Kudos to you for banning electronic devices from your campouts — did the same in the troop I had as a Scoutmaster. While you may lose some boys with weak-willed parents, the ones you keep will benefit beyond your imagination. I am sure you are probably doing it already but it is important to be clear about the rules with the parents when they are considering your troop because it makes it more likely you will get their support.
BTW, try to make a Philmont trip, if at all possible. It is a total experience that cannot easily be duplicated on your own. My son went three times and once to Boundary Waters. I got to accompany him to Philmont the first time and would love to go back.
I’m quite clear about the rules with the parents. Many of them are quite devious with me in return, however. I explain very carefully that no cell phones are allowed. At which point I get asked, “But how will he call home?” I explain very carefully that he won’t call home, that he doesn’t need to call home, that if something happens I’ll call them. The usual response is to look at me as if I had just told them I was from Mars. They clearly figure that their kid will have a psychological breakdown if he can’t call home. It seems to me that if an 11-year old kid has to call Mom to make it through the night there’s something wrong. Yes, kids get homesick. No, it won’t kill them. But the apparent thinking is that getting homesick will cause the kid permanent damage. So as a result, after carefully explaining to the parents that no cell phones are allowed on campouts, about 1/4 of them will have them anyway. At least. And then I take them away, give them back to Mom after the campout and tell them to make sure he doesn’t bring it again. At which point Mom looks at me like I’m crazy again, and the odds are 50:50 that kid will never go on another campout.
This last year at summer camp I had one kid, 15 years old, who came with his father. The kid did not have a cell phone. Dad did - he’s an adult. Mom proceeded to call 2x a day to make sure that the kid was going to merit badge classes and - I don’t know, was wearing his rubbers. Apparently Dad can’t be trusted to keep him on track. The kid ended up going home in mid-week.
I have been to Philmont, but it was a tour, not a trek. In September Philmont runs a fly fishing trip for Scouters from various Councils, and I got to go last year. I (and my Scout Executive) drove from Albuquerque through Santa Fe and Taos to Philmont. We tossed our bags into a cabin and then went off site for a bison barbecue with adult beverages, and got a tour of a local museum. Great stuff! The next two days were essentially a tour. We weren't actually particularly interested in fly fishing (we did about 3 hours worth), so our guide drove us all over about 1/2 of Philmont. We saw wild turkeys, wild burros, elk, antelope, deer, bison, and T-Rex tracks. It really makes me want to get some Scouts up there for a trek before I get too old to make one.