Girl scouts sitting near a lake – Image Courtesy of Pexels
As a scout leader, you must do what it takes to keep your girls safe when on a field trip. Safety typically means having emergency plans, but there’s a little more to it than that.
Have Custom Clothing for Identification
Your girls will be wearing their Girl Scout uniforms. But you don’t need them all the time, and they aren’t suitable for long trips. But you can get custom-made clothes with your troupe’s logo and name on them to make it easy to spot your girls and tell them apart from other groups that might be using the same space. Companies like 1st Place Spiritwear make custom clothes as part of school fundraising ideas. But you can also use this service for your troupe’s clothing.
Make Sure Volunteers Have All They Need
You should give the parent volunteers and group leaders everything they need to keep an eye on things during the trip. This includes information about times, places, and things to do, as well as any medical problems. They should also have access to a health and safety policy and essential emergency contact information. Volunteers can help you lead a scouting trip. But the responsibility for making sure everyone’s health and safety falls upon you and other leaders.
Keep Your Girls Safe with an Emergency Procedure
If something goes wrong on your girl scouts trip, you should have a detailed plan so that everyone knows what to do. The following are some tips on how to do this:
- Make sure that everyone knows local emergency and parent numbers.
- Have a clear plan for getting the rest of your group to safety.
- Teach the kids how to handle a crisis in the right way and basic first aid.
This could mean anything from a child breaking their leg to the whole group almost dying in a vehicle accident. But knowing what to do in an emergency makes a huge difference.
Get Older Girls Involved
You might find that older girls act up if they are watched too closely or treated like children. Sometimes it’s a good idea to give more senior troupe members some freedom while also giving them clear instructions to help keep younger family members safe. This can help them act more like adults by giving them more responsibilities. And it lets you focus on making sure the kids are safe instead of dealing with unruly behavior that teens might do when they’re bored.
Assess Any Possible Risk
Every scouting trip has risks. For instance, one of your girls could end up tripping over a branch on the way to woodland lodges. So, before taking young girls on a trip, you should find out if there are any dangers in the area and if the place you will stay is safe. But you also need to know what medicines they might need. It’s also a good idea to bring a first-aider and make sure you have had the chance to meet all volunteers and they have passed a background check.
Summary
You must keep your girls safe when on a field trip. Making your girls’ clothing unique helps them stand out from others. But you should also have a plan for emergencies and look at the risks.