Unplanned activity

[Joe MacDoaks]

On Labor day my sons troop put out American flags in our town. We got done early in the morning and one of the leaders suggested that we take the boys that showed canoeing on a local river. We decided that this was a good idea so we let everyone go home and ask their parents if they could go and we met at the river at 1PM ready to go.

 

One parent asked about a week later why their son wasn''t invited and I told her that this was a spur of the moment decision and that we only asked the boys that had come to flags in the morning to go. I explained that we have two canoe activities planned in the next month and that he could go on those. She insists that her son should be called for all activities. I reminded her that he had been called for flags and that he failed to show up. I told her that you can''t pick and choose to only go to the fun activities. She doesn''t seem to like my answer. Am I wrong, should I have offered the same invitation to the boys that didn''t show up that was offered to the ones that did?

[theysawyoucomin']

Continue to march!!!

 

 

You said, "Well the work is all done,why don''t we go for a short paddle?"

 

Regretably her son was out of earshot.

 

Don''t give her a second thought. All were invited.

[frank10]

I see no problem with limiting it to the boys who helped. Since it was on the same day, I''d back you even more, if he wasn''t available for putting up the flags, I wouldn''t expect him to be available for the fun.

 

On the other hand, not sure about taking the boys on the river with out filing a tour permit....

[insanescouter]

I agree your doing it right...

 

when I was a Scout we collected recycling on the air force base (my dad was active duty then and there was no recycling service), the people put stuff out, the scouts picked it up and took it a recycling center as a fund raiser... however I found out years later it was more of a service project... why ... the money we made went straight to Burger King afterwards. Did the whole troop get Burger King, no only those who who helped recycled.

 

Keep actives different and special. If they were available enough to complain they were available enough to help do flags... so yes the canoe thing sounds like a great "extra" for those who did the flags... they don''t like it, next time they can help with flags...

 

just my wacky 2 cents

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

[theysawyoucomin']

Sorry for the triple post.

I''m a firm believer that if you bang on the keys long and hard enough that something will happen.

[Beavah]

No problems, Joe. Yeh did it right.

 

I can''t count da number of times we''ve done somethin'' similar with lads, especially when they''ve been puttin'' in good hard labor. Ice cream afterward, open shoot at the range for all da youth camporee leaders after cleanup, trip to the cider mill after a service project, spontaneous mountain biking outing after crew members led a basic biking clinic for a few troops.

 

Her son was called for the flags activity. The canoe trip was an addition to the flags activity because the guys worked so hard they finished early. End of story.

 

O''course, it''s goin'' to be hard for her son to grow up unless she does.

 

Beavah

 

[Beavah]

Not just you, uz2bnowl.

 

When I hit "submit your message" I got an error message, so I tried again. Seems like the posting goes through, but generates an error message when it tries to re-display the thread. Somethin'' for Scouter Terry to look at perhaps.

 

B

 

[eisely]

I don''t have any problem with rewarding boys for service such as that described. I don''t have a problem with how you dealt with the angry mom. However, I infer that you did not have a tour permit. IMHO, canoeing and all water based activities require tour permits. This particular event is, so to speak, water under the bridge, but you need to look into this. If you anticipate doing something like this, get the tour permit. If you end up not going, no harm no foul. Something bad happens during an activity where a tour permit is required and you don''t have one, you could find yourself all alone.

[Beavah]

Yah, eisley, yeh gotta remember that not all councils ask for a tour permit when you''re doing an activity or campout within their service area. So Joe might have been just fine.

 

That fact should also tell yeh that a tour permit has nuthin'' to do with insurance coverage or anything else. It''s just a tool to help units with planning and safety. And he might have had a tour permit for da flag service, eh? It''s OK for plans to change when we''re out runnin'' trips. Happens all the time.

 

Better to ask Joe if he had qualified supervision, done swim checks on everybody, done the proper canoe handlin'' instruction, had PFD''s and all that. Real safety. But I trust that he did, eh?

 

Beavah

 

[FScouter]

Real safety takes a little "planning". As a kid''s parent I''d really have to wonder what the adults are thinking coming up with an unplanned spur-of-the-moment canoe trip. Safety covered, its still inconsiderate to the group, including those participating, to do no-plan activities.

[Beavah]

Yah, I guess it all depends how "adult-run" yeh like your programs to be. Kids in my day used to do pick-up games and spontaneous, unplanned activities all da time. So did families. Lots of my best memories as a lad were from those serendipitous spontaneous outings. It was pretty common that if we finished a task early, we''d go out and hit da frozen pond for impromptu hockey, or high-tail it down to the local creek to play pirate and splash around. Adults included, sometimes!

 

In these days of hyper-planned parenting, pick up games and other spontaneous, safe fun have been takin'' it on the chin. Kids are barely allowed to ride their bike around the neighborhood without it bein'' scheduled a week in advance. I don''t see it as an improvement, myself.

 

Kudos (Kudus?) to Joe Mac for him and his troop havin'' good, safe, fun with the lads. Kudos to da parents, too, for not havin'' their kids so overscheduled that they couldn''t flex for a fun, spontaneous activity.

 

Dat''s sound parenting in my book.

 

Beavah

 

[cheffy]

simular story. We halp our Charter Org. do roadside clean up several times a year. It''s a known fact that after the work is done the COR takes everyone to the local ice cream joint. We had one Scout show up for ice cream without doing the work. Said his mom sent him since it was a "Troop event". She wasn''t too happy when we called her to come pick him up. She is one of those who always wants the prize without playing the game.

[FScouter]

Pickup games are fine. I don''t view Scouting as a pickup activity.

[Gonzo1]

Joe,

You did right, or as we say in the south, you done did good!

 

Too bad mom has her nose out of joint. Maybe next time, junior will participate, maybe not.

 

Each council is different about tour permits. Our council rule is that if the activity is in the district, no permit required.

 

Way to go!

 

[eisely]

The question of a need for a tour permit is a very murky area. What I advised Joe to do with regard to the future is look into the requirements. I did not explicitly tell him to talk to his local council, although that is something he clearly should do. This further assumes that there are people in his council office capable of giving him a good answer, which in itself may be a heroic assumption. My basic point is, before you do anything, planned or unplanned, you need to understand the safety requirements, including whether or not a tour permit is really needed. I would hate to see someone like Joe hung out to dry when taking a few simple steps to inform oneself and act accordingly would avoid that.