Planning a Camping trip for Troop 575:

Troop 575 is always looking for volunteers to help run the troop. Without the parents and other interested adults that participate in fund raisers, troop positions, and counseling activities, just to name a few, Boy Scouts could not function. Sometimes a parent, particularly a new parent, would like to help but does not want to take on a position that requires several hours a week. Planning a Boy Scout camping trip is a simple volunteer activity that requires very little time and that we rotate among adult volunteers. Another nice thing about planning a camping trip is that the planner does not actually have to go on the trip. Do not worry about planning a winter camping trip. The planner may choose not to attend.

While planning a camping trip is simple there are some rules that the planner needs to be aware of that I will cover in the following instructions. These rules include obtaining a tour permit, finding enough adults willing to participate in the trip, and finding a certified first aid attendee.

Before you begin planning a camping trip you will need to know the date of the camping trip. Troop 575 usually schedules camping trips the last week-end of the month. Exceptions include summer camp and district organized camping trips. You can get the schedule for district organized camping trips from the Arapahoe District Scout Office. The Scout Master will know the dates for summer camp (Table 2).

Before you begin planning a camping trip you will need to know the general expectations of the camping trip. Some camping trips prepare scouts for a future activity while others help the scouts with their advancements. The Near By camping trip prepares new scouts for winter camping. We hold the Near By in or around Louisville, hence the name Near By. The troop plans the Pre-Klondike camping trip to prepare the scouts for the Klondike. The Klondike is an event organized by the district.

Happy camping!

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pick the camping trip you would like to plan.
2. Verify the date of the camping trip. Remember, summer camp and events organized by the district might not be the last week-end of the month. (Table 1)
3. Determine the purpose of the camping trip. (Table 1)
4. Choose the location appropriate for the purpose. The troop has are already chosen some locations. (Table 1).
5. Check into required permits or permissions. National forests usually require permits for large groups. County and state facilities almost always require camping permits. Contact the Rocky Mountain National Park volunteer coordinator for the Rocky Mountain National Park event.
6. Report progress during a committee meeting. Present trip details and progress 2 months prior to the event.
7. Provide information to the newsletter. Do this before the first troop meeting of the month. See Table 2 for the news letter contact. Include the following:
1. Costs
2. Type of camping (Table 1)
3. Short description of the trip
4. Permission slip (Figure 1)
8. Determine which adults are attending and which adults are driving. There must be at least three adults attending any event. At least one adult must be certified for first aid by the American Red Cross or a similar organization.
9. Get a Tour permit from the Scout Office. There are two different kinds of tour permits. For trips greater than 500 miles, you should use the National Tour Permit. For trips less than 500 miles, you should use the Local Tour Permit.
10. Complete the tour permit and return it to the scout office. Do this during the week prior to the event you are planning.
1. Complete the form and be sure to include licensee numbers and insurance policy information of the designated drivers. This information is available from the committee chair. (Table 2)
2. Get the Scout Master's signature before submitting to the Scout Office. (Table 2)
11. Determine arrangements for cooking. Cooking options are as follows:
1. by patrol
2. by troop
3. by adult leaders
12. See that the persons selected from the previous instruction make menus.
13. Remind the grub masters to buy food.
14. Gather the following information from each patrol leader. You need this information for each scout in the patrol and should gather it at the last troop meeting, prior to the camping trip.
1. With whom are you riding?
2. With whom are you tenting?
3. Do you have your money for food?
4. Do you have your money for facility fees?
5. Do you have your permission slip?
6. Who is bringing the patrol box?
15. Keep a record of who attends for the Scout Master's records. You can gather this information from the permission slips.
16. Give the permission slips to the Scout Master after the camping trip. (Table 2)
17. Ask the troop scribe write to an article for the newsletter about the camping trip.