Tour Plan for Backpacking Merit Badge

[Quailman]

I am a MBC for the Backpacking Merit Badge. I plan to start a program for scouts in our district to earn this badge. We will meet several times over the fall and winter. There will be an outing over President's Day w/e and another week-long trek next summer.

If it is not a unit activity and it is being led by registered Merit Badge Counselors (I have three lined up in addition to myself), do we need to file a tour plan? The first line below the date on the form is Unit Number and Chartered Organization.

[kwildman]

for our council a tour plan would be required for a 5 day trek because it is considered a long term camp or high adventure activity. There is an exception for district activities and outings within council borders but I think the long term camping / high adventure will make a tour plan necessary. Work with your DE it is what they get paid for.

[wagionvigil]

CYA just do it!

[FrankJ]

This is an interesting idea.

Talk to you DE is the best answer. He should know how your council wants it done. He might consider making it a district "sponsored" event like a camporee or an OA event.

TPs are pretty much for unit activities which is why the unit number is one of the first bits of information it asks for. So I would try to make it an unit activity. I would try to find a crew or troop that would sponsor the hikes. The other scouts participating would be provisional members. This would be similar to what troops do all the time to fill slots for things like Philmont.Our OA chapter is registered as a crew for logistical reasons. If your chapter is similar, maybe they could take it on as part of their mandate to encourage camping.

But I would still go with ask your DE as the first cut.

[Quailman]

I must confess that this is really a hypothetical question. In addition to being a MBC, I am an ASM, and with our SM about to step down, my status may change. Most if not all of the boys will be from my troop. In planning for the trip, I got to wondering if Tour Plans could be required of MBCs who may never have heard of them.

[FrankJ]

These situations are not well addressed so you need to consider the risk a bit & use common sense.

A similar hypothetical: A scout meets with a swimming merit badge counselor to do the swimming requirements, he brings a buddy in his patrol, a patrol does the swimming part of the swimming merit badge as a patrol activity, a troop has a pool party. At what point do you need a tour plan? Remember water activities specifically require a TP by national.