Whether the trip is a day hike or a cross-country trek, the basic steps of trip planning are essentially the same. It’s true that as the locale gets farther away, the itinerary more complex, and the trip of greater duration, the details become richer and more complex, but planning every trip—from a day-long event to an international trek—starts by asking the following:
What do we hope to experience?
Who will we want to talk to and meet? What will we ask?
Where are we interested in going?
When are we available to go?
Will everyone in our group be able to go? Are others invited?
Are there physical barriers that cannot be accommodated?
What are visiting hours and the need for advance reservations?
What are our options for getting there?
What’s the least and most this trip could cost?
What can we do now to get ourselves ready? What skills do we need?
What tools and equipment do we need?
How will we earn the money?
What’s the availability of drinking water, restrooms, and eating places?
Where is emergency help available?
What safety factors must we consider?
What Program goals or awards are we working towards?
What general activities will each patrol/group be responsible for?
What to wear and bring? Appropriate dress and supplies – girl vs. troop to bring.
What rules apply on this trip? Gum? Money? Bedtime? Electronic Devices? Cell Phones? Behavior? Consequences?
Who will we need to help the troop accomplish our goals? Volunteers? Specialists?
As mentioned previously, girls working in partnership with adults assist with ensuring these responsibilities are met. For instance:
Girls can generate ideas of what they wish to do. They can investigate what skills they will need to learn before the trip can take place. They can select activities from their Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting and Journey Books that will help them learn the skills. They can help plan and conduct pre-trip or camping activities.
They can investigate places to go, kinds of facilities offered, and activities that can be done at different locations.
Girls can assist in recruitment of adult supervision by sharing with their leaders what interests and skills their parents may have. They can ask parents to be involved. The leader can do the follow-up to make sure the parent knows exactly what she or he has been volunteered to do with the troop.
Plan a time for the food shopping trip. Have girls meet you to assist with the shopping. They can plan the menus and create the shopping list.
Working in patrols, girls can determine what activities they will do while on a camping trip, generate a budget, and work on money-earing activities in support of the planned activity.
Post check lists of possible camp activities, “camping rules,” tent sleeping assignments, or what to eat. Girls can check whether they agree or disagree. Make sure to leave space at the bottom for additional suggestions!
Make telephone calls to make reservations or complete application forms. Initially, leaders may have to provide coaching and sit with them to make the calls, but girls can do it!