Travel Safety Checklist for Cub Scouts

Cub Scouts offer a variety of exceptional, real-world experiences for youngsters and their families. When these experiences require travel, chaperones can sometimes struggle to keep their group of excited little ones safe and accounted for.

Use these tips on your next Cub Scout travel trip to ensure the safety and comfort of the entire group.

Rent a Charter Bus

Many Cub Scout troops depend on parents to get their children to the venue or site of their activity. However, this isn’t always the best strategy, especially when the trip requires out-of-town travel. Renting a charter bus for your Cub Scout travel improves the safety, comfort, and conveience of your trip for everyone involved.

• Pickup times and locations can get easily confused, leaving little ones stranded while they wait for their ride. With a charter bus, chaperones won’t have to worry about parents losing track of time or getting lost.
• Arrival times are another common issue. Late arrivals can also result in confusion and stranded scouts. In a charter bus, everyone leaves and arrives together, which means schedules won’t be compromised.
• There are times when, despite how well chaperones do their duties, a little one can slip away from the group. When this happens in remote locations, a charter bus makes the perfect emergency meeting spot for wayward scouts.

Renting a charter bus is an important part of physical safety on your Cub Scout travel.

Organize Documentation

Documentation is more than a requirement for Cub Scout outings. Keeping the right paperwork in an orderly and accessible fashion makes it easier to respond to emergencies in an effective manner.

• Have parents and guardians complete a health survey before each trip. Ask them to update data on any conditions the child may have, medications with schedules, and any other pertinent health information like allergies and aversions.
• Get your traveler’s insurance information before embarking. If an emergency occurs, having their information makes it easier to seek treatment until the parents arrive.
• Include a snapshot of each student with their information sheet to ensure you’re pulling the right file in an emergency situation.

Instead of lugging around large stacks of documents, take pictures of each page and refer to the photos on your phone when needed.

General Safety Tips for Cub Scout Travel Trips

• Complete all approved training classes before taking your troop on any trips. These may include youth protection training, first aid/CPR, and a variety of other safety-oriented instructions.
• Ensure your coach is equipped with all of the emergency equipment you might need on the road and during your trip.
• Map out the locations of hospitals, police or ranger stations, and other places around your activity location where you may need to seek help.
• Encourage children to keep a copy of their parents’ contact information on them at all times to ensure they can get help if seperated from the group.

Taking trips with your Cub Scout troop is fun and exciting. These tips ensure that it stays safe as well.

Use these tips to keep your Cub Scout travel trip safe, secure, and problem-free.