Re: Convoys: was two deep leadership
(no name) ((no email))
Wed, 24 Jul 1996 10:31:09 -0500
Bob Taschler asked about convoys:
> I was recently informed by a fellow scouter with more years than I that
> convoys were expressly forbidden due to the possibility of a multi-car
> pile up. I tried to find out from local sources but nobody can seem to
> recall in which publication this might be stated. I checked our tour
> permits but they are all one sided photocopies. Does anyone know what >
publication covers this?
The Safe Guide for Scouting, Bob. This is the BSA's health, safety and
youth protection guidebook, which local Councils can supplement with
local policies which assist with explaining how the local Council is going
to handle specific issues.
On page 30 and 31, under the heading "Automobiles", the following
information appears in bold type. Bold type indicates, according to the
prefaced information on the first full page, BSA POLICY:
10. Do not travel in convoy.
We talked about this policy last fall, somewhere around the November
holidays and before that, in 1994. There seems to be some ways to get
around this policy to the betterment of all participants:
* have a clearly outlined roadmap (or sets of roadmaps), with the exact
travel path clearly indicated and under regular circumstances does anyone
veer from this path.
* give a copy of the travel path, along with contact numbers at both ends of
the trip, to the Chartering Organization, the camp or facility you are
eventually going toward, and to local law enforcement (the State Police
would be the best). This is so if someone gets "separated" or "misplaced",
one phone call can alert the remaining people as to where they are and what
circumstances did they "get behind" by.
* every driver should have a listing of ALL participants, broken down by
vehicle; the license plate number of each vehicle; the name and home phone
number of each driver; and the phone numbers of each state police
headquarters, the starting location and the ending location, and the
chartered partner organizational representative's home and work phone
numbers in their possession. Drivers should "take inventory" of their
vehicles at the start and end of each rest stop as not to leave someone
behind at the "cash register" or "the bathroom". It is a great idea that each
youth participant have a summary of that information as well.
* I suggested that someone leave their answering machine on at all times
during the trip, and that everyone calls into the answering machine enroute
and on the way back advising the status of the trip. This answering machine
can be heard under emergency conditions by the trip leader advising him or
her of problems that the other vehicles may have encountered and can be a
central "message center" for all drivers and all
concerned. The problem with someone being there physically to answer
the phone is that of work, play and "potty breaks", along with the matter of
getting and giving information accurately (as in children answering the
phone and taking messages).
* plan for rest/bathroom/gasoline breaks at regular (two to four hour)
intervals. This allows everyone to know that every two, three or four hours,
that everyone would be stopping at one location and to allow those behind to
catch up. The location for such a stop should be someplace that everyone
would recognize (a national resturant chain, a national gasoline
chain, a state rest stop or visitor's center) and easily find.
* the usage of citizens' band (CB) radios if the group is exceptionally large
or would be entering locations whereby the highway system would be difficult
to negotiate. Cell phones was also mentioned by several as a useful tool to
have because of their ability to contact both "rear information" and
emergency assistance.
* someone suggested tying a BSA neckerchief to the antenna, but many cars
and station wagons do not come equipped with the metal external antenna. It
is a good idea, especially in mulitiple-laned traffic.
* and of course, each vehicle should "be prepared" with appropriate
emergency road equipment and extinguishers...not only for your vehicle, but
for other vehicles on the road that may need you and your Scouts' help
along the way going to or coming from the trip. A first aid kit is
something I would carry too along with a membership card to a national road
assistance organization (like AAA or USAA).
> It would be nice if there was an electronic index of topics with pointers to
> the publications of the BSA.
I think that there's several people working on Web indexes which would
point to the basic BSA literature. It'll take some time to do it,
though...the BSA has a LOT of literature!
Hope this all helps you out, Bob...and have a safe trip!
Settummanque!
(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle) (
co-Owner, Blackeagle Services of Kentucky (502.826.7046) __)_
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