This page is a summary of the main points in planning a
variety of trips and othere items.
Also, please see Trip and Project
Ideas
- Introduction
- Troop 42 is attempting to make the trip planing process
less painful for all concerned. This document is the
first attempt. Other things will be added, such as
checklists, as need arises. The following guidelines (as
appropriate) should be reviewed each time a trip is
planned.
- Calendar
- the most important part of planning. Be sure that outing
dates are correct on the troop calendar, as people
(parents) typically plan over a month ahead. This is
especially important if an outing becomes part of another
Council or Districts event , and T42 has to match their
calendar (date).
- Commercial Trip with Exact Head Count
- (e.g., Moaning Caverns) - trip requires reservation and
prepayment based on number of participants - very
important to get head count and drivers well in
advance - without enough drivers T42 may wind up paying
for wasted reservations!
- Commercial Trip with Approximate Head Count
- (e.g. submarine USS Pampanito or Hornet) - fee is on
actual attendees, but there is a minimum required - so
plan in advance.
- Commercial Trips
- Make sure you contact the company and ask them for ALL
instruction-related materials to be sent way ahead of
time, and find out exactly what they provide (e.g.,
Moaning Caverns provides coveralls) - so you can
distribute this important info. in a timely manner. Also
determine group rate structure.
- Day Trips
- (especially commercial - plan these so drivers can be
back home by 6 p.m. if possible - then you wont have
conflicts with (prior) dinner engagements (i.e. lack of
drivers). Example - for Moaning Caverns do the morning
tours, not afternoon, we “lost” three drivers
due to conflicts with evening time.
- Distant Overnight Trips
- (e.g. ski trips, snow camping) should be planned further
ahead since drivers (dads) need to commit to staying
overnight (especially if a Friday night is involved).
- Instructions, especially concerning bringing money, food,
clothes (warm, grubby etc.) and Descriptions (let the
scouts and parents know what the trip entails, and
approximate departure and return times) are important.
Descriptions helps scouts/parents decide if the scout
wants to go on a trip, and reduces some of the
yes/no/maybe hassle involved in establishing the roster
for the trip. Instructions ensure the scout arrives
prepared and has a good time, and reduces the hassle of
last-minute phoned instructions.
- Drivers
- for critical trips, it is worthwhile writing down the
reasons a dad can’t drive. Then, if the trip appears
to be short of drivers, the planner knows who not to call
again (i.e., those with serious commitments) and what the
odds are of finding enough drivers (based on the reasons
given). For example, a 1998 Moaning Caverns trip came up
short by three scout spaces (i.e. one driver/car) and all
“excuses” were firm and very reasonable. This
gave the trip planner the best possible information to
act on (first, beg, then consider dropping scouts).
Remember, our insurance requires that scouts do NOT drive
scouts, and ALL scouts wear seat belts.
- Local Overnight Trips to Parks
- (e.g. Huddart, Grant Ranch, etc.) are generally somewhat
flexible as drivers can drive scouts then return home,
and very little money is involved, and instructions are
typically similar for most trips.
- Lost Scout
- can really delay or ruin a trip (e.g. bike trip) : In
urban areas all scouts should carry 4 quarters or know
their calling card PIN, so they can make a call home, or
call an adults cell phone (to an adult on the trip). At
least one adult on a trip should bring a cell phone - it
would be helpful to pre-print the relevant cellphone
numbers on Avery labels, and give a label to each scout
at the initial trip muster.
- Money
- probably the easiest way to collect money is have each
scout bring the correct cash or check in a small lunch
bag with his name in/on it. Then the trip leader can,
later, at his leisure, check of the payees with no
errors. This is even more useful on rainy trips, where
paperwork is more of a problem.
- Order of the Arrow
- Try and help the Scouts understand what its really about,
and not let it be a "popularity" contest. Thre
is an associated requirement for 15 days and nights of
camping in the prior two years, five nights of which were
in a resident camp
- Prior Experience
- Much better if one adult in the planning process has
complete prior experience of a location, activity, etc.,
although not essential if all the right questions are
asked and one can talk to others who have done the same
outing.
- Trip Permits
- you need the completed permit (signed by Unit Committee
member), the tour leaders Youth Protection Training Card
(unless you know for sure it is on file), and the driver
info. The easiest way to do the driver info. is keep a
standard sheet of all driver information, and then submit
a photocopy highlighted to show the most probable
drivers (i.e. include a few extra if still uncertain).
- Trip Report
- It is strongly recommended that the trip leader prepare a
written one-page report, and submit copies to the
Scoutmaster, and to the Unit Chairman, who will then
present it at the Troop Parents Meeting. The process of
preparing the report allows for a calm and critical
review of the prior outing, noting successes and
failures, etc., and thus also provides a useful tool for
future planning.
- Trip Data
- Irrespective of the activity, or lack thereof (in
historical activities), a binder should be kept, to
include trip instruction sheets and trip reports. This
provides a simple documentation of what the troop has
done each year, and is a central and valuable planning
tool.
- Safety
- Use Family Radios and/or Cell Phones, or VHF. Find out
who your local Ranger, Sheriff is, and where your nearest
hospitals are before the trip. Who is CPR and 1st aid
trained (and Wilderness 1s Aid)?
- Trip Ideas
- Aside from the Trip Ideas web page for T42, look at other
Troop's scrapbooks, calendars etc. Troop 5 of Palo Alto
is a good example (www.troop5psc.com in 2000).
- T-Shirts (Work Shirts)
- Sierra Xpressions inCampbell, as of 1999 408-993-6666.
Otherwise, find out who does shirts for the various
Council summer camps
- Water Trips
- At least one adult leader MUST have Safety Afloat and/or
Safe Swim Defense, as appropirate. Use the buddy system.
- .
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