Contact methods between scouts?

[Maboot38]

Hi Scouters!!! Our Troop currently has no effective method for the scouts to contact each other (especially Patrol leaders contacting patrol members, or SPL contacting PLs). As I try to rebuild the patrol method in our troop, I think this will be essential. What experience do you all have with what works and what doesn't work? Is it enough/ok for the scouts to text or call each other? Group texts? Apps? What are your experiences?

[OaklandAndy]

You can set up a group Discord. I used that a lot with my summer camp staff when I was a camp director. Easy to manage and supervise. Most youth know and use that app. 

[dk516]

We use Google G-Suite for all of our Troop stuff. It allows you to create email groups for communication. Yes, email is a little old fashioned these days but the only form of communication you can effectively assure that adults are involved in all communication and therefore allow to be in compliance with YPT as much as possible. I accept the fact that there will always be other tools used between the Scouts (Discord, Whatsapp, Messenger, etc.) but the email groups allow for easy setup and control of what is being communicated. 

[Maboot38]

28 minutes ago, dk516 said:

We use Google G-Suite for all of our Troop stuff. It allows you to create email groups for communication. Yes, email is a little old fashioned these days but the only form of communication you can effectively assure that adults are involved in all communication and therefore allow to be in compliance with YPT as much as possible. I accept the fact that there will always be other tools used between the Scouts (Discord, Whatsapp, Messenger, etc.) but the email groups allow for easy setup and control of what is being communicated. 

We have Scoutbook which also allows troop emails, but kids don't really check email habitually like we old folks do, I find....so for emails I think Scoutbook works well enough (as long as the troop keeps the info up to date). Did you find a deficiency in scoutbook that caused you to use google, or do you just not use Scoutbook because you never have?

 

2 hours ago, OaklandAndy said:

You can set up a group Discord. I used that a lot with my summer camp staff when I was a camp director. Easy to manage and supervise. Most youth know and use that app. 

I asked our SPL and he doesn't use Discord, but perhaps he'd be willing to learn it. I tasked him with figuring out a way to communicate, and he ended up setting up a text message group...which isn't working well because unless you install an app, you only see phone numbers in the messages. 

[MikeS72]

49 minutes ago, Maboot38 said:

which isn't working well because unless you install an app, you only see phone numbers in the messages. 

I don't know about the Apple ecosystem, but on my Android phone texts show phone numbers rather than names only if it comes from someone not in my contacts.  Contacts show names.

 

[fred8033]

Let your scouts decide.  ... Trust your scouts ... and don't think you can control them.  They will communicate how they want.  Plus, their choosing how to communicate is part of their team forming and storming.  It's what we really want out of our scouts:  their solving and owning their activities.  

As unit leaders, the question is how much do we communicate to the parents.  A troop schedule with mtgs, events and activities?  Costs?  Other?  

[Maboot38]

35 minutes ago, fred8033 said:

Let your scouts decide.  ... Trust your scouts ... and don't think you can control them.  They will communicate how they want.  Plus, their choosing how to communicate is part of their team forming and storming.  It's what we really want out of our scouts:  their solving and owning their activities.  

As unit leaders, the question is how much do we communicate to the parents.  A troop schedule with mtgs, events and activities?  Costs?  Other?  

Yes, I am 100% let him choose and he chose to create this text group. However, none of the other scouts like it or use it so I’m trying to give him more guidance and new ideas that he might be able to decide to implement.

[fred8033]

16 hours ago, Maboot38 said:

Yes, I am 100% let him choose and he chose to create this text group. However, none of the other scouts like it or use it so I’m trying to give him more guidance and new ideas that he might be able to decide to implement.

Are the scouts in the patrol strong friends?  Patrol communication happens naturally when it's friends.  They find solutions and make it work.  Even if there are just four or five that are good friends, they find ways to communicate and bring the new members in.  

Scouts that are not friends can't be forced to communicate.  In those cases, one or two scouts get frustrated trying to communicate and might give up.  Then, the parents drive involvement.  ... so ...   Are these scouts friends?  Do they naturally reach out to each other?  OR, are they assigned to their patrol and only chat during scheduled patrol activities.  

IMHO, solve the communication by growing the patrol connections.

[dk516]

On 1/15/2024 at 12:43 PM, Maboot38 said:

Did you find a deficiency in scoutbook that caused you to use google, or do you just not use Scoutbook because you never have?

@Maboot38 we use SB for advancement and the related functions and whatever reporting is required from SB. We use Google because it was an easy platform for all Troop planning, hosting our website from it and for all the documents and leader collaboration which made it a natural to use their email tools as well.

[Maboot38]

22 hours ago, dk516 said:

@Maboot38 we use SB for advancement and the related functions and whatever reporting is required from SB. We use Google because it was an easy platform for all Troop planning, hosting our website from it and for all the documents and leader collaboration which made it a natural to use their email tools as well.

Makes sense!!! I've created a Troop Google account for document storage and we have an email address as well. I think the kids are going to try Discord, but I also know not all kids have phones, so the jury is still out on the best option.

[curious_scouter]

On 1/15/2024 at 3:48 PM, fred8033 said:

Let your scouts decide.  ... Trust your scouts ... and don't think you can control them.  They will communicate how they want.  Plus, their choosing how to communicate is part of their team forming and storming.  It's what we really want out of our scouts:  their solving and owning their activities.  

As unit leaders, the question is how much do we communicate to the parents.  A troop schedule with mtgs, events and activities?  Costs?  Other?  

this is what I was going to suggest.  Make it an agenda item of your next PLC.  Let the Scouts sort it out.  They use methods and means you'll never get into anyway.  And... they don't want you there. 

Be direct and make sure your SPL can reach their ASPLs and PLs somehow.  That's up to them to figure out and may entail a number of methods.  I doubt a one size fits all will work anyway.  I know my own son almost never checks emails.  I know some scouts don't even have a phone, some until they are in their teens.  Others are not permitted on discord.  So I think your youth leaders are going to have to sort out what works person to person.  A lot goes on in the hallway of school too. 

Leave it up to them, but make sure they have a means and use it.

Also be sure your SPL knows how to reach you best and maintain YPT.  My SPL likes to use text messaging with me, but he always copies another leader too or his parents.  Prior SPL preferred email.  I think whatever they prefer is ideal.  You should change with them.

[AwakeEnergyScouter]

Re: parental permissions - mine is only a cub, but digital parental policies are a hot topic at birthday parties and there is definitely a whole contingent of parents who will refuse to give scouts phones until they're older teenagers and will balk at Discord and a lot of social media and messaging apps. What can work will depend a fair bit on the scouts' parents' digital policies in addition to scouts' preferences so it might make sense to ask about that to avoid wasting time and/or making some scouts feel like "everybody" is allowed in corners of the Internet that they're not. (If momentum builds around a tool that some scouts are explicitly forbidden from using.)

[DuctTape]

Whatever system (digital or otherwise), counsel the scouts to reply to comms. If someone does not reply, then the PL (or whomever sent the comm) must then seek that person out. Lack of communication is based on the  premise, "I sent it out via..." as the only step.

Instruct them how to communicate effectively.

Eg.

 

From: Patrol Leader

"At our next Patrol meeting we will be doing a gear inspection for the upcoming campout. Even if you are not going, please bring your pack with gear. If you are in need of anything please let me or the APL know. Reply to this message, 'YES' to let me know you understand. If I do not hear back from you by (insert time/date) I will be calling you directly."

[curious_scouter]

30 minutes ago, DuctTape said:

Whatever system (digital or otherwise), counsel the scouts to reply to comms. If someone does not reply, then the PL (or whomever sent the comm) must then seek that person out.

Good advice.  I have this challenge not only in direct comm "Hey, I sent you an email - did you get it?" but also clearly set expectations.  For example, it had become the practice to sign up for a campout ONLY if you were going.  Our tool for that supports an "RSVP" model where you can explicitly say "I'm not coming."  I started asking everyone to RSVP "no" if they are not coming.  This allowed us to start confirming that people were seeing the calendar entries, and not planning to come.  This has been really helpful in our planning.