Awapenshaw orwapinshaw (from theOld English for "weapon show") was originally a gathering and review of troops formerly held in every district inScotland.[1][2] The object was to satisfy the military chiefs that the arms of their retainers were in good condition[1] and that the men were properly trained in their use.
The term is still in use, to describe some competitions bybowling clubs[3][4] in Scotland.
Wapenshaw is also occasionally used, in Scotland and elsewhere in theUnited Kingdom for rifle or other gun shows, particularly those involving historic weapons.[5][6]
Wapenshaw is also widely used byThe Woodcraft Folk to describe a daily ceremony whencamping, which involves each camper removing all belongings from their tent and laying them out on a groundsheet in a fixed order. This serves two purposes: to air out the tent, and to ensure that no items have been lost.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Wapenshaw".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 304.