Tour Plans Have Been Discontinued

Effective April 1, 2017 the Tour Plan process was terminated by the National Council. This 50-plus-year-old tool was determined by a cross-functional team to be ineffective and an unnecessary administrative burden.

Units planning an outing no longer need to submit a tour plan to the Dan Beard Council. Approval of tour plans is no longer required and tour plans will no longer be processed. The online Tour Plan module will no longer be available after April 1, 2017. There is no replacement process to tour plans. Please do not submit tour plans to the Dan Beard Council, as they will not be processed.

The following Frequently Asked Questions may provide some additional information.

 What does this mean for me, my unit, my council, and the Scouting family?

• Reduces complexity, cutting back on processes and paperwork for unit leaders.
• Increases consistency with the Commitment to Safety, the Guide to Safe Scouting, Risk Assessment Strategy, as well as Camp Standards planning tools.
• Changes the conversation, engaging everyone in risk-based planning vs. process.

What is the new process?

There is no required process, although Scouters are reminded to conduct the Scouting program consistent with BSA rules, regulations, and policies. Flexible risk assessment tools are summarized in the Guide to Safe Scouting, and detailed in the Enterprise Risk Management Guidebook.

Will there be a replacement for the Tour and Activity Plan?

No.

Will units have to file any trip forms of any kind? Is there any REQUIRED notification to council for trips?

No, however the BSA program includes several planning tools (Checklists, The Sweet 16 of BSA Safety, Flying Plan) that are designed not for “filing,” but to prompt discussions/conversations about risks.

Will the liability insurance policy still provide coverage if a tour and activity plan is no longer required?

Yes. Registered volunteers are provided primary general liability insurance coverage for official Scouting activities except when using an automobile or watercraft. A volunteer’s (whether registered or not) automobile liability insurance is primary with the local council automobile policy providing excess automobile coverage. Non-registered volunteers are provided excess general liability and automobile liability insurance coverage for official Scouting activities. There is not a requirement to fill out a form for coverage.

What is an official Scouting activity?

An official Scouting activity is defined in the insurance policy as consistent with the values, Charter and Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, the operations manuals, and applicable literature of the Boy Scouts of America.