Although the scouts are away from home for the week it does not mean you can't stay in contact. Horseshoe does have a working mail system which parents and scouts can use. It's not the most effective system but it still works. A scoutmaster will periodically pick the mail up from Headquarters and then have a mail call in which it is distributed to the scouts back in camp.
Scoutmaster's Caution[]
Parents naturally want to keep in contact with their boys and the scouts love to hear from their parents but there is a danger in sending mail. New scouts often suffer with homesickness and a letter from home is only going to make that worse. Often a scout will finally be getting over that homesickness after four days and then on Thursday they get a letter from home and are a mess again. We're not going to prevent you from contacting your son but please keep it in mind that although your intentions are good, the mail might end up having a detrimental effect especially if you send a lot of mail and talk about how much you miss him, all the stuff going on back home, etc. Try to keep messages fairly short, focused on asking him how much fun he's having, and avoid projecting emotions into the letter. Homesickness is generally only an issue with first or second year campers so the older scouts shouldn't have any trouble with mail call.
Snail Mail[]
Incoming[]
Horseshoe does receive mail but that doesn't mean that mail delivery is quick. It's best to send any mail early in the week or even send it a few days BEFORE your child leaves for camp. Otherwise it might arrive after our week is over and Paoli 1 is long gone. Post delivery has gotten better over the years but it is still slower than back home.
Remember, you aren't limited to just sending letters. The best communication is often just a short card accompanied by a care package. This will raise a boy's spirits like nothing else and for a homesick boy it is less likely to make him feel more sick but also conveys a stronger message that his parents are thinking about him. Make sure to pack plenty because packages are often shared with a patrol (yes, it is often just like depicted in army movies).
Outgoing[]
There is a postcard day in which all scouts must fill out and mail a postcard or else they cannot enter the Dining Hall for lunch. Scouts can write to whomever they want whether that be their parents, grandparents, siblings, or even their dog. Often scouts will jokingly swap parents and write letters to their best friend's mom about how camp is. Just like with incoming mail, the boys' postcards will sometimes arrive back home AFTER the scouts do.
Email[]
Horseshoe is still rooted in the outdoors but it is not without some modern conveniences. Headquarters does have working internet for the administration of the camp and this means that the camp does receive emails. They will print this emails out and distribute them just like any old letter. This is of course a huge convenience for parents who don't need to take the time to physically write a letter, acquire stationary, pay postage, drop it in the mail, and then hope it gets to camp in a few days. Of course an email and a real letter may contain the same words but they are not the same thing.
Scouts can receive emails from Headquarters but they can not send emails due to the no electronics policy.