Happy Halloween!

For your amusement, a blast from the past: excerpts from Let's Have a Good Time: A Plan Book for Successful Socials, by Olive Cameron (Cincinnati: Standard Publishing Co., 1938), 91-96.




There's a section in the book for "A Party a Month," and for October, of course, one of the suggestions is a "Halloween Frolic."

A Halloween party for your society is an excellent idea, as it has long ago been proven that affairs of this nature are always beneficial, not only in a social way, but they are sure to radiate interest to the extent of an increase in membership. Don't omit the decorations--black cats, bats, owls, witches, black-and-yellow paper festoons, jack-o'-lanterns, etc.

The suggested games and activities include a game of "Halloween Similes" to act out in pantomime ("silent as a ghost"; "as blind as a bat"; "as sour as an apple"); "Toss the Ball" (into a cut-out jack-o'-lantern's mouth); and "Corn Relay" (don't drop the handful of loose kernels as you pass it from one to the next).

--Yawn!

But then there's this!

Queen of Halloween.--All guests, one at a time, must appear before the Queen of Halloween. Kneel and lift the right hand for her blessing. The queen, with pasteboard crown, sits on her throne over in the corner. She wears on her right hand a glove, which has sewed in its palm a copper wire, off the end of which has been scraped the insulation [ha ha ha!--note the grammatical gymnastics to avoid ending that sentence with a preposition!]. This wire runs around back of her to the floor, where it is connected with a battery. This battery is so arranged that the queen can throw on the current by stepping on a switch. The switch and battery, of course, are covered by her dress. As the victim kneels and extends his hand, the queen grasps it as if to shake hands, throws on the switch and the subject leaps to his feet with a wild yell.

--Yeeeooww!!




And this!

Apple Antics.--This will prove a most amusing race for the boys as participants and for the girls as spectators. An apple is provided for each boy and is placed on a newspaper on the floor. With his hands tied behind him, each boy endeavors to eat his apple first, in hog fashion.

I think this would indeed be amusing to watch!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

P.S. Please keep your pets indoors tonight. Dogs and cats don't appreciate Halloween nearly as much as we do.