FIELD TRIP INFORMATION AND OVERVIEW
Field trips provide an opportunity, especially for registrants coming from a distance, to learn by first-hand inspection, under authoritative guidance, something of the salient features of the geology of the area. The Executive Committee passed the following motion during its September 1979 meeting: "...for purposes of the Annual Meeting, scientific field trips must be of a demonstrable scientific character and of geological interest."
Please contact your designated GSA Meetings staff person for all your field trip questions.
Field Trip Safety Policy
Please review the Field Safety Policy. Participant safety is GSA’s first priority.
Plan Trips
An early and important duty of the Section Annual Meeting Committee is to determine:
- What field trips should be offered?
- The duration of field trips.
- The dates on which field trips should be conducted.
Field trip leaders should discuss tentative plans with the meeting chairperson and obtain their approval. This will assure that the field trip objectives and programming are in harmony with the annual section meeting.
The Council has requested that the national meeting field trips not be scheduled in direct conflict with the regular technical sessions. It is recommended that this policy be duplicated for the sections.
Guidebooks
GSA headquarters would be willing to assist with the publishing of the Section meeting field trip guidebook if one or more field trip chair is willing to function as the volume editor. Please note that GSA does charge authors for color pages. GSA would then sell the published book online and at their physical bookstore. More information can be found on the Field Trip Guidebooks page.
Alternatively, guidebooks may be published by the sponsoring group, or by state or other agencies, and offered for sale at the section's annual meeting. Contracted publishing services may or may not include: editing, correcting grammar and spelling, getting illustrations under way, composing, layouts, paginating, and handling post-meeting sales.
The sale of guidebooks need not be limited to members attending a single meeting, but may continue for many years. The cost of publishing guidebooks could be underwritten by one or more organizations, and this expense should not be included in the section meeting budget. For information on responsibilities and anticipated sales, please refer to the section titled Field Trip Guidebook.
Field Trip Leaders Responsibilities
- Working out all geologic aspects of their individual
trips.
- Preparing articles for the guidebook.
- Providing a well-informed road guide for each bus or van.
- Arranging logistics such as transportation, meals, hotel reservations, public address equipment, etc.
- Preparing publicity pertaining to the field trips to be included in meeting announcements.
Finances
All field trips must be planned on a self-supporting basis. The registration cost for each trip should be set to include all applicable expenses in the approved budget of the Field Trip Committee, including the following:
- Transportation (where chartered buses are used, projected transportation expenses should be based on two-thirds occupancy, and include tolls, parking fees, taxes, insurance, fees such as a fee for pick-up at hotels or airports, and lodging, meals and gratuity for the bus driver.)
- Meals and/or refreshments.
- Publicity-printing and mailing of special fliers and field trip write-ups.
- Overnight hotel accommodations, including meals for participants and designated leaders.
- Equipment rental, such as bullhorns, hard hats, camping gear, etc.
- Overhead committee expenses in operating field trips (mailing costs, phone calls, copying, secretarial help, etc.).
- Expenses incurred by those planning field trips; including administrative help and any pre-run trip expenses, incurred by the trip leader(s).
- All guidebook costs (editing, printing, binding, shipping).
- Contingencies.
Field Trip Budget Worksheet
The sample budget worksheet may be useful when determining field trip costs. If you elect to use the worksheet, feel free to amend it to fit the needs of your section. Click here to view a sample of this worksheet.
Field Trip Itinerary
All field trip itineraries for your meeting MUST be:
- finalized and submitted to GSA along with the Second Announcement. Please be in touch with your local chair for details
- Submitted to GSA using the GSA Itinerary Template. Please forward the template on to each of your field trip leaders to complete.
Expenses Incurred in Planning
Those persons who are actually planning the field trips for the meeting should be reimbursed by the section, if funds from other resources are not available for their travel expenses incurred in constructing road logs, making hotel arrangements, and other duties. This amount should be determined by the section for each meeting, and should be included in the section annual meeting budget.
Participant Information
GSA automatically sends each field trip registrant a packet of information prior to the start of the field trip. The packet contains:
- Cover Letter. The cover letter contains important information for the participant.
- Participant Release / Waiver form. This document must be signed and returned to GSA 4 weeks prior to field trip, in order to particapate in trip.
- Individual Information Form. This form requests the participant's emergency information, must be filled-out and sent back to GSA. This information helps the leader make the trip more rewarding for all registrants.
- Field Safety Policy. This information covers how to handle certain situations and should be read by all participants. View Example of GSA Field Safety Policy
- Field Trip Itinerary. This document shows the information and particulars for the field trip this person signed up for. View Example of Field Trip Itinerary
Cancellation of Field Trips
Where the number of preregistrations received is not sufficient to cover the expenses of a scheduled trip, the trip should be cancelled and the field trip registration fee promptly refunded to the registrant. These decisions need to be made at the time of the early registration deadline.
Stand-Bys
Once field trips with a limited capacity have been sold out in advance of the trip, a small number of additional registrations - five (5) - may be tentatively accepted on a "stand-by" basis. Stand-by registrants should be informed that they are on "stand-by" for the trip of their choice. If an opening does not become available to the "stand-by" registrant, their trip fee will be promptly refunded.
Final Arrangements
Where prepayment of registration fees is adequate to guarantee a trip's financial solvency, all necessary arrangements for the trip should be finalized. If transportation and other arrangements are such that additional registrants can be accommodated without upsetting the trip's financial stability, additional registrations may be accepted up to the trip departure. If overnight accommodations at locations along the route have been made in advance, be sure to double check these arrangements and reserve additional rooms if necessary and available. (Note that the"final guarantee date" is determined by the contracted motel or restaurant.)
Inclement Weather
Unexpectedly bad weather may force cancellation of one or more field trips at the last minute. In anticipation of this possibility, the committee will formulate appropriate plans to be followed in this eventuality (notification, substitute programs, refunds, etc.)
Departures
As vehicles are preparing to load for departure on each field trip, the field trip leaders should be on hand to see that everything runs smoothly and to assist in checking trip rosters, no-shows, stand-by registrations, last-minute sales of guidebooks, public-address equipment or bull horns, and location of refreshments or box lunches if any.
Transportation/Drivers
Field trip leaders typically drive the vehicles. For all trips that have more than one trip leader, it is best to have a trip leader drive, while another trip leader is conversing about the trip. Field trip participants cannot be drivers.
Vehicle Drivers must read, sign, and return this document to GSA
It may work best to find 12 or 15-passenger vans to use for the field trip. Personal vehicles also are not allowed.
Contract Guidelines
All contracts are to be reviewed and signed by GSA's Executive Director. Please forward all contracts to your designated GSA Meetings staff person, no less than three weeks prior to the trip.
Field Trip Insurance
In light of the concern about what is known as "the insurance crisis," GSA wants everyone involved in field trips to understand the implications of GSA's insurance coverage. This information attempts to do this without getting bogged down in insurance jargon. please contact your designated GSA Meetings staff person with any questions you have.
Field Trip Safety
GSA has specific requirements set in place in order to run a field trip. All leaders should be aware of these items.
- GSA’s Field Safety policy is in effect for all 2020 Meetings and beyond.
- The safety policy can be reviewed on the GSA website. Specific requirements are outlined for being a Field Trip leader.
- One of the leaders is required to have current certified basic first aid training. GSA will be asking for a copy of their certificate.
- If the trip leaders choose to hire a first aid certified attendee, then the cost needs to be allocated for in the section meeting budget.
- Please be sure to review the Good Samaritan law for each state in which you are planning your field trip.
- GSA will provide first aid kits to all vehicles per trip.
- Drivers must be leaders and they must sign a vehicle driver agreement prior to trip departure.
- All required waivers and documents will be sent to each registrant prior to departure through the GSA registration system.