Paperchase:
Leading a trip for COP
Columbus Outdoor Pursuits is a volunteer organization. We depend on everyone to pitch in and help out towards running out programs. Often, though, it’s a bit hard to make the leap from being a trip participant to being a trip leader. The following information has been written down in an effort to demystify the paperwork aspect of leading trips for Columbus Outdoor Pursuits. I doubt that there will be room for the entire article in one newsletter, so keep an eye out for continuations in the next few newsletters. If you can’t wait that long, please send a SASE to the office with a request for the COP Paperchase article. The paperwork breaks down into three basic sections: (1) before the trip, (2) during the trip, and (3) after the trip.
(1) Before the trip
1. Decide you want to lead a trip. You do not necessarily have to be an expert in the activity. If you are not, line up an experienced person to be your "river boss", "trail boss", mentor, whatever. In other words, you take care of the planning, arrangements, equipment if needed, taking phone calls, screening participants and signing them up. Your experienced person provides the expertise, rescue skills if needed, advise on how to handle situations, and takes charge if there is an emergency that you are not able to handle.
The Requirements for Trip Leaders with Columbus Outdoor Pursuits are as follows:
2. Clear the trip with your Activity Leader. If you are not an experienced leader, be sure to tell the activity leader about your plans, experience, qualifications and that of the person you’ve lined up to help you if you are not an expert. Your activity leader can also help you find such a person if you need one. Activity Leaders are listed at the beginning of the trip schedule in each newsletter.
3. Read/review the Activity Leader Manual if you are not familiar with it. Your Activity Leader should be able to provide you with a copy.
4. COP Leadership training is advisable for all leaders. If the trip involves an overnight, it is required. Your Activity Leader can give you a private training if there is no scheduled training in the near future. (Leadership training is given by COP leaders and is usually held in February or March.)
5. If your trip involves more than 4 overnights, it must be cleared by the Board before it goes to the newsletter. For example, if the trip is a 5-day, 4-night trip in May, it must go to the Board meeting the 1st Thursday in March; remind your activity leader to do this. You also must have been to Leadership Training or have a co-leader who has.
6. List your trip in the newsletter, by sending the information to the newsletter via email, at editor (AT) outdoor-pursuits.org, or by mailing to the office, no later that than the 1st of the month previous to the month you want the trip to appear. For example, the deadline for the June newsletter in May 1st. The information needs to include: day(s) of week, date (including the month), the activity, title for listing (New Albany Walk, Cumberland Gap Backpack, Worthington Ride, etc.) Some information about the trip, usually starting point and time, distance, difficulty, prerequisites and cost, name of leader, phone number, email if you wish. If you are emailing the info, be sure to copy your activity leader. Specify which newsletters this listing is for.
You will need to announce, at the time a trip is listed, the refund policy on deposits if deposits are required. You will also need to establish a date beyond which deposits are non-refundable.
Do you want to write an article for the newsletter pushing the trip? If so, the article needs to be sent to the newsletter editor, preferably by e-mail at the address above, or to PO Box 14384, Columbus OH 43214-0384 by the 1st of the month prior to the month you want it to appear.
(2) On the trip
7. At the start of the trip:
1. Check for Membership Cards. Charge anyone who does not have a card $2.00 per day non-member fee. Our overhead costs are $2.00 per person per day so it is important that non-members help with the cost. Failing to do this devalues our membership and adds to the amount of money we need to fundraise. Usually, if you sign the liability release first and include your membership number, everyone else will follow suit or volunteer that they forgot the card or are not a member, saving you from having to figure out who's a member and who isn't.
2. Have trippers read and sign the liability release. Double check that all trippers have done so. You will occasionally have someone who puts "911" in the emergency contact number spot. Explain that you already know to call 911, who do they want you to call if they are seriously injured?
3. Do a group orientation, including:
8. You will need to carry with you:
Participants should know where to find this information in case you are incapacitated.
9. If there should be some sort of incidence on the trip be it major or minor, fill out an Occurrence Report (sometimes referred to as Incident Report). Attach this to your liability release.
(3) After the trip
10. Turn in the pink copy of the deposit slip to your Activity Leader, along with the trip Report/Liability Release and any incidence reports filled out. Currently, this is all sent to the office and the leader picks it up quarterly. Therefore, it is important to call your Activity leader if there is anything unusual/time sensitive included. Send receipts and accounting for cash advances to the treasurer along with payorders for any bills outstanding. This is due within one month of the last day of the trip.
11. Follow up on any occurrences/incidents. Call the person(s) involved to check on how they are doing and how we can help. Document your call. Keep the Risk Manager (Tammy Dutro) up to date on the situation.
12. Write a story for the newsletter and send it to the newsletter editor. (optional)
13. Deposit any COP funds collected using a COP Deposit Ticket. Make your deposit at the night deposit, using a standard Huntington Bank envelope. Be sure to check off that you want a receipt, label the envelope with the COP Address, PO Box 14384, Columbus OH 43214 and include both the white and canary yellow copies of the deposit ticket. If you don’t include the yellow copy and check off that a receipt is requested, it will cost COP $5.00 to get a copy of the paperwork. If you have only a few dollars of non-member fees, you may mail it to the office with your release. Be sure to mark the outside of the envelope Attn: Office Manager, otherwise it may sit unopened for 3 months until the Activity Leader collects its for their quarterly report.
The deposit ticket needs to contain a breakdown of the money collected, this is done under 'COP ACCOUNTS'. The IRS column (3digit#on new forms) tells the treasurer what the money if for (400 for general trip and non-member fees, 410 for equipment rental, 420 for any sales, 460 for donations). You must collect tax on any sales or rentals. The current rate is 6.75%. Include the tax with the sale price in 420. The bookkeeping system will back it out). The COP column (2digit# on new forms) refers to the activity (i.e. 55 for backpacking, 41 for boating, 10 for bicycling, 50 for hiking etc.) A breakdown of Account Numbers is available from the office.
14. If you are leading a special event, you will need to deal with Payorders. A payorder must be filed in order to be reimbursed or to have checks cut for your vendors. The account numbers run much the same as the deposit ticket. First comes the IRS number (3digit#on new forms) which tells the treasurer what category the money is coming from, i.e. 890-trip supplies, including food, 850-printing, 670 facility rent etc.) and then the COP number (2digit# on new forms, which activity budget the money is coming from).
The payorder must have receipts attached, or mileage info. filled in. If it is for a cash advance, it needs to have the payees social security number on it.
The payorder must be signed by the activity leader and mailed to the office.
The Bookkeeper and Treasurer are normally in once a week, but sometimes they are sick or out of town, therefore you need to send your payorder at least a week before you need the actual check.
Where to get all this paperwork? Officially, from your activity leader. A group of volunteers has been mailing much of this to leaders listed the in the newsletter the past 2 years. If you don’t receive it, you can
There is a wooden box on Charlie Pace's porch. This is at 629 Dennison Avenue, just north of Goodale Blvd. Take the Neil Avenue exit off I-670, go 1 block north of Goodale, turn right, then right again onto Dennison and look for a place to park. The easy out is the Goodale Park parking lot on the left. Help yourself to needed paperwork but please do not disturb Charlie. If supplies are low, call or email the office to let us know. Due to the public nature of the porch, there will not be a place for items that need to be sent to the office or for deposit tickets. You will need to mail that to COP, PO Box 14384, Columbus OH 43214-0384
We hope to see your name in the schedule section of the newsletter soon.
Ann Gerckens
Contacts and Phone Numbers - Modified 02/27/04