Breakdown - Games - 250

Most thrift stores have a healthy shelve of board games. The problem is, there is no guarantee that the games offered are complete. Depending on personality type, missing pieces are not an option. This objective challenges you to brave the "shelf of uncertainty" and tell the tale.

Objective:

1) Locate and travel to the second hand store of your choice.

Note: Don't choose a game store that sells second hand games. Instead, choose a store that sells a variety of used goods.

2) Locate and purchase a game of your choice. The level of "completeness" of the game is up to you. You could check and make sure every component is present, or choose a game that is clearly missing some parts.

3) Play the game that you have purchased to the best of your ability. If you're missing key components, you'll need to improvise!

4) Share a photograph of yourself playing the game on Instagram or Twitter with the tags #QuestScouts and #UsedGame.

Remember, if you post to a public Instagram or Twitter account with the tag #QuestScouts your photo will show up on our Scout Board for other Quest Scouts to view and interact with.

5) Answer the following questions in the comments below:

A- Where did you purchase your game?

B- What game did you choose?

C- What condition was the game in? Were all the pieces there? If not, how did you compensate?

D- Provide a short review of the game. Would you play it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Breakdown - Find - 150

While hide owners are responsible for keeping up with maintenance, a little help from their community can go a long way. Let's do our best to help keep the geocaches and letterboxes in our community happy and healthy.

Objective:

1) Identify and geocache or letterbox that needs maintenance.

You can do this in one of two ways. First, you could search the online logs of your preferred site for mentions of maintenance needs. Alternatively, you could simply make finds until you run across a hide that needs maintenance. 

2) Perform an act of maintenance! 

This may include drying out a wet container, adding duct tape to a cracked container, adding a new sheet of log paper (geocaches only,) or something else that helps maintain the hide.

Note: Maintenance may include replacing a container as well. However, you should always contact the hide owner before doing this. 

3) Tell us about your hide maintenance  in the comments below! If applicable, include the geocache/letterbox number. 

3) Document your maintenance with a photograph and share it on Instagram or Twitter with the tags #QuestScouts and #Geocaching or #Letterboxing.

Remember, if you post to a public Instagram or Twitter account with the tag #QuestScouts your photo will show up on our Scout Board for other Quest Scouts to view and interact with.

*A "find/hide" can be either a geocache or letterbox. Not familiar with either? Watch this video by Groundspeak, the #1 lister of geocaches or read about letterboxing from Atlas Quest.

Breakdown - Photography - 300

Objective:

1) Choose two or more photos that you have personally taken. Note: Unlike most quests, this portion of this objective may have been completed prior to the release of this quest.

2) Have the photos you've chosen printed, or print them yourself. 

Note: We want you to have physical copies of each photo to manipulate manually. Don't use software to combine your photos prior to printing.

3) Cut up and combine your photos to create a new, unique image. 

If you need inspiration, check out the work of Merve Ozaslan or Brno Del Zou. (Even if you don't, their work is awesome and worth a look!)

4) Take a photograph of your collage and share it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts.

Breakdown - DIY - 200

Pickling exists, in part, to prevent decay. While this method of food preservation has become less essential with modern technology, this ancient technique is both nutritious and delicious. 

Objective:

1) Watch History in a Jar: Pickles, from The History Channel. 

2) Create pickles of your own. You can do traditional pickles, or refrigerator pickles. (And no, you're not limited to pickled cucumbers!)

Members should expect Dill Pickle spices & a refrigerator pickle recipe from Souper Spices in their Scout Packs this month. 

3) Take a photograph of your finished pickles and share it on Instagram or Twitter with the tags #QuestScouts and #Pickles.

Remember, if you post to a public Instagram or Twitter account with the tag #QuestScouts your photo will show up on our Scout Board for other Quest Scouts to view and interact with.

4) Describe your pickling experience in the comments below. What recipe did you use? How did the pickles turn out?

Breakdown - Art - 300

People find the humor in my work and enjoy it, because there's not a lot of humor in the art world. I think it just comes as just a welcome relief to be able to just have a laugh.

-Wayne White

Objective:

1) Watch the video below from Oxford American and check out this article from Twisted Sifter. Each feature an artist who puts his own mark on paintings originally created by others. 

2) Go to a thrift store and buy a painting. The painting can be an original or a reproduction.

3) Inspired by the work of Wayne White, Chris McMahon and Thryza Segal (see number one,) paint an image into your painting. 

4) Take a photograph of your co-created painting and share it on Instagram or Twitter with the tags #QuestScouts and #ThriftReno.

Remember, if you post to a public Instagram or Twitter account with the tag #QuestScouts your photo will show up on our Scout Board for other Quest Scouts to view and interact with.

Are iconoclasts normally cheerful and wry? Wayne White certainly is. The Chattanooga (well Hixson, really), Tennessee-born artist is the product of a feverishly-decorated-and-redecorated Southern home where boys played football and art-making was not what a boy should aspire to. A rebellious teen, White wisely put sports in the background, studied art at Middle Tennessee State University, then moved to New York City in 1979 to pursue his calling. He achieved quick success as an animator, art director and puppeteer on productions as varied as Pee Wee’s Playhouse and videos from the Smashing Pumpkins. He won Emmys and MTV Video Music Awards, produced off-off-Broadway puppet shows and generally made lots of great art in a wide variety of mediums. And now he’s becoming a star of a slightly different sort: an art star. White has become known for paintings that riff off of thrift store lithographs which he augments with hilarious, three-dimensional words and phrases rendered in oils. These pieces, as well as a variety of works on paper, sculptures and installations, have been gathered in the recently-published Ammo Books monograph: Wayne White: Maybe Now I’ll Get the Respect I So Richly Deserve by famed (and similarly-multitalented) designer / photographer / art collector Todd Oldham. White’s latest piece is a giant George Jones installation at Rice University and a soon-to-be-unveiled set of outdoor works which will debut at the Wolfsonian Museum as part of the international art explosion known as Art Basel this month in Miami. Got all that? SoLost couldn’t cover ALL of that at once, so we just decided to experience Wayne’s world for a day as he prospected thrift store art and talked about his life and art-making. We had fun and hope you will too… Producer / Director: Dave Anderson Photography Editing and Postproduction: Jonathan Childs Motion Graphics: TJ McCoy Executive Producer: Warwick Sabin SoLost is an Oxford American production. (c) 2009 The Oxford American Literary Project

Breakdown - Visit - 250

In 1893 the first elongated coin was born in Chicago, IL. It was a pressed penny with the "Columbian Exposition" printed on it. Since that time, elongated coins have exploded in popularity, and can be found at tourist destinations across the world. Instead of ignoring these machines, this objective asks you to intentionally seek them out. 

Objective:

1) Identify and locate an elongated coin machine.

Penny Collector is a good place to start, but is not exhaustive.

Not sure what an elongated coin is? Check Wikipedia!

2) Visit the elongated coin machine of your choice.

3) Press a coin!

3) Document your visit with a photograph and share it on Instagram or Twitter with the tags #QuestScouts and #ElongatedCoin.

Remember, if you post to a public Instagram or Twitter account with the tag #QuestScouts your photo will show up on our Scout Board for other Quest Scouts to view and interact with.

4) Tell us about your experience in the comments below. 

Breakdown - Travel - 300

Ruin (roo-in)

noun

1. the remains of a building, city, etc., that has been destroyed or that is in disrepair or a state of decay:

We visited the ruins of ancient Greece.

2. a destroyed or decayed building, town, etc.

Objective:

1) Identify and locate a set of ruins you'd like to visit.

What counts as "ruins." Any structure or former structure that has fallen into a state of disrepair. 

Do your best to keep the heart of this objective in mind when choosing your ruins. Think "ruined," not just abandoned. You want to find a place where only foundations, stairs, and pieces of pillar are leftover- for example.

As always, use your best judgement and challenge yourself when deciding on your destination.

2) Visit the ruins you chose.

3) Document your visit with a photograph and share it on Instagram or Twitter with the tags #QuestScouts and #Ruins.

Remember, if you post to a public Instagram or Twitter account with the tag #QuestScouts your photo will show up on our Scout Board for other Quest Scouts to view and interact with.

4) Tell us about your experience in the comments below. Where did you go? Did you have a good time? Did anything fun or unexpected happen during your visit?

Breakdown - Literature - 100

Most of us have read Ray Bradbury's classic novel, Farenheit 451, Lets take a moment to read a short story about one couple's reaction to the end of the world.

Objective:

1) Read the short story The Last Night of the World by Ray Bradbury. 

You can find it through Esquire Magazine, where it was originally printed in 1951.

2) Tell us what you thought of the short story in the comments below.

Breakdown - Literature - 300

"In his morbidly fascinating nonfiction eco-thriller, “The World Without Us,” Weisman imagines what would happen if the earth’s most invasive species — ourselves — were suddenly and completely wiped out."

-Jennifer Schuessler, New Your Times

Objective:

1) Read The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. 

Check out the book from you local library, buy it at your local bookstore or get it on Amazon.

Prefer listening over reading? Grab the book on Audible!

2) Write a book review and post it in the comments below. 

Breakdown - Media - 150

Objective:

1) Watch one of the documentaries/movies listed below.

2) Let us know which you watched and what you thought of it in the comments below.

Ray Bradbury's best-selling science fiction masterpiece about a future without books takes on a chillingly realistic dimension in this film classic directed by one of the most important screen innovators of all time, the late François Truffaut . Julie Christie stars in the challenging dual role of Oskar Werner's pleasure-seeking conformist wife, Linda, and his rebellious, book-collecting mistress, Clarisse.

Farenheit 451. Directed by Francois Truffaut. 

Available from Netflix DVD and Amazon Instant Video.

Release Date: 28 September 2012 (United States) In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented - but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past where a "looper" - a hired gun, like Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) - is waiting to mop up.

Looper. Directed by Rian Johnson.

Available from Netflix DVD and Amazon Instant Video.

New trailer for 1984(1984) starring John Hurt. Edited by Lectorsmith.

1984. Directed by Michael Radford.

Available from Netflix DVD and Amazon Instant Video.

Get tickets to The Hunger Games today: http://on.fb.me/HGTicketsApp Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games. Directed by Gary Ross.

Available from Netflix DVD and Amazon Instant Video.

Secrets of Archaeology. Directed by Robert Yuhas.

Available from Amazon. (As of Apr 1, select episodes were also available through Youtube.)

Note: This is a television series. Choose 2+ episodes to watch. 

Small World - Members Only Micro Quest - 50

Without member support Quest Scouts wouldn't exist. In order to show our appreciation for our members we provide a monthly Members Only Micro Quest worth 50 exclusive points. 

Objective:

1) Download and print the Small World MOMQ puzzle from our members only page, or use the back of the Small World quest card that Scout Pack Member's will receive in the mail. 

2) The puzzle contains two quotes with a "small" theme. Do your best to unscramble the letters and reveal the quotes.

3) When you've completed the puzzle, (or tried but given up,) you can check your answer with the puzzle key on the members only page. 

4) You're done! Leave a comment below telling us whether or not you completed the puzzle. If you'd like, let us know how many items you places in the correct timeline slot.

Small World - Media - 150

Objective:

1) Watch one of the documentaries/movies listed below.

2) Let us know which you watched and what you thought of it in the comments below.

The documentary film, "A Small Section of the World," is an inspirational story about a group of women from a remote farming region of Costa Rica whose ideas sparked a revolution in the coffee growing world.

A Small Section of the World. Directed by Lesley Chilcott. 

Available from Amazon Prime Instant Video and Netflix.

The exclusive trailer for The Short Game (2013), premiering at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival. The film follows the lives of eight of the best 7-year old golfers in the world as they train for and compete in the World Championships of Junior Golf.

The Short Game. Directed by Josh Greenbaum.

Available from Netflix.

Small is Beautiful is a documentary following four people as they build their own tiny houses in pursuit of a mortgage free lifestyle, discovering that living tiny is about so much more than just the house. See the film: www.smallbeautifulmovie.com

Small Is Beautiful. Directed by Jeremy Beasley. 

Available from Amazon Instant Video.

Small World - Games - 250

Micro games are designed to utilize very few components while still creating an engaging experience for the players. 

Objective:

1) Choose and play a microgame from the list below.

Coup. # of Players: 2-6. Available at your friendly local gaming store or from Amazon 

Eight Minute Empire or Eight Minute Empire:Legends. # of Players: 2-5. Available at your friendly local gaming store or from Amazon.

Where Art Thou Romeo. # of Players: 2-5. Available at your friendly local gaming store or from Amazon. 

Bicycle Race. # of Players: 4-6. Free print and play available from Good Little Games.

 Combo. # of Players: 4-6. Free print and play available from Good Little Games.

2) Share a photograph of yourself playing the game on Instagram or Twitter with the tags #QuestScouts and #MicroGame.

Remember, if you post to a public Instagram or Twitter account with the tag #QuestScouts your photo will show up on our Scout Board for other Quest Scouts to view and interact with.

3) Comment below and tell us what microgame your played and what you thought of it.

Small World - Find - 300

Not all hides are created equally. When a geocacher or letterboxer puts time and effort into crafting a high quality hide, the experience for both hider and finder is elevated. 

Objective:

Hide a "high quality" geocache or letterbox.

Details:

1) (Optional) Take this survey from Quest Scout's sister company, Skyward Spark, that asks what makes a high quality geocache hide. This will help you get your juices flowing as to what a "high quality find" means to you.

2) Create and hide* a high quality micro. Hiding a micro over a larger container adds an extra layer of challenge to keeping your hide fun and interesting. 

Note: If you're not sure what "micro" means, check out this objective!

3) In the comments below, describe your hide. What did you do to ensure your hide was of high quality?

4) Photograph your hide (in any stage) and share it on Instagram or Twitter with the tags #QuestScouts, #QualityHide and #Geocaching or #Letterboxing.

Remember, if you post to a public Instagram or Twitter account with the tag #QuestScouts your photo will show up on our Scout Board for other Quest Scouts to view and interact with.

*A "hide" can be either a geocache or letterbox. Not familiar with either? Watch this video by Groundspeak, the #1 lister of geocaches or read about letterboxing from Atlas Quest.

Small World - Find - 150

Often abundant in urban areas, micros allow for hides where larger containers would not normally fit. Some are "evil," others are an easy find that point out unique locations. Go find one!

Objective:

Locate a micro sized geocache or letterbox.

Details:

1) Locate a micro sized geocache or letterbox.*

The geocaching community calls them "Micros" while letterboxers call them "Microboxes," but in both cases these hides are described as the size of a film can or smaller. While less room for trade items or larger stamps, micros can still bring you to awesome locations and are often hidden in fun, innovative ways. 

Note: This objective should not be overlapped with another objective "find" objective. 

2) Tell us about your experience making the find in the comments below! If applicable, include the geocache/letterbox number. 

3) Document your find with a photo and post it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. Alternatively, you can also share your experience in our Facebook group.

*Not familiar with location based games? Watch this video by Groundspeak about geocaching or read about letterboxing from Atlas Quest. 

Small World - Photography - 100

Macro photography captures images in which the subject is extremely close-up to the camera lens. No matter what tools you use, this objective will have you noticing details that are often overlooked.

Objective:

Capture and share an image that utilizes macro photography.

Macro photography is all about the ability to get in very close to your subject so it can fill the frame completely. There are specialist macro lenses which have fixed focal lengths, but you don't have to have a special lens to shoot close ups.

Details:

1) Watch the above video from Mike Brown for a short introduction to macro photography. If you'd like to go more in depth, this introduction to macro photography from Tim Cooper and B & H is also great.

2) Take a walk around the neighborhood and experiment with macro photography. The more shots you take the better!

3) Share your best macro photo on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. You can also share your experiences in our Facebook group.

Small World - DIY - 300

Some may call it a terrarium, but isn't it more fun to think of it as your own,  tiny world? What type of world will you create?

Objective:

Make your own "small world" in a bottle.

Details:

1) Gather your supplies! All terrariums are different, so supplies vary. Generally speaking, you'll need the following things:

A Clear Container: Traditional terrariums are sealed, but the definition has (debatably) loosened up over the years. 

Soil and Small Rocks: Layer the small rocks underneath the soil for drainage. Some people also add charcoal to their terrariums.

Moss: You can gather your moss from nature, but be warned- Often times gathering moss from the outdoors means your terrarium will end up harboring bugs. (There are some gross stories out there.) Alternatively, you can grow your own moss! 

Small Plant(s): In addition to moss, many people choose to add small plants to their terrarium. 

Mini Figurines: Adding "inhabitants" to your terrarium takes it from a plant vessel to a "small world." Check out this Star Wars themed terrarium, or this prehistoric terrarium, for inspiration.

Music Credits: "Carefree" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

2) Assemble your terrarium. If you need some guidance, start with these tutorials from Happy Co Lucky and Amanda Wang. It might also be helpful to check out an instructional book from your local library.

3) Take a photograph of your terrarium and share it on Instagram or Twitter with the tag #QuestScouts. You can also share your experiences in our Facebook group.