Cell Phones at Summer Camp

[Mr.Mal]

How do you keep this fine emergency tool charged? I mean, there are no "power plants" in camp that the Scout cane walk over to and plug in, right?

 

If the Scout brings one to camp for "emergency use only", and plays games on it because he can't go one week without electronic games, how can he justify that it is an emergency use only device?

 

I use a solar charger to keep mine charged and it works rather well, and it shows the Scouts that there is no other charging station around.

[EagleInKY]

We had an interesting development this year. We continue to not allow cell phones for scouts. Our camp has no coverage. You have to leave camp to get a signal. All of our adults have cell phones and we each make the 2-3 mile trip of the road each day to check messages.

 

One scout - with his parent's endorsement - brought a cell phone to camp anyway. This is a scout that I continue to have issues with (him and his family). On Tuesday, he left his backpack somewhere, he thinks at the Rifle Range. He went back and looked several hours later and couldn't find it. He told me so I sent him to check the lost & found at the camp office and a few other places. He never told me that his cell phone and other valueable items were in it. (He knew he had broken the rules). Consequently, I was under the assumption that it just had some MB books, water bottle, rain gear, etc. I didn't raise a stink about it, because it was just your "average" lost item.

 

Now, his dad is mad, and thinks we dropped the ball. He's also mad at the camp and is threatening them... Bottom line, if son hadn't of broken the troop & camp rule, it wouldn't have been an issue.

[scoutldr]

Our scouts are told up front that if they bring valuables to camp (money, gameboys, cell phones, etc), THEY are responsible for keeping track of them. If it comes up lost, stolen or broken, I don't want to hear about it. The take home lesson here is "don't leave your stuff at the rifle range."

[packsaddle]

I agree with scoutldr. But our camp has lousy coverage (a weak hot spot in the parking lot only) and a guideline against cell phones for the boys. Inevitably cell phones and game boys, etc. sneak their way into outings. If on the boat, I wait for the tell-tale 'kersploosh' that signifies another electronic device sleeping with the fishes. On land, they just get lost or smashed. This is where the spirit behind 'caveat emptor' or 'informed consent' is applied to complaining boys or parents. It can't get lost or destroyed on the outing if it remains safely at home. I just hope that splash isn't MY phone going to Davy Jones locker.