Meeting plan

Lion / Go Fish

Go Fish Den Meeting Plan

Go Fish is an elective Lion adventure. Scouts learn fishing safety with their adult partners, draw a fish they think lives where they plan to fish, and go fishing with their adult partners. This meeting prepares for the outing but does not complete the fishing requirement.

Supported requirements

1, 2, 3

Adventure: Go Fish
Rank: Lion (kindergarten)
Status: Elective
Selected activities: Adult-partner fishing-safety conversation; original local fish drawing
Suggested meeting duration: 60 minutes, followed by a separately scheduled fishing outing
Estimated leader preparation: 20-40 minutes for confirming the site, checking local rules and weather, communicating with families, and gathering simple drawing supplies; allow 10 minutes for cleanup and packing separately. The outing itself requires additional coordination and supplies. Assumes up to six Scouts, each with an adult partner.

About this adventure

Go Fish is an elective Lion adventure. Scouts learn fishing safety with their adult partners, draw a fish they think lives where they plan to fish, and go fishing with their adult partners. This meeting prepares for the outing but does not complete the fishing requirement. See the adventure page for approved plans and handouts..

Safety and respect

• Before the outing, review the SAFE Checklist, Guide to Safe Scouting, and the official Go Fish guide.
• Confirm local license or permit rules, permission to fish at the selected site, weather, adult supervision, and any site-specific restrictions before travel. Do not fish during a thunderstorm or other inclement weather.
• At the site, use the buddy system and keep buddies within sight. Give other anglers plenty of room, and never fish where people are swimming.
• Do not use hooks or fishing equipment during this indoor meeting. For the outing, adults must manage fishing equipment and follow current local rules and activity guidance.
• Offer drawing by pointing, dictating, or adult scribing. Sharing drawings is optional; do not require a Scout to name a specific location publicly.

Meeting preparation

Overall preparation effort: High, driven by the separately scheduled fishing outing: site permission, local-rule checks, adult coverage, participant needs, weather planning, and equipment. For this indoor preparation meeting alone, effort is Low if paper and crayons are already on hand.

• Select a potential fishing location and confirm permission, access, and local regulations before announcing an outing. Do not promise a date until conditions and adult coverage are confirmed.
• Tell families that each Scout needs their Lion adult partner for the safety conversation and fishing outing. Ask privately about accessibility needs or equipment access; do not assume everyone owns fishing gear.
• Prepare plain paper, crayons, and a short list of locally expected fish only after identifying the site. If local species cannot be verified, Scouts may draw a fish they think could live there and adults should avoid correcting guesses as facts.
• Keep fishing rods, hooks, and bait out of the meeting room. Arrange and inspect outing equipment separately.

Supplies

• Plain paper, crayons, and pencils
• Official Go Fish guide available to the leader or adult partners
• A confirmed site and local species information for the eventual drawing prompt, if available
• Outing equipment and records only for the separately scheduled fishing activity; confirm needs against the official guide and local rules rather than assuming families have supplies

Pre and post meeting activities for scouts

Before

Bring an adult partner. No handbook, bait, or fishing equipment is needed at this meeting. Families may tell the leader privately about access or participation needs.

After

With the adult partner, attend the scheduled fishing outing and fish together. Follow the site rules, current local regulations, weather decision, and safety practices reviewed at the meeting. Notify the den leader when the outing is complete. Do not report the adventure complete based on this preparation meeting alone.

Completion checklist

• Requirement 1: Scout and adult partner discussed fishing safety, including supervision, permission, weather, visible buddy pairs, space from other anglers, and staying away from swimming areas.
• Requirement 2: Scout drew a fish they think lives in the water where the family plans to fish.
• Requirement 3: Scout went fishing with their Lion adult partner. This remains incomplete until the actual outing occurs.

Sample Agenda

Leader notes and talking points

Welcome and opening (0:00-0:05)

• Set up: Keep partners together. Place drawing materials on tables and leave fishing gear at home.
• Say: “Today we will learn how to be safe near fishing places and draw a fish we might see. We will go fishing another time with our adult partners.”
• Ask: “What might you see near a pond, lake, or stream?”
• Do: Keep answers short and concrete. Explain that families may choose an appropriate fishing location together.

Where we may fish (0:05-0:10)

• Set up: Use only a location whose access and permission have been checked. If not confirmed, say the location is still being chosen.
• Say: “Before anyone fishes, an adult checks that we are allowed to be there and that the weather is safe.”
• Ask: “Who stays with you when you fish?”
• Do: Point out that Lions fish with their adult partners. Do not promise an outing before site access and supervision are arranged.

Fishing-safety conversation (0:10-0:25)

• Say to partners: “Review these six rules with your Scout: fish with proper adult supervision; get permission for the location; check weather and do not fish in a thunderstorm or inclement weather; use a buddy system and keep buddies in sight; give other anglers plenty of room; never fish where people are swimming.”
• Do: Let each Scout show or tell one safe choice, then have the adult partner check understanding across the list. This is a conversation, not a live equipment demonstration.
• Ask: “What would you do if you saw people swimming where someone wanted to fish?”
• Safety: Do not model casting indoors or handle hooks. Confirm the full plan with the official guide and local regulations before the outing.

Movement break (0:25-0:30)

• Do: Invite a stretch, a few slow steps in place, and restroom breaks. Adults keep Scouts with their partners.
• Say: “Let’s make room for everyone to move safely.”
• Ask: “How can we move without bumping a neighbor?”

Draw a local fish (0:30-0:48)

• Say: “Draw a fish you think might live in the water where you will go fishing. It can be a simple shape, and your adult partner can help you draw or write.”
• Do: Provide a verified local example only if one is readily available. Otherwise, let the Scout choose a plausible fish without presenting the guess as verified local wildlife.
• Ask: “What might your fish look like?”
• Check: Each Scout makes a picture; adult partners can confirm the fish was chosen with the planned water in mind. Keep sharing optional.

Outing readiness (0:48-0:55)

• Say to adults: “Before we fish, I will confirm site permission, local rules, the weather plan, adult supervision, and equipment. Please do not buy gear until we confirm what is needed.”
• Do: Give families the conditional parent handout only if the meeting leaves the fishing step outstanding.
• Ask privately: “Is there an access or participation need we should plan for?”
• Check: Make sure the outing remains conditional until site access, adult coverage, and weather are suitable.

Closing and completion check (0:55-1:00)

• Ask: “What is one way to stay safe near fishing water?”
• Do: Thank adult partners, close with a den cheer, and check requirements 1 and 2 based on each Scout’s participation.
• Say: “We still need to go fishing together with our adult partners.”
• Follow up: Record requirement 3 as incomplete until the fishing outing has actually happened.