Bunnies drinking game: Encyclopedia II - Bunnies drinking game - The Committee and Their Roles in Fining Players

Bunnies drinking game - The Committee and Their Roles in Fining Players

To assist Mr Chairman in his fining duties and to keep certain other things in order, several committee members are appointed at the start of the game by Mr Chairman. Mr Chairman is a committee member and is governed by the same general rule as the rest of his committee. This general rule is: Double fines for committee members, so a fine that might usually be a two digit offence (such as failing to mirror the bunny) must be taken as four by a committee member. This rule keeps the standard of the committee high, as any player on the committee who is a poor bunnies player will quickly amass so many digits of beer in fines that he will become highly intoxicated and likely to vomit or pass out.

Referred to as 'Mr Chief Sneak', this player carefully watches the game play and points out infringements of the rules that Mr Chairman might have missed. He will be formally requested for 'Any other fines' by Mr Chairman at the end of each 'Round' of bunnies. Several Assistant chief sneaks may also be appointed if the circle is large. Most importantly, Mr Chief Sneak is responsible for ending each round of bunnies when play degenerates in to confusion or a player commits a heinous breach of the rules. Upon either of these happening he issues a call of 'Hold it right there!' while standing up and making a horizontal sweeping movement with his right arm. At this point, the round is ended and he may begin to assist Mr Chairman in issuing fines as appropriate.

Referred to as 'Mr Weights and Measures', this player determines the size of each fine as administered by Mr Chairman, who will often, but not always, suggest a size for the fine. Fines are delivered and paid in a number of 'digits'-worth of a beverage in a pint vessel. For instance, one participant (a fresher, say) makes the stupid mistake of falling for Mr Chairman's Loughbrough dummy. At the end of the round of bunnies, Mr Chairman points out the fine before he moves on to more important business. Mr Weights and Measures then instructs the fresher to consume two digits of beer. This entails the fresher picking up his vessel (with the appropriate hand(s), see 'chirality' below), and using the width of two of his digits as a measure from the surface level of the beverage. He then consumes from the vessel until the surface level of the beverage is at the bottom of his two digits. As a guide, a whole pint measures eight digits.

Mr Weights and Measures is also responsible for the Chirality of beverage consumption. This he determines with the use of a cigarette packet or other suitable object. At the start of the game, Mr Chairman instructs Mr Weights and Measures to show the players which hand they must consume with, depending on which way the box lies on the playing surface. For instance, standing on end is left-handed, on the side is right-handed, and flat on the large side is both hands. The portion of the box may be changed and any time by Mr Weights and Measures only. Players consuming with incorrect chirality are fined accordingly.

Referred to as 'Mr Thumb', this player, initially secretly appointed by Mr Chairman sometime into the game, can at any time place his right thumb on the upper playing surface. At this point the round of bunnies finishes, and all players continue to play at their own risk. The last player to realise the round had been interrupted by Mr Thumb by following his suit by also placing his right thumb on the playing surface, is the loser. He is fined four fingers. However, he may gamble double or quits on the call of a tossed coin. A new round of bunnies is started and the player who was last to get his right thumb on the table is now Mr Thumb, and may interrupt the game at any time, by placing his right thumb on the playing surface.

It is, of course, illegal to inform a player verbally that Mr Thumb has interrupted the round. However, careful use of the elbow pointing technique and other non-verbal methods may be employed to inform one's friends of the interruption, such that an unwitting fresher gets the wrap. Use of the left thumb is a dummy, and any player following the dummy will be fined accordingly.

Similar in concept to Mr Thumb, 'Mr Nose' interrupts the game by placing his nose on the playing surface. The same rules apply as for Mr Thumb. Mr Nose may also place his nose on any available surface, such as another player's back, a nearby wall or door, a light fitting, the saloon etc. These variations are of doubtless humour, but should be exercised with extreme caution as they tend to be disruptive to the game and the continued presence of the players in that particular saloon, due to attracting unwanted attention from the saloon staff/bouncers.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "The Committee and Their Roles in Fining Players", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki