Be Prepared! (scout motto)

**Spider** · #1 June 22nd, 2005, 07:46 AM

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/06/21...nds/index.html

I was a scout at 8
a scout pack second at 10
a pack leader at 12
later after I graduated high school I was a troop assistant (18)
and a troop leader at 20.

From the age of 8 I camped outdoors with the scouts many many times. Not once
did we ever lose someone or have any bad accidents. Once a year we had the Jamboree.
The Jamboree is where all the troupes in the city do a one-big-gathering camp for one week.
The Jamboree had over 80 adults and over 400 scouts, even at the Jamborees we never
had an incident.

So can someone tell me why this 11 year old kid from Utah became separated from the
other scouts and ended up lost for 4 days? Why he saw searchers on horse back and
hid from them? And why he had an "attitude" when he was discovered...he was grimacing
to all the cameras on him today.

They asked his parents today why he got lost...they said "He has a bad sense of direction".
Pardon? I really want to say more harsh things but he was lost, he's 11, and I'm glad they
found him.

I'm going to be paying attention to this one over the next few days.

Tristansdaz · #2 June 22nd, 2005, 02:24 PM

I agree. I just moved here to Utah and it seems to be a pretty regular thing where scouts get lost. They lost (and never recovered) another one in the same area last August. The mountains are pretty rugged but I grew up in the Sierras and so it's no worse than there. We were always taught to head down hill and eventually a road or something would be found. This kid went up and over a ridge from where he was separated.

When I was in scouts, we had at least a basic survival course before we ever went out to the field. This included how to tell direction from the sun, etc. I wonder if they still teach these things...I'm glad they found him and that he's safe and sound as well.

DELTREE · #3 June 22nd, 2005, 03:32 PM

I was a scout leader at one time.
Sounds to me like he has some kind of a head problem

!

**Spider** · #4 June 23rd, 2005, 04:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tristansdaz

The mountains are pretty rugged but I grew up in the Sierras and so it's no worse than there.

Yea, we are in the Rockies, same ruggedness.

Quote:

We were always taught to head down hill and eventually a road or something would be found.

Same here...down hill to find a road or stream/river.

Quote:

This kid went up and over a ridge from where he was separated

Yea, heard that yesterday and though this was very un-scoutish.

As a scout leader I would seriously look at the troop leaders and ensure they are re-trained before they are
allowed to take children into the bush again.

**Spider** · #5 June 23rd, 2005, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DELTREE

Sounds to me like he has some kind of a head problem

!

Could be yes. What I was thinking is it was 11 year old boys doing what 11 year old
boys do...tease the wimpy kids.

At 11 when you camp for the first time you discover things about your friends you didn't
know until your in this "living daily" situation. The "wimpies" expose themselves and the
other kids get pretty cruel on them.

Maybe the kid got picked on and he bolted and ran away, before he knew it he was lost
and his unsavvyness took over from there and got him five miles away 4 days later.

darth2 · #6 June 23rd, 2005, 08:26 AM

Quote:

As a scout leader I would seriously look at the troop leaders and ensure they are re-trained before they are allowed to take children into the bush again.

I sure think supervision was lacking. If the leader can not keep track of so many boys, then he needs more assistants. Also a point should be stressed to all scouts to use the buddy system.
Although unfortunate, but a great ending, there is always a possibility of endless scenerios.

**Spider** · #7 June 23rd, 2005, 09:08 AM

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...home-headlines

The scenario unfolds...

The drama began Friday at a Scout camp on the east fork of the Bear River. Brennan,
a Cub Scout, was practicing wall climbing when the dinner bell sounded. A friend went
back to camp, but Brennan apparently became disoriented and walked the wrong way.

He was reported missing a short time later, and the search began.

Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds said Brennan might have been hiding from rescuers
because he had been taught not to talk to strangers.

"He didn't approach anyone because he thought he might be abducted," Edmunds said.