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gold bond
03-20-2007, 09:42
As a Scout leader one of the worst fears that I have is not bringing home one of my boys. When a parent drops off their child to us on friday afternoon they expect to get their son back...a little dirtier and alot more smelly...but back. Please pray for the scout with Gods help and hopefully his skills he will be alright. Pray for his parents and for the scoutmasters and their families. None of us can ever imagine what this must be like. I would trade places with this boy in a minute if I could.I know t5hat with the power of prayer we can bring this boy home safe and sound!

Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-20-2007, 09:57
Prayers continue to rise.

headonkey
03-20-2007, 10:09
I was hoping to see a thread like this. That boy is my mom's boss' son. Its had me worried for the past couple days. It crossed my mind to take off work and head up there, but I knew with the dogs, ATVs, and helicopters, they have all the help they need. Prayer continues to be our only source. I'll update you guys as soon as I find out anything.

Chad

Heater
03-20-2007, 11:17
Looks like they found him. Yaaaaaaaaaaaay:banana

I guess his dad owes him five bucks! :D

Midway Sam
03-20-2007, 11:24
Thank God! Looks like his Scout training might have done him some good.

saimyoji
03-20-2007, 11:25
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/20/missing.scout/index.html

Heater
03-20-2007, 11:36
...and Ranger Tina is a babe! :D

pitdog
03-20-2007, 11:38
They found him.

vipahman
03-20-2007, 12:02
They found him.
Fantastic news!

Sly
03-20-2007, 12:27
...and Ranger Tina is a babe! :D

Yeah, a good area to get lost! ;) Great news about the missing boy.

zelph
03-20-2007, 12:31
Prayers work!!!!!!

Our Heavenly Father watches over our little tykes. They are our future.

neo
03-20-2007, 12:34
As a Scout leader one of the worst fears that I have is not bringing home one of my boys. When a parent drops off their child to us on friday afternoon they expect to get their son back...a little dirtier and alot more smelly...but back. Please pray for the scout with Gods help and hopefully his skills he will be alright. Pray for his parents and for the scoutmasters and their families. None of us can ever imagine what this must be like. I would trade places with this boy in a minute if I could.I know t5hat with the power of prayer we can bring this boy home safe and sound!

:) he is safe and sound.they found him.i am an assistant scout master
and my 2 sons are scouts:cool: neo

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070320/ap_on_re_us/missing_boy_scout

Ender
03-20-2007, 12:39
Excellent news. Congrats to the S&R people who put in all the effort to find him. And now the kid will have one heck of a story to tell!

SteveJ
03-20-2007, 12:40
Thank God! Looks like his Scout training might have done him some good.

great that they found him - I've been watching this with interest. Not sure whether 'scout training' had anything to do with him being found / surviving, tho. I told our troop's SM about this yesterday. He opened the troop meeting last night by asking the boys what 3 scout rules this boy had broken. 1) always have a buddy, 2) on a trip like this tell someone before you leave camp w/ your buddy, 3) he didn't follow the STOP principle we teach boys earning Tenderfoot rank: when you realize you're lost, STOP: Stay calm, Think, Observe, and Plan - with the basic idea that if you're lost and don't know how to get out of the situation, stay still so it's easier for others to find you.... sounds like they found him about 1.5 miles from camp, OK, slightly dehydrated - an ideal outcome! I'll bet he doesn't wander off again! Hopefully the experience won't scare him out of Boy Scouts....

Smile
03-20-2007, 12:47
:banana

Thank you God, this boys parents must be so happy!

sirbingo
03-20-2007, 12:59
I hope they find him. :(

headonkey
03-20-2007, 13:11
I hope they find him. :(

They already did... Never hurts to hope some more though!

gold bond
03-20-2007, 13:11
I knew the WB family would come thru!!! My eye's are welled to the point it is hard to type! I don't know this young man nor his family but being a Scout...WE ARE FAMILY!! When one of us hurts we all hurt,just like here in WB. May God bless each one of you all..keep you and your families safe...and let's all hope that we never have to experience what this family and his Scoutmaster's had to go thru. Like I said earlier, as A Scoutmaster it is my responsibility that on friday when I take someones child to camp, to return them. The last thing a mother usually does when she drops her son off is to tell him that she loves him, have a good time, and be a good boy. Then her and I usually will make eye contact...no words need to be said!
Again, thanks to the WB family for all your prayers!! See you on the trail.

sliderule
03-20-2007, 13:14
"Auberry, a Greensboro, North Carolina, attorney, said if he had it to do all over again, he would allow Michael to take part in the camp out.

"Someone asked me yesterday if there's anyone to blame, and there's no one to blame," Auberry said."

An attorney who can't find anyone to blame!!! Pray for him!!!

Midway Sam
03-20-2007, 13:43
"Auberry, a Greensboro, North Carolina, attorney, said if he had it to do all over again, he would allow Michael to take part in the camp out.

"Someone asked me yesterday if there's anyone to blame, and there's no one to blame," Auberry said."

An attorney who can't find anyone to blame!!! Pray for him!!!

LMAO!!!!!!

TOW
03-20-2007, 17:36
Prayers work!!!!!!

Our Heavenly Father watches over our little tykes. They are our future.
He sure does. I prayed last night and this morning on the way to work for that kid. I decided this morning if they had not found him I would leave and go help look for him, Praise God I didn't have to!

mweinstone
03-20-2007, 17:45
just heard. so so so glad. what a story this kid has for the rucks. we need to recruit him into ATdom. im thinkin its a book for sure. then movie. and now,...........the talk show circut.

strnorm
03-20-2007, 19:14
Seen it nbc news tonite,does anyone know the lady that found him? or have an e-mail for her?:D

strnorm
03-20-2007, 19:16
he and the lady that found him deserve a wb t -shirt:rolleyes:

moxie
03-21-2007, 09:02
he and the lady that found him deserve a wb t -shirt:rolleyes:
The lady and the dog both deserve a T shirt and a heck of alot more, but not the lost kid according to the news sources I have read and heard. The kid was unhappy on the trip. He decided to hitchhike home without telling anyone. He got lost after leaving camp. Had he left a note or told someone his plans he never would have gotten lost and causing a search that cost countless money and man hours. I feel sorry for the kid and what happened is very unfortunate. There was a happy ending but the boy caused the problem himself and to reward his actions with a Whiteblaze T shirt would be very wrong. As an EMT and a certified Outdoor Emergency Care Tech. I have seen to many of these situations and sometimes they don't turn out as well as this one. When a person gets lost through no fault of their own it is one thing but too often searches are brought on by bad judgement or just plain stupid actions.

D'Artagnan
03-21-2007, 09:16
I was standing near the mobile command center yesterday when the radio call came in that they had found Michael. Once his condition was confirmed and word started to spread, you could see a huge wave of relief come over those assembled -- especially the leaders of his BSA Troop.

I and five other members of our volunteer fire department had gone to aid in the search. We were signed in and next-in-line to be sent out when he was found by a tracking dog. I understand the dog and lady who found Michael were from South Carolina and yesterday was their first day out.

It was amazing to see the numbers of law enforcement, park rangers, Red Cross, and other folks whose sole purpose was to find this lad. The search teams were very well organized and very professional. What I found a little disconcerting was the news organizations present and what I can only describe as almost a "feeding frenzy" when Tina came out to give the official announcement they had found Michael. The cameramen were crowding around her and jockeying for position. She was sorta short and in an instant, she was obliterated from view.

I was very relieved when they found Michael. I believe a lot of prayers were answered yesterday.

mudhead
03-21-2007, 09:58
The little wingnut, after he is checked out at the hospital, needs a swift kick in the a$$.

gold bond
03-21-2007, 10:17
I want to tread on this subject very lightly. I do not want to offend anyone. As you have read in my last couple of posts, and as I was the one who started this thread, that I am a very passionate person. I'm passionate about the trail, about my family as well as very passionate about scouting. Scouting has been my life for so many years. I have had boys come up to me and say, "do you remember me, I was in your cub/boy scout den/troop." It always warms my heart to see these boys again after so many years and to see how well most have them have done. The boys in my home troop are my family...there my son's as well. I treat them, yes "disipline" them(as much as BSA will allow!)them as they were my own. That being said...I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with alot of special need scouts. As well as young scouts who, and my son was one of them at first, did not want to be at a certain campout or activity. One of the purposes of scouting is to teach these boys "man skills" (trying not to sound to macho!) and help them become a little more "independant". Try and let's say,"cut'em loose from mom's apron strings! Again, please do not take this all wrong! That being said..some boys take a little longer to transition than others. It can push a Scoutmasters patience to the limits sometimes! Some boys come from families where...well their just plain spoiled! Then theres the boys who have learning disabilities, ADD, ADHD, autism, ausenburgers,etc.. with all of the above thrown in. They are the real challenges! This young man / boy has, and I do not know him, one of these or a combanation of these problems. Again, I do not know him or his family, but just looking at his picture and listening to his dads interview I can see some of these tendacies. I only hope that the scoutmasters were aware or advised of whatever the problem(s) are and are capable of handling them. After watching the interview this morning on the Today show I'm not sure of what all is going on. I do know this..if I was that boys father I would.....well lets just say it would NEVER happen again!!

Midway Sam
03-21-2007, 10:35
I want to tread on this subject very lightly. I do not want to offend anyone. As you have read in my last couple of posts, and as I was the one who started this thread, that I am a very passionate person. I'm passionate about the trail, about my family as well as very passionate about scouting. Scouting has been my life for so many years. I have had boys come up to me and say, "do you remember me, I was in your cub/boy scout den/troop." It always warms my heart to see these boys again after so many years and to see how well most have them have done. The boys in my home troop are my family...there my son's as well. I treat them, yes "disipline" them(as much as BSA will allow!)them as they were my own. That being said...I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with alot of special need scouts. As well as young scouts who, and my son was one of them at first, did not want to be at a certain campout or activity. One of the purposes of scouting is to teach these boys "man skills" (trying not to sound to macho!) and help them become a little more "independant". Try and let's say,"cut'em loose from mom's apron strings! Again, please do not take this all wrong! That being said..some boys take a little longer to transition than others. It can push a Scoutmasters patience to the limits sometimes! Some boys come from families where...well their just plain spoiled! Then theres the boys who have learning disabilities, ADD, ADHD, autism, ausenburgers,etc.. with all of the above thrown in. They are the real challenges! This young man / boy has, and I do not know him, one of these or a combanation of these problems. Again, I do not know him or his family, but just looking at his picture and listening to his dads interview I can see some of these tendacies. I only hope that the scoutmasters were aware or advised of whatever the problem(s) are and are capable of handling them. After watching the interview this morning on the Today show I'm not sure of what all is going on. I do know this..if I was that boys father I would.....well lets just say it would NEVER happen again!!

I fully understand where you are coming from. I do think, however, that the Scoutmasters should be reminded of a few core Scouting rules, namely "two deep leadership". I realize that the boy walked away AFTER everyone had returned, but it was still a breach of the rules that he was left at camp with only one adult.

gold bond
03-21-2007, 11:04
Sam, according to the interview this morning with the SM, who by the way wasn't there, and three of the scouts, they were all eating lunch and while everyone was there, how many SM I do not know, I can only assume they were following the GSS, he just "dissappeared". How that happens I don't know, but can say from "experience" it does happen. Had a boy get lost from our troop, not to this extent, during a bad storm, and there were 35 boys and 12 SM! We found him about twenty minutes later and he said he thought he had seen someone he knew and went to talk to them. This boy had ausenberger's disease. Kinda like a little "Rainman", very book smart, no social skills or "street sense". Friendly as all get out, a great kid! Needless to say for the rest of that week at camp he had a "special" buddy, we actually worked out a schedule with all the boys where Matt(not his real name) was never alone. Thats why I say I hope the SM had all the "facts " about this boy. We as leaders were never told about Matts condition. The father which was later confronted by all of us adults when we got home,said that he was just "trying to see how Matt would do in that type of situation" After that the only way Matt could go on a activity was if Matts dad would be able to go so he could personnally see how Matt was doing! We weren't trying to be unreasonable just thought this was in everyones best interest and Matts safety. I only hope that there was more than one adult leader there while everyone was away. I have never cancelled a trip, but would not hesitate to do so if we did'nt have enough "adult" leadership.
Home sickness is always a hard one to deal with. These boys that are homesick think the whole world is coming to an end! If you can get theme to stay 2-3 nights at a summer camp or do a whole weekend trip they will usually outgrow HS. This boy seemed young and in some way "special". Maybe I'm wrong...just a gut feeling!

leeki pole
03-21-2007, 11:07
The lady and the dog both deserve a T shirt and a heck of alot more, but not the lost kid according to the news sources I have read and heard. The kid was unhappy on the trip. He decided to hitchhike home without telling anyone. He got lost after leaving camp. Had he left a note or told someone his plans he never would have gotten lost and causing a search that cost countless money and man hours. I feel sorry for the kid and what happened is very unfortunate. There was a happy ending but the boy caused the problem himself and to reward his actions with a Whiteblaze T shirt would be very wrong. As an EMT and a certified Outdoor Emergency Care Tech. I have seen to many of these situations and sometimes they don't turn out as well as this one. When a person gets lost through no fault of their own it is one thing but too often searches are brought on by bad judgement or just plain stupid actions.

No offense, but I agree completely. I told my wife last night that something wasn't right about this whole situation. I'm glad the little guy's okay and the rescue dog deserves a medal for his or her heroic work. All's well that ends well.:)

The Weasel
03-21-2007, 11:10
great that they found him - I've been watching this with interest. Not sure whether 'scout training' had anything to do with him being found / surviving, tho. I told our troop's SM about this yesterday. He opened the troop meeting last night by asking the boys what 3 scout rules this boy had broken. 1) always have a buddy, 2) on a trip like this tell someone before you leave camp w/ your buddy, 3) he didn't follow the STOP principle we teach boys earning Tenderfoot rank: when you realize you're lost, STOP: Stay calm, Think, Observe, and Plan - with the basic idea that if you're lost and don't know how to get out of the situation, stay still so it's easier for others to find you.... sounds like they found him about 1.5 miles from camp, OK, slightly dehydrated - an ideal outcome! I'll bet he doesn't wander off again! Hopefully the experience won't scare him out of Boy Scouts....

Steve, you have a good SM there. Keep it up!

The Weasel
>--WWW-->

Midway Sam
03-21-2007, 11:12
Sam, according to the interview this morning with the SM, who by the way wasn't there, and three of the scouts, they were all eating lunch and while everyone was there, how many SM I do not know, I can only assume they were following the GSS, he just "dissappeared". How that happens I don't know, but can say from "experience" it does happen. Had a boy get lost from our troop, not to this extent, during a bad storm, and there were 35 boys and 12 SM! We found him about twenty minutes later and he said he thought he had seen someone he knew and went to talk to them. This boy had ausenberger's disease. Kinda like a little "Rainman", very book smart, no social skills or "street sense". Friendly as all get out, a great kid! Needless to say for the rest of that week at camp he had a "special" buddy, we actually worked out a schedule with all the boys where Matt(not his real name) was never alone. Thats why I say I hope the SM had all the "facts " about this boy. We as leaders were never told about Matts condition. The father which was later confronted by all of us adults when we got home,said that he was just "trying to see how Matt would do in that type of situation" After that the only way Matt could go on a activity was if Matts dad would be able to go so he could personnally see how Matt was doing! We weren't trying to be unreasonable just thought this was in everyones best interest and Matts safety. I only hope that there was more than one adult leader there while everyone was away. I have never cancelled a trip, but would not hesitate to do so if we did'nt have enough "adult" leadership.
Home sickness is always a hard one to deal with. These boys that are homesick think the whole world is coming to an end! If you can get theme to stay 2-3 nights at a summer camp or do a whole weekend trip they will usually outgrow HS. This boy seemed young and in some way "special". Maybe I'm wrong...just a gut feeling!

From CNN.com (emphasis mine)...

"Michael, who is from Greensboro, North Carolina, had remained with an adult at the campsite Saturday while other Scouts went for a hike, said Bauer of the park service."

That's a violation of BSA Youth Protection rules.

Footslogger
03-21-2007, 11:13
Can't really comment on this incident but in my 12+ years as an ASM during the 80's and 90's the single most effective safegaurd against a scout wandering off alone is the "buddy system". Regardless of your leader/scout ratio sooner or later it becomes difficult if not impossible to keep an eye on every scout at ALL times out in the woods.

Yes, the leaders have to keep an eye on things and a "mental note" regarding the location of the scouts ...but I'll tell you, if a scout wants to wander off in dense woods (for whatever reason) he's gonna wander off.

The "buddy system" and very frequent communication among the group members (adults AND scouts) is the single best way to make sure everyone is present and/or accounted for. Heck, we had scouts go into the woods to take a leak and get disoriented. But if they went in pairs there was a much better chance they would find their way back or start calling out for assistance.

'Slogger

gold bond
03-21-2007, 11:20
AMEN slogger! Just to get them to do it all the time though. They think thier invincable and will last for ever. I can't say how many times I've heard, "what..that'll never happen to me" Guess I was hard headed at that age to!

Footslogger
03-21-2007, 11:34
AMEN slogger! Just to get them to do it all the time though. They think thier invincable and will last for ever. I can't say how many times I've heard, "what..that'll never happen to me" Guess I was hard headed at that age to!
=============================

Well ...the other side of the coin is that after all my scouting experience I wouldn't have it any other way. Curiosity is natural for a youngster. To chase a butterfly, frog, snake or spider is what kid's do. We used to have "free time" when the scouts could pair off and explore their surroundings. But we ALSO made sure that they wore watches and checked in every 10 - 15 minutes.

For the number of young scouts who are taken on campouts/hikes the incidents like this one are few. Not trying to minimize the seriousness of this incident but sometimes the outcome of this sort of thing is a "lock down" on activities which I think is counterproductive in the long haul.

'Slogger

littlelaurel59
03-21-2007, 12:17
I can't decide whether the boy should receive credit for the Wilderness Survival merit badge, or be demoted for violating an important Tenderfoot requirement :)

Seriously though, it was a good ending to a potentially tragic situation. For those of us who are scout leaders, it reminds us to take our responsibilities seriously. Those include receiving proper training ourselves, seeing that the boys learn outdoor skills, and keeping eyes and ears open when we take boys out.

Even when we do all those things, mishaps can still occur (as was apparently the case in this event). But if we fail to do the above, we increase the chances of bad things happening.

I hope the parents, the boy, and the scouters get together, say a prayer of thanks, discuss the event, and then get the boy back out in the woods (I would try to be sure some close friends come along). The worst thing that could happen now would be for him to give up.

jesse
03-21-2007, 12:36
Sat. when I told my 12 yo son/scout about this boy, The first thing he said was, "he did not stay with his buddy".

I am leading our troop on a trip to the Cohutta Wilderness in May. What I have noticed on hikes is they will not stay together. There will be a mile seperation between the leader and the last boy. Any ideas?

I'm thinking about getting some of those chains they use when they move prisoners around.

Footslogger
03-21-2007, 12:48
I am leading our troop on a trip to the Cohutta Wilderness in May. What I have noticed on hikes is they will not stay together. There will be a mile seperation between the leader and the last boy. Any ideas?

I'm thinking about getting some of those chains they use when they move prisoners around.

===================================

Until you can get them to cooperate and keep each other "in sight" at all times I would suggest you put the slowest hiker in front. The "gazelles" will bitch and moan but it will tend to keep them from getting so spread out on the trail. This method generally worked pretty well for me.

Another suggestion, if the first one won't work, is to institute a rule that EVERY member of the troop accept responsibility for looking back over their shoulder frequently and NEVER allowing the person behind them from getting out of sight.

'Slogger

Midway Sam
03-21-2007, 13:19
Sat. when I told my 12 yo son/scout about this boy, The first thing he said was, "he did not stay with his buddy".

I am leading our troop on a trip to the Cohutta Wilderness in May. What I have noticed on hikes is they will not stay together. There will be a mile seperation between the leader and the last boy. Any ideas?

I'm thinking about getting some of those chains they use when they move prisoners around.

We put one leader in the front, one in the rear. Scouts do not get in front of the front leader or behind the rear leader.

hawkeye
03-21-2007, 13:38
We put one leader in the front, one in the rear. Scouts do not get in front of the front leader or behind the rear leader.

Works for us so far.

frieden
03-21-2007, 14:27
I am fuming, so please forgive me if I am unable to completely contain it. The lady didn't find him, the kid didn't save himself, and all those police and rescue teams didn't find him either - THE DOG FOUND HIM! The dog got some passing mention on the third page of this thread.

It is common to send the dog out as a last resort, especially a volunteer team. Why? Money and ego. This policy has cost lives, and still hasn't changed! A dog can find the person/article within minutes, versus hours or days (or maybe never) of a human team.

As a parent, I would demand the K-9 team to be brought out first. No offense to the human teams, but when the life of someone I care about is on the line, I want the best for the job.

cannonball
03-21-2007, 14:59
As a long time scout leader I would never allow myself to be in a situation as the only adult with a bunch of kids. Not only does 2 deep give support to safety it also gives a witnessing adult. A disgruntled kid, not such an uncommon thing these days, can easily make up a bogus story about a SL abusing him. No way in hell do I get my rep drug through the mud by some kid.
2 Rules for any one in a posistion of leadership over kids.
!. never be alone.
2. never be with kids where you are not in plane view of others.


BTW Gold Bond. It is Aspergers disorder which is a form of high functioning autism, that I believe you were refering to in an earlier post.

roaddamage
03-21-2007, 14:59
4 days, and he only went a mile and a half. Someone should teach this kid to not wander off, but if he's going to...how to navigate in wooded terrain. Thanks to this kid's inability to end up more than a mile and half away from his starting point in a four day period, he was found.

leeki pole
03-21-2007, 17:48
I am fuming, so please forgive me if I am unable to completely contain it. The lady didn't find him, the kid didn't save himself, and all those police and rescue teams didn't find him either - THE DOG FOUND HIM! The dog got some passing mention on the third page of this thread.

It is common to send the dog out as a last resort, especially a volunteer team. Why? Money and ego. This policy has cost lives, and still hasn't changed! A dog can find the person/article within minutes, versus hours or days (or maybe never) of a human team.

As a parent, I would demand the K-9 team to be brought out first. No offense to the human teams, but when the life of someone I care about is on the line, I want the best for the job.


Amen, bro. That's why me and my buddy are going through SAR training.
Cheers to you and your best buddy. :)

MOWGLI
03-21-2007, 17:53
I'm happy they found the kid. I can't imagine the anguish that his parents felt until they found him.

I spent a week at Doughton Park last September - building a new 1 mile section of the Mountains to Sea Trail. It's a pretty area. I can't for the life of me imagine how he couldn't find his way out sooner since the Blue Ridge Parkway runs right through there. But then again, the kid was 12, and its really easy to second guess somebody else when you weren't there.

SteveJ
03-21-2007, 19:14
I'm happy they found the kid. I can't imagine the anguish that his parents felt until they found him.

I spent a week at Doughton Park last September - building a new 1 mile section of the Mountains to Sea Trail. It's a pretty area. I can't for the life of me imagine how he couldn't find his way out sooner since the Blue Ridge Parkway runs right through there. But then again, the kid was 12, and its really easy to second guess somebody else when you weren't there.

If the boy has Asberger's (sp?), or some other mental issue, it's pretty easy to imagine it happening... A couple of years ago, a Scout in our troop w/ Asberger's went on his first backpacking trip. I was the adult "sweep" (last guy in the group), and went up that mountain (Shining Rock) with my figurative foot up this boy's rear - it took us 8 hours to walk 6 miles....the boy would get distracted and just stop in the trail and look blankly ahead...about 2/3rds of the way up I radioed the SM that I was done, and he'd have to take over sweep duty.....toughest hike of my Scouting career!

SteveJ
03-21-2007, 19:24
We put one leader in the front, one in the rear. Scouts do not get in front of the front leader or behind the rear leader.

same here... [warning - thread drift!] a few years ago, we had 3 16 year old boys in our troop who were all 3 in the top 5 in the state running cross country... we made the mistake of letting them take the lead! I 'ran' with them for 2 or 3 miles 'till they left me huffing by the side of the trail. It's a balancing act, tho. If you're doing a trip for the whole troop, you are likely to have a group of boys aged 11 - 17, in all types of physical condition. We usually allow the older boys to break ahead (w/ 1 or 2 leaders who can keep up w/ them - 1 will have a radio to stay in contact w/ whoever's running sweep) because we hate to make the trip miserable for them having to shuffle along waiting on an 11 y.o. who's doing the hardest thing he's ever done.... in the past we've had 35 or 40 boys on a backpacking trip - this has worked pretty well for a group that size...

SteveJ
03-21-2007, 19:35
Steve, you have a good SM there. Keep it up!

The Weasel
>--WWW-->

I agree, The Weasel! I'm hoping to keep him around a few more years - his son Eagled and aged out last year. He was awarded the District SM of the year this year, so hopefully he's hooked in for another couple of years! He also runs the council's ranger camp (great program if anyone has teenage scouts - male or female - and want to send them: http://www.nega-bsa.org/pdf/crm/2007/rangerCamp.pdf climbing and rapelling is on Mt Yonah - last year they did a 100 foot rappel off a rock face on Mt Yonah - at night - that the boys are still talking about)

NICKTHEGREEK
03-21-2007, 19:48
Thank God! Looks like his Scout training might have done him some good.
I'm extremely glad they found him but what part of scout training taught him to just leave and try to hitch back home?

nutlub
03-21-2007, 21:44
I am not a religious man but I sure hope they find him...

littlelaurel59
03-21-2007, 21:44
I am fuming, so please forgive me if I am unable to completely contain it. The lady didn't find him, the kid didn't save himself, and all those police and rescue teams didn't find him either - THE DOG FOUND HIM! The dog got some passing mention on the third page of this thread.

It is common to send the dog out as a last resort, especially a volunteer team. Why? Money and ego. This policy has cost lives, and still hasn't changed! A dog can find the person/article within minutes, versus hours or days (or maybe never) of a human team.

As a parent, I would demand the K-9 team to be brought out first. No offense to the human teams, but when the life of someone I care about is on the line, I want the best for the job.

Gandalf got the credit, and his picture, in our local newspaper.

moxie
03-22-2007, 08:58
Living in the woods of Maine where we seem to have several "lost people" die each year and many more search and rescue operations I taught my kids how to "get found" as soon as they were able to walk and talk. The first rule is as soon as realize you are lost STAY PUT. You wont be far from where you started and it is much easier to find once they start to look for you. If you must move walk downhill, sooner or later you will find a stream, follow the stream and sooner or later you will either cross a road or come to a river. If you come to a river follow the bank and again sooner or later you will hit a road. Even if you walk all the way to the ocean you will come onto a house, village or someone. My three year old wandered into the woods and tried getting lost to test my theory and was found 45 minutes later sitting beside a road. I wasn't very nice to him but he had faith in my theory and wanted to test it. Today he works full time as a registered Maine Guide and advises his clients how to "get found" using the same theory my father taught me. You may not end up where you wanted but at least you will wind up somewhere safe.

gold bond
03-22-2007, 09:28
Moxie, what a great story! Our troop is working on the W. survival MB as well as we have a merit badge university coming up and would like to know if there is any printed lit on this or what I can put together as a handout. I know what you are talking about but would love to have some lit to use along with it! Appriciate any help you might can give.

Midway Sam
03-22-2007, 09:32
I'm extremely glad they found him but what part of scout training taught him to just leave and try to hitch back home?

My comment was made prior to that revalation. The more I hear, the more I wish to recant that statement. It doesn't sound like he did ANYTHING that he was taught to do in Scouts.

Tin Man
03-22-2007, 09:51
My comment was made prior to that revalation. The more I hear, the more I wish to recant that statement. It doesn't sound like he did ANYTHING that he was taught to do in Scouts.

How do we even know what this particular scout was taught or, if he was taught, was he tested to see if he retained what he was taught? We can speculate all we want about what happened in this case, but we will likely never know all the details.

I lead many hikes for cub scouts and boy scouts and I always insist on the buddy system, staying put if they get separated and having an adult at the front and rear of the group to avoid separation in the first place. The cub scouts are required to carry a whistle and to blow it in the event that they somehow manage to get separated. The boy scouts are told to sound a whistle or yell if they should get separated. We view the adults as ultimately responsible for making sure the boys know what is expected and how to act. However, it scares me to think that a determined boy can walk away from his troop and unwittingly lose himself. If a boy decides to go off on his own, he has broken the many rules of scouting regarding the buddy system, informing others of your whereabouts, being aware or your surroundings and being prepared. This leads me to think he has likely cast aside any other rules he has learned because he has decided he knows better. Scary stuff.

Midway Sam
03-22-2007, 10:03
How do we even know what this particular scout was taught or, if he was taught, was he tested to see if he retained what he was taught? We can speculate all we want about what happened in this case, but we will likely never know all the details.

I was making the assumpmtion that the Leaders of his troop had taught him the basic Wilderness Survival stuff outlined in the BSA Handbook, etc. Not a safe assumption, I realize.

stumpy
03-22-2007, 10:12
His father said that he would pay him $5 if he did not have a good time, and the kid didn't really want to go on the trip. It sounds like he did not enjoy the woods very much, so it is hard to say what he was taught. For that matter, it is hard to say how much he listened to as it was being taught. I am a teacher of students with disabilities and it can be amazing what my students can just forget form day to day. That being said, the father said that he was AD/HD and only took his meds during the week for school. He did not mention and thing about any other type of disorders. The kid was found just 1.5 miles away from camp. That leads me to believe that once he got lost, he just stayed put unitl someone came to get him. I am sure that is what he has been told to do, or at least that is what should have been told to do.

moxie
03-22-2007, 10:15
Moxie, what a great story! Our troop is working on the W. survival MB as well as we have a merit badge university coming up and would like to know if there is any printed lit on this or what I can put together as a handout. I know what you are talking about but would love to have some lit to use along with it! Appriciate any help you might can give.
It us just one of those things that get passed down from father to son. I have never seen the walk downhill theory in print but it does work, So often lost people just wander out of the search area aimlessly. We had a hunter get lost for almost a month but survive when he broke into a camp with food. Had he followed the lakeshore the camp was on he was less that two miles from a settlement. One lost hiker was following a stream but came onto an abandoned logging road that took him 4 miles further into the woods and ended. Had he stayed on the stream he would have found civilization if a few hours. Lost people frequently walk in circles and others try to walk a straight line that is impossible in the woods. Again--first-stay put- and if you can't-walk downhill.

sliderule
03-22-2007, 10:37
I have never seen the walk downhill theory in print but it does work,

Just don't get lost in Florida!!!

moxie
03-22-2007, 12:52
Just don't get lost in Florida!!!
Or Kansas. In Florida a lost person would wander through 3 strip malls before they found a hill to walk down. They could get directions at Starbucks. In Kansas with the flat country and lack of trees they would be able to be seen before they went over the horizon in a week or so.