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ASM for High Adventure

The Assistant Scoutmaster for High Adventure is an Assistant Scoutmaster designated to coordinate the troop's High Adventure trip. The troop does a High Adventure trip each August, and holding this position means coordinating that year's trip.

The specialty is added on top of the job of an Assistant Scoutmaster, not in place of it. Specialized ASMs are still regular ASMs in addition to their specialization.

The trip belongs to the scouts. Your relationship to the Crew Leader is the same as the Scoutmaster's relationship to the Senior Patrol Leader: they lead the crew, and you coach them and handle the things that only an adult can.

Position Facts
Selection
Appointed by the Scoutmaster
Reports to
Scoutmaster

Responsibilities

  • Carry out the responsibilities of a regular Assistant Scoutmaster
  • Present High Adventure destination options to the Patrol Leaders' Council at the annual planning meeting
  • Coach the Crew Leader, Crew Quartermaster, and Crew Grubmaster
  • Make reservations and travel arrangements, with help from the Activities Coordinator
  • Set the trip budget and payment schedule, and track payments with the Treasurer
  • Recruit adult leaders and make sure they meet Scouting America's and the destination's requirements
  • Work with the Medical Records Coordinator to collect every participant's full medical form
  • Set eligibility requirements for the trip with the Patrol Leaders' Council
  • Plan the crew's preparation and shakedowns
  • Hold a parent information meeting before sign-ups
  • Live by the Scout Oath and Law
  • Set a good example by showing Scout spirit and wearing the uniform correctly

Read the Assistant Scoutmaster page first. This role builds on it.

The Crew

Section titled “The Crew”

Each trip has a crew of scouts with its own youth leaders:

  • Crew Leader. Chosen by the scouts, usually an older scout who steps up to lead the trip. They lead the high adventure crew the same way the Senior Patrol Leader leads the troop.
  • Crew Quartermaster. Appointed by the Crew Leader. Handles the crew’s gear.
  • Crew Grubmaster. Appointed by the Crew Leader. Plans the menu and handles the crew’s food.

The Quartermaster and Grubmaster report to the Crew Leader, and you coach all three. The line between their decisions and yours is the same line that runs between the Senior Patrol Leader and the Scoutmaster. When a decision could reasonably be made by the crew, let them make it, even if you’d make it differently.

Before departure, check in with the Grubmaster about the menu, quantities, and how food will be bought, packed, and carried. Check in with the Quartermaster about the crew gear list, the condition of troop gear, and anything that needs to be rented or bought.

Planning the Trip

Section titled “Planning the Trip”

Use Scouting America’s planning tool, The Adventure Plan (TAP). It walks you through an entire trip in six stages called Waypoints, from choosing the adventure to reflecting on it afterward.

The Adventure Plan

Timeline

Section titled “Timeline”
  1. Annual planning meeting (end of summer). Present a few destination options to the Patrol Leaders’ Council, and they choose one.
  2. Reservations. Determine what needs to be booked for lodging, transportation, rental, tickets, etc. The Activities Coordinator will facilitate this for you- they do all the bookings for our regular campouts, so they are familiar with the process and hold the payment information.
  3. Parent information meeting. Present the trip to families: the destination, the activity, cost, dates, eligibility requirements, and what’s expected of scouts before departure.
  4. Sign-up and deposit deadline. Scouts commit to the trip by paying a deposit. The Treasurer will facilitate this for you.
  5. Preparation. If necessary, plan shakedowns and/or training for the crew. How much preparation to do is up to you, based on the trip’s difficulty. Instruct the youth leaders on how to prepare the things they’re responsible for (program decisions, gear prep, food).
  6. Requirements and safety. Determine whether the trip has adequate adult leadership going, and that we meet our requirements for two-deep, youth protection, safety afloat, etc. Have the Medical Records Coordinator facilitate the collection of Part ABC medical forms for all the attendees.
  7. The trip itself. High Adventure is held in August.

Examples

Section titled “Examples”

Here are some examples of the planning documents that were created for past Troop 1607 high adventure trips:

Wilderness Outpost (2026)

Allagash (2025)