Introduction and Thanks
Doug Fasching
- You may recognize that name through my daughters involved in OA and NYLT
- High adventure ASM for our troop: three Philmonts and one Boundary Waters
- I'm not always great at remembering to let the kids lead, so if any of what I say sounds like something a Scout can do instead of an adult, do that.
Selling the Dream
All-inclusive High Adventure Kits!
How and when do you explain to scouts and adults who've never been beyond a weeklong summer camp the adventure of traveling across states to spend a week or more in remote wilderness areas?
- Socialize
- Practice related skills, like packing a pack, portaging a canoe, or coiling a rope.
- Information night
- Surveys
Scouts do the best job of 'recruiting' other scouts, but adults are good at remembering to remind them in the first place.
Gathering the Crew
Who can even go? Do you build-in a commitment sheet? What if there NEED to be last minute changes? Are there behavioral requirements too? Rank?
Expect a tidal volume of participants over the course of your planning. People will come an go for many reasons and you should anticipate that.
- Training (SY, Wx, other?)
- Certifications (WFA/CPR)
- Back-up advisors
- Mixing troops
- Mixing genders
- Strangers (new-to-the-troop scouts and parents or last-minute national replacements)
- Last-minute adds
Funding the Adventure
What does it cost to go? How does that get paid for and when?
- Roll as much in as you can (high adventure, gas, lodging, training, certifications, insurance, rentals, etc.)
- Don't roll-in headaches (individual travel meals, fishing licenses, souvenirs)
- Pay close attention to the money YOURSELF regardless of how the Unit wants to handle it:
- Take the check in person
- Track in a spreadsheet
- Be transparent
- Get an expert if that isn't you
- Speed refunds
- Looks for scholarships or camperships.
Planning the Trip
Scout huts? Church camps? Friends? Motel 6? Do I really have to stop after 10 hours? Should we fly? How do you get group rates?
Travel Logistics
- Travel times (8, 16, 16+, and 24 hours)
- Gas estimations
Vehicles
Complications increase with car count and travel distances. Your caution and precaution should too.
- Inspections
- Insurance
- Tire check
- Breakdowns
Flying/Bussing/Train-ing
Any time you are using outside transportation, you should build in extra time. Many folks taking the train from Chicago routinely plan to arrive at least a day before Philmont check-in. Switching from planes to vans might benefit from a generous amount of layover time.
- Group rates
- Lead time
- Cancelations
- Transfers of tickets
Communicating the Plan
Email? GroupMe? Discord? Text groups? Spreadsheets? Surveys?
When communicating with youth, remember to use your Safe Guarding Youth protocols. For crewleaders, I try to use an "unaffiliated" adult; someone registered and trained in SGY, but not going on the trip, nor their parent, nor a Scoutmaster. This isn't always easy, but it give that leader some autonomy and a break from nagging oversight.
- Groupings
- Crew leaders
- Entire crew
- Adults
- Parents
Outfitting the Pack
Where do you get gear? Can you use your chuckboxes? How much will this cost? Is renting or borrowing an option? Buy a canoe?
Swag & Apparel
- Art design:
- By scouts... start early
- Professional... be prepared to pay
- T-shirts
- Patches
Actual Gear
- Gear closet (yours or troop's)
- Borrow / Rent / Buy
- Sleeping bag / quilt
- Rain gear
Event Details
"We will meet on Thursday at 6:30 at the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Yukon."
Location:
Resurrection Lutheran Church
675 W Vandament Ave
Yukon, OK 73099
Contacts:
- POC: Mike Knutson
- Original Contact: Eddie Deemer
