Scouts camp - girls and boys in tents together

[Decisionsdecisions1]

Dd 13 has returned from a scouts camp (happy, loved it, no complaints) and just casually named who she shared a tent with - and it was mixed boys and girls!

Am genuinely shocked, I had no idea. She’s been going since beavers, so knows the other scouts and leaders well but at all previous camps has only shared with girls.

Am quite surprised. School trips have all been segregated. Not sure how I feel about it…

I’m amazed! I’ve just asked my scout and he said they’re all in separate tents. I would definitely raise that.

We have separate tents for our scouts and our explorers too.

Wouldn't happen at ours.

Nope, never at ours either

It’s the first time it’s happened. I’m really quite shocked.

What has the scout leader said about it?

What sort of tents?

Technically the regulations say they need separate changing facilities but not necessarily separate sleeping areas. But thats covering everything from a big sleepover in a one room Scout hut or museum to small tents on a hiking trip. Its very different in practice

We have separate tents from Beaver camp upwards! I would have thought this would be safeguarding 101.

Looking at the guidance, it doesn't say that there MUST be separation by sex, but it does say you might decide to and that that young people and parents should be consulted and everyone should be comfortable with the arrangements.

www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safeguarding-in-the-programme/nights-away-and-safeguarding/

Definitely a safeguarding issue!

Did they have separate sleeping compartments in the tents?

Agree I’d not be ok with this!

I’m an Explorer leader.

Scouting guidelines don’t expressly forbid mixed sex tents, but in my experience it is not encouraged it. Mixed sex sleeping arrangements should be discussed with the young people involved, and their parents, during tge camp planning stages.

I’ll speak to one of the leaders about it. Dd said the tents were big and is wondering why my face has gone grey.

Did they have separate rooms?
Where did they change?

There is one girl in my son's scout troop. When they go on camps she has her own separate tent. It's logistically a nightmare, but the leaders still do it.

Depending on where they are camping, a lone child in a tent is a different safeguarding concern.

Are you certain that it was definitely a mix of male and female? It sounds to be a potential safeguarding nightmare.

Not sure what the alternative is though. They've done this at troop level, district level and the recent Jamboree. It's a small troop with everyone going to the same school.

Its about balancing risk. On a Public campsite you might not want a 19yo girl in their own tent.
Outside your own Scout hut on secure grounds the risks are less.

Groups might share tents so that single girls aren't alone (mine was in a shared tent with girls with 3 different Cub groups once as they were all singles)

During the DofE expedition, my daughter's tent buddy was AWOL both nights. She chose to stay with other friends instead and left my daughter on her own. They used to be close, but it was clear she didn’t care about her or the rest of the group. From a safeguarding pov, I was not happy at all.

My son's explorer group have separate tents. They've got enough of all different sizes to accommodate any mix.

However they do very occasionally have to be in mixed sex rooms. This is normally for one night only, (as a stop off to their main summer camp) where they have limited options for accommodation and don't want to use tents. The leaders make this clear to us, and there are always separate toilets to change in.

This definitely should have been discussed with you before the camp.
The Scout Association does allow mixed accommodation (although in my experience, it's rare, and only for a good reason), but states that the views of the young people and parents must be taken into consideration.

I'm a cub leader, and I've only once had a girl sharing with boys. This is because she was the only girl on camp, and, from a safe-guarding perspective, it seemed safer than her having a tent on her own. She did sleep in a separate section of the tent But all parents were made aware of this before the camp, only one parent came back with concerns, and we discussed these. The children were given private spaces for changing, washing etc.

Mixed accommodation certainly shouldn't happen without your knowledge, I would raise this with the leaders. Not as a complaint as such, but as a means to ensure that rules are followed in future.

Scout leader here, and yes, sounds a bit unusual, but it isn't against the rules per se, and it does massively depend. Sometimes if we are in a bunk barn, everyone is in the same room (with appropriate toilet and changing facs) If tent has different zipped sleeping compartments for privacy (for example) and if there is no other logical choice that can work OK. Most groups, including ours, will not have a child alone in a tent, which can make things difficult for troops that only have one female scout, or if a scout goes home late at night, we have to leave latency in the tents so that the tentmate can join others of same gender in another tent, even if it is 2 in the morning. We also do not have cubs and scouts in the same tent (even same gender). I think the main thing is you get some confidence that the decision has been carefully thought through, and I would just ask the Scout leader, they won't mind the ask, and they are generally very conscious about safeguarding issues . If I have to criticise, I think that there should have been some more consultation before the camp, and you can ask for this in future. In reality, it is really hard to organise the tent plans, in days gone by, you went on camp, and you were put in a tent with a few others (usually same gender) and you just got on with it. In the past, we have never published our tent plans - we always put them with at least one friend, and assured them that they will be with one of their friends. However, we are going to be more open about tent plans in future, and this does worry me slightly - "Jonny is only prepared to go if he gets in a two man tent with his best mate Billy", meanwhile Billy's parents say "he does not want to be in a tent with Jonny". Brokering that, and last minute changes based on childhood friendships constantly changing is hard yards ! While we get over this with bigger tents and more separate sleeping spaces, it is difficult, and everyone who organises camp and goes on it, is an unpaid volunteer, trying to do their best to make sure everyone has a good time. ALL that said, just ask the question. It is not unreasonable. If your daughter has had a great time (with no tentmate or safeguarding issues), then that is the main thing. Hope this helps x

Thanks all.

The tents were apparently big from dd's description, they were very spaced out inside. The toilet/shower blocks were separate and getting changed etc was done there.

They were put in their patrols - I think to avoid exactly the situation TheVofR describes - trying to accommodate everyone wanting to be with best friends.

Completely agree with TheVofR - the volunteers do an amazing job of organising and running the camp and all the activities. Dd has been going for several years so knows the other children and leaders well (we also know one of them very well).

I've talked to dd about it and she said noone was remotely bothered about being in mixed tents and she thinks I'm making a drama about it.

Dd absolutely loved it and is desperate to go next year so think I'll leave it till next years camp is being organised and talk to the leaders about it then.

I remember young people shagging at scout camp when I was a Guide. They weren't doing it in shared tents.

A girl on her own in a tent would be more vulnerable I feel. But no one should be feeling uncomfortable and this is something that should be discussed before going.