Who Get Permission Slips

[Chippewa29]

When permission slips are handed out at troop meetings (I'm assuming that is the way most troops still do it), do the Scouts get the permission slips handed to them, or do the parents that are there take one for their son? My troop has gotten into the habit of handing out permission slips to adults that are there first (we have quite a few hang around the meetings), then if a Scout doesn't have a parent there or come pick him up, he gets a permission slip to take home.

 

What systems do other troops use to make sure this important piece of paperwork gets taken care of?

[hops_scout]

Most of our permission slips go out in the mail with our monthly newsletter. Some, for things such as color guard details, can only be had by talking to the SM. Also, they keep a couple generic slips on-hand at meetings in case somebody forgets and the parent is there.

[oldsm]

We hand out permission slips at troop meeitngs with all the trip details pre-entered. They are given to the scouts. It is their responsibility to take them home, get them signed, and return them with their trip payment.

 

Of course, not everyone is at every meeting, so we've started emailing them in addition (they get put into a PDF format so anyone can read/print them).

[EagleInKY]

We've actually gone away from event permission slips. We now do a combination Class 1 Medical / Parent's permission once a year. We carry that with us everywhere. I know that they say that event specific permission slips provide you more protection, but they've grown into too much of a hassle. We hand out information sheets and also send them out via e-mail.

 

Both the old way (permission slips) and new way (info sheets), we hand it out to the boy if present. We also send out an e-mail and post a copy in the members area of our website.

[frank10]

ours are signed in the parking lot when the boy is turned over to us.

[GernBlansten]

Our troop does the annual class 1 medical and permission slip for all unit level activities. District/council requires a separate form for each of their activities. We send those home with the scouts.

[SemperParatus]

We have a trip sign-up table open at each meeting. It usually has 2-3 upcoming trips laid out. For each trip there is a Sign-up sheet, a stack of flyers with the trip details, and a stack of permission slips. Boys sign up for the trip they want to go on, take a flyer, and have their parents sign the pre-printed permission slip right there and leave it in a box. Our parents know to come in when bringing their kids to a meeting to take care of business such as this.

[FScouter]

There are several tasks each patrol must complete before leaving for an event. A menu must be planned, patrol equipment gathered, and duties assigned. Each boy must pack his personal clothes, water bottle, and other equipment. Fees and consent forms must be collected.

 

It is the responsibility of the patrol leader and his appointed assistants to ensure that all tasks are completed. The SPL, outings coordinator, and myself (SM) have our checklists so we know everything is being completed. We are there to guide and assist. There is no part of the event preparation that gets completely turned over to an adult to handle.

 

Blank consent forms are prepared by an adult, given to the SPL, who gives them to the patrol leaders, to distribute to the individual boys. The boy is responsible to get the form signed, and to turn it in to his PL.

 

This method is not efficient. Boys forget, make mistakes, and can be agonizingly slow to complete the necessary tasks. The boys learn by doing, and by doing they are moving from dependence on adults to independence. Their personal growth from performing the necessary tasks, however inefficiently they are completed, is part of the aims of Scouting.

[Trevorum]

FScouter says, "This method is not efficient. Boys forget, make mistakes, and can be agonizingly slow ..."

 

I'll add, "... and disorganized ..."

 

"The boys learn by doing, and by doing they are moving from dependence on adults to independence. Their personal growth from performing the necessary tasks, however inefficiently they are completed, is part of the aims of Scouting."

 

Very good! I'd like to include this quote in my welcome message to parents of new scouts as a general caveat for what they see at meetings and on campouts. Chaos! Inefficiency! Adults who just sit back and let the boys fumble everything! What kind of troop is this Scoutmaster running???

 

(He's not! The boys are!)

[ASM59]

Ours are typically handed out at the end of the meeting to the boys, two meetings before the outing. The permission slip is due at the meeting before the outing. No permission slip, no go. It's the Scout's responsibility.

 

For those of you who hand out a yearly permission slip or get permission slips signed when the Scout is dropped off for the outing; how do your patrols plan for the amount of food that is purchased? How do you track who is planning to go?

 

We usually have 80-90% of the Scouts on any given outing, but we have been surprised on some outings and had only half of them come. We never plan for food or activities until each patrol is certain of how many will be present... just curious...

 

ASM59

[GernBlansten]

we do signup sheets. Posted on the troop board the weeks preceeding the event. One week before the event, the sheet is used by patrols to plan for provisions and rides. The adult coordinator gets the tour permit and verifies with the patrol leaders and the SPL that everything is a go. If a scout signs up but doesn't show, his account is charged with any expenses as though he attended.

[Lynda J]

I don't like open ended permission slips. Know of a troop that got themselves in trouble with one once. Mom and dad were going to be out of town the weekend of a camping trip. Kid was told he could not go and was to stay with an aunt.

Kid showed up for the trip with his gear. Didn't tell aunt where he was going. When he didn't come home after school that Friday she called parents. They got in touch with SM.

Kid was in trouble but they were also upset with SM because they hadn't signed a permission slip for him to go.

 

We give the boys permission slips the meeting day before the trip. Then we also have blank copies that can be signed when they are dropped off.

 

 

[frank10]

"For those of you who hand out a yearly permission slip or get permission slips signed when the Scout is dropped off for the outing; how do your patrols plan for the amount of food that is purchased? How do you track who is planning to go?"

 

As I said, my troop signs the kids in when they arive. Food money is how we know who to buy for.

 

For troops that collect the slips in advance, what do you do when some one doesn't show up the day of the trip? The parents think he is in your care but you have no idea where he is.

[dan]

We do the once a year Medical forms.

The week of the campout or outing, Monday, a sign up sheet is passed around to the patrols they sign if they are going. The patrols prepares a menu and a member of the patrol is selected to purchase the food for the patrol. The patrol pays 10 dollars each to whoever is doing the shopping. When a person has been grubmaster he gets requirement 4b signed off on 1st class.

Menus are approved by ASM or SM. Troop has some strict and silly rules about what is and is not allowed to cook or eat.

 

[acco40]

As Scoutmaster, I treat the Scouts the same way the District/Council treats me. I have a "cage" where I have put in a pendaflex file folder (hanging slot) with each Scouts name on it. It is up to the Scout to check it at each meeting. Into this go the permission slips (at least one month in advance) and other paper documents. I haveto constantly remind parents that the folders have their son's nomae on them, not theirs.

 

Why on Earth have them handed out or burden patrol leaders with that task? You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink.