Minor Rant

[Duggie Bravo]

We took the Scouts on camp last weekend and used the brand new hammocks and tarps we had bought.

They had tried them out a week before and got a rocket for leaving a ridge line behind.

We inspected the kit tonight to find one of the hammocks is ripped and they've lost a tent peg.

All fairly minor, but as the evening activity was curtailed to sort out the big tent which we discovered had been packed away with two sets of poles and lots of spare pegs and then check the other tent which had no pegs or poles and luckily wasn't the one tent we had taken.

What annoyed me is the vacant look on their faces when you try to explain how they need to look after things and why.


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[GGTBod]

Damn younguns, shaking old fist at air and stroking greying beard

 

[British Red]

I blame the leaders!

 

[Wayne]

Experiential learning. One long night feeling sorry for themselves and they will learn a new appreciation for their gear. Plus the leaders need to ensure the scouts develop proper systems to ensure the kit is put away and stored correctly. Wont stop the odd incident but will reduce them.

 

[Bishop]

Sun Tzu had a few pointers on this subject..

 

[Hammock_man]

One camp phone the parents at 0200hrs, telling them to come collect the kids as stuff broke, 2nd camp....all's well

 

[Duggie Bravo]

I blame the leaders!

For the big tent I do, the leader concerned has moved on.

I have no idea where the tent peg has gone as I checked the site before we left so they've obviously eaten it.


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[Stew]

That's people for ya. I've been know, as an adult, to accidentally misplace a tent peg.

 

[Stevie777]

Experiential learning. One long night feeling sorry for themselves and they will learn a new appreciation for their gear. .

Na, They'll probably pack the Scouts in....it's the easier option.

 

[Stevie777]

I have no idea where the tent peg has gone as I checked the site before we left so they've obviously eaten it.


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Maybe they have fashioned a spoon out of it..

 

[Goatboy]

One of the reasons the company I worked for didn't do ultra cheap festival packs and disposable BBQ's was to try and get folk away from the disposable culture of it.
I think the fact that any money I had as a kid was from berry and tattie picking helped me know the value of what I bought.
Suppose the make do and mend mentality has gone these days.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[bilmo-p5]

Walk round the pitch barefoot or in flip-flops; sure fire way to find a peg.

 

[decorum]

What annoyed me is the vacant look on their faces when you try to explain how they need to look after things and why.

Been there ... often it's down to not being/feeling connected to the kit*. Assuming thre troop doesn't already do so, perhaps they need an evening or two scheduled in to be shown or learn some basic maintenance fixing skills?

* It's not just kids, plenty of adults have a 'So? Let's just get a new one' attitude . And, at least in part, some of it is also attributable to 'But no one told me not to ...'

I blame the leaders!

Me too

(I generally get the blame when ours say or do something ... interesting/unusual/unexpected/all of the above and I take great pride in that :evilangel: )

 

[John Fenna]

I found that once my Scouts started making their own gear and repairing the Group kit, making replacement pegs etc they also started looking after kit a bit better.....

 

[Tengu]

John has the answer I think

 

[cranmere]

Simple. Next trip you take the kit as they left it and let them sort it out for themselves. Or not.

 

[santaman2000]

Simple. Next trip you take the kit as they left it and let them sort it out for themselves. Or not.

I thought of that too. Then I realized that it won't necessarily be the same kids on the next trip.

 

[potboiler]

I'd like to agree with the "leave it and they'll learn" principle, except:
it's not always the same Scouts next time; some would quite happily pitch a tent inside out with three pegs and act surprised when it falls over and rips in the night... and could you bear to put damaged kit away for the sake of making a point?

Would you be able to confiscate their mobiles and use them as a deposit against return of the gear, perhaps?

 

[Goatboy]

Slightly different but the princible is the same. I supplied all the crockery for the staff to eat grom in the shop. Some took to not doing their dishes. So each unwashed plate I cleaned and stored in my locker 'till no cups or plates were left. They then moaned that they had nothing to have their lunch on. They only got them back with.a solem promise to do their own dishes in future. You could do something similar with the camping gear.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.