Amusement Parks as outings

[ASM59]

Another question for you all;

 

Our SM has recently decided to put together an outing to one of the Great America theme park near us. The trip will be at the end of June, sandwiched in between our "normal" June Camping outing and our July summer camp week (Camped on June 3&4, Great America on June 24, and summer camp on the week of July 10). Later in the Summer he wants to take them to a water park.

 

For the time being, perhaps we can ignore the fact that this is SM initiated rather than boy initiated.

 

I was just wondering if any of you take your Troops to places like water parks or amusement parks?

 

If so, are there problems with getting tour permits?

 

If not, do you see a problem with this as a Scout outing?

 

Thanks,

ASM59

[SemperParatus]

Our troop has gone to amusement parks...lots of fun. No problems with tour permits. Some parks have scouting events, offering camping for the weekend and some behind the scenes exploration. Obviously, the buddy system must be strictly enforced with group check-in during the day (e.g., lunchtime). We generally make this a 'family outing' so plenty of parents and siblings join in. The more the merrier, and the more adults the better the supervision.

[CA_Scouter]

I don't see any problem with the SM-initiated thing. Ideally, you'd like the scouts to come up with all the outings, but frankly, they sometimes have limited resources as to where to go and what to do, and the adults have years of experience and can recommend new and exiciting places and things for them to do.( In our troop, both the scouts and adults make recommendations on outings, but the scouts vote on which ones to do. )

 

It sounds like this is an optional 'extra' family type outing, as you stated, in between other outdoor activities. In short, he likes the families in the troop, and enjoys hanging out with them. Besides, you can probably qualify for a group discount! WooHoo!

 

 

 

 

[SR540Beaver]

ASM59,

 

We are a small troop and a new troop about to celebrate our first year. Our outings have all been monthly camping trips. So far, we have not done other types of "outings". This fall we will be taking the boys to Six Flags over Texas. The SM was the one who suggested it. Why? Because the boys 11 and 12 years old) didn't know it was a possible option. Of course we are not going to allow them to plan 12 months of theme parks, baseball games, concerts, etc. unless they want to plan events in addition to monthly camp outs ans figure out how to fund it.

 

Let me ask you a question. Why would you not consider this a troop outing? Are you planning it and executing it as a troop? If so, it is a troop outing. An outing does not always mean camping. Scouting is supposed to be fun. Every troop meeting does not have to be brass knuckles training and planning for the next camp out and every outing doesn't have to be testing their mettle in the wilderness. Let them reward their hard work once in a while with a pure fun outing.

 

You might find that an outing of this sort can actually create more bonding and better relationships than being cooped up under a dining fly in the driving rain.

[johndaigler]

Have fun!! For us this is a cross-Council activity sponsored by Great America. Discounted tickets and a patch for the Cub's vest! Six Flags does it at the beginning of their season - I think we might be a good way to get those chilly Spring days busier - but more power to them! For Cubs it's very obviously a family event, for the Scouts, I'd try to keep it that way to -- A bit to much peer pressure to ride those "toss your Cookies" rides if you try to get the patrol to hang out together!!!

[KoreaScouter]

They can be a positive thing. When I was a SM in Korea, one of the amusement parks there had a small zoo with all native animals, and interactive nature area that provided a fabulous way for our boys to learn native plants and animals (the Handbook and other BSA references are North America-centric, so we had to get creative). We always did the zoo/nature area first, then the rides, games, and whatnot.

 

There are many potential advancement & MB tie-ins (Business monthly Troop Program Feature; Engineering, Architecture, Salesmanship MBs, and I'm just shooting from the hip -- there's certainly more) with an outing of this nature. Anything can be a teaching moment if you have your thinking cap on.

 

KS

[EagleInKY]

I agree these are fun ways of getting everyone involved and forging stronger ties with families. Our challenge is always with timing. It's never a good time for everyone, so someone always gets their feelings hurt. Therefore, I think the best two ways of doing this are (1) as part of a park promotion (i.e. scout day, discounted tickets, etc.) so you have to go with their date, or (2) as a patrol event, I've encouraged our patrol leaders to try and get themselves together and do something like this. It hasn't happened yet, but I keep my fingers crossed.

[purcelce]

Sounds like a good idea!

 

[ASM59]

I personally don't have a problem with going to an amusement park. There are those however (like one person on our committee) who may have a problem with such outings. I had no data to back up my suspicion that other Troops do similar outings.

 

My comment about "SM initiated" was a reference back to the same person on our committee. This person means well and is correct that this is supposed to be "Boy lead", but as was suggested by "SR540Beaver"; "the boys ... didn't know it was a possible option".

 

We actually brain stormed this idea on our outing last weekend. I was playing the devil's advocate in this case with our SM, and I told him that I'd see what you all thought about doing this type of outing.

 

Keep your comments coming. I'm interested in how you do this and any advise you might have...

[eagle90]

We go to amusement/water parks quite a bit, especially after our High Adventure trips. We usually stop on the way home and use it as a day to unwind and reacclimate ourselves to civilization! We have been to parks in the Wisconsin Dells, Schlitterbahn on South Padre Island (A not to be missed park!), Kings Island, Atlantis in Ft. lauderdale. We let the kids go out in groups, but make everyone get together at a meeting place every 2 hours or so just to check in and see that everything is going OK.

 

 

[Eagledad]

>>We usually stop on the way home and use it as a day to unwind and reacclimate ourselves to civilization!

[SR540Beaver]

ASM59,

 

We do our planning in 6 month segments instead of 12 months. Part of the reson is to let the new scouts coming into the troop have a say in outings instead of getting "stuck" with what the existing troop members voted on months ago. That really isn't a big deal for me, I don't think the new boys would really care as long as they get to go on scout campouts. But it does give them some buy-in to the troop. As I said, our SM suggested and it it really shocked me. He can be pretty hard core at times and I would have never thought he would suggest it. You should have seen the boys light up when he did. They actually started paying attention for a change! Now, what I have not discussed with him is if he will count it as a troop activity. This was something I discussed on another thread a week or so ago. The 1st class rank requirements say, "Since joining, have participated in ten separate troop/patrol activities (other than troop/patrol meetings), three of which included camping overnight." We had a boy who had nine camping trips in and one troop service project. His dad who is a fellow ASM questioned if the service project counted towards the requirement and our SM only wanted to consider the camping trips for advancement. It caused the scout to have to wait another month on earning 1st class. I now know that is not correct and will correct him if it comes up in the future. The requirement says "troop/patrol activity" other than meetings. If the troop or patrol plans it and does it, it counts even if it is entertainment instead of camping. As KoreaScouter said, it can be educational at the same time if you plan it right. Even if you don't make it educational and do it for the fun of it, they still have to plan the trip and possibly even fund it. Have a blast and count it for advancement purposes.

[packsaddle]

We go to a water park. It is a large lake and we take canoes and camping gear for the weekend.

The local theme parks all have laser tag so we don't go there as a troop. But the boys are free to assemble themselves there anytime they want, and do occasionally...just not as a troop activity.

[Hunt]

It seems to me that if you ask, "What sorts of things do groups of friends like to do together?"--you have the answer to the question. As long as its something allowed by the Guide to Safe Scouting, there really is no limit on what can be a troop or patrol activity.

[cliffgolden]

 

I think you want a balanced program for the year. Amusement parks are like dessert. You don't want too much, but they can sure sweeten the meal.

 

We have included amusement parks on some of our long tours. We usually have an annual trip to our local Six Flags in October during their "Fright Fest".

 

Actually boys do a fair amount of walking/hiking during the day, and I always use the map to find where I'm at and where I want to go. So you might rationalize some hiking and map work, but I think boys just having fun together is reason enough to do it.

 

 

Cliff Golden