Scenario: the youth director of your church just phoned to ask if you, the local canoeing and camping expert, would help him lead some teenagers on a week-long canoe trip to"Any Park, U.S.A."
Flattered by his confidence in your ability, you dutifully answer, "Sure." After all, you'd planned to canoe the park this summer anyway. Why not share the experience with a group of appreciative kids and, in the process, teach this inexperienced youth leader the ropes?
"Uh, how many kids are we talking about?" you ask. "I dunno, maybe eighteen if all the older kids go," he answers.
"Eighteen fourteen year olds, and just you and me? You've got to be kidding!"
"Hey, I took twelve of 'em to Mexico alone last year. No problem. This time there'll be two of us. You handle the canoeing and camping stuff; I'll take care of the rest. Okay?"
Numbly, you mumble acceptance, keenly aware that the "canoeing and camping" stuff says it all. Your spouse lovingly pats your shoulder and offers to help. "Congratulations, Honey, you're the leader!"
Getting Started
Make no mistake, you, not the tenderfoot youth director, are the leader, and you'd best make this fact abundantly clear at the start. You must have the final say in matters of organization, safety, equipment, training, routes, and rules of the road. Even the menu must reflect your knowledge of backcountry needs and what kids will eat. The counselor may make recommendations, of course, but it is your responsibility to bring these kids back with a smile on their face and a song in their heart. Call this guy back right now and set the record straight. You should take the job only after agreement is reached here.
Meeting The Kids
The first order of business is to meet the kids and parents, show some slides and canoeing gear to gather interest, explain expectations, and go over the necessary forms. Each participant must have a copy of the following documents:
Parent Medical Release: If a youngster is injured and must be evacuated to a hospital, the medical release gives the attending physician authority to administer drugs or perform surgery without the okay of a parent. A simple statement that gives you the authority to act in lieu of a parent in the event of emergency is all you need. Include the phone number of parent(s) or guardian(s), family physician, and a relative or friend who can be reached in an emergency. You must carry this document on the canoe trip.
Parent Permission Form: You cannot take kids across a state or international border without permission of a parent. This fact was made abundantly clear to me some years ago when I attempted to cross into Canada with nine teenagers in tow. When the young customs officer refused to admit us, the kids began to act like normal teenagers. They whined and cried and claimed that I was their dad. Then they began to yell and throw things. Finally, the poor woman could take no more and we were reluctantly waved on through. When we arrived in Thunder Bay, I bought them all pizza for their cunning bravery in the face of adversity.
Swim Form: Most summer camps have a 100-yard swim requirement. Frankly, I think that's overkill for a gentle river or lake-country canoe trip. If a youngster can swim 50 feet unaided and is comfortable in deep water while wearing a life jacket, that's enough. Conversely, it's unwise to take along non-swimmers, no matter how loudly they or their parents complain.
Behavioral Contract: Cigarettes, alcohol, or hard drugs can ruin a trip in short order. Teenagers must understand that they will be immediately dropped from the trip if they're caught with any illegal substance. Don't minimize the importance of the behavioral contract. It is your ticket to a sane, well-mannered good time!
Equipment List: I require that teenagers religiously follow an equipment list that includes good quality outdoor clothing and standard survival gear (compass, flashlight, life jacket). I go over each item, carefully explaining the rationale for every choice. Kids and parents will want to save money by substituting plastic ponchos for reliable two-piece nylon rain suits, tennis shoes for sturdy boots, hooded cotton sweatshirts for wool or pile sweaters, cheap slumber bags for genuine sleeping bags, and blue jeans for quick-drying cotton/polyester pants.
Allow no substitutes! You are the responsible adult on this trip. Everyone in your charge must be prepared to endure a week of cold, penetrating rain and muddy portages without complaint. That means wool, pile, polypropylene, or acrylic clothing, sturdy boots, and rain gear that won't destruct on the first portage.
Youngsters can find what they need at surplus stores and garage sales. In their search for the"right" stuff, it pays to remind them that a canoe trip is not a fashion show. What looks good and what works are often two different matters.
Group Size
Five teenagers per adult leader is about right. Nine is the absolute maximum! Split up groups larger than ten (including the leader). Large groups are noisy and wreak havoc on the environment—the reasons why most U.S. and Canadian wilderness areas impose a maximum limit on party size. Remember this if you have to split the group: Strive for a fifty-fifty gender split, and pair everyone with at least one good friend.
Question: John, Tom, and Bill are close friends. Alone, they are well-mannered, good kids. But put them together and all hell breaks loose. Since there are only two groups on this canoe trip, you can remove only one of them from the trio. You should (a) give all three their money back and tell them they can't go, (b) put all three together and take your chances, or (c) put one of the three in a separate group.
Answer: B and C are both reasonable choices. I've found that kids who cause trouble back home are often wonderful in the outdoors. In fact, some of my best teenage crews have been comprised of "at risk" kids who go the extra mile to impress their friends and me. The wilderness is foreign turf to most teenagers, and respect is earned by doing more than your fair share in camp and on the portages. Keep an open mind—you might be pleasantly surprised!
Group Gear
If you want to really evaluate a piece of equipment, give it to a teenager for a week. Kids have an uncanny way of damaging or losing whatever they touch. On one of my trips a boy burned up a new boot and part of his sleeping bag. He also lost a wool shirt and life jacket. While fishing he cast out his lure with such force that the reel and rod tip flew into the lake! Sometime during the trip he broke an "unbreakable" synthetic paddle!
For this reason do not borrow canoes and gear from anyone whose friendship you want to retain. Renting is safer, especially if the kids know they will have to pay for damages. A twenty dollar damage deposit, to be reimbursed at trip's end, will make the point abundantly clear.
Remember these equipment tips: Fourteen-year-old boys and girls are perfectly capable of carrying seventy-five pound canoes—that is, if they have a properly fitted yoke. The pads on standard canoe yokes are spaced too wide for narrow teen shoulders. Yoke pads should be set 6 1/2 to 7 inches apart (inside measurement) rather than the customary 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 inches.
Make downsized wood yokes for all your rental canoes and secure them to the gunwales with quickly removable wood or metal clamps. Most outfitters will allow you to remove their yokes and install your own if you supply the labor. When traveling with three to a canoe, remove the yoke to provide more room for your passenger.
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