How does your troop manage lights out ?

[Gone]

Where we camp, we let the "wild things" keep the kids in the tents.

 

Travel too far for that night time tinkle and you might not make it back. 

 

Nature is a wonderful thing.

[NJCubScouter]

Yelling and door slamming...

Doors of what?

[perdidochas]

3 or 4 max. Mix match of tents.

Two is ideal for getting scouts to sleep. 

[Mom2a]

The troop had reserved a campsite for tents. Due to construction we got put in a site with cabins so the boys who don't need camping nights were given the option of cabins. SPL and the other rowdy guys apologized to me last night. There was no sound after lights out. So even though stormed bad, one 11 year old had a screaming nightmare and one had a tummy ache. I felt more rested this morning.

Still not happy with this particular troops methods. Son may not like it but I want a better experience for him.

[Eagledad]

A scout is courteous. Our troop doesn't have quiet time rules, but there is an expectation of keeping voices low so others can sleep. Usually are SPL takes care of the loud ones because the adults are too far away to really be bothered. Once in a while we have scouts (usually first year) who can't seem to control themselves. When the adults were forced to camp a little closer, I have been known to take these scouts on a little hike in the middle of the night. No lecture or anything like that, I just quietly ask them to put on some walking clothes because we are going on a hike. At the end of the hike I do ask these scouts what part of the scout law was not being used to respect the sleep of the other scouts, and I go back to my tent without waiting for an answer. It's bit of a pain, but it usually fixes the problem for the rest of camp, especially summer camp. 

 

As for the scouts being tired and exhausted, that is normal for summer camp. Usually peaks about Wednesday or thursday. I always brief the adults to be ready for some pretty cranky scouts and to just keep a happy face.Adults are tired too, but we try to not to let it get us down or just find a quiet place in camp with a book to get away from it all.

 

Barry

[Gone]

@@Mom2a that behavior is unacceptable. The camp has quiet hours I suspect. If the SM won't get off his butt to manage the problem have the camp director step in and do it for him.

 

We had a similar experience at camp last year first night. Spoke to the troop behind us and asked them to respect lights out and quiet hours. Second night they did the same thing. Spoke to the camp director and he paid them a visit 30 mins after lights out. It was Lord of the Flies. The CD told the troop, and specifically the SM, to get quiet. Took them an hour.

 

At coffee the next morning the CD told me that troop would not be invited back. Come to find out it's the second camp they've been asked not to attend.

Edited July 9, 2015 by Bad Wolf

[jr56]

The only time I let the boys "police themselves" is when the troop is camping off by themselves in a forest preserve, and no one will hear them.  I tell them they can be reasonably quiet as late as they want, but they had better not complain about getting up in the morning.  At Summer camp, when there are other campers around, the camp policys are strictly enforced.  Not usually an issue, after a full day of scouting activities, most boys are ready to fall asleep.