Night Ops 2024 Event pages are UPDATED!
Alabama event page is updated!

Volunteers Needed!

We need a 40 – 60 Adult Volunteers to make this event happen. All adults are highly encouraged to volunteer in some capacity.

We are progressively getting more and more organized. This year (2022) we have outlined the different volunteer positions that are needed to run a Night Ops event of this size. (Some volunteers may hold multiple positions, ie. a Camp Master can also be a Station Volunteer.)

With an estimated 170 youth in 32 patrols from 19 different troops, we are going to need a lot of volunteers to make this event run smoothly.

  • Health & Safety Leads (2)
  • Advance Team Volunteers (2)
  • Registration Team Volunteers (6)
  • Station Leaders (8)
  • Station Volunteers (32)
  • Scoring Team (4-6)
  • Camp Masters (4-8)
  • Patrol Check-In Organizers (2-4)

Purpose:

To assist in setting up the stations and the event overall as directed by the event organizers.

Reports to:

Event Organizer(s)

Responsibilities:

They will assist with tasks such as:

  • Scouting out locations for stations
  • Setting up stations 
  • Carrying out supplies to stations

Qualifications:

  • Must be a registered TLUSA/AHG Member

Purpose:

Ensure the health & safety of all attendees to the best of their abilities by following the health & safety guidelines and common best practices.

Reports to:

Event Organizer(s)

Responsibilities:

They will assist in the creation of the Emergency Preparedness plan, Risk Assessment, and the medical folder/binder system to contain a copy of each attendees’ Health & Medical form. 

  • Equip Camp Ministry Team and volunteers to effectively implement TLUSA/AHG Health and Safety Policies and Guidelines.
  • Champion activities while ensuring adherence to the TLUSA/AHG Health and Safety Policies and Guidelines at all times.
  • Serve as the main contact in promoting and ensuring the health and safety of all Registered Adult and Girl Members.

As the Event Health & Safety Lead(s), you will coordinate with the Troop Health & Safety Leads from each attending troop to delegate responsibilities.

Both the Event Health & Safety Lead and the Troop Health & Safety Lead will:

  • Acts as the main first-aider in responding to incidents that they are aware of.
  • Maintain a copy of the Event Permission Slip
  • Maintain a copy of Health and Medical Form
  • Maintain a copy of the request for Administration of Medication Form, if applicable
  • Verify Media Consent status of each attendee
  • Complete an Incident Report Form for any of the following occurrences:
    • Any injury or illness requiring emergency medical care
    • Any injury or illness resulting in hospitalization
    • Any incident or occurrence of a missing TLUSA/AHG Member
    • Any incident or occurrence of an encounter with a suspicious or seemingly dangerous stranger
    • The behavior of a Girl/Adult Member, facility personnel or another individual that is concerning or not adhering to TLUSA/AHG’s Health and Safety Policies and Guidelines
    • Suspicion of abuse (in addition to reporting to local authorities)
    • A breach of confidentiality of medical records
    • Loss of TLUSA/AHG records (for example through theft or natural disaster)
    • Use of a controlled substance by an TLUSA/AHG Member during a meeting, trip, event or activity
    • Any threat of legal action or demand for payment which would cause a loss 

The Troop Health & Safety Lead will:

  • Be responsible for the Administration of Medication entrusted to them, ie. prescription medications.
  • Communicate with the Event Health & Safety Lead when medication has been administered.

The Event Health & Safety Lead will:

  • Staff the Medical Tent and administer first aid as needed, in accordance with the Health & Medical Form for that individual.
  • Communicate with the Troop Health & Safety Lead when medication has been administered.

Qualifications:

A Health & Safety Lead must be an TLUSA/AHG Adult Member who:

  • Is First Aid &CPR certified /or/ is a licensed medical professional, such as an MD, DO, RN, CNP, PA, Paramedic or EMT
  • Is fully registered as a Member of TLUSA/AHG (background check, current KEYS to Child Safety Training, membership application and membership fee payment) 
  • Effective communicator, strong discernment, and excellent organizational skills.

Multiple TLUSA/AHG Adult Members can serve in this role.

(See the Emergency Preparedness and Incident Reporting section in the TLUSA/AHG Health & Safety Guide)

Purpose:

To facilitate the registration process and assist in the check-in of troops on arrival

Reports to:

Event Organizer(s)

Responsibilities:

They will have an understanding of the registration process and manage the organization of paperwork related to registration.

They will work with their team to manage the check-in of troop members on arrival in accordance with the Health & Safety Policies in place.

Qualifications:

  • Must be a registered TLUSA/AHG Member
  • They will arrive by 1:00 PM on Friday.

Purpose:

To take the lead at a given station, to ensure quality and consistency.

Reports to:

Event Organizer(s)

Responsibilities:

They will be responsible for understanding the ins-and-outs of the given station and be responsible for communicating with their team to ensure the station runs smoothly and consistently for all patrols.

Assist at the Volunteer Check-In Station in organizing new volunteers.

 

Qualifications:

  • Must be a registered TLUSA/AHG Member
  • They will arrive by 5:00 PM on Friday.

Purpose:

Facilitate the arrival and setup of campgrounds including informing people where it is acceptable to camp, where there is available parking, where fire pits/barrels are located, and other campground amenities.

Reports to:

Event Organizer(s)

Responsibilities:

They will be responsible for understanding the boundaries of their campground, where it is acceptable to park, and where campground amenities are located. They will assist troop leaders  in the orderly setting up of camp. 

Qualifications:

  • Must be a registered TLUSA/AHG Member
  • They will arrive by 5:00 PM on Friday.

Purpose:

To facilitate the check-in process for patrols, collecting their information, explaining their patrol packet and providing assistance where needed (ie. explaining how to use a map and compass). 

Reports to:

Station Lead / Event Organizer(s)

Responsibilities:

They will be responsible for accurately and consistently collecting patrol information and explaining the contents of the patrol packet to patrols, including the requirement to pinpoint the stations on the map prior to being checked off.

Qualifications:

  • Must be a registered TLUSA/AHG Member
  • They will arrive by 5:00 PM on Friday.

Purpose:

Work with their team at a given station, to ensure quality and consistency.

Reports to:

Station Lead / Event Organizer(s)

Responsibilities:

They will be responsible for understanding the ins-and-outs of the given station and be responsible for communicating with their team to ensure the station runs smoothly and consistently for all patrols.

Qualifications:

  • Must be a registered TLUSA/AHG Member
  • They will arrive by 5:00 PM on Friday.

(32+ volunteers needed)

We need adult volunteers to man the stations listed below. The stations will be marked with glow sticks. You will be given a clipboard with maps, instructions, and a score sheet.

We need at least four registered adult leaders per station for two-deep leadership (so that if you need to a restroom/water break there is always 2 deep leadership). Ideally, we should have 6-8 adults per stations depending on the number of patrols participating. This allows us to have multiple patrols completing activities at the same time which means we get to bed earlier.

Please plan on bringing a camp chair to sit on, some snacks, drinks, etc. depending on the night. Some areas might be in the woods; some might be closer to buildings. 

As mentioned, we will have multiple substations for some stations (like Fire Building) which means we need a lot of adult involvement. As we see how many individuals register, we will calculate how many substations and adults will be needed.

ALL events are scored using a method that takes into account TIME.

Purpose:

To manage the records keeping of the scores of patrols.

Reports to:

Event Organizer(s)

Responsibilities:

They will work as a team to enter the scores into the score sheets and determine the ranks for each station. 

This will be a lot of data entry done in the wee hours of the morning. Estimated bedtime 5-6am.

Qualifications:

  • Must be a registered TLUSA/AHG Member
  • Can be remote
  • Computer savvy, especially in Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Forms)

Station Descriptions

This information can be shared with patrols. This information gives you, a registered adult volunteer with Trail Life and/or AHG an idea of what to expect and prepare for. We require adults to volunteer to run different aspects of the event so it would be a good idea to review this information so you know where you want to be and can prepare for it. Specific information isn’t given until the night of the event. 

Again, you can (and should) share this information with your patrol. This levels the playing field so that new patrols are not at a big disadvantage to returning patrols. 

First Aid Station

The purpose of this station is to test the patrol’s first aid skills. The scenario(s) will be based on what a Trailman should know based on his Trailman’s Handbook. (AHG – Get a copy of that handbook.)

Use actors. Have volunteers not in a participating patrol portraying an injury or medical condition.

Select one of the patrol members. Tell the other members his condition, a broken bone, bleeding, hypothermia, ect.

Give the patrol a scenario. Have them tell you how they would deal with it.

Create a dummy and combine with a narrator to portray an injury or medical condition.

Fire Station

The patrol builds a fire to perform a task. This is a timed event.

The patrol must keep their fire below a certain level and burn through a string above it.

A patrol must burn a paper cup completely black by boiling out all of the water in it.

A patrol must cook a tablespoon of egg white until it’s completely white in a small pastry tin

Water Station

This event involves questions on water safety and a timed event tie breaker.

If your event has a body of water, place a floating manikin head with raised arms on the water. Have the patrolman take turns throwing a rope between the persons raised arms and pulling them in. A pulley system returns the dummy to its original position after being saved.

(Alternative) Have the dummies on a sled in a grassy area. Have the patrolman take turns throwing a rope between the persons raised arms and pulling them in.

If there is a hard flat surface, each patrolman takes turns sitting on furniture dolly 15 feet from the water’s edge.  A rope is thrown to him and he is pulled in. Each patrolman takes a turn being rescued.

Similar to the Wheel Version, we have done the same thing by placing construction plastic covered with dish soap on a hill. The patrolman sits in a plastic snow sled and gets pulled to safety.

To demonstrate “Go”, I made three two man canoes on four rollerblade caster. This was done in the TrailLife gymnasium.

Rope Station

These are timed events. We will have enough supplies so 2-3 patrols can do the task at the same time. 

2 to 3 long poles to lash with round lashings. Lash a flashing beacon on top. Tie on four guy ropes using two half hitches then around 4 stakes (which are already in the ground) using a taut-line hitch. Stop timer.

Have 10 ten-foot ropes. Have all patrolman tie two half hitches around the same tree. Using a bowline, tie the other end around themselves and lean back with their arms in the air.

Two 8 foot poles and one 4 foot pole. Lash the a-frame using diagonal lashings. Lash four 10 foot ropes to the top of the a-frame using two half hitches. Have a 5 foot wide, 15 feet long “alligator” pit on the ground. One patrolman is on the a-frame as it goes through the pit aided by the other patrol members. No one steps in the pit.

A bucket sits 12 feet past a barrier. Lash three 8-foot bamboo poles together. Lash a grappling hook on the end and retrieve the bucket.   

Night Navigation Station

For this station, we typically have two parts. 

Part A: The patrols take the bearings of 3-4 glowsticks in the distance while standing behind a particular stake. 

Part B: A short orienteering course. From stake 1, go bearing and distance, turn bearing and distance, turn bearing and go. What stake did you end up at?

Have the patrols follow an two sets of bearings/distances and then take the bearings of the three glow sticks.

A “lost patrol member” can see three glow sticks and takes bearings of each which is provided to you. Which stake in the field is the “lost patrol member” at?

Recon Station

This station tests a patrol’s ability to be stealthy and work together to do some reconnaissance in an area where there are “enemy” (blindfolded adults armed with water guns who will shoot in the direction of what they hear).

They could be required to go into an area and retrieve items.

They could be required to go into an area, disturb nothing, and return and report what they found. 

Teamwork (Lasers) Station

Laser beams at different heights and angles are placed in a gauntlet. The patrol must navigate over or under the beams. The patrol is given two spray mist water bottles to find the beams. Beams can be seen with a mist of water. (The night vision camera used for these photos can see the beams without water mist.

Teamwork (TBD) Station

In 2021, we added this station as another fun/teamwork station.

Patrols pick up the clues at each station to solve a puzzle.

Morse Code Station (unmanned station)

Patrols will proceed to location and attempt to identify the morse code beacon and decode the message. They do not need to know Morse code.

They will refer to their patrol instructions for what other tasks to complete while at the station, ie. find the bearing of the morse code beacon from a specific point.

They will also take the bearing of the Morse Code beacon from two-three predetermined points. This will be used as the tie breaker.

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