General guidelines

1. Use the technology to build relationships with the troop, find useful information, communicate and share excitement about Scouting.

2. Updates to social sites using appropriate photos or clips can share and build excitement about Scouting.

3. Don’t let technology detract from the outdoor experience, the program experience, or the Scouting experience for the troop or patrol.

Trustworthy

• Be truthful with others online.
• Be careful of what information you share.
• Make sure to have permission to share the words or pictures of others.

Loyal

• Use your phone or device in a way that adds to your troop and patrol.
• Post only appropriate photos or clips. A scout would never want to embarrass others with his updates or communication.
• Do not use a phone to exclude some Scouts from the conversation (e.g. secret messages).

Helpful

• Use applications that add to the outdoor experience (e.g. star-map, first aid, or GPS).
• Alert others to scams, cheats, and suspicious sites and point them to reliable sources of information.
• Encourage people to report bad online behavior.
• Use a phone to take appropriate photos of events for the troop or for personal memories.

Friendly

• Use your phone to assist someone else with information or access to communication.
• Use your phone to invite others to join Scouting or to remind fellow Scouts of important events and activities.

Courteous

• Your phone should be silent — beeps, rings, and recorded music take away from the outdoor and Scout experience. If you want music, sing! (clean, appropriate music, of course)
• A device should not be a distraction. Pay attention to the program and fellow Scouts. In a program or troop situation, avoid checking your phone for incoming messages or emails, unless they are messages related to the program. Consider using “airplane mode” and wait to check at designated free times.
• Do not interrupt a conversation with others to stop and check for inbound messages. Focus your attention on personal interactions and conversations.
• Don’t use your phone to insulate you from the outdoors or others.
  • No headphone use during a Scouting activity
  • No electronic games, watching movies, social media unrelated to the scout activity, idle web surfing, shopping, etc.
• Don’t use your phone to play music or videos at an outdoor experience. It takes away from the outdoor experience for you and others.

Kind

• Not everyone can afford a smartphone and not all parents allow their scout to have one. Be sensitive to other scouts. This is no different from any other piece of gear.
• Always treat people with respect while on social networks, playing games, talking, texting, or in other digital activities.

Obedient

• When using digital devices, follow the rules and examples set by parents, guardians, scout leaders, and teachers.
• Abide by the rules on websites, services, devices, and games.
• Be aware that different settings, events, or locations will have different rules for use of electronics.

Cheerful

• Use games, messaging tools, and social forums to build relationships with others and have fun.

Thrifty

• Monitor your phone’s power and learn to take measures to conserve power (turn it off when not in use, switch to “airplane mode” to conserve battery).
• Don’t be overly reliant on your device. For example, be ready and trained with map and compass rather than rely on smartphone GPS.
• Be a smart consumer. Knows your voice, text, and data plans and use them wisely. Do not to run up charges on apps and sites.

Brave

• Call/text/email home in an emergency only. If you think there is an urgent need to contact home, consult an adult leader first.
• Parents need to understand and agree that they are not to send messages or call their Scout while he is out with the program. Communication from home should be routed through an adult leader.
• Stand up for what is right. Do not participate in mocking or bullying others, even if others are doing it. Report suspected abuse to a trusted adult (scout leader, parent, or call 911 as appropriate).

Clean

• Use clean language and only discuss appropriate topics when using digital devices to communicate with others.
• Take responsibility and take care of your device against damage from dirt, drops, water or other hazards. Keep it carefully packed away against damage. Keep your gear in good, working order.

Reverent

• Respect others’ feelings and never use digital devices to spread irreverent ideas.

OTHER

• Parents should first contact the adult leader that is in charge of the activity to determine if it is an acceptable time for phone use, before calling or texting their scout.
• The troop and its leadership are NOT responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged devices. If this is a concern, scouts should leave their devices at home.
• If a phone is lost during a scout activity, the troop will not spend a large amount of time looking for it. It is the Scout’s responsibility to keep track of the phone.
• Adult leadership will NOT provide vehicles, batteries, or other means for charging of cell phones.
• The scout’s cell phone number MUST be given to the Troop. If a leader needs to talk to a scout on the phone then all Youth Protection guidelines will be followed.
• Phones will NOT be taken into restrooms for any reason (charging, private phone calls, or for pictures/video). This is a violation of Youth Protection.
• The Scout will NOT take any pictures or videos of any Scout or Adult Leaders without their permission.
• Taking pictures or video of other scouts in states of disrobe, in their tents, in the restrooms, or in the showers is prohibited and a violation of Youth Protection.
• Accessing adult websites and the watching of inappropriate videos or pictures is prohibited. The Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters have the final say as to what is inappropriate.
• Cyber Bullying is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
• Phones will NOT be a disruption to any of the Troops activities. The Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmasters have the final say as to when it is appropriate to use phones.
• For some activities, the Scoutmaster may decide that it is to be a “No phones” activity.
• Headphone exception: at night, in the tents, earbuds or headphones may be worn, but only if they do not disturb their tent-mates.

 

Sources:
BSA Cyber Chip Program, various policies from other troops