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Cell Phones and Scouting


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I have never taken a phone away from a scout, I have told a couple of scouts either put them away or give them to me during a troop meeting.

On a campout I have gotten a scout out of his tent in the middle of the day to do a service project because he was laying in the tent talking on his phone, when he should have been out with his patrol.

Before we where heading out on the trail in the Rocky''s this year I asked the scouts who was taking a phone along, they give me a funny look and asked why. I said if you guys are going to carry a phone, I am leaving mine in the car! They just laughed and 2 of them said they are taking phones with them, I said great less weight for me.

I do not believe in banning them just setting expectations.

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I''ve told the story before of the scout who phoned mom and left a cryptic msg on the answering machine (parents were out enjoying a "date"). Well, they got home after midnight and listened to the message and tried to call us...we were all in bed asleep and cell phones were off or in the car charging. Mom finally called the Camp emergency number and made the Camp Director get dressed and go to our campsite to get the SM out of bed. We woke up a sleeping scout and made him call mom...there was no problem, he was just calling to say hi. But he didn''t bother to say that on the answering machine. We let scout and mom know that we and the Camp Director didn''t appreciate it much.

 

Another incident was mom being called by scout to say that so and so was picking on him. Then mom calls ASM to demand to know what we were going to do about it. Our usual procedure is to monitor the situation, and most times the kids work it out themselves...as it should be. We told mom that if she wanted to referee all the squabbles, she was welcome to get her butt up to camp and enjoy the heat and mosquitoes with us.

 

My decided opinion is that youths do not need cell phones at camp. THe adults have one for emergencies (or for work purposes), and that''s sufficient. There used to be a pay phone at the trading post, which greatly contributed to the homesick problem. Scouts were lined up every evening calling mommy collect. Thank goodness it was removed.

 

 

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We don''t allow cellphones or electronics on our campouts, either. We are going into the woods to get away from those things. If a boy can''t live without them, he needs to find something other than Scouting to do.

 

Why this policy? Nowadays, these things aren''t just cell phones - they are mini computers with internet access and games. I don''t allow my son to have unsupervised internet access at home - why would I want him to have it on a campout? In our old troop, I would hear games being played in tents late at night, well past 1:00 am. Imagine the poor Scout sharing a tent with someone doing that, trying to get some sleep. Yeah, yeah, the boys should work it out between them. Tell that to the younger smaller Scout sharing a tent with the bigger older Scout playing the games. Face it, there are many things we don''t see or hear as leaders. This policy takes care of some of the problems we never hear about.

 

In Cubs, we had a dad bring his laptop and watch 2 movies on it in his tent, starting at 11:00 pm. The parents in the tents around him were not very happy the next morning.

 

OGE - prohibition is still in effect - for those under the age of 21.

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OldGreyEagle

Most times you do manage to hit the nail on the head.

But WOW!!

What you posted in this thread is just outstanding.

I really agree with you.

Next time I''m in your neck of the woods I''ll make sure that Prohibition is really dead- Heck I''ll even let you buy!!

Eamonn.

 

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I don''t have a problem with cell phones or other electronic devices unless they detract from or interfere with the Scouting program or pose a safety issue.

 

We ask Scouts and Scouters to use cell phones, and other items appropriately for the circumstances. One of the things the Scouting program is about is developing a sense of responsibility and accountability - not a bunch of restrictions.

 

So far, in our unit, cell phones, and other items have not posed much of a problem.

 

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Many great reasons to BAN the devices. I have one more.

I work rotating shift work at a power plant and can''t attend all camping trips (I am the ASM). After one trip last year, my sons told me that the older scouts, including the SM''s son, stayed up all night making prank calls with their cell phones. So those beeps, rings and other noises that emanate from phones in use may not be so "innocent". I now confiscate all phones or other electronics for the duration of the trip from the moment I see them.

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Gonzo the tree and sled were undamaged.

 

Another case we had for a cell phone was coming back from summer camp on year. We had to go across a dam, but there was an accident, getting through the lake dam area should of taken 45 mins but took over 3 hours, nearly doubling our return trip time.

 

Before leaving for summer camp we asked on of the parents to be a single point of contact. We called this person to let them know we got to camp fine and they in turn called the parents.

 

Then on trip back when stuck on the bridge I again called this person and told them of the problem, and that person do to seeing it on news told us what is up. They then of course called parents and told them we would be late and would call again when we were about 45 mins out - which we did. We got back to the meeting location hours late, but in one piece. All the parents were happy and in some cases more agreeable then normal.

 

(ok we did have one miss hap there were no bathrooms and a straight up mountain on one side and a cliff on the other ... so as time passed and blatters filled a few bottles were filled and one smelly accident ....)

 

 

Ok now that I had my fun grossing u out ill run off....

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

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OGE and Eamonn,

OGE said, "I see Scouting in terms of "cans", we can backpack, we can rock climb, we can whitewater raft, we can canoe, we can survive on only what you can bring in a shoebox for the weekend, we can have fun rather than "can''ts"

 

I like the sentiment, and we strive to see the fun side too...and I''ll even join you in that prohibition check. :)

 

But do you Backpack without a trail plan and an estimated return time and a person who didn''t go with you who can check that you did in fact return? - We can''t go without that. Do you Rock Climb without a certified climber? We can''t. Do you Whitewater raft without the appropriate training and guide - we can''t, Do you canoe with out PFD''s, we can''t.

 

Okay, true, I guess I missed it, prohibition doesn''t work.

That''s why those, um, doofuses (stronger language running through my head)ran their(cold, dead) red light and almost killed me this morning. I shouldn''t have expected them to follow the rules, they shouldn''t have been prohibited from expressing themselves and expediting their arrival at wherever they were going. I''m just glad I wasn''t foolish enough to expect that they would do the right thing and so I hesitated on my green light.

 

We don''t allow firearms either unless at a range and with appropriate NRA trained personnel (another limitation)and then only Rifles, .22''s. (look more limitations). Although I do feel naked without one sometimes.(Among the things you hope you never need, but can''t call time out to go get when you do.)(And a limitation on Scouters)

 

You''ll note we allowed them to carry the phones but put limitations on normal usage.

And if MOM needs the precious one she can call me or one of the ASM''s. :) If the phone is not off and is in coverage. :)

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Not totally off-topic...

I maintain a roster sheet for our troop - name, address, phone number, position in troop. I include cell phone numbers for the adults that want me to, but I WILL NOT include a Scout''s cell phone number. From my point of view, anybody that wants to call a Scout can go through the Scout''s family.

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I personally don''t like phones.

When it rings at home I try my darnest to let someone else answer it.

HWMBO and OJ are always on at me for not turning on the cell phone in my car.

The Scouts in the Ship know that email is best way to contact me.

Before we go away for a Scouting activity, I do ensure that the phone is charged and in good working order.

Kids Sea Scout age (14 +) seem far more accepting of cell phones than I am. In fact many are like OJ and wouldn''t dream of going anywhere without their cell!!

One female Scout did manage to get on my last nerve, when she talked to her boyfriend for over 3 hours on a trip. This did lead me to request that they only make calls when we stop and keep incoming calls to a few minutes. Or take a message and call back.

To-date this has worked well and we don''t have any problems.

Everyone knows that the Ship and the adult leaders accept no responsibility for Scouts property.

There is no way I''m going back anyplace to look for a lost phone.

While I have never set a rule about it the Scouts seem happy to not take their phones and i-pods with them when we go on the water, I think because they are worried we might end up in the water!! And they don''t want to risk it.

We do of course have radios in the boats.

As for the i-pods I''m happy to have them play their music in the vehicle either through the system in the car or through their ear-phones.

At standing camps (Car camping) I bring a small radio, which is rarely turned off. It lives in the adult kitchen area and the volume is kept under control. Yes at times the adults break out into silliness!! Funny dances, silly songs even me singing opera!! At night I like to listen to the BBC World Service (I enjoy the news and the magazine programs.)

For long trips I have my laptop in the car and will throw in a handful of DVD''s that are age appropriate.

I really do think that youth members are far more considerate

when it comes to using cell phones than adults are. Maybe because they know how to use them a little bit better?

I''m not sure what is the right age for a kid to have a cell phone? OJ got his when he was 14. (From me.)

When a parent decides that the time is right, is fine with me. After all it''s their child.

Adding more and more rules and regulations is a long way from what we should be doing. We have the Scout Oath and Law, we talk about giving our youth members the opportunity to make ethical choices. Surely there is more to this than choosing to break or not break a rule?

Ea.

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"I really do think that youth members are far more considerate

when it comes to using cell phones than adults are."

 

BINGO. This is one of my pet peeves. Adults make all sorts of sanctimonious speeches about "kids these days" not being respectful, etc., which often comes up in the context of the cell phone issue. And then, whose cell phone is ringing away at full volume during flag lowering? And who has the nerve to answer the blasted thing and carry on a conversation??? Yup, the adults.

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Eamonn, hurry up, can you get here by tomorrow? Its Celtic Classic time in the Lehigh Valley.

 

http://www.celticfest.org/2007CelticClassic/index.html

 

The Haggis eating contest is tonight, the Highland games go on all week end and then there is the Irish Singing, the Scottish Dancing, and the stout drinking and dog handling (you can be sure "That''ll do pig, that''ll do" will be heard at least 100 times) the bag pipe contest. First prize, we throw the pipes away for you, second prize, you have to throw them away yourself

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OGE,

You told me about this last year and being the air-head that I am, I didn''t make a note.

Unfortunately Her Who Must Be Obeyed has a dinner party planned for this weekend.

Man-oh-man, would I have a great time.

I''d dearly love to visit the Living History Area -Newgrange Caves were my play ground when I was a little fellow spending the summers with my Grandparents.

The river Boyne flowed through part of the farm and the Battle of the Boyne was fought just down the road.

OJ is named after Saint Oliver Plunkett (OK Oliver was my Dad''s name and is my middle name!!)Saint Oliver was born in County Meath.

As we all know over the centuries the English were not very kind to the Irish. Oliver Plunkett was put on trial, and with the help of perjured witnesses, was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn.

It''s a good job the Irish have a great sense of humor!!

Next year I''ll invite the Ship to come up with me, but then again - Maybe not!!

While I''m no Ronan Tynan I do like to sing. I''m sure I''d have a blast!!

I see that the Haggis eating contest was full! What a shame nothing like a good sheep''s stomach filled with oats to get the weekend off to a good start!!

Eamonn.

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With our troop, the Scouts know if their cell phone goes off during a troop meeting, it becomes mine for the duration. It got ridiculous last year when during our opening flag ceremony, our SPL''s phone rang and not only did he not turn it off immediately, but he answered it. Fortunately, his mom was there and saw him do that, so she put the nix on him having his phone at meetings or other Scout events.

 

The summer camp we attended this year didn''t allow cell phones at all, for two reasons. First, they didn''t want kids calling home to mommy as soon as they got homesick (Calico- I loved your description of that). Second, other camps had the problem of kids using their cell phones to take pictures in the shower and post them on the internet.

 

The biggest problem we had at camp this year was a 14 year old calling his mom (we didn''t see him doing it) when he didn''t like what was on the menu. She would come to camp (she was staying at her parents place ten miles away) under the guise of his grandparents wanting to see him (this happened Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). Mom would take junior to the trading post and let him fill up on junk food. On Wednesday before dinner, we caught him doing it and took his phone from him. When mom showed up about 25 minutes later, we asked her to take the phone with her. She was dismayed by our request and wondered, "what if junior needs to get a hold of me?"

 

As far as adults go, you can''t really tell them they can''t have a cell phone. The past couple of years, I espoused the joys of being able to get away for the weekend and disconnect from the world. More and more adults in my troop love this idea and leave their phones off, maybe checking their voicemail once or twice while we are on the campout. Most understand that they don''t need to update their wives on what junior is doing at the campout every hour or be told what their daughter''s soccer game score was five minutes after the game ended. That news can be transmitted when they get home on Sunday.

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I''m not really a fan of a cell phone ban (that sounded catchy - I could write a rap song!). It seems like a lot of the arguments for banning cell phone are something along the lines of a few adult leaders who personally don''t care for that mode of communication, and see fit to prevent others from using it.

 

A couple of reasons I don''t mind allowing scouts to have cell phones:

 

1) Its a respect thing. There are hundreds of possible ways a scout can act disrespectfully, and Scouting is a great way to help a scout discover how to act courteously and respectfully. For instance, a scout, who, during lunch preparation, excuses himself to take a quick phone call is acting respectfully. A scout who answers his phone while the troop is at attention at a flag ceremony is not acting respectfully. So, rather than taking away an inanimate object, lets try to teach the scouts how to act respectfully.

 

2) Cell phones (and other electronics) can just help everyone feel more relaxed. A lot of people might like to listen to music (through headphones) as they go to sleep, or a patrol might want to listen to the ballgame while preparing dinner (again, quietly and respectfully). This can help people bond, ease tension, and work together easier. I''ve seen it happen.

 

3) It can be used for safety. If a scout, patrol or troop wanders off course, use the cell phone to call for help! Yeah, you might not have coverage where you happen to be, but what if you do? Go a head and call 911.

 

4) Its doesn''t really detract from safety. We restrict usage on knives, firearms, fireworks, swimming, boating, etc because acting inappropriately can cause injury or death. Cell phones don''t really present that problem. I guess there can be issues with homesick kids calling home, etc, but those issues aren''t caused by the cell phone - they''re caused by inappropriate preparation of the scout and the parent. Those issues should be solved by a conference with the troop leadership, scout and parents in question, not by a blanket cell phone ban.

 

5) Many scouts have a legitimate reason for using a cell phone on a campout. For instance, many older scouts may have an appointment to call a college admissions counselor, coach, boss, etc while camping. I''d much rather have the scout come to the campout, and excuse himself for a few minutes to make the call, rather than stay home. Other scouts may drive to the campouts themselves, and their parents may want them to keep a cell phone with them while traveling. I''ve also had parents tell me that their scout may be receiving a call regarding a close friend or family member who was undergoing a moderately serious surgery to let him know the outcome.

 

So, I guess I just try to be reasonable. If a scout is participating in the program fully and safely, but happens to talk on the phone for a few minutes, I don''t have a problem with that. If he starts missing out on the program, or the situation becomes unsafe, I work with the scout and parents to rectify that situation. I guess I don''t really understand what the problem is. We let scouts use digital wrist watches, flash lights, lanterns, GPS units, and other electronic tools all the time. A cell phone is just another electronic tool, granted with a much greater capability for misuse, but just a tool. If they want to use it, go for it.

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