Permission slip turn-in deadlines

[funscout]

I'm just wondering what other troops do about this. Our troop requires permission slips to be turned in at least 2 weeks in advance of an outing, in order for the tour permit to be turned in on time, and to allow the cooks time to plan menus and do their shopping.

 

This point is stressed all the time, but there are still some who try to get around this. If the outing is local and the parents are transporting their own kid, then the 2 week deadline is not strictly enforced.

 

Last night we had 6 disappointed boys who won't get to go on this weekend's camp-out, because they didn't get their permission slips turned in last week. All of these boys were absent last week, due to a school committment. Hopefully some of these guys will plan ahead better for next time.

 

One time my son's permission slip got misplaced and he was almost not allowed to go to Camporee. In this case I personally saw him hand it in, so I know he turned it in about a month in advance. I was able to drive him there, and another boy who had signed up couldn't go at the last minute, so there was enough food. Since boys are in charge, it is does happen that permission slips get misplaced.

 

I'm just curious how other troops handle this.

[eaglebeader]

In our troop we use a 12 month permission slip and this incoporates an emergency contact list also, as well as a permission to treat for medical emergencies. The only time we ask for special slips is for High Adventure and Summer Camp. We then can allow youth to sign up by Tuesday the week before camping and Grub is bought on Wed evening. If someone cancels before Wed they do not have to pay, after Wed the pay the full cost of the camp out. As to someone missing from the Patrol when sign up is done, we make sure all PL call absent youth and ask if they are attending.

[funscout]

Eaglebeader - I like your troop's way of handling this. It sure would help avoid having disappointed boys. It would also make the lost permission slip issue a non-issue. After my son's got lost, I made sure he didn't turn in any other permission slips too early, for fear they would be lost, too.

 

[oldsm]

My council does a war dance (figuratively speaking) if we don't have a tour permit turned in 2 weeks ahead of time. So we require permission slips at least 2 weeks ahead so that we have accurate numbers for the tour permit.

 

In reality, there are always last-minute changes. We have to recognize that we're competing with school activities, organized sports, family birthdays, illnesses, emergencies real and imagined, and shifting priorities. There will always be a couple of last-minute "cans" and an occasional "can't". We generally try to accommodate everyone to the best of our ability. Most of the time the boys don't do food shopping until the night before, so that's not a problem.

 

Still, it is easy to let too much happen at the last minute. It's difficult to get boys AND PARENTS used to committing in advance (even though the dates are on our annual calendar that everyone has). It has a lot to do with family priorities. I do like the approach in eaglebeader's troop.

[eagle90]

We require permission slips to be turned in at our troop meeting on Wednesday, ten days before the event. I then tell the scouts they if they can get the permission slip to my house by FRIDAY, one week before the campout, they can still participate. I normally will NOT accept permission slips after that. If I get a call with a legitimate excuse, I will relent.

 

I bet that if your troop is like ours, it is the same few families who are late EVERY time

and no matter what you do these same families will always be the offenders.

 

 

[kittle]

My son's troop have us sign a permission slip on Thursday night before the campout during shakedown. They know twoo weeks before the campout who is going because we pay the camping fees. But alot of times, parents don't come in or have someone else pick their son up. The permission slip is signed when the shakedown sheet is turned in.

[Lisabob]

Sorry for getting off on a tangent but Kittle, what's a shakedown sheet?

 

Our troop requires permission slips to be handed in about 2 weeks in advance but there are always a few who turn them in at the following week's meeting (so the week of the campout). They haven't been to strict about it but I also don't think they've had many problems, except maybe among brand new scout families who are still learning the "system" and there's some flexibility there.

 

Lisa'bob

[kittle]

The boys bring their gear to the church on thursday evening before the campout. They have a list of the gear that they are supposed to bring, a shakedown sheet. If they boy doesn't have it, he loses points for that campout unless he brings it to the campout and shows the SM. They earn points for attending the campout also. At the end of the year (in June), all boys who have earned the required number of points gets to attend the special campout. This year's special campout is Marengo Caves in Souther Indiana.

 

The shakedown sheet insures that each boy has what is required. After the first few campout, it is second nature for them to pack what they need, but it helps for the boy that is forgetful (or lazy). This is how my son's Troop worked when he joined.

 

To me, let a boy not have what he needs at a campout or two and he will soon learn to remember it.

 

Here is what their list consists of:

 

1. Scout Uniform (shirt, neckerchief, and slide)

2. Sleeping bag or 2 blankets

3. Sleeping pad

4. Personal care kit (washcloth, soap, toothpaste, tootbrush, towel)

5. Boy Scout handbook

6. working flashlight with extra batteries

7. raincoat or poncho

8. extr pair of shoes

9. sweater, sweatshirt, or jacket

10. extra clothes

a. shirt

b. pants

c. underclothes

11. personal first aid kit

12. sun protection (hat with brim, sunscreen, lip balm)

13. inscect repellant

14. eating utensils

15. Compass

16. matches (with fireman card)

17. pocketknife (with totem chip)

18. Canteen

 

Other items allowed:

 

Bible, watch, camera, pillow, bird id book (etc.). There are a few other items here, but I can't think of them right now.

[anarchist]

Funscout,

 

Guess we are a bit different...we use the sign up and payment($$) for our tour permit information and trek numbers. We collect permission slips (copies are on the troop web site) at the rally site (place we gather and leave from...boys/parents bring 'em then or do not go (trek leader aways has a few extra for the "usual susspects").

A 'word' about using year long permission slips...we stopped doing it 'bout nine years ago..why? -insurance carriers can change...parental control (divorce) can make it void ...(and my favorite!)...older scout showed up for a trip (and went) but either he forgot or did not tell mom (or she forgot?) that he was going on a three day trek...(cells were still fairly rare then)....we had one P_-off mom by the time she figured out where "junior" was!

 

While the annual permission sounds (is?) nice ...food for thought!

Anarchist

[Kudu]

Like Anarchist we switched to monthly permission slips when one weekend years ago a 12 year-old Scout forgot to tell his parents that he was going camping. He was an independent kid who paid his own way, and just forgot to tell anyone before he left the house with a pack on his back :-)

 

Our permission slip has a 8 & 1/2" X 4" coupon at the bottom that the Scout returns with his money. The coupon has a space where parents indicate if they are available as Friday and/or Sunday drivers if we need them. After the campout the coupons along with receipts go to the treasurer which makes it easier to keep track of who actually went, and to balance the books.

 

The portion of the permission slip that the parents keep has information about the campout including driving directions, and a "Special Considerations" area that emphasizes any special equipment or anything unusual about the campout.

 

I also include general information about camping for new parents such as the importance of non-cotton clothing, but I'm thinking that maybe this is too much to read through.

 

We try to get the permission slip back on the Monday meeting before the campout, but the only real deadline is 3 PM Friday afternoon when the cooks do the shopping. This kind of deadline means that "fair-weather" Scouts may cancel if the weather looks bad or they decide to do something else that weekend, so the Scouts must plan something exciting every month.

 

We also have one Scout assigned to finding out when all of the competing birthday parties are scheduled (evidently this is a big deal these days), and another Scout who looks for school and professional sports conflicts (we lost a couple of Scouts last campout due to the NFL draft).

 

Our Council issues an automatic tour permit when camping at Council camps. They are mostly interested in driver information for other destinations. The number of Scouts attending can be a "best guess" estimate.

 

Kudu

[funscout]

Thanks for all the ideas. I'm going to suggest to the troop that they do their sign-up and payment 2 weeks in advance, but allow the boys to turn in the permission slips as late as the day of the camp-out. We also need to be better about reminding the PL to call his Patrol mates who missed the sign up meeting, so they can call the Scoutmaster if they want their name on the list.

[EagleInKY]

We try to give our permission slips out 4 weeks in advance and ask them to be returned 2 weeks (11-12 days, typically) before the event. We don't use the generic year-long releases for the same reasons given. Plus, we've been told that they weren't the paper they were written on.

 

As for flexibility, we try to be flexible with scouts and seldom tell them "no". I like what anarchist said about the "usual suspects". We have them too. The only time we are not flexible at all is when we're dealing with a 3rd party restrictions... such as an outfitter that has a deadline.

 

We've had to add an additional item to our permission slips. Often a boy has plans to leave a campout early or leave during the campout for sports or other activities. We've had to require that in writing, because we've had kids leave a camp with their friend who was leaving early.

[Trevorum]

We don't use "permission slips". Scouts add their name to the campout roster 2-3 weeks in advance and an ASM files the tour permit. Money for grub is collected by the patrols; special fees (if any) will be collected by the ASM. As we gather and load up for a campout, an ASPL will distribute medical release/liability waivers to parents and collect these with parent signatures. The SPL then uses these as the final activity roster. The SM keeps these handy (just in case) and after the campout they are turned in to the records committee chair who closes the loop and updates TroopMaster.

[Eamonn]

We are in the process of having Class 3 Med forms on all Ship Members.

We had a problem with deadlines.

We talked about it at a Quarterdeck meeting.

Either the Yeoman or the Purser sends out an E-mail with the form on Troopmaster.

Two dates are given, they decided to charge a late fee if the form and the money isn't in by the first date and will not accept any applications after the deadline.

So far it seems to be working.

I take care of the Tour Permits. The Lady in the Service Center has all the details, so filling them out isn't a big deal. I try and get them in about 3 months ahead and send in a batch at a time.

Eamonn.

[MarkS]

I'm not sure how turning in a permission slip two weeks in advance of an outting affects the cook's menu plans. Turning in a permission slip does not mean no one will drop out of the activity. Besides the patrol should be planning the meals, not just the cook. Our Patrol Leaders are taught to find out who is going to participate in an outting and plan accordingly. Paperwork does not interfere with our planning process.

 

We meet someplace and travel as a unit to our outtings. Parents transporting boys to an outting is okay as the need arises but it is perferred that we travel as a unit.

 

We ask for permission slips in advance of an outting, but as long as our boys bring their permission slips when we meet to travel as a unit or the parent provides the permission slip whe he or she drops off their boy, the boy can participate. If they forget the permission slip, we are prepared with blank permission slips that parents can fill out upon arrive either at the meeting location or outting site.

 

In short, we handle this in a flexible manner that meets the needs of our parents and complies with Youth Protection guidelines. We don't have rigid rules that might deny six scouts from participating in an activity because they have another committment at the time of some arbitrary deadline for the submittal of paperwork.

 

Our council doesn't require tour permits unless we leave the council boundries. In those cases were the information is needed to complete the permit, we plan accordingly.(This message has been edited by MarkS)