Ah, the great outdoors... and how better to appreciate the wonders of nature than to take your son or daughter and their scout troop on a one-of-a-kind scouting vacation? Of course, that might be a bit too much for your nerves to handle... so maybe a one or two day scouting trip? (A scouting outing, as it were.) Either way, there are a few things to keep in mind to maximize the excitement and fun while keeping everything both safe and educational.
Of course, the first thing that you should consider is where to go. Preferably, you should keep it somewhat local, as you'll be taking more than just Junior and Jane along, and most parents tend to get a little nervous if you're talking about taking their children too far away. Search the internet and local directories to see if you can find a state park or recreational area, hiking trail, or back country campground within a few hours of home, and perhaps a museum or other educational venue as well. (Should you be looking for a slightly longer trip, the National Scouting Museum is located in Irving, Texas, and offers everything from a Norman Rockwell gallery to virtual reality activities.)
Once you've scoured your sources and decided on a destination, it's time to look for some help. Unless you're going to just be taking one or two of your child's friends along, it's best to get an additional adult or two in on the trip; the Boy Scouts of America require that no adult be one-on-one with a child that isn't their own without an additional adult nearby, and having others along not only help you to comply with these guidelines (and prevent any potentially-difficult problems later on), it also takes some of the work load off of your shoulders. By common sense, the more children you have on the trip the more adults you should have.
If it's possible, you might want to take a trip to the location where you're going beforehand (with at least one or two of the other adults if possible) so as to get a feel for the place and to help you plan activities. Not only will you be able to identify any hazards in advance so as to do away with nasty surprises, you'll also have an opportunity to do things like identify local plants to point out to the kids and gage exactly how difficult it will be to set up camping in certain areas.
Once you've got somewhat of a schedule of events (likely including a nature hike, as they're both easy to pull off and very interesting), check with whoever is in charge of the area to clear the best time for your trip. You may have to purchase camping permits or some other permit to use the land, especially in a state park or recreation area, but many states and localities offer discounts for scouting groups. (Some will even let you camp for free!) See if there are any times when the area you've chosen isn't available, and then check back with the other parents; once you've set a date and purchased permits, it's unlikely that you'll be able to change them.
Finally, once things are underway, don't forget to enjoy yourself! After all, it's not just the kids who are out in nature doing things... you're there too! Make full use of your time away from the rat-race, and make some memories! (Oh, and trust me about that nature walk.)
