How do you handle this?

[ozemu]

Mistakes are great - we learn and have an opportunity to humbly seek to understand each other. Of course outrage evokes defensivness and widens the divide between us.

 

There but for the Grace of God (and many mistakes) go I.

 

Let's learn from this story but also give people a break.

[JJJJ]

XL, you're an imposter. You obviously don't have children.

 

There is a simple solution. Have the SMs use a check-out system for the games. Let the Scouts know, and have them and their parents sign, that any game found at the outing with a rating over (whatever is decided) will be confiscated and immediately destroyed. At $50 a pop, the parents are NOT going to let Johnny bring Grand Theft Auto to corrupt Billy.

 

You mentioned language. This is one of those things where the smallest of infractions has to immediately be dealt with, and all need to understand. It can otherwise get out of hand quickly.

[Beavah]

JJJJ, you're an imposter. You obviously aren't a Boy Scouter, or you'd know that the SM runnin' that kind of show is contrary to how we use youth leadership and teach values in Scouting.

 

Yah, it's best to remember that our goal isn't to keep kids from all temptation by settin' up a mess of adult-regulated and run checkout systems and the like, eh?

 

Our goal is to teach kids how to make ethical choices in their lives. To do that, they need to be able to make choices.

 

My guess is da same as other folks'. This troop's PLC didn't buy into this restriction, it was somethin' put in a parent mailing by an adult. So boys did what boys do, same as they would with a checkout system. If we must run these events, it's best to do it as tonys describes, eh? Where the kids set the rules in collaboration with the SM, and are responsible to each other to enforce 'em.

 

Beavah

 

[xlpanel]

JJJJ, a checkout system is inherently flawed and destroying the game is, in most cases, not possible. Also, you statements about destroying the game lead me to whether you are an imposted on issues considering game consoles. Here's why:

 

First, to destroy the game, you must have a physical copy of the game. I know for the xbox360 and PS3 and even Laptop, if they brought one of those, that the gamedata is copied to the hard drive. Then, to prevent the disc from getting scratched, a NO-CD patch is downloaded to the device. This effectively allows the game to run without a physical copy you can destroy.

 

Next, searching the depths of every PS3 360 or PC brought for M Rated games would be impossible. And if you happened to find one, what would you do? Make them uninstall it? Smash the xbox? Its like a needle in a haystack. The kid has one file out of 10 Million on his computer that you outlaw. Find it pl0x? And don't even get into creative naming. Kid renames game to Microsoft Word or Typing Tutor Deluxe. Are you going to open every program to see it it really is what it says it is?

 

Now that we have established that we cannot keep kids from bringing whatever they want in, and cannot destroy the offensive data, we address the checkout system.

 

Are the scouts really gonna turn over THEIR games to be 'checked out' back to THEMSELVES? And can you imagine any kid reporting someone for not checking in their game?

 

'Scoutmaser, Billy didn't check in his Madden. I don't know why this upsets me so much, but I can't live with myself.' This leads to ALL the kids being mad at the tattler. First, Billy. Second, those who wanted to play with billy. Third, those who wanted to play madden. Fourth, those who don't care about playing, but like billy.

 

A scout tattling on billy would amount to social suicide. Does the scout that tattled ever expect to be told anything interesting again?

 

A regulation system only works when those it regulates agree to be regulated.

 

Does an army work if the army won't listen?

 

Furthermore, a checkout would rally the scouts against the system, and you. The system would be a big hassle. Plus, you would hold on to their property, and they don't like that. If Johnny wants to play Halo, Johnny will play halo.

 

 

And any arguments stating that the kids are not smart enough to try these are idiotic. You need to give these kids credit.

 

A kid could even copy a Halo DVD, fix a Madden NFL (Rated E) Label to it and even put up with the check-in system. Unless you physically play the disc, you will think it is madden. And once you saw them playing, you would think the game they were using was approved, as it got by you.

[oldsm]

Simple. Forget the electronic games. Talk to the PLC beforehand and get their buy-in.

The scouts in my troop have had a "game night" (an all-night camp-in) for several years. The only entertainment allowed is BOARD GAMES and movies on DVD or VHS. They set a rating limit. Sure, some try to sneak in the "R" rated movies, but they police it well. Only once that I know of have the adults had to step in. Easily monitored.

Board games that are always popular: Chess, Risk (sometimes have 2 of these going), Connect 4. Monopoly (there's never enough time to finish a game at home), and several others whose names I can't recall.

All supplemented by pizza

[sherminator505]

Video games and movies? On a campout? I may sound very old-fashioned (considering I haven't hit 40 yet), but isn't part of the idea of camping to get the boys away from technology and mindless entertainment? This seems like it was a bad idea from the get-go, and I'm not at all surprised by the dissapointing aftermath.(This message has been edited by sherminator505)