August 2011: Scouting Safely
Brian O'Leary
Forks District Commissioner
One of the main reasons that youth join Scouting is for the adventure, especially outdoor adventure. So we owe it to the youth to bring the adventure to Scouting. However, we can’t forget the overall need to do things safely.
Safety should be one of the first items on the checklist when planning an activity. Review the Guide to Safe Scouting, available at the following website address: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/GSS/toc.aspx 
The Guide will assist you in determining your best approach to a safe activity. Specific attention should be given to the Sweet Sixteen of Scouting in Chapter VIII of the Guide, and the listing of age-appropriate activities (depending on the unit type, there are specific activities which are allowable).
When planning the activity, be sure to think “outside the box” to plan for contingencies. A Troop or Crew may be hiking where there is no cell phone service, so develop a plan of action for taking care of that unforeseen event. That doesn’t mean “don’t go”, it means think about how to solve the problem. Each unit has youth, leaders, and family members with different talents. Explore those talents, and make use of them. Somebody may have a relative that is experienced in backcountry hiking, and be able to help you plan for that unforeseen event. You can also ask other leaders at the next Scout Roundtable or Venturing Forum how they plan for safety as part of their unit program.
One of the mistakes we make is that we might think we don’t have to plan for unforeseen events if we are only planning the activity for our regular meeting place. At your regular meeting place, all activities do not take place in a meeting room with tables and chairs. Often, the unit will present an outdoor activity as part of the meeting. Try and think of things that could affect the activity: parking spaces, how the cars will get to the parking spaces, communication of a non-regular pattern of traffic because the activity is in the parking lot, late arrivals, etc. You get the idea.
You likely will not be able to think of every possible unforeseen event, and don’t cancel the activity because you can’t. But do plan for additional leaders and parents to help regulate the activity so that the youth can have a great time.
We owe it to the youth and to ourselves to plan a safe activity. We often can use that plan to have a teaching moment for the youth. We sometimes forget that we do have the luxury of experience to help us plan, and that is often seen in our choices to do things safely. Give the youth the benefit of that experience, and teach them that safety is an integral part of the planning process. All will be grateful when the activity is a large success.