Activities Not Listed in the Activity Checkpoints

When a group wants to plan an activity that is not listed in the activity checkpoints, use the following checklist to see if the activity is appropriate for Girl Scouting.

·        Is the activity educationally sound?

·        What are the overall benefits of the experience for the girls? Will the activity contribute to fulfilling the Program Goals accompanying Program Standard 1? (See page 63.)

·        Is knowledgeable, trained, experienced leadership available to help the group plan and conduct the activity?

·        What resources are required, including financial resources, equipment, and instruction? What are the potential health and safety risks and how will they be handled?

·        Are the girls physically, emotion ally, and intellectually ready?

·        Is the activity a logical progression in skill building?

·        What impact will there be on the environment?

·        Is the site selected appropriate for the activity?

·        Will council permission be required?

·        Will additional parental permission be required?

·        Will council insurance cover the activity?

In general, if an activity is not listed under one of the activity checkpoints or in another GSUSA publication, you should discuss the activity with the local council representative before making definite plans with the girls in your group.

Activities with High Risk

It is essential that the council be consulted if the proposed activity demands more physical prowess, emotional stamina, and greater skills than those listed in this book. Such activities may offer challenging experiences that promote girls’ growth and development, but they also involve a wide range of variables that require extensive planning and expertise to control. With activities that require specialized skills, training, equipment, and supervision, care must be taken to control risks as much as possible as well as to ensure that participants are prepared for the activity and that the activity is con ducted under optimum safety conditions. The skill and training required of participants and the leader or instructors must be carefully assessed and monitored.

If you receive council permission to conduct the activity, a set of activity checkpoints will be provided by the council. Make sure you, other adults involved in the activity, and the girls adhere to these checkpoints. Also, make an effort to reasonably accommodate any girls with special needs in the activity.

Some activities can carry a greater risk of severe injury or death even when they are conducted with great skill and care. There are also other considerations:

·        Some may not be appropriate for certain age levels or persons of certain sizes.

·        Some are harmful to the environment.

·        Some are restricted by state law to persons of certain ages.

·        Vendors who conduct some activities insist that contracts that hold the vendor harmless in case of an accident be signed by participants and/or their parents or guardians. A girl under the legal age of adult hood is not legally able to sign such an agreement or contract. Parents should be fully informed of their rights to sign or not sign such a contract. Any contracts or per mission forms of this type should be reviewed by the council prior to entering into such arrangements.

·        Other activities may not be currently insured by policies held by a particular Girl Scout council.

Therefore, it is necessary to check with your Girl Scout council before considering activities not listed in this book or other GSUSA resources.

Activities in the following list may not be attempted by a Girl Scout group without written authorization by their Girl Scout council. Girl Scout councils may not authorize any of these activities for girls under 12 years old and without ensuring that they are properly planned, supervised, and insured. Commercial operators or organizations that are insured and have professionally licensed or certified instructors for the particular activity should be chosen to conduct the activity rather than individuals who are not insured and licensed. Many of these activities may not be possible at all due to safety and insurance considerations in a particular area. Also, it may be necessary to cancel or postpone any planned activity due to extreme weather conditions or other unforeseen problems immediately prior to or during the conduct of the activity.

·        Activities involving girls operating motorized vehicles such as go-carts and personal watercraft.

·        Activities with uncontrollable and highly changeable environmental conditions such as watercraft trips on unclassified rivers.

·        Activities that involve the use of firearms.

·        Flights in noncommercial aircraft such as small private planes, helicopters, sailplanes, untethered hot air balloons, and blimps. The council must have liability insurance for non-owned aircraft in order to approve flights on any of these aircraft.

Activities That Are Not Permitted

The following are not permitted as Girl Scout program activities:

·        Activities such as paintball that involve shooting a projectile at another person.

·        Activities involving potentially uncontrolled free fall such as bungee jumping, hang gliding, parachuting, parasailing, and trampolining.

·        Extreme variations of sports activities such as high altitude climbing and aerial tricks on bicycles, skis, snowboards, skateboards, and water skis.

·        Hunting.

·        Riding all-terrain vehicles and motor bikes.

·        Watercraft trips in Class V and above whitewater.