We only made small Scouts share a tent. The older Scouts refuse to share tents.
Sorry, but a "buddy system" can't be operative if it's only used part-time:
"The Buddy System SHOULD be used at ALL times. The Buddy System is a safety measure for all Scouting activities."
http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx
So your locals bucked the system & policy guidelines.
Other leaders may feel they don't have that option of selectly choosing which policies they will follow, and which they will toss to the wind.