Troop 78 High Adventure Procedure Changes

Attending national BSA High Adventures is much more complicated than attending a Troop 78 monthly outing or Summer Adventure because of the international high demand for these experiences, the competitive reservation lottery systems, the 12-18 month advance registration timeline, the adult and Scout eligibility requirements, crew composition rules, not to mention the higher cost of these epic treks! These rules to participate in High Adventure treks are intended to ensure a safe and rewarding trek for all Scouts and adult advisors who come from a wide variety of experience. 

After several challenges maintaining eligibility for our four Philmont crews in spring of 2023, Troop 78’s Key 3 leaders Daniel Kundert, Committee Chair, Kristina Schauer, Treasurer, and Dave Trendler, Scoutmaster drafted some High Adventure procedure changes. These were discussed at several Troop Committee meetings and then announced via several emails in September 2023 and via an in-person announcement at the September 2023 Court of Honor. 

Troop 78 is updating these troop practices for High Adventures:

1. 3 Dinos per Crew: For 2025 and beyond, Troop 78 will allocate at least three crew spots to registered, fully trained, and highly committed adults on each High Adventure Crew. This change is in line with Philmont’s recently announced requirement of a minimum of three adults per crew for 2025+. We have not heard if Sea Base or Northern Tier will follow suit. While this change may potentially deny some late-registering Scouts from crews, having three adults registered for each crew protects the entire crew’s participation in High Adventures by ensuring that we meet High Adventure YPT and crew composition rules.

2. Rolling No Refunds: All payments made for High Adventures become non-refundable as Troop 78 makes scheduled payments to High Adventure Bases on behalf of crews. Troop 78 will not accept responsibility for refunds or requesting refunds on behalf of families. Each High Adventure Base has its own rules regarding refunds and families who have a change in participation may request refunds directly from the High Adventure Base as appropriate to their situation. If a crew member drops out, the family of that crew member may seek to replace their previous non-refundable payments by finding a replacement crew member who meets Troop 78’s and High Adventure Base eligibility rules. The Troop Treasurer will handle inter-family reimbursements so there is a clear paper trail. This change boosts commitment to the trek and also protects committed crew members from rising costs if a crew member drops out of Northern Tier and Sea Base, which charge by the boat and not by the person.

3. Suboptimal Crews: After the first half payment is paid, crews become responsible for maintaining their eligibility. Crews will be asked to look for replacement crew members first from Troop 78, then from local troops, then regionally or nationally if necessary. Crews that do not meet High Adventure Base crew composition rules may not be allowed to participate in their trek, though experience has shown that Bases may be a little more flexible if crews can demonstrate and communicate to the Base that they made a strong, good faith effort to comply with the rules.

4. Philmont: Register Low, Add Late: Northern Tier and Sea Base assess fees for crews “by the boat”. Philmont is the only High Adventure Base that sets fees for individual crew members. Philmont also allows a relatively late addition of crew members. To maximize the flexibility of our crews and to minimize financial risk, our troop will continue its practice of registering the minimum number of crew members per crew and then adding additional crew members to crew rosters as late as possible.

5. NQA Travel Insurance: We recommend that families purchase “no questions asked” travel insurance, which is often priced around $100 per person. While these policies allow families to cover their payments if a participant is unable to attend, we want to be very clear that we expect trustworthiness and commitment among crew members. If your family makes the commitment to a High Adventure trek, we expect you to follow through. NQA insurance is to protect against only the worst-case scenarios.

Payment Timing

• Troop 78 will collect funds from families at least two weeks before our crew's scheduled payments are due to the High Adventure Base. This lead time is necessary to ensure availability of funds from families.

• Troop 78 will pay the High Adventure Base on time or a little early at the discretion of the Troop Treasurer. Once funds are paid to the High Adventure Base, they become nonrefundable from Troop 78 to families as described above.