What every Scout leader needs to know about how to exercise their duty of care toward their Scouts during the conduct of Scouting's outdoor program
The Guide to Safe Scouting defines “hazard trees” as “dead trees, live trees with dead parts, and live trees that are unstable due to defects and are within striking distance of people or property.” The author recently had occasion at
Dr. Robert Kauffman, retired professor of Recreation and Parks Management at Frostburg State University, has developed a series of videos directed to various aspects of outdoor risk management. These videos, some of which are accessible below, are relevant to outdoor
In 2003 seven teenagers perished as a result of an avalanche while ski touring in British Columbia during an annual school-sponsored trip. As a result of the tragedy, an after-action report was commissioned, which made various recommendations and conclusions. Many
The “Mission” of the Boy Scouts of America “is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.” One of the Eight Methods of
As of 2020, BSA instituted new activity assessment criteria called S.A.F.E., (intended to replace The Sweet Sixteen of BSA Safety) the four aspects of which are the following: SUPERVISION (Youth are supervised by qualified and trustworthy adults who set the
In August of 2018 a 16 year old member of Scouts UK fell 200 feet to his death while hiking along the edge of the Great Orme, a 700 ft. high peninsula on the north coast of Wales, pictured below.
In an April 22, 2020 interview published in the Washington Post newspaper, Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe discussed the decision-making process that he teaches quarterbacks in order to maximize their chance for success during a game. Cutcliffe’s time-honored theory
In 1976 my brother and I went backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park. On our first night of camping on a bluff overlooking a small stream, the local area was pummeled by rain-laden thunderstorms, resulting in an epic flood in
Priest and Gass, in “Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming” 2005, pp. 126-127, confirm the point that the health of the participants is the paramount concern during an outdoor activity from the standpoint of risk management. From the standpoint of risk