," all the players quickly formed a new circle with two other people. As they did this they all blew their "vocal" horns. While the circles were being changed, the leader stepped in and the boy left over became the new leader. The interest in this game is increased if there is some lively music being played at the same time.

Next the boys played a "Life-Saver Relay." Each player was given a toothpick which he gripped firmly between his front teeth. The group was then divided into two lines. The first player of each team was given a Life Saver which he hung on the toothpick in his mouth. At the word "Go" he transferred the Life Saver to the toothpick of the second line without the use of hands. Of course, the team finish­ing first was declared the winner.

We had planned the approximate time required for each game so the entire evening would be filled. No time was allowed to drag between games. For refreshments we served the boys' standby—ice cream and cake. After refresh­ments the man of the house took all the guests home.

If your boy is at this difficult age don't hesitate to let him have a party. Plan a full evening of "boisterous" games like those mentioned above and I'm sure that both you and the boys will thoroughly enjoy the party. There was no damage to the house that a vacuum cleaner couldn't repair the next day.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...