radios tv's and camping ?

[olsonca]

during a recent leader meeting it was discused about this years "high adventure" that they were planing on watching movies via generator and big screen....my reply was that that was not allowed in scouting...so where do i find that in print? the goal of scouting has always been when camping...to get the boys into the outdoors and leave the radios, tv's, cd players , vidio games at home...thus being able to have the boys learn about outdoor skills, ect. so where do I find this in print? eternalperspective@yahoo.com

[SemperParatus]

I don't think it is in print. I think it is a unit decision.

[nldscout]

There is no officail policy on electronics. It all is up to the troop. We allow them on certain trips and ban them on others. Depends on Trip. In March, if we have snow, we are Tubing and snowboarding. We will be inside camping, we will have a projector, screen and DVD player and watch a couple of movies in the evening for fun.

 

Look at yopur trip and what its goals are. There should never be a blanket policy on electronics.

[OldGreyEagle]

I agree with nldscout, it depends on the goal of the activity. At the 2001 Naitonal Jamboree show, where we were camping, there was quite the sound stage set up and video extravaganza (loved the Three of Hearts), should every scouting outing have three trailers of equipment and enough roadies to make the average Rolling Stones Tour turn green ? probbaly not, but this is a local decision and I have found the more involved the scouts are in the program, the less extraneous activities (card, iPods, etc) intrude

 

[Proud Eagle]

First question, in what position do you serve the unit?

 

2. What kind of meeting was this? Troop committee? Parents? Patrol Leaders Council? Annual Planning Conference? adult leader's meeting?

 

3. Who chose this high adventure activity and who is responsible for choosing the major programs to take place during it?

 

If you can answer those question, I could probably give you some useful thoughts.

[EagleInKY]

They're correct, you won't find anything in print regarding this. The closest is that just about every scout camp I've looked at has rules banning them from their camps. It's a unit-level decision.

 

We recently took a trip down to Huntsville. 5 hours on the road. We allowed them to bring their electronics for the trip. For some, it's the only way to survive that long of "confinement". Plus, with so many vehicles having DVD players built in, it's seen as unfair as to the guys if one vehicle has it and another one doesn't allow it.

[KoreaScouter]

I take a small radio on every campout; stay up with news and weather (okay, and during football season, my beloved Vikings!). It stays under my canopy, and you can't hear it more than 10 feet away. I apply the same standard to my Scouts. I don't have a problem with small electronics, cards, or board games -- there's a time and a place. You carry it, you take the risks, and don't abuse it.

 

KS

[Eamonn]

I am never in favor of blanket rules, because they just don't work.

One thing that is worse than blanket rules are rules that are not enforced.

The school that OJ attends has a no cell phone rule. Just about every student has and carries a cell phone. Even the School newspaper has stated that there is a rule that isn't enforced when it wrote about getting ready for a new school year.

You can read the Vision and Mission statement of the BSA and not find a word about camping or the outdoors.

Outdoors is a method of Scouting and outdoors has been the classroom that we have used to get our point across for nearly 100 years.

Our Scouts have a lot more toys than we had. I look at all the stuff that my son has and think back to all the stuff that wasn't around when I was a Lad and I'm very envious.

Most of the toys do come with ear phones or headsets so they can be used without causing any disturbance to others. I have several Walkman that I use.

I don't think I know of anyone who would go so far as to bring a generator and a big TV to camp. OJ, does have a watchman, small 3 inch TV, he wanted an i-pod, but I was too cheap. He has a palm pilot, cell phone and a laptop. I think his Walkman goes everywhere with him. I know that he has it on in the car, when he is in the back seat. His room is full of high tech toys. He seems to have lost interest in his Game Boy.

At the end of the day everything comes down to respect. If someone is supposed to be doing something and is doing something else, does it really matter what the something else is?

My only big fear is that these toys can be a temptation to others. OJ does take his laptop to OA weekends, he is the vice-chief admin. and he tells me that he needs it. I issue warnings about keeping it someplace safe.

Last year at Summer Camp a couple of Lads were caught stealing CD's from other campers tents.

These new toys are not going to go away, we older people may not understand them or the need for them, but our kids do things in a different way than we did. We read books, they watch DVD's.

Just look at the changes that have been made to the way we train adults.Even the old VHS tapes with talking heads have been replaced with interactive DVD's. Scouts are encouraged to bring a small radio to the Jamboree, so they can tune into the Jamboree radio station. I have found that most Scouts are very good about knowing the time and the place to use these use these things and are far more considerate about cell phone use. Maybe this is because they know how to set the darn thing on vibrate and are capable of getting their messages.

Eamonn

 

 

[hops_scout]

We dont have any policy regarding this really. I took my CD player with me when we were going on a canoe trip. It stayed in the car at the outfitter's lot.

 

I bought an MP3 player at WalMart recently for $50! It is small and I have a case for it. Do I plan to carry it often? Of course... I carry it most of the day at school too.

 

Next week, we are cabin camping. We're taking a projector, DVD player, and probably a VCR. The nights are going to mainly be movie nights.

 

During the day, we will do Scout Stuff.

 

Hopefully, I can get my laptop fixed. If so, it will become a piece of equipment going on campouts, meetings, etc b/c soon I will be the SPL. Also, I take a camera and I may need to clear the card "in the field" if you know what I mean;)

 

[scoutldr]

We allow electronics with the following conditions: headphones must be used at all times, allowed while traveling in vehicles, and "in your bunk" only. If an adult leader hears it or it is seen outside a tent being used, it will be locked in the car and returned when we reach home. This applies to cell phones as well.

[Fuzzy Bear]

A few questions to check your progress:

 

Is this a campout that has been planned by the PLC and approved by the Unit Committee?

 

What are you/PLC trying to accomplish?

 

Does the action fit under one of the methods of Scouting?

*Note-Methods lead to the goals of Scouting, there are three of them.

 

If it does not fit under one of the methods, then most likely you will miss the goals also.

 

Even if you don't ask the above questions try these:

 

Once you do it, evaluate the outcome to see if you achieved the immediate goal and does it fit under one of the methods?

 

Does your boy leaders/adult leaders/Committee know what the methods and the goals of Scouting are? If they don't, then training is important.

 

FB

[Pint]

We have a few rules when the Scouts go on camp,

No Mobile Phones ( cell phones)

Nothing with a loud speaker, or screen ( ie gameboys)

anything else that they bring is at there own risk.

 

However some leaders bring a Radio along.

As for T.Vs theres not usualy anywhere to plug them in, and most camp sites do not allow generators for obvious safteey reasons.

As for Radios some leaders bring a radio along.

 

As for the scouting method and that sort of thing, im goign to be covering some of that in the new Modular leader training scheme (UK) this is the info that i have got so far

 

The Purpose of Scouting

The purpose of Scouting is to promote the

full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual

and as members of their local, national and

international communities.

 

 

The Scout Method

The Scout Method provides an enjoyable and

by adult leadership. In practice the method is

best seen when young people, in partnership

with adults, are:

enjoying what they are doing;

learning by doing;

participating in varied and progressive

activities;

making choices for themselves;

taking responsibility for their own actions;

working in groups;

taking increasing responsibility for others;

taking part in activities outdoors;

sharing in prayer and worship;

making and living out their Promise.

 

 

Equal oportunites policy:

No young person, or person volunteering their services should receive less favourable Treatment on the basis of, nor suffer disadvantage by reason of:

 

 

* financial ability;

* ethnic origin, nationality (or statelessness) or race;

* gender;

* marital or sexual status ( sexual orientation, etc);

* mental or physical ability;

* political or religious belief.

 

I will post back when ive done it in the training forum.

 

 

[SR540Beaver]

olsonca,

 

Welcome to the campfire! I'd sure like to meet the guys who will be packing in a generator and big screen on a "high adventure" outing. They must be pretty stout.

 

We must be green meanies in our troop. The campout we are going on in a couple of weeks is "backpacking". Actually we will set up camp and only hike out for the day. The purpose was three fold. One was to actually get a backpack with some weight in it instead of just a daypack and get them used to it. Another was to introduce them to trail food. The hidden purpose was to lighten the load. Our boys tend to want to bring everything including the kitchen sink and the SM is beginning to worry about the weight of the trailer. Surely scouts can live from Friday night until Sunday morning with the contents of a backpack instead of PC's, DVD players and MP3's.....not to mention their cabin tents, metal framed airbed and two huge plastic totes with enough clothes for 2 weeks. We are starting to look like a gypsy caravan going to camp.