To think this is a stupid rule - no calls home on scout camp!

A total lack of phones is part of the point of Scout Camp, I think. The leaders will tell you if there’s any issue, so no news is good news.

Wanting to hear about the fun they’re having is just for your benefit and can easily wait til he’s back.

This basically

The multitude of excellent reasons why children, camp and phones do not mix well has already been well covered (safeguarding, bullying, logistics and emotional wellbeing)

In my experience children do best when they are immersed in the moment at camp.

Where homesickness is an issue, that tends to be in the quieter moments of mealtimes (when blood sugars are low before raising) and bedtime (when hyper-tired). Usually food and the next activity, or a good night's sleep gets them over a hiccup and back to enjoying the adventure. Only once have we had to send a child home as she was getting emotional each meal time and bedtime (but still loving the majority of the time doing the activities) so we agreed with mum to pick up at a time that maximised the best ratio of highlights to slumps. Girl didn't know this arrangement until quite late in the day as we didn't want her to start dwelling on home during the activities all day and ruining that for her.
It's also social development and bonding when the children support each other through wobbles, and phoning home takes that development from them. They know they can get the leaders (and do) when it's a bit much, and that's usually enough.
Everyone else has always got past their hiccups (over the last 20+ years)

Instant access on phones doesn't help because it loses the immersion and just creates a much wider range of issues.

I recently got back from a cub camp (rising 8-10) where our newest leader commented that they couldn't believe that none of the children had asked about, wanted, needed screen time while we were away. They're too busy having fun!

You've got all your mates there messing about and playing for a whole weekend, it's not necessary! We build in quieter activity opportunities for those who need to decompress. It's the point of a scout camp that you're not on a screen.

We have a hard no on phones, iPads, even smart watches. Anything that can be used to do private communication is an absolute no. I wouldn't be comfortable talking away a group of children who had unfettered internet access.

Can you imagine managing 7000 children and 7000 phones?

The only phones should be with the children who use them as a medical device.

They are in a field for a week, where are they going to charge phones? What happens if the phone gets lost or wet or broken? There are 101 practical considerations, on top of the safeguarding issues, and the fact I'd like my Guides/school pupils to enage with the activities and each other, or indeed go to sleep, rather than messing about on a phone.

If there is an issue you need to communicate, you can contact the leaders. If the leaders need to contact you, they will.

My dd is in a different country for a week on a residential and no phone’s allowed. No calls home at all. No contact. She’s a few years younger than your ds. It’s normal I think. We went away without devices for years didn’t we. We survived

My children are at Poacher and I am delighted they've left their phones at home - they can tell me all about their adventures when they get home at the weekend and will have a far better experience if they're engaging with friends and activities rather than tiktok. Also - there's very limited electricity so no way for 7000 participants to charge their phones (and cheap powerbanks are a potential fire hazard and shouldn't be left in hot tents at all). Sounds like your son is having a great time and will have lots to tell you about when he gets home. You can follow Poachers social media stuff on FB and IG if you want to get a flavour of what's going on - it looks like an amazing experience!

He's 14 wouldn't have wanted to call mummy when I was off with the lads.

And what about the kids with shit parents who don't answer. Or those in care with no one to ring

This is an opportunity to start to learn to be independent in a controlled safe situation

Also il add, I am a girl guides leader… I’d probably quit if we were forced to start allowing phones. There is enough to do and enough drama without adding to that with all the stuff phones cause that people have mentioned.

Im not saying you are doing this op, but a wise word for any parent who may be complaining about this or anything similar… we are already struggling to recruit enough volunteers for guides and scouts. We are closing units left and right due to no one to run them or help out. We have had to make rotas to try keep the ones we can open for the children’s sake, leaders who run other units are having to be rostered in for extra sessions at other units to keep them afloat.
We are often treated appallingly by parents, we have seen and heard it all. Parents can be down right rude.
Parents want to have these opportunities for their dc and we want it because we love it for the dc and it honestly is such a unique and beneficial experience…but we do it completely for free. We (I) work a stressful day job, have my own young dc, have other commitments, it’s not just the meetings we have to attend, we have to do all the admin and planning and what not in our own time. It’s a big commitment and responsibility. It’s often like having another full time job, but this one is totally unpaid. Im a normal person who has a normal life outside of guides, including all the sane stressors you do, I got involved because I saw the benefits to dc and wanted to help facilitate that. I love it but it’s easy to stop loving it when parents make it impossible or treat volunteers like rubbish. If you want your dc to continue to have these wonderful and fulfilling opportunities it’s important to think on that.

Phones are a pain on trips like this. Far better to leave them at home.

No phones is a great rule. Should have extended to day visitors. I’m a guide leader.
It’s a safeguarding issue eg kids can be filming and uploading kids in states of undress or accessing inappropriate content (some parents let children have snap chat underage etc)
Speaking to home can trigger homesickness or cause parent to be worried eg child is upset but has been happy 99% of time mum is then texting leaders constantly and worrying.
Parents can be ridiculous and set children off. I had a mum texting a 10 yr old mummy is sad she misses you then ‘pet’ is sad they miss you!!
Kids would be in phones not interacting or joining in.
It’s hard enough caring for kids without parents involving themselves. Kyle texted me he’s disappointed he’s not in a tent with Jamie can he switch, Brian says he’s lost his sweater can you look for it he’ll be chilly, Darren says it’s pasta for tea on the board he doesn’t like that can you nip to McDonalds for him. These are all roughly based in real scenarios names changed!
We put photos on a group chat. That in itself can be an issue. I was once woken at 3am by a parent wanting to know where her dd was - we’d put a everyone fine off to bed now type photo on (she was in the photo but had ducked behind her friend as she was a teenager and didn’t want to be in with hair a mess)

I think Sanity just means parents who challenge the systems that have been developed over time by highly trained people to work well with groups like this. Like you did.

I think it's perfectly reasonable and very sensible. Phones can cause huge safeguarding issues. Something is seriously wrong in this world if a young person can't manage without a phone for a week. I would advise not sending your young person if you can't cope with them not having a phone.

It was the same when I was going to camps when I was a teen in the early 90s
Stops children feeling home sick
Sounds like the phone calls are more for OPs benefit

This.

Phones are a safeguarding and socialising problem. No good comes of phoning home. Just let him enjoy himself, and deal with any problems as they arise without escalating it to you. The other kid is in the wrong and it’s these families that causes issues for the leaders.

Your user name suggests he would be best not feeding from your worries

100% agree. The only kids that have ever cried at bed time / wanted to go home are the ones who’s parents are on the phone all the time panicking about what’s for tea / what tent little Jimmy is sleeping in.

You are trusting other people to safeguard your child and make adult decisions in their interests.

Either let them get on with it or stop undermining them.

YABU

Yes we’ve had the airtagging one. Constantly popped up on leaders phones so it affected navigation (we were doing a city challenge thing) and distracted us. Whatever type it was it set off with a shrill sound walking a room of girls and all leaders middle of night.
For next trip we said please don’t AirTag. If we have an AirTag alert we’ll assume it’s been planted on us (a group of women and girls by unknown 3rd party) and report to police.

I had to go up to Poacher to sort out some medical issues with my child.

All the children were off doing their activities, or sitting in their groups chatting, playing, in their tents, playing football, walking around and having a great time. Because they don’t have their phones.

That's all you've got to say after reading this whole thread of replies to your post?

Yes we do know parents like you!

They are the ones who think their kids should have phones and to help with the adults who have to manage the fall out from that.

Another real life story - parent called complaining her little darling was in a dangerous location according to the tracker. DH was stood next to child at the time in a perfectly normal safe location.

He's had multiple issues with trackers.

It's 100% about parental anxiety and not the wellbeing of the kid. Frankly I'm sick to the back teeth with this being a growing theme throughout primary.

Reminds me of the comic sketch Camp Granada!