Troop Smartphone Policy

[DadScouts]

I would love to leave my cell phone home for a weekend!

I once had the best of both worlds.  I held out w/o a cell phone as long as I could.  Got a TMobile one.  Coverage was spotty and in our local camp, very close to my house, no coverage unless I grabbed the metal flag pole in camp or stood on top of a car.  Basically I had outgoing coverage if needed but no incoming coverage.  I loved it, until my wife switched our plan to another carrier - that got 4 bar coverage in camp.  Have had to return home at least once a week from camp, including pool maintenance and once even worse for dinner with my out of state mother in law who was in town the week of camp plus a call or two per week from work.

[Col. Flagg]

Read my posts, I said several times "adult" bans and rules can limit Scout growth and maturity. You didn't mention the PLC until after my post. I wasn't the only scouter here suggesting that your adults consider their part on the subject. I guess I was just the one that struck a cord.

 

Barry

 

Actually it was what your wrote. You seemed to be saying that allowing my guys to ban phones was some how driven by adult desires; it isn't. In fact, the adults are split on the subject but we all agreed to allow the boys to run things. Second, you seem to imply that allowing phones (and making the great leap of faith that all boys will eventually mature and not use them too much) is some how more enlightened than my guys banning them BUT taking the responsible (and I might add, very mature stance) to document how the ban might be lifted. Lastly, you seem to ignore the negative impacts of too much screen time. Besides not being good for them, screens in the wild really runs afoul of the reason they are there in the first place.

 

Those were my points and how I read your replies.

Edited April 28, 2017 by Col. Flagg

[Cleveland Rocks]

Our council announced that in order for Scouts to have smartphones at Summer Camp this year they have to all have earned the Cyber Chip.

[Col. Flagg]

Cyber Chip? Oy vey. Talk about a double facepalm.

 

So which council group is going to confirm every kid with a phone has their Cyber Chip?

[Cleveland Rocks]

I agree with the facepalm.  I'm an IT professional and I think the Cyber Chip is worthless.

 

I really want to see how they plan on confirming that everyone has the Cyber Chip. For the older Scouts in my troop who are past Star and aren't required to have it for rank, they've just laughed at this whole thing, like, "yeah, okay, whatever."

It's like those that say you can't light a fire until you've gotten the Firem'n Chit or can't use a knife until you've gotten the Totin' Chip.

 

I did just look up our camp's program guide and it is indeed in there.

Edited April 28, 2017 by Cleveland Rocks

[Col. Flagg]

I agree with the facepalm.  I'm an IT professional and I think the Cyber Chip is worthless.

 

Not to derail this thread, but my guys feel the same way. Many wish the Cyber Chip addressed other issues which it doesn't. 

[mashmaster]

We only allow use of phones for a scouting purpose.  If they show up to a campout, they need to declare to the scoutmaster at check in that they have it and what the scouting use is for it.  So far there have been three valid reasons given (historian taking pictures "I suggested a camera that wouldn't die might be a better option" but allowed it, Use of a GPS app for orienteering, pictures of trees/plats/wildlife for merit badges or rank requirements).  Boy have given other reasons and been rejected like (reading "I pointed to his scout book and suggested a chapter", communication with family "I informed him and his parents that I can always be reached if they need to know the status, and we inform everyone via a group messaging system for key events like we made it to camp, we are leaving camp")

 

The one exception that we have is for a boy that has it for medical monitoring.  That is the only use he is allowed to use it for.

 

I have been to a summer camp where phones of leaders were stolen, so theft happens even at boy scout camp outs.  

[Col. Flagg]

This was a very interesting study. For me this really underscores the need to limit the use of technology in the wild.

[Eagledad]

The article is about noise in general, not just technology noise. Low noise in the wilderness should be encourage and practiced, but Scouts in general struggle with noise in the wilderness. Short of gagging them, getting scouts to hold a quiet tone in the wilderness is, let's say, challenging. I guess if the adults need an excuse to enforce a no phone policy, this article would help. But I'm not sure that is honest. What happens when an adult yells across camp to get someones attention or answers their own phone. Ask me how I know.

 

On a side note, I took a trip with three other adults in the Boundary Waters just a few years ago. I never saw that much wildlife on my previous trips with scouts. 

 

Barry

[CherokeeScouter]

Total ban here. This includes in the car and on the 12-hour bus ride to Summer Camp. That last part is interesting. Once we didn't allow them on the bus, the kids started talking to each other, playing cards, singing songs, etc. Like we were back in the 60s. 

 

Adults can use them whenever and wherever. We work for a living. 

Edited May 11, 2017 by CherokeeScouter