Being a trip coordinator is not difficult. There are some easily managed responsibilities involved, but nothing that should make the trip any less enjoyable for you. If you have already been to a certain area that you would like to paddle again, then you are one of the best resources our club has for that particular trip and a natural choice as trip coordinator!
These are the responsibilities involved:
Keep a running list of those have called to say they plan on attending so you know who to contact if things change.
Coordinate the shuttle if one is required.
Get everyone to sign a trip waiver.
Assign a sweep to the paddle from among the participants who can make sure no one is left behind or unassisted if they develop a problem.
Make sure that everyone is accounted for (including the sweep!) at the end of the trip.
Enjoy yourself and have fun!
You get to make the final determination if a trip needs to be cancelled for any reason. We ask that you try to contact everyone who notified you they planned to paddle and the club president or webmaster so that information may be posted online as quickly as possible.
Being a trip coordinator will also earn you the respect and gratitude of other members!! If my description of any of these responsibilities isn’t clear or if any of them seem intimidating to you, feel free to call any of the club officers for clarification. Think of it this way- when you are the trip coordinator, you are the responsible adult in the group of overage kids about to go paddling! Don’t talk yourself out of it, it really isn’t hard to be a trip coordinator.
