BSA published policy / guidance on phones and electronics

[ValleyBoy]

With our troop we do not band the youth from bring cellphones or other electrical devices.  We leave that decision  up to them with the knowledge that they are responsible for there device.  Also we ask them where they are going to recharge there device since we have never seen an electrical outlet on the side of a tree,   

[WonderBoy]

20 hours ago, qwazse said:

We've boiled our guidance down to: When at a meeting, be at the meeting.

This is such a great policy. It cuts to the heart of the matter (or problem, if you prefer), without needless, overly detailed specifics and yet still allows (or implies) some flexibility. I'd suggest it could even be further boiled down to "Be in the moment", but that may be too new age for some folks.

Part of the problem, as I see it, is that more and more tasks are being condensed into generally one device: our smart phones. It's easy to say, "no radios" or "no handheld games" in camp. But camera are perfectly fine. And so are books. But now my camera and my books are in my phone (well, books on my tablet). And does it make sense, in the case of summer camp, to have a parent phone an office, send a runner, try & find the scout, and have the scout run back when the parent can just phone the group's leader in their child's camp site directly? (Or, if you want to be even less restrictive, phone the scout directly?)

Electronics are just tools. Maybe the Cyber Chip needs to become more like the Tote 'en Chip. Learn about the tools and how to use them properly and then you can use them on your own. Get caught misusing the tools, and loose your privileges. (Or, if you're old school, lose a corner of your card.) And as to adults and their electronics use possibly being considered hypocrisy? Maybe. But adults are not kids. Their needs are different. If I have my phone, then parents have a point of contact and the kids don't need to carry theirs 24/7. Some adults may have jobs such that the availability of electronic communications is the very reason they are free to attend the function in the first place.

For me, the most important thing is that we model good electronic citizenship so that our Scouts have a good example to follow. 

 

[fred johnson]

1 hour ago, WonderBoy said:

Electronics are just tools. Maybe the Cyber Chip needs to become more like the Tote 'en Chip. Learn about the tools and how to use them properly and then you can use them on your own. Get caught misusing the tools, and loose your privileges. (Or, if you're old school, lose a corner of your card.) And as to adults and their electronics use possibly being considered hypocrisy? Maybe. But adults are not kids. Their needs are different. If I have my phone, then parents have a point of contact and the kids don't need to carry theirs 24/7. Some adults may have jobs such that the availability of electronic communications is the very reason they are free to attend the function in the first place.

For me, the most important thing is that we model good electronic citizenship so that our Scouts have a good example to follow. 

My experience is that adults want their phones because they want their phones.  It's more similar to youth and their reasoning then you would ever believe.  Youth want to be able to text family and friends just like adults want to be able to text family and friends.  

I always find it interesting that we allow adults to use them because we want the adults help, but we are comfortable telling the scouts no ... as if the scouts won't avoid coming and won't hide from us because they want to use them.  

[CherokeeScouter]

On 5/29/2018 at 1:57 PM, qwazse said:

We've boiled our guidance down to: When at a meeting, be at the meeting.

Well, I hope this doesn't include Eagle BOR. We are going to do one via teleconference, Skype or FaceTime. 

Kid is 18 and just came down with mono. 

 

[The Latin Scot]

Ugh, mono is the WORST. I had it in college and it was AWFUL; I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

[NJCubScouter]

14 minutes ago, CherokeeScouter said:

Well, I hope this doesn't include Eagle BOR. We are going to do one via teleconference, Skype or FaceTime. 

Kid is 18 and just came down with mono. 

In my book, that's "being at the meeting."  You are just holding the meeting in a different way, for a good reason.

[NJCubScouter]

On 5/29/2018 at 1:57 PM, qwazse said:

For example, does anybody know if Robert's Rules have guidance on use of digital communication/teleconferencing?

The current edition does.  A "deliberative assembly" (which is what RR focuses on, it could be anything from a five-member troop committee to an Elks convention to a house of a state legislature, or beyond) can have an "electronic meeting" as long as (and this is a paraphrase, I don't have it in front of me) everybody can hear each other, in real time, as if they were all in one room.