Spring 2026 Lead & Learn

Canoeing and Sailing with Your Troop Summer means being out on the water, and taking your troop on a canoe, sailboat, or other small craft outing could be just the adventure they’re looking for! But where do you start? Learn the number of adults needed and what training is required for common small craft activities in the Small Craft Activity Adult-to-Girl Ratios and Trained Personnel Requirements table on the next page, along with the waterfront personnel and training requirements defined below. This basic information covers outings on and off Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri-owned property. Details for each course referenced below are in the course catalog’s Aquatics and First Aid, CPR, and Mental Wellness sections. Trained Waterfront Personnel There are four essential trained personnel roles for small craft activities: primary trained personnel, secondary trained personnel, watcher, and general first aider. These roles are defined below, along with the training requirements for each: Primary trained personnel: This is the main person directly in charge of the waterfront during an activity. Must have completed the Girl Scouts Small Craft Safety (SCS) learning path relevant to the activity (SCS: Canoeing, SCS: Moving Water, or SCS: Sailing) and signed Appendix D of the GSEM Waterfront Manual. They must be at least 18 years old. Secondary trained personnel: This person serves as the primary rescuer during the waterfront activity, whether that be from the shore or from a craft on the water. They must be at least 16 years old (18 for lifeguards), must have completed one of the following courses and signed Appendix D of the GSEM Waterfront Manual: • Basic Water Rescue • SCS: Canoeing, SCS: Moving Water, or SCS: Sailing (as appropriate, learning paths already include Basic Water Rescue) • American Red Cross (ARC) lifeguard certification plus GSEM Lifeguard In-Service Training (GSEM only recognizes ARC lifeguard certification) Watcher: A watcher continually monitors the water while activity participants are out in their craft. No outside training is required, but the primary trained personnel will instruct watchers of their responsibilities and role expectations before the small craft activity begins. Watchers will remain on the waterfront during small craft activities on flat water and will be on the water during small craft activities

on moving water. Watchers must be at least 16 years old. Basic Water Rescue training is recommended for watchers, but not required. General First Aider: Must be certified in ARC Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED or hold an equivalent certification recognized by GSEM. Small craft activities that occur at locations where EMS would take more than 30 minutes to arrive during an emergency must also be certified in Wilderness & Remote First Aid. The general first aider may also serve in another trained personnel role. Trained Personnel for Small Craft Activities There must be one primary and one secondary trained personnel present during any small craft activity allowed under Safety Activity Checkpoints . There must also be a minimum of one watcher present, depending on the number of Girl Scouts participating and their program level(s). Consult the ratio and trained personnel table that follows for the exact number of watchers needed. There must also be at least one general first aider present during any small craft activity. Any of the other trained personnel roles may also hold the general first aider role. Trained personnel roles may be covered by properly trained professional guides or outfitters when participating in certain small craft activities for older Girl Scouts (consult the Paddling and Rowing Master Progression Chart in Safety Activity Checkpoints ). All training must remain current to qualify as primary or secondary trained personnel or general first aider. For multi-level troops or multiple troops combined, use the adult-to-girl and watcher ratios for the lowest program level participants present. Adult-to-Girl Ratios Adult-to-girl ratios are found in Safety Activity Checkpoints and are used to determine the minimum number of adults required to be present for an activity at any program level. The adult-to-girl ratios for canoeing and sailing activities are given in the ratio and trained personnel table that follows. Note that GSEM may require more trained adults to be present for an activity than the minimum number of adults required by Safety Activity Checkpoints .

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Lead & Learn Spring 2026