Find adventures close to home like this Indiana troop did

You don’t have to travel far to find adventure.

Last year, Troop 202 of Carmel, Ind., found an awesome outing about a 30-minute drive away. Each summer, the troop’s Scouts come up with ideas to fill out the next year’s calendar before the patrol leader’s council narrows down the ideas and assigns each patrol to do more research. They also look for new adventures, keeping seasons and pricing in mind. At the annual planning meeting, the patrols make the case for each idea, and the whole troop votes on what to do.

Sailing at the Indianapolis Sailing Club won a spot on last year’s calendar.

“The sailing club has a sailing camp, and they have classes. I did a week of that,” says Ian McDonald, 14, a Star Scout.

The troop had gone sailing before, but it had been five years. Since the campout would be so close to home, many in the troop planned to go. By planning well in advance, the troop was also able to give adults plenty of time to complete the required training and ensure that everyone who wanted to go could take the swimming level classification test.

Ian and his dad worked with the sailing club captains on the logistics and a schedule for the captains to sail with the Scouts. The goal of the campout was for the Scouts to learn a new skill, relax and have a good time, not necessarily work on the Small-Boat Sailing merit badge, though it did inspire Scouts to do so later.

“I really enjoyed being able to set up the sailboat; it was really fun to steer,” says Cameron Scher-Millan, 15, a Life Scout. “I’d like to go back out and do it again. I think I’ll take the merit badge at summer camp.”

Opportunities all around

Depending on where you live, some desired activities will require major planning and fundraising. However, you can still find lots of fun ideas nearby. Here are several ideas you can try for a weekend campout or a day trip:

• Go to a local park and organize an activity that teaches a Scouting skill, like pioneering, orienteering or first aid.
• Ask local clubs, like Troop 202 did, to see if they can accommodate your group and share a skill. Maybe the club can show your unit the world of stamp collecting, model trains or photography.
• Check with local government agencies and businesses to see if your unit can tour their facilities and discover what they do. This is a great way to introduce your Scouts to future careers.
• Visit a national park, monument or historic site. If your Scout is in the fourth grade, you can get a free pass to many of these sites through the U.S. Department of the Interior.
• Go geocaching. It’s like a treasure hunt that both Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA members can do.
• Visit a museum, college, sports stadium or farm.
• Check with your council to see if there are upcoming events.

Need more ideas? Check this list for outings and field trips.

For any activity, first check the Guide to Safe Scouting to make sure your unit follows the proper safety protocols and to make sure the activity is appropriate for your Scouts.

Check this link for more steps on planning a successful campout for older Scouts. For tips on planning a Cub Scout campout, watch the video below:

Back to sailing

Troop 202’s campout introduced some Scouts to sailing. Everyone who wanted to was able to get at least 30 minutes to an hour on the water. It wasn’t just a ride; they were able to steer under the tutelage of a club captain.

“It was a great new experience, and we got the same experience together,” says Vaibhav Sonaji, 16, a Life Scout.

“I thought it was really fun,” says Owen Kob, 14, a Star Scout.

Meanwhile, Scouts on shore worked on rank requirements or played football or soccer. The Scouts found things to do to fill the time and have fun.

“It was a pretty relaxing outing,” Cameron says. “The younger Scouts fished for bluegill. Some of the older Scouts joined in; it was good.”

Submit your adventures to Scout Life 

Scout Life highlights awesome outings that units go on — from grand cross-country treks to local day trips.

Scout Life considers outings from Cub Scout packs, Scouts BSA troops, Sea Scout ships, Explorer posts and Venturing crews. You can submit your upcoming outing to the magazine or share details about a trip that recently happened.

Sometimes, a professional photographer will be able to accompany your unit to document the adventure for the magazine, but that won’t always be the case. So read these tips on how to take photos yourselves and then you can send them to the magazine via the online form or by emailing onscouting@scouting.org.