Communications with home

[Sprite]

We went to summer camp this year with a lot of new scouts. The first few days I sent e-mails to the parents with a summary of what went on. I also sent individual e-mails on scouts that were having issues.

 

This week 4 scouts died at another summer camp and we had a thunderstorm while we were at camp. Parents thanked me by e-mail and when we returned. They said they knew they would be contacted if their scout was in danger and it relieved their anxiety. Some of the parents of our older scouts thanked me too. They said they ask their son what happened at camp and never hear anything. This gives them something to talk about when they get home.

 

For me, it was a lot of extra work. But I think it was worth it.

[Eamonn]

Please don't take this as any sort of a put down. It really isn't intended that way.

I think a lot depends on where you end up camping.

Our Council is small.

I think that no matter where you live in the Council you can drive up to the camp in less than an hour. (It takes me 26 minutes.)

Campers arrive on Sunday afternoon. Most are dropped off by loving parents.

Parents night used to be on Wednesday, but because some Scouts were homesick it was moved to Thursday.

Come Thursday the camp is invaded by the loving parents who come loaded down with covered dishes and goodies from home.

Breakfast at camp on Saturday is cold cereal and danishes. By about 0930 all the campers are gone. Picked up by the loving parents.

Being as parents and Scouts are only separated for about 96 hours at the most and that there is a pay phone along with the Scouts who bring cell phones.

I really don't see the need.

In fact it might not be such a good thing!

Kids go to camp to get away from home and some parents are happy to allow their son to go out on his on and stand on his own two feet.

Just my 2 cents.

Eamonn

[Lisabob]

I have mixed feelings about the email summary issue. On one hand, it might be the difference for some parents of new scouts, between being willing and unwilling to send their children away to camp for a week. I am astonished at how many boys have never been away from home without their parents for more than a night (and some, not even for that!) prior to attending their first scout camp. In most of those cases, parental anxiety is greater than the scouts' anxiety, and an email or two go might go a long way toward ensuring mom and dad that Jr. is fine. If that's what it takes for them to agree to let their child go to camp, then I guess I'm grudgingly for it.

 

On the other hand, it IS a lot of work for the SM. And it allows hover parents to hover more, taking away some of the scout's independence and ownership of his experiences because his every move may be reported back to parents that same day, with possibility for instruction from parents to sons to appear via email. Some parents I know would almost certainly misuse or perhaps abuse the access by trying to micro-manage Jr. across the ether. It is for these boys that going away for 5 or 6 days can be a really life changing experience, and having one more tether to home via email might diminish this.

 

This is different from sending a quick email to worried parents after a storm has roared through camp, just to let everyone know you're all ok (especially in wake of the Iowa tragedy). And Sprite, if it works for your troop then that's great. But I find myself agreeing with Eamonn on this one, even though around here our boys tend to go much further afield to summer camp. If parents really want to know what's happening, how about just encouraging Jr. to send them a quick letter mid-week?

[packsaddle]

Summer camp is about 1 hour away. Updates are not much of an issue unless someone gets sick or injured. Most of the time parents are glad to have the vacation.

On long trips, if I am the official leader I tell the parents that no news is good news. I designate one leader back home as the trip correspondent and I call them once a day to confirm that things are going well. Parents who are worried can relay their concerns through that leader who, most of the time, is prepared to allay their fears immediately. Happily, we've never had to test this system with an emergency of any kind.

[Aquila calva]

Lisabob..."send them a quick letter mid-week."

 

That made me chuckle! I can hear it now, "A letter?!"

 

Now that I have sent my son off to Boy Scout summer camp at least eight times in the last six years (a couple times with friends in other troops, because he liked it so much) I am beginning to understand that the order of the week, for some scouts, includes phone calls (sometimes), emails (maybe), text messaging (probably). If you can't beat it join it, and, yes, it will change the summer camp traditions, but we (adults) might as well wake up and smell the cappuccino!

 

We can prepare scout and parent(s) for what to expect at summer camp, and we can explain that camp is a great fun time to have some quality separation, but if a child wants to be in touch with parents, it is no longer reasonable to say, "Oh, it isn't possible to call your parents." It just isn't true any longer (in most cases). So let's not lie to kids and parents for the sake of some long past tradition. If the child has a need, hand the scout a cell phone and let him talk to his parents.

 

And then get back to having fun at camp.

 

Have fun scouting!

 

[Knot Head]

I typically try to send a quick (short) email daily with a couple of pictures saying all is well. Maybe 2-3 sentences. I stress that I don't want to correspond by email from camp unless it is an emergency.

 

Our camp is 3+ hours away so we don't ever get any parent visitors.

 

I tell them I'll try to let you all know that all is well but don't email me back a list of questions.

[OldGreyEagle]

I hope I get this right, if I don't I shall present myself for public stoning, or at least public humiliation, wait, I do that daily anyway...

 

So, its my understanding that Girl Scouts start going to camp much sooner (younger age) than do Boy Scouts and very rarely do Girl Scouts go to camp as a troop, the Girl Scout Camps are usually 100% populated with what Boy Scouts would call provisional campers, individuals on their own.

 

Who writes home for them? Who looks after them? Can those with Girl Scout experience confirm or deny what I htink I know?

[Sprite]

GS Camp-- I can tell you about the good old days before cell phones. We sat down the first couple of evenings to write post cards home. Those were great keep sakes, even if I hated doing them. I don't think the Trading post even sells post cards anymore.

 

The BS camp we attended is 3+ hours away and the parents could send e-mails through the camp e-mail system. So I didn't carry personal messages unless I felt it was a need to know thing. I did the e-mails while charging my (UGGH) cell phone. And I'd much rather communicate via e-mail than cell.

 

What shocked me about the experience is my First Class Scout parents thanking me. They obviously were not worried about their scouts, but got to vicariously enjoy some of what the scouts were doing. Not to mention feel proud of their offspring.

[Eagledad]

>>So let's not lie to kids and parents for the sake of some long past tradition. If the child has a need, hand the scout a cell phone and let him talk to his parents.

[John-in-KC]

EagleSon did not call home until he earned his first merit badge his first year.

 

After that, he put some pre-addressed post cards in his gear. One read: Hi Mom, having fun. Please come to Visitor's Sunday. Love, ...

 

He welcomed being away from home Starting his 4th year, I only came for Tribal Ceremonies, and gave him room to be himself.

 

As I write this, he's in London with a HS band tour, as his HS graduation present. Too many parents are hovering with their kids; I told him simply "Be the young adult, Eagle and Christian man you are." I have no doubts he'll have fun.

[Eamonn]

Sometime back I spent five really miserable hours driving to Maryland with a female Sea Scout who was on the phone (Her cell phone.) To her then boy friend.

This led to me asking the Quarterdeck to do something about cell phone use.

Like it or not, kids of Sea Scout age are not going anywhere without heir cell.

We came up with a deal that cell phones wouldn't be used in vehicles and could be used at stops.

A few months after my five hour visit to Purgatory, we drove from PA to GA.

Cell phones were only used when we stopped.

It seemed on the way out that the Scouts couldn't wait to get out and call or text someone.

We went Sea Kayaking for a week.

While I never said that cell phones were prohibited I did make it clear that in my opinion cell phones and salt water were not going to get along very well.

All the Scouts left their phones in my locked car.

We had a great time, the Scouts all enjoyed their time on the water and camping on different islands.

When we arrived back at the main camp, some did feel the need to call someone.

I drove home with four little darlings in my car.

It was a real good time, we sang silly songs (Ring of Fire was the song of the year? I have no idea why!) We talked about what had happened over the week, we discussed the Ship, where we were and where we wanted to be as a Ship.

Along the way we of course stopped for bathroom breaks and to eat.

No one used a cell phone, in fact when we started to run a little late, I had to ask them to call home and let their parents know what time to expect them home.

Of course Sea Scouts are a little older than a good many Boy Scouts.

I have taken HS students on trips abroad. We did the send a post card home thing. In most cases the kids were home before the postcards.

I do carry a couple of laptops in my car at all times. But I have never thought about sending anyone an e-mail when I'm away. One reason for going away is to be away!!

At the 2001 Jamboree I was involved in a property transaction in PA. Because the Jamboree Guide said that cell phones wouldn't work, I left mine at home.

I stood in line waiting to use a phone behind a long line of Boy Scouts who were calling home.

Needless to say I got behind the kid who wanted to provide his parents with a full account of where he'd been, what he'd done, what he'd eaten and how many times he'd been to the bathroom.

In 2005 I took a cell phone.

We had a tarp set up for the daily PLC. Under the tarp we had a Patrol box, which acted as the Troop notice board. I left my cell phone in the patrol box and said anyone who wanted to use it could.

Some Scouts made use of it while others didn't.

When the storms came and when the terrible accident happened I called our Council Service Center and Her Who Must Be Obeyed, telling them that we were OK and everyone was fine. The parents had been informed before we left that was what was going to happen.

I don't know how many? Or if any of the Scouts had called their parents that night or not.

I do tend to go with the idea that no news is good news.

If parents have a hard time talking with their son after an event or their son doesn't talk about what went on or happened, I kinda think this is something a family needs to work on.

While I'm happy to communicate with parents after an event, informing them with information I think is important. I really don't ever see myself providing day by day or reports back home in real time.

A big part of what we do as Scouter's is trying to help the Scouts we serve develop "Roots and Wings"

I do thank the good Lord, that in over 30 years of taking Scouts and other youth groups away, I have always managed to return home with same number of children that I took with me.

I think at times it's just dumb luck that it's the same children.

Thinking about sending e-mails? I'd be very careful how they are worded or what is said. Something that has been addressed, managed and dealt with at camp might be seen as a big deal to a parent who isn't there and might not be getting the full picture.

Again just my 2 cents.

If someone feels the need and has the time and resources to take this on? More power to them.

Eamonn.

[Gold Winger]

When I went to Philmont last year none of the Scouts took their cell phones that I was aware of. However, our young adult (21) had his and we weren't more than 5 minutes from our meeting point on the way to the airport that he got a text message from his sweetie. He spent the entire ride to the airport sending SMS messages to his sweetie. At the airport, the same thing. On the plane . . . no messages but as soon as we landed . . . message city. He did leave the phone behind when we were hiking but it was slightly comical.

 

I think that I made three or four calls during the entire 3 weeks we were gone. "We landed" "We're atop Pike's Peak" "What size shirt does Grampa wear?"

 

I don't understand the fascination with text messages. Maybe it is because I'm older but most text messages seem to be inane. "Judy's wearing a blue shirt!! Can you believe it?" (Translated into standard English) or "Bob is a dork!".

 

I know executives, guys who are supposed to be responsible adults who spend their time during meetings sending messages to each other mocking the moderator.

 

I work with a fellow whose wife sends him about ten messages an hour. Not anything like "Don't forget milk" or "You won't believe what your son broke" but "I love you" and "how are you" or "Do you still love me?" If he doesn't respond, she calls on the phone. I feel sorry for him.

[Pack212Scouter]

I personally find all this "let them call on a cell" amusing. Part of the camp experience is learning that you can be on your own, relying on yourself and your Patrol. Our Troop does not allow them to bring cell phones, video games, etc. If there is a true emergency or need, a land line is always available.

 

Yes, I know we need to move into the 21st century, but that does not mean that these boys can't learn something from traditional camping? Personally I think that it is a good thing to get that electronic noise out of their head for a little bit.

[skeptic]

No electronics in camp; if caught with, they become mine until end of camp and return. They may use in the vehicles, but ask them not to be gadflys even then. Most barely use them, other than to play games. In camp they are encouraged to listen to nature and each other.

 

At summer camp the past few years though, we have had a parent who brings his guitars, including a small amp; they are allowed to jam with him as time allows away from other responsibilities, usually in the evening. If scouts have other things to do, he simply does not get it out.

 

Non-electric guitars are welcome on other outings, but seldom are taken due to size and weight. Drive-in is another story.

[Herms]

Not crazy about the whole email thing. We ask our Scouts not to bring any electronics with them to camp so as an example I wouldn't bring mine (the camp has emergency phones).

 

As far as communications from the boys during the week, good luck getting the boys to "write a letter"! A few years ago we printed out fill-in-the-blank cards that we have the boys fill out on Wednesday before dinner with questions like:

 

Having fun at camp Yes No

Went swimming today Yes No

Total number of mesquito bites 0, 1, 2, 5+ (The guys will actually count them!)

Getting enough food Yes No

Number of bottles of water drank (Pool water doesn't count) 0, 1, 2, 5+ (The guys will actually count these too!)

 

Etc... We usually try to come up with different fun questions each year (we had our older Scouts provide them last year). We buy a roll of stamps and actually mail the postcard. The guys love doing it (we put a comment area on the bottom so they can exaggerate), the parents love it (a few have added them to their sons scapebooks) and as leaders it gives us a good gauge on were the boys head is for the week.

 

 

(This message has been edited by Herms)