GSGATL Troop Travel Safety Activity Checkpoints

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1 GSGATL Troop Travel Safety Activity Checkpoints Girl Scouts also offers Troop Travel: Is your troop planning a trip or an activity away from your regular meeting place? Use the information below to be sure you are in the know about the most current information available. Before taking any trip: Troop and activity leaders should thoroughly review Volunteer Essentials which includes all new information regarding trip and travel and activity approval. Note: All adults attending troop trips must successfully pass the background check and screening process before interacting with girls. WARNING: The following activities are never allowed for any girl: potentially uncontrolled free-falling (bungee jumping, hang gliding, parachuting, parasailing, go-karting, and trampolining); creating extreme variations of approved activities (such as high-altitude climbing and aerial tricks on bicycles, skis, snowboards, skateboards, water-skis, and wakeboards); hunting; shooting a projectile at another person; riding all-terrain vehicles and motor bikes; and taking watercraft trips in Class V or higher. Special note for Daisy and new troop leaders: The council strongly advises leaders of Daisies and other new troops to follow a progression beginning with short local trips and advancing to longer trips to allow the adults to monitor how the girls and adults interact and the readiness of the girls to travel without a parent along. GSGATL Basic Travel Guidelines: One tool that will help you keep trips girl-led, is to start with simple, close-to-home trips, then as girls succeed at planning those, move on to longer or more complex trips. If girls are not able to choose the what/when/where/who and how of a trip, it may not be age-appropriate! As you help girls choose and plan their trips, be sure they use these Travel Guidelines established for troop and other pathways in Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta: Program Age Level Day Trip Travel Guidelines Overnight Trip Travel Guidelines Girl Scout Daisies Start out with short, local trips of several hours duration. You may want to invite a parent or other guardian to come along for the first few trips until you know the girls are comfortable in the troop. When girls are ready take progressively longer trips working up to full day trips. An occasional 1 night overnight outdoor troop experience once the troop has successfully completed at least five day trips of progressively longer time periods. Recommendation: The first overnight experience should include a parent or other guardian for each girl. An overnight troop camping experience once the troop has completed one full year together and have successfully complete a variety of day trips. 1

2 Program Age Level Day Trip Travel Guidelines Overnight Trip Travel Guidelines Girl Scout Brownies Day travel is unlimited. May take overnight troop trips of one or two nights once progressive day trips have been successfully completed. Girl Scout Juniors Day travel is unlimited. May take overnight trips of two or more nights based on previous troop travel experiences. Travel is unlimited in the continental United States. Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors & Ambassadors Day travel is unlimited. Travel is unlimited in the continental United States. Troop international travel is approved for girls age 14 and above. Global Travel Training is required at least one year in advance before l i f hi f i Day trips and overnight trips of one or two nights: If you are planning a day trip or a trip of one or two nights and you will not be participating in any of the following high risk activities, here are the new guidelines for travel. Special Notes: Before any trip or travel, the leader must be sure to complete the training course New Leader Basics Before taking an overnight trip, the leader must be sure to complete the training course, Cabins, Lodges & S mores For day trips and trips of one or two nights: The troop leader is responsible for ensuring that all safety guidelines are followed for trips taken by the troop. Safety guidelines are found throughout Volunteer Essentials , especially in the sections noted below, and also in the individual Safety Activity Checkpoints found on our website. An application does not need to be submitted to the council unless a high risk activity is involved. Please be sure to read and share with the other adults attending the trip the following information found in Volunteer Essentials : Chapter 3: Safety Information, pages Chapter 5: Trips, Travel & Events, pages Trips to Savannah: Trips to Savannah to visit The Birthplace are handled differently from the normal trip protocol. The Birthplace requires that the Council notify them that a troop has permission to travel for the visit. Therefore, travel to visit the Birthplace requires Council approval, regardless of the duration of the trip. Your paperwork should be submitted at least three months in advance of your departure date. Girls are asked to submit as much of the paperwork as possible to help them learn the processes behind planning and executing a trip. Note: Trips to Savannah are only approved for Girl Scout Juniors and above. Girl Scout Daisy and Brownie troops are not authorized for this type of travel. 2

3 High Risk Activities, Cruises and International Travel: Written authorization is still required for trips of three nights or more, international trips and cruises and trips that include participation in any high risk activities. Permission can be requested by completing and submitting a Travel Approval Request Form found on our website. High Risk Activity Authorization: Troops and groups may submit an application for authorization to participate in a high risk activity as listed below including any camping by using the Travel Approval Request Form. Written authorization is obtained by from the council after all necessary documentation has been received. Note: If you are participating in a high-risk activity on one of our council operated campsites, the Travel Approval Request Form is not required. High Risk Activities: Archery Backpacking Camping Canoeing Caving Challenge or adventure courses including indoor/outdoor climbing walls Climbing & Repelling Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding Horseback riding & activities involving horses *Indoor Sky Diving - Restricted Kayaking Paddleboarding *Riflery/gun safety Restricted Rowboating Sailing Scuba Diving Sledding, Tobogganing & Snow Tubing Snorkeling Surfing Swimming Tubing Waterskiing and Wakeboarding White-Water Rafting Windsurfing *CAUTION: You must get written pre-approval from GSGATL for girls ages 12 and older who will operate motorized vehicles, such as go-carts and personal watercraft; use firearms; take trips on waterways that are highly changeable or uncontrollable; experience simulated skydiving and zero-gravity rooms; or fly in noncommercial aircraft, such as small private planes, helicopters, sailplanes, untethered hot air balloons, and blimps. 3

4 Extended Travel (trips of three nights or more): Troops and groups may submit an application for authorization to participate in a trip of three nights or more by using the Travel Approval Request Form found on our website. Extended Travel is approved for Girl Scout Junior age level and above troops who can show evidence of progression in trips and overnights as a group. Cruises and international travel: Travel outside of the country requires successful completion of Cruise and International Travel Training at least one year prior to the planned trip. Please download the questionnaire found on our website and submit to the council to receive further information regarding planning and participating in troop trips that include travel outside of the country. There are two workshops available to leaders and girls. The Globe Trotting with Girls for Leaders is an introduction to international travel with girls that will provide you with resources to share with the troop and parents so you can start planning your globe-trotting adventure. The 2nd workshop is Globe Trotting with Girls for Chaperones, Leaders and Girls is for chaperones, leaders and girls to attend to help develop their timeline, budget, financial and behavior agreements as well what final documents need to be completed while continuing to research their travel plans and arrangements. One hour will be provided for the troops to work together on their travel plans and receive direct input from experience globe trotters. Make it Girl Led! At all age levels girls should be involved with planning and executing trips and activities. For Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies do some brainstorming with them about what they would want to do as a troop. You may have them draw pictures or share in a group. Review what they tell you and offer them three or four choices to pick from. The helps them to manage the decision making process. For Girl Scout Juniors and Cadettes at these age levels girls should be able to clearly articulate what they would like to do and how they will earn the money. Begin allowing the girls to gather and manage information related to the trip and activity details. When they mention a trip or activity they want to participate, have them look at the Safety Activity Checkpoint and discuss if it is something they can do. Encourage the girls to collect and compile/submit much of the information themselves, including the following: o Detailed budget and itinerary, including specific activities involved, mode of travel, and all dates and times. o Location and type of premises to be used. o Numbers of girls who will be participating (parental permissions must be obtained). o Names and contact information for the adults participating. o Any other groups, organizations, consultants, or resource people who will be involved. For Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors at these age levels girls should be completely planning and executing their trips and activities. With adult advisement and working within the program guidelines, procedures and policies, girls at this level should have the freedom to choose what they do, when they will do it and how they will earn the money. Encourage girls to read the Volunteer Essentials and Safety Activity Checkpoints as they plan. Encourage the girls to collect and compile/submit much of the information themselves, including the bullets above and the following: o Participants skill levels, if applicable (language skills, backpacking or camping experience, and so on). o Any specialized equipment that will be used, if applicable. o Required agreements or contracts (if the document requires a waiver or indemnification of liability). Adults may have to sign a lot of the documents but girls can and should gather and manage the information. o Calling hotels and restaurants and making reservations. 4

5 Money Matters Are you saving for a big trip or activity? Make sure that everyone, including parents, are on-board with how much money will be earned, how it will be spent and how it will be saved. Be sure to read Chapter 4: Managing Troop Finances in Volunteer Essentials for important information about setting up checking accounts, managing money and reporting out to the troop and parents. 5