The South Bass Island Kayak Rendezvous follows the "Common Adventure Principle."
Definition of Common Adventure Principle:
A Common Adventure trip is two or more individuals working cooperatively for common goals and sharing expenses and responsibilities as equitably as possible. There are no paid guides. Any instruction or advice provided by any member of the group is given gratuitously in a spirit of cooperation. Members of the group do not hold one another or others liable for accidents.
On a Common Adventure trip, everyone is expected to share in the responsibilities of the trip. The South Bass Island Kayak Rendezvous (SBIKR) simply gets the ball rolling. The rest of the group is expected to help plan for the success of the trip, from the arrival at the launch and beach briefing until the trip has ended and everyone is safely on their way home. The success or failure of a common adventure trip rests not in the hands of the trip initiator, or defacto trip leader, but rather in the hands of everyone that participates in the trip.
What are the key elements of a Common Adventure Trip?
Common Adventure trips are not guided trips. There is no designated "leader" or "guide" who makes all the decisions for the group. Rather, leadership is fluid and group decisions are made democratically.
Every member of a Common Adventure group has responsibilities and contributes to the trip, whether by helping with trip planning, buying food, loading vehicles or cleaning up after it's over. No one goes for a free ride.
Common adventure groups strive for fairness, free and open discussion, and an equitable sharing of responsibilities.
