high adventure trips - selecting adults

[init4thefun]

Re: High Adventure Trip planning and adult crew selection.

 

How does your troop determine how many youth and adults can go on a HAT ?

 

How does your troop decide which adults may attend a HAT ? Is it based more on first come-first serve, level of training, physical fitness, like-genders, first timers vs those who have gone before, and SMs, etc ?

 

Is there a way around having to make the decision to exclude an adult - by planning to send more than one crew if able ?

[frank10]

We just use last years T-shirt order list, No XXL or XXXL.

[Nike]

Miniumum of 2 adults, but no boy is going to be told no so that extra adults can go.

[acco40]

If it is really a high adventure trip, the easiest way is to give SM/SAs preference (that is what their position dictates and the folks that should be trained) and then assuming "equal" qualifications - let who gets "registered" or their money in first as the tie breaker.

 

I would go for a minimum of three and a maximum of three. You don't want two because if one can't make it, gets hurt (during or before the trek) the outing would need to be cancelled. More than three and the 'adventure' is more geared for the adults and not the Scouts.

[moosetracker]

We had a high adventure to Seabase, this was something which had a limit to the amount of people going. When first planned all the adults, and boys that would be of age to go, wanted to go. But it was a two year organization and planning, and fundraiser. The SM was originally a definate, then the other position of Adult leader was for an ASM, but the who was not decided two years before the date. We held off, and did not know if it would be a name drawn out of a hat, or who was most helpful with helping the scouts on fundraisers.

 

Well by the time it came close to time, the whole thing was turned around, we came close to not makeing quota for the trip!! Boys were dropping last minute, the adult helping most with fundraising didn't want to go (but would, if needed to make the quota.).. SM had changed and new SM did not want to go. We didn't have two adults over 21.. It ended up that we had one parent who got neccessary training to be able to go, and my husband who is trained but not SM or ASM.

 

For boys we ended up calling boys who use to be in the troop and got 2 boys to reregister into the troop in order to go on the trip.

 

I guess my advice is that if it is a ways off, make a loose plan, but be ready to alter those plans as the time gets near.

 

[Beavah]

Yah, I like acco's notion, eh?

 

One spare adult past two. No more unless it's a really large trip. Take the 3 adults who work well together, work well with boys that age (and let 'em lead) and who will not slow the lads down.

 

Beavah

 

[resqman]

Our troop rotates through Philmont, Northern Tier, and Seabase. Each year at least one crew from the troop attends one of High Adventure Bases. Usually 2-4 uniformed leaders attend and most commonly they are usually the parents of the scouts going. The answer for us is $. If you pay, you go. The other limiting factor is the bases rules. Most only allow 2 adults per crew. The SM attends when he wants to but does not go every year.

 

This year it is Northern Tier. Initally we had 5 adults interested. Once the costs were firmed up, two dropped out. A third adult backed out due to being "undertall" for his weight group. The remaining adults have sons attending and have paid at least 80% of the fee for an August trip. We are looking to add a few more scouts but the economy has held back canidates.

 

Asking the SM to take 2 weeks every year to attend High Adventure and another week for summer camp seems unreasonable and expensive.

The SM should not be required to go on High Adventure.

[sbemis1]

Son's troop does first paid, first time youth get preference, followed by repeat youth, first time adults, repeat adults.

Troop's last Philmont personnel logistics was a mess. Started the process with a high of 16 'definates'. I got lead advisor when I failed to step back with the others during the volunteer round. After all the 'I changed my mind's came back we went with 10 after dipping below the minimum of 7 at one point.

 

6 youth, with crew leader an 18 year old youth (second trip for him) as a very late substitution.

4 adults, including a dad/son pair with the son being a 19 year old adult brother of a youth (second trip for him also).

 

3 (dad & two sons) met us there as they had moved out of state after signing up.

1 out-of-troop nephew of the other local advisor.

 

The troop schedule changed several times, knocking out scheduled shakedowns, leaving us with only 1 that was rather abortive owing to several illnesses. No danger of over-prepping there. Extremely hard on lead advisor's (me) nerves, that.

The saving grace was all were experienced backpackers, and the advisors were dedicated to be in shape, with my own health issues being the limiting factor in hiking speed. Excellent trip, excellent crew, I'd go with them again.

[Mike F]

I've had trouble in this area, so now try to hand-pick (invite) leaders as the concept of trip is starting to gel.

Sometimes you do have to tell an adult their volunteer services are not required for this event. The length and stress of a challenging HA trip are such that some good folks are not well suited.

I've had long discussions about these types of things with the management at Philmont. They expect the units to be sending crews who are prepared to be successful. There are minimum physical requirements which they verify, but are not in a position to judge whether an adult (or youth) is really up to the challenge. That's why we in the units get paid the big bucks.