Aims

Your aim must be to make a pleasant event of demonstrating some aspect(s) of geology in the field so that it will be fixed in the participants' minds and that they will recall the occasion with pleasure. 

An excursion must have a good atmosphere; it should be friendly and casual, and this is largely the creation of the leader. There is a time to talk and a time to encourage others to do so and a time to be silent and enjoy the atmosphere of a locality. Leading any party requires you to be conspicuous (not bossy!). Members of the group should never be asking who (or where) the leader is. It is important that the atmosphere is not that of an obedient school party (unless it is a school party!). 

At the end of the excursion, the participants should have a feeling of achievement - they should feel that they have seen and understood the things which you set out to demonstrate and they should also feel the pleasure which a walk in the countryside gives (unless of course the locality is one such as Sunderland town dump where the geology is excellent but the environment is slightly less than perfect!) 

Preparation

It is essential that a good leader is fully prepared before going into the field. Make sure that you understand the geology which you are going to demonstrate and, whenever possible, have appropriate maps and notes prepared to hand out in advance and/or in the field, as appropriate. Wherever possible, you should visit the locality shortly before the day of the excursion so that there will be no unpleasant surprises on the day. For example, the magnificent exposure you saw ten years ago in the town dump may have since been obliterated by refuse. You will get little sympathy from the group if, when you arrive at the site you say in hesitant tones "I'm sure it was here ten years ago and it was the best example in the country; or was it at the other refuse dump eight miles away?" There is nothing more disappointing than this for members of the party and embarrassing for you. Make sure that you have obtained all necessary permissions for entry from landowners and occupiers and that they know the date and time of your proposed visit. Carefully read and follow the Code for Geological Field Work issued by the Geologist's Association. The Code of Practice for Geological Visits to Quarries, Mines and Caves, issued by the Institute of Geologists, is especially useful for such localities. 

In preparing for the excursion, do not limit yourself to geology. Find out as much as possible about the area you will visit and the route you will follow. Cover history, wild life, farming practices, interesting/historic buildings etc. This will add to the interest of the excursion and will encourage the participants to find out more for themselves. Always try to discover beforehand if specialists in relevant subjects, e.g. botany, archaeology, local history, ornithology will be present and, if appropriate, ask them if they are willing to help by talking about their subject as it comes up in the course of the excursion. 

The day of the excursion

Don't just start walking. Before setting off, assemble everyone. Make sure they can hear what you are going to say, then state what the objectives of the excursion are, describe the geology, mention any other features that may be of interest and distribute hand-outs as appropriate. If you have experts present who have volunteered their services, ask them to identify themselves to the party so that they can deal with questions. In presenting the geology, you may have explained the route but if not, be sure to do so. Say where you start and finish, indicate the type of terrain, distance to be covered and the likely duration of the excursion. Try to keep reasonably to your stated timetable and route. It is a besetting sin of enthusiastic leaders that they lose track of both and go on so much further and longer than originally stated that the less resilient members of the group are exhausted by the end and perhaps they will be put off geology for ever, presumably not one of your objectives. 

Check that everyone has the appropriate and necessary equipment. If this is not so, quietly draw it to the attention of those concerned. Gucci handbags and stiletto heels (seen on an uninhabited island in Greenland!) come into this class. If you believe that people might be put at risk, you must advise them not to come on the excursion. If they insist on doing so, indicate clearly that you cannot accept responsibility for them. 

Manage the pace of the group by setting a reasonable one. Be sure that it will not tire the slower members of the party. Too fast a pace will create large gaps in the group thereby promoting clusters of people and slowing even further those who are behind. Too slow a rate can build impatience and boredom. Set your pace from that of the slowest person in the party. If necessary, ask such people to walk immediately behind you so that you can encourage and keep an eye on them. 

Stay in the lead. Before setting off, ask members of the party not to go ahead of you. By being in front, not only can you control the pace, but you will be able to see stopping places far enough in advance to group the party in the best way. Always walk with the group - not a quarter of a mile ahead which would putting physical and mental pressure on those at the back. Keep a close watch on those at the back and see that they do not straggle. Before the excursion begins, it is a good idea to appoint a back marker who will bring up the rear of the group and check for stragglers. 

Keep a head count. On short excursions where it is difficult to lose members of the party the need for a head count is minimal, but, on longer ones, and especially in rough and wild terrain, they become essential and the consequences of someone becoming lost can be very serious indeed. Always make it clear to the whole group that if someone wants to leave the party, they must tell you before they do so and it is preferable that they do not go off alone, especially in remote or rugged country. Keep an eye on those at the back and look backwards as often as forwards. Keep in touch with the back marker appointed at the beginning of the excursion and if he/she shows signs of finding the task tiresome, find a replacement. 

Rest stops should be spaced at reasonable intervals often determined by the pace of the slower members of the group. Some but not all rest stops can be timed for geological localities. Always tell the party why you are stopping (study, coffee break, lunch break, comfort stop or just rest)and say for how long. Shopping should be firmly discouraged (even for ice cream!). It is notoriously difficult to re-form a group once some of its members have disappeared into a shop. If this disaster threatens, or has overtaken you, plan on recovery taking at least fifteen or twenty minutes. Proper preparation can often allow you to select rest stops which coincide with geological or other interesting localities. Don't forget that those at the back are probably the most tired. Don't let those at the front have a good rest only to start the party walking again as those at the rear catch up. If you have information to impart at a rest stop wait until every member of the party has arrived before you begin. At a meal or snack stop always advise people ten minutes before you intend to set off. 

When you arrive at a locality, always wait until all of the party has arrived and arrange them and yourself so that they can hear what is being said. When speaking, be sure that you are upwind so that you can be heard clearly. Never attempt to talk to the group as a whole while walking. Your voice will be carried away and only those near you will be able to hear. This also applies at localities where you may be tempted to look towards the rock or view whilst talking and this also makes for inaudibility. Remember that if you are near running water or breaking waves your voice may be entirely drowned. Speak loudly enough and adjust the volume of your voice to the size of the group. A bellow calculated to reach the back of an amphitheatre containing six hundred people is hard to take in a group of six. Likewise, a gentle conversational tone perfect for half a dozen won't quite make it with sixty. An observant leader will be able to tell when those at the back can't hear. There will be tilted heads, strained facial expressions and strained positions. Monitor the group for feedback of all kinds; in this way most difficulties can be overcome before they develop. For the benefit of the entire group repeat all questions addressed to you. Frequently, those speaking to you will do so in a voice which doesn't carry and your reply will be meaningless to those who didn't hear the question. Not only will this practice keep the entire group informed but it will remind those who might take unfair advantage and monopolise the activity that you have a responsibility to all and can't provide a private talk. 

Be careful not to discourage your audience with unnecessary jargon. Before you use such a word, ask yourself if its use is necessary and think how you might convey your meaning plainly. If you must use an expression that might be unfamiliar, don't say "of course you all know what a thanatocoenosis is" or worse still, "hands up all those who don't know what a thanatocoenosis is." Instead, say something such as "perhaps I should remind you what a thanatocoenosis is." The reaction is likely to be nodding heads and smiles of varying degrees of sheepishness. 

When you have finished describing things of interest and have dealt with questions from the group, indicate that they may now examine the exposure. Always discourage aimless hammering and where appropriate, forbid it altogether. Draw attention to any appropriate safety precautions such as care for self and others when hammering, hazard from loose rock and falls from exposed positions. Ask that individuals do not move off as soon as they have finished examining the locality but that they wait till everyone is ready go and that you are again in the lead. Always make sure that the entire group moves off at the same time, otherwise those making an extensive inspection of the locality will have to struggle to catch up and the net effect is that a wildly straggling group develops. 

Provide visibility. A group's viewpoint is different from the leader's. Features on or near the ground are difficult to show to a large group because only the closest can get a good view. When dealing with a big group, try to limit yourself to features which are large enough to be seen easily. This is not always possible and in such cases, encourage the members to form a large circle or semi-circle so as to improve viewing. When all else fails and it is essential for all to see a small feature, divide the party into several groups and repeat your presentation to each one. Be especially sure that children and small people can see. Their perspective is different from the leader's and from that of tall people. Invite them to step to the front. Taller people will be able to see over them. Wherever possible, try to place the group down wind of you and with their backs to the sun. 

Look for opportune moments. No matter how exhaustive your planning, there will always be moments when the unexpected happens. Be flexible and alert to use them. If a small ash cone suddenly begins to erupt in an adjacent field, do not gnash your teeth at this unwarranted interruption and doggedly pursue your description of the petrography of greywackes. Seize the opportunity and interpret the serendipitous happening. Now is the time to mention Plinian eruptions and the present as the key to the past, and not at the coal merchant's yard in the next village where you planned to demonstrate the angle of repose and the formation of cones. A skilful leader can alter the pace and incorporate the unexpected into his presentation without a break. 

Encourage responsible participation. Urge members of the party not to take your word for it but to examine the locality and find out for themselves. Uncontrolled, this can lead to aimless hammering and substantial damage to the locality. Watch for early signs of this and quietly but firmly discourage it. At many localities study needs little or no hammering and if specimens are required the best ones are often found in loose material round the site. 

Good planning produces the best results. If the route takes you past an ancient monument or a disused limekiln, take along a sketch or photograph of it and describe the uses of it parts. 

Be ready to deal with emergencies. Heart attacks, asthma episodes, sprains, attacks of vertigo, hypothermia, bruises and simple exhaustion can sometimes be compounded by heat or cold. All of these can and do happen. Be prepared to deal with them. Carry a basic first aid book and be familiar with its contents as well as having emergency equipment appropriate to the circumstances of the excursion. Consider contingency plans to cover emergencies. A member of the party may have to be sent for help or act as a leader to take charge while you stay with the ill or injured person. You will have to decide what is best course of action in the circumstances of the occasion. Whatever happens, there is no excuse for having failed to plan ahead and for not knowing enough about first aid to be able to take emergency action. A first aid kit is not bulky and should always be carried in the field. 

Follow the Codes of Practice for geologists and others in the field. Be sure that you understand them and that the understanding is passed to the members of the group. Always use gates and stiles to cross fences, hedges and walls. Protect wildlife, plants and trees. Take your litter home. Keep to public paths across farm land (particularly in standing crops make sure that your group walks in single file). Ensure that all closed gates are re-fastened after the group has passed through (liaison with the back marker is essential here). Make no unnecessary noise. Guard against risk of fire especially in dry weather. 

Don't let the party disintegrate limply at the end of the excursion. Bring the proceedings to a well defined close. Summarise what has been demonstrated, remind people of any unexpected interesting moments and thank them for attending. 

Acknowledgements

I am pleased to thank Caroline Paterson for her helpful comments and advice.