How to Run an ROC Trip
If you’re reading this, chances are you have done a few trips and are now interested in running your own. Fantastic!
There is a bit of planning and paperwork to do, but none of it is very hard. You’ll need permission from the activity convenor, but it’s fairly well expected that you will be in contact with them anyway. You’ll also need to post the trip to the calendar, and fill out an intentions form to lodge with the club and RMIT Sport & Recreation so that if you don’t come back, we know where to look.
Running trips benefits everyone, so if you’ve got an awesome idea for a trip, follow the instruction below to get people to come along.
Before doing any actual organising, it is important to make sure that you are suitable/qualified to run the trip of which you are thinking. For some activities, like bushwalking, this may require you having been on some prior trips and have knowledge of reading a map and following a track.
For others, such as rock climbing, this requires having previously completed in-club training. So the first thing – check with the convenor that you are eligible!
Next, figure out the specifics of the day; most importantly being the activity itself, the crag, trail or beach you will be using and the level of experience required to join the trip. More specific trip details should also be worked out now, though this can be refined at a later date.
Once you have planned out all of the above, click on the button below to put the trip online. If it’s your first time entering the admin site, you may need to follow the prompts for your login access, but from there it should be simple.
Getting the trip on our calendar is important and to do so as early as possible, so there’s plenty of time for people to join up. If you are unsure about any of the above details (even location), then we still encourage you to put the trip up, just make a note so people know which details might change.
Once the trip is online, it should be instantly available for participants to join. When someone signs up for the trip, the system will automatically email you, so you stay in the loop (be sure to read the comments section of the trip application emails in case there’s message for you).
You need not do anymore until 1-2 weeks before the trip! Your email and phone number will also appear on the trip details page, so you may be contacted by those interested in the trip, including prospective club members who want information on ROC. If you want your phone number to be hidden from the public site, contact one of the website admins.
Ok, now time for all the tricky stuff. If this is your first time running a trip, we suggest getting started on these things about 2 weeks before the trip, and no later than a week before.
- Confirming/waitlisting participants. When you logon to your trip on the management website, you should now be able to see all the people who have signed up, including who is driving and how many passengers they can take.You should also know if you have the required number of ‘experienced’ people signed up on the trip (this varies according to activity). From this information you need to decide the final number of trip participants you will allow on the trip, making sure that everyone can fit into a vehicle.Now, go ahead and ‘confirm’ all the participants who are coming on the trip. If there are any that don’t fit, put them on the waitlist. This way, everyone will get automatically notified of their position on the trip/waitlist.
Note: If you can see anything that may alter whether or not the trip goes ahead (like a beginner climbing trip with no checked-off anchor setters or a surfing trip with no drivers), then do whatever you can to change this ASAP! Facebook is usually the best way!
- Emailing confirmed participants. Send out a ‘touching base’ email ASAP after confirming places. Use the
‘ACTION -> EMAIL TRIP PARTICIPANTS to email all confirmed attendants or(In Progress Feature) download participants list which has names and emails.Give some usual spiel about how exited you are for the trip and get them to let you know ASAP if they can no longer make the trip. Hopefully they do so in a timely manner!Now is also the time to remind them about hiring any gear they need for the trip so they have time to organise it. Let them know you’ll get onto them in coming days with the car list. Oh and a weather update never hurts! - Submitting official paperwork. The following paperwork needs to be filled out and submitted To clubs@rmit.edu.au with a CC to info@roc.org.au at least 2 business days before the beginning of the trip.
This is really important! We are a university club, so we need to record all of our plans and activities to get trip approval, lest valid accident insurance becomes void for the trip. So DO NOT miss this step! (Speak to your convenor about some pre-filled out forms you may be able to access).
ALWAYS read those forms before submitting.- Trip Intention Form
- Safe Work Methods Statement
- Complete participant list
- A map showing routes to nearest hospital from trip location
- Organise carpooling. By now you would have been on a few trips before, so you would have seen the carpool email already! Now it’s time to make your own.Think logically and fill up the drivers spare seats with passengers who live either close to them or on their way to the trip meeting point.Check the trip management page to look at a carpooling map. Send out the email to participants letting them know whose car they’re in or who they’re driving. Be sure to add everyone’s mobile number, suburb and email address. Make sure everyone is aware that it’s the passengers job to meet the driver WHEREVER the driver wants to meet and it’s also up to the passenger to contact the driver to organise this.This email may have to go out again if you have any last minute participant changes. This email is also the best time to reiterate the information from your trip details – meeting point and time, what to bring, where to hire gear and any special considerations.
- Gear hire. If you need to take any club gear on the trip for everyone to use, then make sure you find time to get to the gear room and get the gear! Think ahead in case the gear you need is already hired out. And remember to collect the first-aid kit(s) which are required on all club trips!
Download the following forms to submit for your trip:
Gear: Firstly, make sure you remembered to pack all of the club gear needed, first aid kits, a copy of all trip paperwork, an updated car list and bring copies of all participants emergency contact details from the trip application forms. Also, don’t forget your own items and lunch! Continue on as you would when you’re just a trip participant – get in the car, meet at the meeting point! From there, make sure everyone has arrived and follow up with anyone who is missing.
Running and Safety: Chances are that you’ll have a more experienced club member with you to help with the running of the day. The instructions you give will depends on the activity and who you have to help you But remember that no matter who is there and how experienced they are/claim to be, YOU are the trip leader. Your say is final and you have the right to intervene with anything you see as unsafe/against club ethics. Safety first. Please! Remember safety briefing for everyone at the start – helmets if relevant, stay away from cliffs, let someone know if you go off to natures bathroom etc. Enjoy your day and just remember to keep an eye on anyone who is new to the club/activity. They may need help or just reassurance.
Money collection: At the end of the trip. This can happen after packing up or at a pub if/when you stop for dinner on the way home. Get out the phone calculator and see how much the trip will cost to everyone. A piece of paper for calculations will also be very handy! Have fun trying to give everyone back the correct change. Double check that the money you have in your hand at the very end is what you calculated (should = relevant gear hire rate x number of days x number of paying participants).
General trip money formula:
Passengers = (relevant hire rate x number of days) + petrol dividend
Drivers = (relevant hire rate x number of days) – petrol owed
Trip leaders/Other exceptions = petrol dividend OR petrol owed
Hire rates: Hire rate calculate on a per day of trip basis, as a trip organiser you can adjust amount charged for each person based on the amount of gear they used on the trip, use your own discretion, just make sure of documenting it. Camping equipment and some consumables (incl. overalls/wetsuits) usually are not included in the trip fee, unless they are, i.e. on hiking trips, or snow camping gear for snow trips.
$10-15 per/day for rock climbing
$10-15 per/day for caving /canyoning
$10-20 per/day for hiking/camping – shelters/backpacks/cooking/snow camping
$20 per/day for snow sports – ski/split-board/snowshoes/surfboards (excl. snow camping)
$20 per/day for surfing/snorklling
$20 per/day for bikes
$20 per/day for paddle sports
These rates apply to everyone, EXCEPT for
– you, as the trip organiser(s)
– trip leader (ie checked-off anchor setters, activity convenors)
– exec and gear officers
If participants have collected any gear from the gears themselves – this money covers that. They should NOT have paid for this at the gear room, though exceptions apply for camping gear and consumables (and then unless you charged they already). Refund can be arrange with gear officers if double charges happens. If in doubt, it is best to speak to the one of the gear overlords (Senior Gear Officers).
Petrol: Drivers do not pay for petrol. This is to provide compensation for Wear and Tear on the vehicle.
Petrol dividend is calculated with the following formula. Dividend = total price of petrol from all drivers / total number of passengers (passengers only, drivers not included)
Once collected all the money from the passengers – you can reimburse the drivers what they are owed with the cash you have on hand.
There may be some cases where certain cars are excluded from the petrol list – where they pay their own way – in the case where a driver has no/limited passengers out of choice. This is up to your discretion with the drivers.
Money Calculation Spreadsheet:One of our friendly committee members has also created this spreadsheet/workbook that you can either download as an Excel Workbook or copy it to your own Google Drive to do trip money calculation. It makes it really easy to do all this. Punch in the relevant numbers and it spits out what everyone owes or is owed.
Check it out here: https://goo.gl/MvIwe6
HAVE A DRINK BUT NO ALCOHOLIC DRINKS IF YOU ARE DRIVING. Drive Safely and follow all the local regulations. Check VicRoads website for current road rules.
A couple of days after the trip you should get an email prompting you to fill in a web form with the money in (from participants) / money out (to drivers, etc.) and some details on how the trip went, any issues, injuries, etc. that we should know. Please do this promptly as it helps with the club’s accounting and reporting.
At the soonest chance you get, deposit the takings from the trip (money in – money out). See bank details below. Don’t forget to leave some description and probably send an email to the Treasurer if it isn’t very obvious or else we’ll just think it’s a generous donation!
When making the transfer, put following in the comments/description section of your bank’s transfer form. Check the details on the post-trip details URL you will receive in your email after the trip.
Trip 〈Trip ID〉 〈Your Name〉
For e.g., Trip 2101 Sandy
Bank Details:
BSB: 063 262
Account#: 1025 1748
Name: RMIT Outdoors Club
Bank: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)