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

[Besidemyselfwithworry]

So I’ll keep it short
Son age 14 is at poacher a big international scout camp in Lincoln about an hour away from us for a week.
he’s done camps before for a weekend but not a week
they said “no mobiles” incase they loose them and filming and kids being homesick.
however his mate has gone just for the day, he had a phone and he’s face timed me on it and he was so excited to tell me what he’s been up too it was really nice to hear from him.
I just think they should be allowed them even if they hand them in at bedtime or whatever but does this seem odd to everyone else??

scout group are updating on a group wattsapp with photos etc…

its Just 1 week of camp!! I am from Spain. In my area all scouts do camps of 2 weeks.. even the youngest ones (6-8 year olds) do 1 week and of course no mobiles. It’s 2 weeks for 8-11 year olds

I mean, this isn't new? There was a payphone when I went to PGL about 30 years ago but we weren't allowed to use it, calls to family only for emergencies so kids don't get homesick.

He can tell you all the exciting things he's doing when he gets home.

And at another scout camp this week two young boys were caught filming a woman in the shower with their phones.

DH runs a scout group.

They are going on camp over the summer.

Parents have been told any child found with a phone will be sent home.

Why? Because he can't safeguard with phone and the kids are supposed to be busy with activities. If they are on phones they can't.

Plus there's a history of problems with PARENTS contacting kids in the past. DH said never again after that.

It's GOOD for the kids to have no contact with parents. The whole point of Scouts is to build resilience and independence from parents. Phones completely undermine it.

There'd been noises that several children were planning to flout a no phones rule and bring a phone anyway, hence DH deciding to go full on draconian about it to stop anyone thinking about it.

It's a form NO from me.

There's an in touch if any one needs to contact the kids / adults urgently.

I have no experience of scouts, but thought this was a normal approach? All of DD’s primary school and secondary school residential trips had a ‘no phone’ rule, mainly due to kids being perfectly content during the day, phoning home in the evening and then becoming upset after speaking to parents. Better to just plough through and avoid the emotional drama.

College trips are a different matter entirely - almost constant photos and requests for more £££ 😆

Completely agree. No phones. I had several DCs at scout camps over the years and no phones.
If there was an urgent message then there is a link person - often another scout leader or a spouse.
They need time away from mummy. Camps are built up slowly according to age (day camp, one night in the scout hut, weekend, week then eventually abroad) and the young person should be doing their own packing and eventually cooking and clearing up.

It’s always been like that for many years and it is a good idea for a whole host of reasons. It will do them good to have a break from phones and interact with each other.

It's a great idea.

I can tell you from a teacher/school trip point of view that we banned phones. We could not police the content kids were accessing, or showing others, or the photos/videos they were taking. It was a nightmare.

Also, my son runs cubs and scouts camps, because he really enjoyed them as a kid, and likes to give back to the community.

But the petty complaints from parents - when the leaders give up an awful lot of their time for free to organise and run events - is making him re-think this after quite a lot of years of being involved. There is never any thanks or gratitude from parents for the fact that he has given up a week of his annual leave to help run these events, or that he's basically on call 24/7. They are very quick to complain about silly things, however.

If your 14 year old son can't cope with being an hour away from home for a week without his phone, then you've gone badly wrong in raising him. God knows how us older folk coped without being traumatised.

I’d be applauding this, not questioning it.

My son went to his junior poacher day today - he’s had an amazing day, I hope your son has enjoyed it. It makes me nostalgic for being a scout, though all my camps ended up in downpours and a more mudpit vibe than they’ve got this week. Part of the freedom is being free to experience things without fear of being filmed or worrying what you look like or who’s watching. If there was an issue, all the leaders will have phones so he’d be able to call you from their phone.

OP, is your username because of the Scout camp or just general? Because it is a bit unhealthy to be worrying about his lack of phone if it is to reassure you at his age. The phone policy is very sensible - it’s just too hard to police, especially at such a massive camp. Try to see it as a learning and positive experience for him - lots of adults go to no phone retreats!

If you've ever been on a residential where a parent has turned up because their dc phoned in tears saying they couldn't cope - and you've had to take them round to see their their dc is happily joining in without a worry in the world, then you'd agree with the policy.

Problem is kid has a wobble, low moment and has their phone. They phone thinking it will give them some reassurance, and find that actually it makes the homesickness worse. They come off the phone, and someone calls to them and they go and join in... and find that actually they're enjoying it and are happy.
Meanwhile parent worries because they've had that phone call. Kid won't answer it (because they're now having great fun and aren't thinking about their phone) and so they decide they're going to have to go and rescue their poor child.

If they don't have phone, they have to go through a leader to speak to parents which means that firstly the leader has a chance to distract them (which works most of the time) and also then the leader is aware that they're struggling and so can keep an eye on them.

He is a scout, not a Beaver. He will be fine. You do not need to be in contact. Hope he comes back with lots of tales of the fun he has had.

I wish they had this rule at my daughter’s residential in September. Sounds great.

This is normal for us. No phones on camps or residentials.

So the scout leaders collect them in and what happens if one or two or all go missing or they get damaged? Some little scrote doesn’t hand his back and records your child in the shower(lol they don’t wash) or in a vulnerable position, and sends it to friends or posts it online? Would you be happy? Logistically they don’t have a safe to put them in. They are at a camp where other kids adults are on site. This measure is purely for the protection of your child and their property and the about leaders protection. Trust me, scout leaders put up with a lot on camps, add to that precious parents who want their child to phone every night but also look after personal property is a bit much.

Kind of nice for them to get away from screens for the week, I appreciate this about scouts. My DS is much younger and in beavers, I love the good old fashioned fun they have.

Having said that, my DS is in cadets and they allow phones. Obviously the children’s responsibility so if they lose it, that’s on them.

Cut the apron strings a little...

No phones means the kids actually learn to communicate with each other properly.

Glad to see Poacher is still running. I went 30 years ago, and no, we didn't phone home then either...

Whats the point of doing a camp if they’re going to spend all the time on the phone. It’s not necessary. Let them get on with enjoying that and leave them be. This sounds more like the parent wanting control from afar.

Gosh, however did us Guides etc and leaders cope without such thing in the 1980's? I know we were just having too much fun to miss home.

I’ve got a child at Poacher currently - the third Poacher in a row I’ve sent one of mine to. I am very grateful they’re not allowed phones and I’m surprised your child’s friend was allowed to take one. They need to be talking to one another, not their parents. He’ll come home full of stories, it’s a very well run event.

My DS aged 11 is just back from a 7 night scout camp and wasn’t allowed phone, he was absolutely fine! The leaders had our details and we had theirs. If there had been any kind of emergency the right calls would have been made!

No adult is going to give their time to taking children away to have an exciting experience only to police phone usage the whole time.

There are countless reasons why phones should not be taken, and none why they should be.

If a 7YO at beavers/brownie camp can cope without needing to phone home then it’s laughable really to suggest that a 14YO needs to. Not to mention kids often don’t fully engage with the activities when their phone is an alternative and most importantly the huge concerns around safeguarding.

One of mine is also at Poacher!