Trips provide an opportunity for girls to have fun, experience adventure, and to learn. Trips enrich the Girl Scout program by broadening experiences and by offering an activity that the girls might not otherwise be able to do. Girls should be involved in the entire planning process. This includes: selecting a destination, determining activities, and preparing the budget. Girls should always be given information about their own troop’s finances.

Tip: start with short and simple trips for inexperienced travelers, regardless of age. Progress with the girls based upon the success of the first few trips.

What is considered a trip? A trip is activity that take place outside the normal meeting time and place.

Council procedures and safety guidelines. Before planning a trip, read and follow the guidelines in Safety Wise and the Council’s Policies and Procedures.

Submit an Activity or Event Planning form to your Field Executive at least two weeks prior to travel date. If the trip will require additional insurance (more than 2 nights), submit the form three months in advance. If you are not sure about the safety requirements for any activity, ask your Field Executive. Activity or Event Planning forms are required for any meeting activity, or trip that takes place outside of your normal meeting time and place and must be approved by the Field Executive.

A permission slip signed by the parent or guardian is required for meeting activity, or trip that takes place outside of the normal meeting time and place.

Make sure all assisting adults are registered members of Girl Scouts and that all drivers are over the age of 18. All drivers must provide the council a copy of their valid driver’s license and insurance. You should be confident in the person’s driving ability. Insure that there is a seatbelt for each and every passenger. Provide all drivers with directions to the destination, a back-up meeting place, emergency contact number, a first aid kit, and the permission slip with the health history form of the girls traveling with them.

ALWAYS CARRY SAFETY WISE, HEALTH HISTORY FORMS, INSURANCE CLAIM FORM, A FIRST AID KIT AND PERMISSION SLIPS EVERYWHERE!

All trips must have a (stay at home) emergency contact. The emergency contact is the person that will communicate with the leader while on the trip and relay information to the parents. They will notify parents/guardian if there is a delay arriving home from the trip or if sickness/injury should occur while away. The emergency contact’s telephone number should be provided to all parents so the parents can call the emergency contact if needed. The emergency contact should have the detailed itinerary of the trip. They should be provided with the telephone number of where the troop is staying, cell phone number of the adults on the trip and the council’s contact for emergencies. They must also be provided with a accurate list of who is on the trip with the telephone numbers of the parents. The leader will then only have to make one call.