Thank you for your interest in planning an overnight Extended Trip (4+ nights,  more than 6 hours from home, or a roadtrip to a major tourist destination/city) with Girl Scouts.  This form should be completed 18-24 months in advance with final paperwork due 6 months prior to your trip.

All travel will be considered on a case by case basis using this Request to Travel form.

Please email customercare@gsema.org with any questions.

Hello,

Welcome to the online submission system for a request to travel &/or partcipate in an extended overnight trip (4+ nights, more than 6 hours from home, or a roadtrip to a major tourist destination/city). Thank you for your commitment to providing new experiences for girls in your community.

Be sure to complete this form BEFORE making any definitive plans.  A 12-18 month timeframe will allow us to collect the required paperwork and process in a timely manner, however, we understand that due to the pandemic, this time frame may need to be shortened. Even if you don't know all of the details yet, we can edit and update this later. 

This form is used to ensure all participants are safe by following Girl Scout safety protocols while participating in overnights of 4 nights or more, out of state, or international trips.

We appreciate your efforts to follow the GSEMA Volunteer Policies and Procedures, Volunteer Essentials, and Safety Activity Checkpoints to keep everyone safe.

Remember our motto: Safety First, Fun Second!
-The Safety Team

• Troop numbers of all the troops participating in the activity
• Service Unit Name/ Town
• Names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of two volunteers responsible for this activity.
• First Aider name and certification expiration date.
• Troop Camper/ Outdoor Basics Trained (or equivelent) name and certification date.
• Number of volunteers and child members (and their level) attending the activity.
• Date of the activity.
• Read the Safety Activity Checkpoints, which lists the "high risk" and other high adventure activities, to know if "evidence of insurance" is required and request a Certificate of Liability from vendors as needed.
• Mode of transportation to the event. Please note, a Certificate of Liability is needed for all chartered or leased vehicles, and any/all vehicles designed for 15+ passengers whether or not there is a fee.
• You will need to know the types of activities you will do and the names of the adults leading the activity and their certifications. For example, lifeguards and boating instructors. 
• Review the Safety Activity Checkpoints section on Transporting Girl Scouts and know that if your activity requires driving a 15 passenger vehicle, driving approximately 6 hours or more, or includes a trip to a major tourist destination or city, our insurance agency requires that we check all drivers via a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check to ensure they have a safe driving record.

If you have any questions filling out the survey, please contact Customer Care at 844-306-GSEM (4736) or e-mail customercare@gsema.org.

It is important that you review the Safety Activity Checkpoints related to your planned activities and share this information with the Girl Scouts, their families, any program partners or vendor locations you may be working with. Safety Activity Checkpoints include information on the appropriate grade level (Junior, Cadette, etc) for safe and appropriate participation. Younger Girl Scouts should not participate in activities recommended for older level Girl Scouts. Always refer to the Safety Activity Checkpoints for more information on the level of appropriateness for your activity. Your approval is dependent on GSEMA's review of this information.

If Safety Activity Checkpoints do not exist for an activity you and the girls are interested in, contact Customer Care at 844-306-GSEM (4736) or customercare@gsema.org before making any definite plans with the girls.

If you have not already done so, be sure to complete the annual GSEMA Online Volunteer Agreement form for the current membership year. 

All activities require a minimum of two unrelated, approved GSEMA volunteers, at least one of whom is female.

Please provide the information of the second, unrelated, approved GSEMA volunteer who has committed to be additionally responsible for this trip.

Because a copy of this form will be emailed to this volunteer, be sure they have accepted this responsibility and have already completed a GSEMA Criminal Background Check.

Activity Information

Activity dates, budget, and itinerary may all be updated on the final application. We understand that this is just a preliminary application, you are still finalizing plans, and that some of the following may be subject to change.

For the preliminary itinerary section, you are welcome to enter very simple basic information and then upload below or email customercare@gsema.org a file or link to you your itinerary if you have it already saved in a separate document.  We welcome and encourage any and all supporting documentation to accompany this application including forwarding email confirmations or receipts that you have received from vendors, including, but not limited to hotel/flight confirmations, rental vehicle agreements, activity links.

The Marriot Group of hotels has their liability information readily available online here.

The Hilton Group of hotels has their liability information readitly available online here.

AirBNB also has their liability information readily available here and VRBO's liability information is readily available here. 

Because of this, no additional documentation is needed from the hotel managers or hosts, however, there are exclusions when using third-party vendors (Hotels.com, Expedia, Travelocity etc). Therefore, we highly recommend booking with the hotel directly and not a third-party site to ensure all of their liability coverage extends and it not limited by third-party intermediaries.

Other independent overnight accomodation providers (small boutique hotels or hostels) will likely need to provide evidence of insurance in the form of a Certificate of Liability Insurance.

You can easily copy and paste to email your contact the following information to any overnight accomodations provider not listed above:

Hi friend, 

In order for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts to approve your location for our troops to use, please contact your insurance agent and ask that they email a Certificate of Liability Insurance to customercare@gsema.org.

General Liability Limits must be a minimum of $1 million each occurrence & at least $2 million general aggregate.

Important Note: GSEMA needs to be named as the Additional Insured and the Certificate Holder.

It should read:

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts
265 Beaver Street
Waltham, MA 02452

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you!

Please select the benefits this trip will help provide for your Girl Scouts:

Please comment on the recommended progression of trips and travel below.

Please visit the Girl Scout Guide to Global Travel for more information. 

After review of the required volunteer-to-girl ratios for your activity in Volunteer Essentials and the potential need for addtional specialized volunteers in the Safety Activity Checkpoints for your activity, please provide the total number of GSEMA approved volunteers who have committed to help with this event

All activities require a minimum of two unrelated, approved GSEMA volunteers, at least one of whom is female.  Depending on the age/level of the Girl Scouts, additional GSEMA approved volunteers may be required to satisfy the volunteer-to-girl ratios as outined for events, travel, and camping in Volunteer Essentials.  Please note, this ratio is more than what is required for troop meetings-- you may need to reach out to your Friends and Family Network for help, but this should not be any volunteers first overnight with this troop/ group.  The Safety Activity Checkpoints for a particular activity may also require additional specialized volunteers and/or experts.

Please provide more information on the level(s) of Girl Scouts who will be participating.  If this information is not provided, volunteer-to-girl ratios for the youngest level of girls (Daisies) will be used.

Safety Activity Checkpoints require the participation of a GSEMA approved first aider.  This role can only be served by an approved GSEMA adult volunteer who has taken approved GSEMA CPR/AED and First Aid with a hands-on component which includes both adult and child-specific instructions (pediatric).  If a volunteer was certified outside of GSEMA and they haven't already, they may provide a copy of their First Aid and CPR/AED certification(s) or medical license information to customercare@gsema.org.

Please provide your first aiders information below:

The Safety Activity Checkpoints for trips/travel requires that we verify at least one GSEMA volunteer has completed outdoor skills training appropriate for their activity. This may be Troop Camping Tent, Troop Camping Lodge, Outdoor Basics- Cooking, or Outdoor Basics Cooking/Camping training. This volunteer MUST also have completed the online "Going Places with Girl Scouts" series in gsLearn (paired with the appropriate progression). This volunteer must be a separate volunteer from the first aider. Please advise who your troop camper will be.

Please let us know who is the "Troop Camper":

Many of the "high risk" and high adventure activities in the Safety Activity Checkpoints require additional trained volunteers with specialized training and/or experts.  For example, any activity that takes girls more than 30 minutes from Emergency Medical Services requires a volunteer with a Wilderness First Aid certification, all camping trips require a GSEMA volunteer certified in Outdoor Basics - cooking (lodge) &/or camping (tent), and all swimming activities require a lifeguard.  As a reminder, be sure to double-check the Safety Activity Checkpoints to see if your activity has these types of additional requirements.

If required, please provide the infomation about this additional training below.

TRANSPORTING GIRL SCOUTS (MVR): Please see the Safety Activity Checkpoint for Transporting Girl Scouts including the Checklist for Drivers (pages 21-24). Because your activity requires driving a 15 passenger vehicle, driving approximately 4 hours or more, or includes driving to a major tourist destination or city, our insurance agency requires that we check all drivers via a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check to ensure they have a safe driving record. Please let us know who will be driving so that we can send them an email invitation from our background check partner, Sterling Volunteers, to complete this Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check process. Thank you.

If you as the GSEMA organizer of this activity are arranging transportation, all drivers must be 21+, approved GSEMA volunteers with a current, eligible GSEMA Criminal Background Check on file.

Please forward copies of all of your vehicle rental agreements to customercare@gsema.org . Vehicle rentals should be in the individual volunteers name (not the council) and include any additional drivers who ideally have their own personal auto insurance policies on their personal vehicles (as these often extend to rentals-- call your agents to inquire).

Additionally, drivers should have documented experience in driving the type of vehicle they are renting and an advanced comfort level, which is especially important when driving larger passanger vehicles.

Many vehicle rental companies provide optional insurances that are added at the rental counter when you pick up your vehicle.  In order to approve your rental, you must budget for, and add all of these, including, but not limited to:

Loss Damage Waiver (LDW): Loss Damage Waiver, which for an additional daily charge relieves the renter of all financial responsibility for the loss of, or damage to the rental car, as long as the vehicle is used in accordance with the terms of the Rental Agreement.

Rental Liability Insurance (RLI): Primary insurance protecting you against claims made by a third party for bodily injury and/or property damage sustained while operating the rental vehicle, up to the required financial responsibility limits of the state in which the vehicle is rented. RLI does not cover all situations that may arise while operating a rental vehicle. The renter is financially responsible for all damages not covered under the liability policy including, but not limited to, the rental vehicles full value. Costs for RLI coverage vary by state

Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI): Provides coverage for third-party automobile claims for the difference between the primary liability limits provided under the renters own personal policy and a maximum combined single limit of one million dollars for bodily injury and/or property damage but does not cover all situations that may arise while operating a rental vehicle. Costs for SLI coverage varies by state

Personal Accident/Personal Effects Protection (PAC): Personal Accident Coverage provides an accidental death and accidental medical expense benefit to the renter and their passenger(s). The death and medical expense benefit will both pay in addition to any other coverage that might be applicable to the renter or passengers. Personal Effects Coverage offers limited protection against damage to personal effects owned by the renter, as well as immediate family members of the renter, who permanently reside in the renters household and are traveling with the renter. 

Roadside Service Assistance Program (RSA):  Benefits may include emergency road service towing (within 25 miles of occurrence), winching, jump start, flat tire change, lockout service, and emergency fuel delivery (up to two gallons). Some restrictions apply ask for a copy of an RSA brochure at the rental counter.

Please note that the above is for example only and your troops individual rental agreement must be reviewed for approval.

Please note: non-member insurance is NOT available for overnight activities. All overnight participants must be registered volunteer members of Girl Scouts with a current, eligible Criminal Background Check (CORI/SORI, plus an online national screening for those who have not lived in MA for the past 7 years).

That said, if your 4+ overnight is local and you would like to invite day guests, please indicate this below.

Be sure to review GSEMA Troop/Group and Service Unit Money Earning Policy, which requires troops/groups to gain approval 4 weeks in advance or with as much notice as possible via a GSEMA Safety Approval Form.  The troop/group must have participated in both the Fall Product Program and the Girl Scout Cookie Programs, and submit an Annual Troop Financial Report, in order to be approved for additional money-earning activities. 

Have you planned or will you be planning any additional money-earning activities to help fund your trip?

For the preliminary budget section, you are welcome to enter very simple basic information and then email customercare@gsema.org a file or link to you your budget if you have it already saved in a separate document. We welcome any and encourage all supporting documentation including, but not limited to estimates, quotes, statements, reservations, confirmations, and receipts. to accompany this application. You may enter zero if any field doesn't apply to your budget plan.

Please indicate below how this trip is being funded.

Please indicate below your estimated expenses

Thank you for completing a Request to Travel. 

We appreciate you and all that you do!

You will automatically receive a copy of this submission via email. 

The confirmation of submission email is an automatic response only for your records that we received your request to review and is NOT a council approval for your activity. 

Once GSEMA receives your submission, it can take 3-5 business days to begin to process, especially during busy periods. You will then receive another email from GSEMA with clarifying questions and/or additional instructions.  Once all of the Safety Activity Checkpoints have been reviewed and paperwork processed, you will receive an email that highlights next steps.

Please email customercare@gsema.org or call 844-306-GSEM (4736) with questions.