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Banned/Discouraged Items Camping


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"What we should be teaching the Scouts is how to make intelligent decisions."

 

That sounds vaguely familiar. Where have I heard that before? Something buried in a training course? Somebody help out here!

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We ban:

 

Gameboys and electronics in general.

There are enough cell phones on the leaders that if an emergency call needs to be made, the Scout can use ours.

We also ban those things that are gererally unacceptable in Scouting, Tobacco products, porn, beer..

 

Fixed blade knives are also a no no... there is no need for an 11 year old Rambo in the woods.. speaking of which, NO BDUs or camo clothing either. We are not a para military org. And we are not hunting deer... so there is no need to be hidden. That and BDUs are not the best camping clothes anyway. (20 years in BDUs I know a thing or two about it)

 

But other than that, thats all we prohibit.

 

Jerry

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"this scout fixation on BDU's and camo has got to be a rural thing. 15 years of scouting ive never seen a kid bring them on e trip."

 

mostly. most of the kids out here in rural areas use them for everday and work clothes, so they just get thrown in. most city kids have no need for them, there for they dont bring them.

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If we make a list of the "poor judgment" items, then the boys won't have to make a decision about whether taking their item is good judgment or poor judgment. Making decisions is too difficult for boys. A written list makes is easier for them. They can learn about making good decisions after they're adults.

 

(There goes that nagging thought again... something about decisions?)

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Argh! That bothers me FScouter. Scouting is not supposed to be a "Father Knows Best" program. We should be providing a safe, secure environment for the boys and allow them to exercise poor judgment! As long as it does not jeopardize health or safety - let it go. Making decisions is too difficult for boys? I really hope that that was written tongue in cheek and you really didn't mean it. If you meant it, how does your troop operate without an SPL or PLs?

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How does a boy know whether he has exercised poor judgment or made a poor decision if it is not on the official list? All good decisions must be on the "do" list, all poor decisions must be on the "do not" list.

 

Is not our role as Scout leaders to write up the correct lists? When these boys grow up and become men, they must have plenty of "do" and "do not" lists to guide them through life. If we don't prepare the lists now, they will be lost and without direction. Isn't that the mission of Scouting?

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"If you take the time to teach them good camping skills then they will know what not to bring without the need for rules or lists."

 

I want to question this a bit. I think it's probably true for backpacking--it will be pretty easy to get somebody to understand why the cast-iron Dutch oven doesn't go. And I think it's true with respect to learning what TO bring. But when we're talking about camping without much of a weight or space limitation (car camping), I'm not sure how it would apply to some of the things that have been discussed here.

For example, cell phones. Long term, good camping skills will tell you to bring a cell phone--after all, the adults have them. Whether they're a distraction depends on how they are used.

For other electronics, there are certainly good reasons not to use them at certain times, but it seems to me that these are not necessarily good reasons not to bring them. The potential for loss, theft or damage is a reason, I suppose.

As for something like soda pop, sure it's not good nutritionally, but there really isn't a strong reason to ban it at a campout that doesn't involve highly stenuous activity (assuming the boy's parents allow him to drink it.)

It seems to me that what's going on in some of these rules is primarily a desire to shape the camping experience in a certain way--i.e., you should hear the sounds of nature, not the sound of your iPod. I'm sympathetic to that idea, but I think it's better of that kind of shaping is boy-led.

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"How does a boy know whether he has exercised poor judgment or made a poor decision if it is not on the official list? All good decisions must be on the "do" list, all poor decisions must be on the "do not" list."

 

That must be one heck of a list!

 

How about some real life experiences:

 

A boy does not bring rain gear? He gets wet when it rains and regrets it.

 

A boy brings rain gear. It is "severe clear" the whole time and he regrets having to carry along such a useless item.

 

Now what should go on the list? Check the weather report before going out? Always be prepared? How about make your decision and live with your decision.

 

 

 

 

 

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Ahh the "List"! What to bring! What not to bring! A mind-bender!

 

If it isn't a necessity, leave it home. If you aren't sure, ask.

 

As a side note, we always tell the Scouts to pack rain gear. A poncho is small & lightweight.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

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The boys I have trouble with regarding camo are the boys whose parents are either currently military or have been in the military. Have one dad that I don't think he has anything to wear but camo. We have had a problem with him. He will almost always send his son to any scout event in his scout shirt and a pair of camo pants and camo socks. It finally took the boys getting mad because they got marked off on uniform inspection several times because of it to get him to wear his uniform. It was kinda funny. We were going on a camporee and one of the boys looked him straight in the face and old him point blank "if you show up in your camo shorts I don't want you to go. If you aren't there we won't get counted off. If you wear your camo we will." It was the last time he wore them to a scout event.

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