Transportation Questions

[SctDad]

So, just to make sure that I am understanding this right from what everyone has said.

 

Hand out maps

 

Give the parents a time-line

 

Give out Cellphone numbers

 

Hope all is well.

 

Gunny, you probably know how my history in the military causes me to overplan stuff. Always have a backup.

 

I guess I just need to lighten up and let the parents be responsible for their transportation and travel.

[Bob White]

It's a matter of good communications and not caravaning.

[SSScout]

1) Use the Tour Permit process to help you plan the trip in a disciplined way. Make sure of insurance coverage, valid drivers licenses, number of seat belts, cargo capacities, etc.

2) Trip coordinator arranges that every driver has a map and a cell phone exchange list. Who pulls the Troop trailer, if appropriate.

3) Two possibilities: Meet at the church (frinstance) and load cars and leave from there more or less together OR leave from home and make personal arrangements about who rides with who. Our Troop does both, depending on the trip.

If the trip is long enough...

4) A lunch/dinner rendezvous is arranged. No one is ever encouraged to follow or keep up or travel together. Too many problems with trying to keep a "convoy" together.

5) Schedules are made as realistic as possible. Speed limits are taken into account.

6) If someone doesn't show up, at either end, phone calls are made. It is understood that our Scouts' wellfare is the first concern and if someone is real late or never left, it is understood why the interest in where they are.

7) If someone leaves early from an event, it is expected that the trip coordinator is advised. Only natural.

8) Expense sharing ( gas money) is a seperate issue.

 

Hope our experience is good for you.

[Gunny2862]

Sctdad and others, I think you have keyed in in my central issue. That the trip isn't complete, at least in my view of the Boy Scout world, until everyone on my tour permit has either returned to their home(or at least the home town AND the custody of their parents)(and I know it) or to the Scout room (and I know it) and departed from there. And then I can consider that the trip is complete, I no longer will need to worry about an accident/injury report for anyone on my Tour Permit.

 

I understand that the Cub Scout world works differently in some places especially that they may be in the custody of their parents during the outbound and return trip. Clearly some parents may decide to stop at a restaurant or some other place on the way home and this impacts their return. It has nothing to do with trusting the parents - in Cub Scouts what are you going to do, tell them they can't drive their child?

 

What I don't get is how you then know when a Cub Scout leader who is the Tour Leader on a Tour Permit know when he can relax knowing the tip is complete? And until they have returned home or been to the meeting place isn't the insurance still in effect? Or did it end when the Cub Scout left the event in the custody of their parents going wherever else they may go?

 

Sorry, but the time I put in in the military does color my view of my responsibilities in certain ways, to include that the trip isn't complete until it's complete.

[packsaddle]

Gunny, when I was cubmaster I was instructed by the council that family campouts and similar meetings away from the CO did not require a tour permit under certain conditions. For example, if the pack decided to have a family campout and if the participating families are merely given directions to the campout, then travel is a family matter and the only concern I had was where people put their tents and built campfires after they arrived. It was essentially a family activity and the only Pack activities were the things that I organized for whoever showed up, after they got there. It was essentially the same as if we had merely changed the location for the regular pack meeting. I never knew for sure who would be there but I also didn't need to worry about their travel arrangements.

And you're correct about the difference between this and a troop outing. Tour permits for almost everything, in fact this unit goes ahead and files permits for everything, even if we're fairly certain the permit isn't needed. Just a precaution. But that's a 'troop' thing.

[AnniePoo]

OK, I'm only a newbie here, and I've heard varying reports from different sources whether tour permits should be required for various types of day trips. However, my understanding is that tour permits are ABSOLUTELY required for all pack or den overnight trips, even if families all drive themselves to the locations.

[AnniePoo]

In fact, I just filled out a tour permit for our pack family campout for this weekend (Saturday-Sunday). Also, when travelling to campouts or other out-of-town activities, we prepare maps to the locations, verify who is travelling with whom, and have participants notify leaders if they know if they are coming late. We do not check up on everyone to verify they got home UNLESS a scout is travelling with another family and does not have their parent(s) with them.

[Gunny2862]

Annie,

I'd try to answer your question but couldn't do it for certain because I'm on the Boy Scout side. I believe you are correct but don't know. Any Cub Scouters willing to answer?

[ScoutNut]

Yes, Tour Permits are required for overnight trips. We fill out a Tour Permit for all of our Pack Family Overnighters. In the transportation section we put "Families Driving Themselves". The Tour Permit and the activity is approved by our council, but it is stipulated on the permit that the transportation is not covered.

 

Families are in charge of their own transportation.

[Gunny2862]

Thanks for the answer Scoutnut!

That clarifies something for me - that when the parents drive for Cub Scouts apparently the transportation phase isn't under the tour permit because you travel as family groups.

In Boy Scouts(as I'm familiar with it) we almost always travel together as patrols/whoever will fit in a car, rather than in family groups - and so, want to engage the coverage.

[packsaddle]

Thanks for the update. It's been, let's see, WOW, more than 14 years since I was CM. I really liked the cubs and I still miss them. If you're involved with Cub Scouting now, live it up because as far as I'm concerned, it's a lot more fun than Boy Scouts.

[Bob White]

Tour permits do not "engage coverage". The fact that is is a Unit activity means that BSA accident insurance is active.

[Gunny2862]

Sorry Bob, imprecise terminology again.

 

Follow up, so if we go off without a tour permit will we be covered on the travel portion?

[Bob White]

The tour permit is not related to the BSA accident insurance in any way.

 

If there were to be an injury to a BSA member while traveling to a Scouting activity or event the BSA insureance would not come into play until after the insurance of all other parties who were involved was exhausted.

 

For instance, if on the way to family camp a family vehicle carrying a Cub Scout was struck by another driver, the liability insurance of the driver that struck them would be primary, the families insurance would be next, and if there were expenses related to the scout's medical coverage that extended beyond those two coverages then he BSA coverage would be in effect, with or without the tour permit being filed.

 

That said some misleading information has been shared I beleive. If you are not sure if a Tour Permit needs to be filed then you should check with your local Council office. Do not assume with tour permits that what the rule is in one council will be true in all councils.

 

 

(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[ScoutNut]

Individual Councils do have different requirements for when a Local Tout Permit must be filled out. However, BSA, as stipulated in it's BALOO training, states that a Local Tour Permit should be filled out for a Pack Overnighter.