Adventure Guides

INTERESTED IN HOSTING AN ADVENTURE? AWESOME!
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ AND UNDERSTAND YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES.

As a POP Adventure Guide it is your role to set the tone for your event. We ask that anyone interested in hosting first attend a POP Adventure event or contact Brent via Facebook or email so you can go over some of our expectations as an organization. We just like to make sure your first hosting experience is great and that everyone enjoys your adventure.

Guides are facilitators of the experience, not professionals. POP provides a platform to help people gather together for shared activity. We ask that everyone who attends our events sign a waiver. This waiver is found on our POP website. It’s important that you encourage people to have a waiver filled out before attending your adventure.

Responsibilities Pre-Adventure:

All Guides must be approved by POP staff.

Fill out event details in an Event Form. Please be as accurate and detailed as possible.

Best Practice: Post a reminder with a link back to the event on the Facebook group the day before your event. 

Responsibilities Day of Adventure:

Arrive early enough to be ready to go at the start time.

Welcome participants as they arrive.

Be conscious to late arrivals, do a quick check of the parking lot to see if there are any others who may be joining your group.

Facilitate a greeting: introduce yourself and if you are comfortable share a little about yourself and invite the other participants to introduce themselves. We like highs and lows; the best thing about your week and the not-so best thing about your week. But feel free to make it what you want.

Ask everyone if they signed the waiver and let them know that this protects you as a host and POP, so it’s important that they sign it.

Discuss the activity's difficulty and assess the groups ability, scale back if needed.

Briefly review the guidelines – be safe, take care of yourself, be mindful, “No One Left Behind”, etc.

What No One Left Behind looks like:

Know how many people are in your group.

Adjust your expectations – anyone is able to attend your event and may not be able to keep up with the group, sometimes a participant may need to turn back early. If someone should fall behind, speak with them and see if they would like someone to accompany them or if they are okay on their own.

Evaluate your environment and your group size, if necessary, split into two or more smaller groups based on ability or pace. Often naming groups “challenging” and “relaxed” helps with breaking into groups.

Ask that everyone be respectful when taking photos and sharing online.

Lead the group in a prayer/reading/ or short devotion. This can be one of your own design or from a resource.  

If POP has any upcoming events please promote them at this time.

Responsibilities to Community: 

We are POP out in the world. Be polite and friendly to people. Be aware that a large group can dominate trails, coffee shops, and park bathrooms. Be considerate of other people out there who weren’t expecting to run into a large group.

Know the dangers of your area’s weather. If inclement weather arises, adjust your event.

Should a participant need a break, take a break. Give them a chance to try to stay with the group. Speak with them one on one and see if they would prefer to have one person stay with them to finish the activity or stick with the group. Use your best judgement.

If someone is not feeling well or has a medical situation, be sure that they are helped back to their car, wait with them until they feel okay, and then get their number and check in with them later in the day.

We are all unique and sometimes we have questions that may be about controversial topics. If you find yourself having a discussion about a certain topic while out and about or in the group, be open to other people’s thoughts and way of life. Keep it light and remember that our purpose is to be out in nature, enjoying God and one another. If the conversation is making anyone in the group uncomfortable, be aware of their feelings and encourage respectful communication.