Mid week breaks for trips

For trips, camps, conferences, any week long event, but especially Mission Trips, plan a fun break midweek.  This can relieve tension give muscles and other things a break and can break up the "Third-Day Out Syndrome"  I usually would take them somewhere just for a "and now for something completely different" experience.  Often this was an amusement park, but also bowling, boardwalk, beach, etc.  We'd end with eating out together.

"handing off a youth"

When a group is in a less controlled setting, where it is easy for a youth to get lost or disconnected from the rest of the group, assign each youth to an adult. Adults and youth should know that each youth should be within eyesight of one of the adults and the adult needs to know that they are responsible for that youth. Kids can't just drift from one group to another without a clear “hand-off.” In other words, if a youth wants to go with another group or one group decides to do one thing and another group wants to do something else so that some shuffling is reasonable and acceptable, one adult agrees to pass the youth to the other group and the other adult agrees to accept the youth. This needs to be explicit even if very informal. It is easy for the receiving adult to not know they have a new assignment or the sending adult not know they are no longer responsible for a youth and waste time searching for the “missing” youth.

keeping track of registrations

For large events, there is a lot of little things to keep track of when people are preregistering and again at check in. It is important for the leader of an event to not have to be involved in then check-in process – they need to be out greeting youth and parents. To make this possible, during preregistration, keep a spread sheet listing participant name, grade, assigned group or dorm or other significant information, date and amount of the deposit and date and amount of every payment toward the final cost. Before check in, highlight or list from the spread sheet those who still owe something. The checkin person/people can handle everything from there.

Menarche at camp or on a trip

If you are in a situation where there are girls that have not yet achieved menarche (you may not know who has and who hasn't, but if you are working with middle school or younger girls, the likelihood is high) there is a very good chance that one of them will have their first period on the trip, camp or overnight. This is a Murphy's Law kind of thing.

• Come prepared with proper supplies.
  
• Have a “mother figure” along (a camp “nurse” or some other designated caring individual).
  
• Have female counselors sensitive to the possibility and when they suspect, have them ask and if true get them to the “mother.”
  
• The mother figure should take care of immediate issues, give them love and attention.
  
• Have the girl call her mother to share the news.
  

Showers and young campers

Every camper needs a soap shower every day. Young campers, especially 6^th graders (although one time I had a group of 8^th grade girls react this way!!!) act as if they are allergic to soap. They will not bathe on their own and getting them to bathe without humiliating them is challenging but necessary. It is best to deal with the group uniformly:

• Publicly insisting that everyone bathe.
• Polling them periodically but privately (so that everyone knows they will be asked, but not asking at a time when the answer might be publicly embarrassing).
• Public statements without looking at anyone (and with a touch of drama): “It doesn't smell like everyone is bathing around here! Do I have to take a 'sniff check'?”
• Offer to let someone who hasn't bathed to bathe at an off hour so they can do so alone.

Accounting and money for large activities and trips

Leaders of youth are often more interested in the youth and the activity at hand than the mundane matters of money – and many a youth leader has gotten in hot water for mishandling of money. So here are some comments about money:

• Always have extra cash on hand to bail out a kid or two.
• Try to arrange to have a cash advance for fast-food and incidental expenses. I generally plan on $5/kid for breakfast, $5/kid for lunch and $10/kid for dinner for fast-food meals. If someone wants to spend more than this allotment, they can do so out of their own spending money. Often a youth who doesn't spend their allotment will cover the cost of the youth that needs more than the average.
• For fast food meals and other receiptless situations – issue kids or groups of kids whole bills (such as a $20 bill to a group of four) and get the change back and put in an envelope (I always keep a supply of dollar bill sized envelopes at hand). At a more leisurely time you can count the change and calculate the total cost of the meal or activity and put this on your ledger (I use the back of the envelope for a temporary ledger).
• Get a receipt for cash spent any time you can and stick in the envelope.
• If you can sell the Trustees on it, get a corporate credit card, if not, get a credit card separate from your own that you use only for church related activities. Use it any time this is possible, carrying large amounts of cash is a pain and potentially dangerous and harder to account for.
• Always produce a balance sheet of any complicated or expensive activities.

Rules of behavior for trips and camps.

This is mostly targeting High School groups.

• Explain that laying out rules is not a sign you don't trust them. Trust has nothing to do with it. The adults are legally held responsible for the youth. This is strictly a formality so that there are no misunderstandings or surprises.
  
• On some things there can be no flexibility: If you break the law (underage drinking, etc) we'll still love you and forgive you as we put you on the airplane home – at your parent's expense.
  
• Some things make life together more pleasant overall, even if they require some compromises.
  
  • Some people may not want to keep their rooms neat and presentable for non-roommates; therefore, don't invite people into the room, especially those of the opposite gender. In fact, this is forbidden in order to protect everyone from embarrassment or being put on the spot.
    
  • There is a common room for gatherings.
    
• Be sensitive to the need of all to be included and accepted; and the need for all of us to be left alone at times. We also need to be clear to others when we need quiet time.
  
• Recognize that you are only one of 27 people and have only 1/27^th of a right to get your own way. If 14 decide something, the other 13 will have to go along or lump it.
  

• If you lose gracefully we all will have a better time and the others will be more willing to be gracious when you get your way.
  
• As an example: this is too large a group and it is too expensive to try to please everyone on food. While honoring allergies, we have to go with standard, generic meals and everyone will eat what is served or starve.
  
• There will be personality conflicts – learn to live with them. This is a valuable life learning!
  
• In the work teams, everyone must carry their own share of the load – nothing causes resentment and arguments more than someone who is too busy doing other things when it is time to do dishes or shingle a roof.
  

feminine hygiene supplies (now there's an old fashioned term)

(This post is mostly for male leaders who may not think about such things)
There is always some camper that is caught off guard and need “supplies.” The camp or trip should always have a supply of such items. There should even be some kept in the youth room. Make this common, if unstated knowledge. Female counselors should always carry supplies appropriate for the campers. Have the female counselors inform the female campers of the availability of these things. On a trip, have a woman counselor make a public announcement when she is going on a shopping trip. This allows a girl to quietly request purchase of “feminine hygiene” materials.

A camper's soiled sleeping bag

On an overnight or at camp, if a young camper (7^th grade or younger) seems distressed in the morning and is either wadding clothes in their sleeping bag or wadding the sleeping bag (or their sleeping bag smells) they may have soiled their bed-clothes: enuresis, spotting or wet dream. You do not want to say anything direct, they are humiliated enough (even though no one else knows). But you can say in their hearing but no one else's, “I think I'll get my sleeping bag washed today, want me to throw yours in too to make it a load.”

Crazy Olympics

We had a large amorphous group of non-competitive relays that we lumped together under the label of “Crazy Olympics.” Whenever that term was used it was understood and everyone looked forward to it. Some sample events: “Low Hurdles” (the Limbo), “The Anti-dash” (who can go the slowest without stopping), “The Sleeping Bag Relay” (each contestant puts a sleeping bag over their entire body and runs to a destination and back, guided by the shouts of their team mates, blowing a balloon across the room with a straw, "Ping Pong Soccer" (for people with lower sensibilities: Ping Pong ball on a table, two teams on opposite sides.  They are to try to blow the ball off the opposing team's side.  A lot of spitting goes on...), "Discus" (with either a real Frisbee, or a playground spot) -- go for distance or accuracy; Javelin (with straws); "Balloon release" (contestants blow up a balloon and release it from a starting line, the balloon that travels the furthest toward the finish line wins.)

Sleep issues

• Make an agreement with the group to not play bed time games: Lights out will be as late as possible and reasonable, but when they are turned out it is silence until morning (no “grace” period, no animal noises...).
  
• Those who wake early are to be quiet until the agreed upon wake up time.
  

unexpected periods

I have read information debunking this phenomenon but observation has shown it often enough to believe that “stress, heat, and excitement” can trigger a woman's period, as can rooming with a woman who is having her period. Although statistically improbable, on one trip the females of the group I was with, about a dozen, managed 100%. So, the related hints are:

• “Surprise” periods are common at camps, retreats and trips. Always have extra supplies and an adult woman available.
  
• Adult men should not be clueless. If a girl becomes distracted and uncomfortable, needing to go to the bathroom, or perhaps even unwilling to stand up, don't press the issue. You may have to help draw attention away from her and let her slip out to clean up.
  
• Younger girls are much more likely to be caught by surprise than older girls, but even high school girls can be caught off guard.
  

supervision in controlled settings

In a safe and confined area, whether in a camp site, a theme park, a store or a work site with a clear boundary, direct supervision is not necessary.

• At a camp or camp site some form of sign in/sign out can be helpful.
  
• Junior high/middle school youth should still have an adult within reach, high school youth can go off on their own, with their buddy or small group.
  
• Tell them to plan ahead – not get into a line that when there is not enough time to get through it before a meeting time.
  

Health warnings for youth on retreats and camps

On retreats, camps, etc., there are a few basic heath warnings to give the youth:

• Always wear some kind of foot covering – cuts on the feet can greatly diminish enjoyment and participation.
  
• Beware of bare feet on hot pavement and sand.
  
• Beware of dehydration, especially if the air is cool:
  
  • You have to stay ahead of it, you can't easily catch up.
    
  • Plain old water is the best hydration.
    
  • The first warning of a problem is ceasing to sweat.
    
  • Dark urine, headaches, stomachaches can all be symptoms.
    
  • A person who becomes disoriented is in real danger!
    
  • They need to cool down, lay down and get fluids
    
• One sunburns easily on cool days and overcast days
  
• Everyone needs a soap shower every day
  

Issues with waiting lists for an event

• Sometimes you can add people late without a great deal of penalty but this makes it even more likely for families to procrastinate in getting reservations in in the future.
• Create a “wait list” that can be drawn from when there are cancellations. 
•  However, a really late cancellation probably should not be filled. It is unfair to everyone to try to scramble around at the last minute to fill a spot.
• If the wait list only has one name on it and the deadline is well past, work this person in somehow.

Staying up late on trips

Staying up late is natural for older youth and the desire to stay up and socialize past what is reasonable is strong. Staying up really late one night doesn't matter, but 3+ nights and they'll get sick.

• Try making a deal with them that if they go down without a struggle the rest of the nights they can stay up really late on the last night.
  
• On a late night there has to be an adult awake, so negotiate someone to take that shift.
  
• Recruit a young adult who hasn't yet shifted to “normal” sleep patterns to be a counselor and give them this duty.
  
• Make sure drivers have an opportunity to get a full night's sleep.
  
• Have the sleeping areas off limits so those ready to sleep can do so. Others can stay up to a reasonable time, given the nature of the next day's activities.
  

Deposits and reservations

It is generally a good idea to change a non-refundable deposit for major (expensive) events.

1. For some events, the pre-event costs (reservations, transportation, publicity, office expenses) are high and others fairly low, but a deposit policy needs to be uniform across all events to avoid confusion.
   
2. Establish a standard deposit amount for week-end events and week long events.
   
3. Do not accept a reservation based on a promise to get the deposit in. No deposit, no reservation.
   

Counselors with younger children

If a counselor needs to bring along a younger child to an event, camp, etc, this can usually work if there is at least a two year gap between the child and the youngest camper.

• If the ages are too close, it confuses roles and causes problems.
  
• Actually, campers usually enjoy having a younger child along. The campers like “babysitting” the children.
  
• A child that is the opposite gender as the parent that is over four will need a same gender adult to take them into their dorm or sleeping facility at night.

Check out a new facility or space

When at a new site, such as a camp or trip, check the facility and area carefully. Look for hazards and possibilities, limitations and opportunities. Know your space well before things start.

One example: I was doing a “rustic camp” and walked every inch of the area we would be using. As the campers came in and registered it started pouring rain. Everyone was bummed, and depressed as it looked like things were going to be miserable when I suddenly took off running, threw myself down on the ground and slid across the field on my belly. I was soon joined by the campers and we had a great afternoon. That would not have been possible or safe if I hadn't already check the field and knew that it did not hold any hidden hazards in the area we used for our natural Slip N Slide.

Sanctioned sneaking out at night

An old practice: at a middle school or other younger camp that uses older youth as staff. Let the high school and college staff “sneak” out and join you in the dining hall until 1 am.

• The rules:
  

• There has to be someone left in the dorm with the younger youth.
  
• Bring in a major snack, pizza, or nachos or hot wings or whatever is popular, for this late night time.
  
• They have to pledge to be at full capacity the next day or they lose the privilege.
  
• Have various board games to play.
  
• They have to stay within sight of an adult.
  
• Try to give them space to socialize without adult interference or inhibition but also be available for deep conversation.
  
• Adult can take turns for this duty.