RememberSchiff

PINEDALE, Wyoming — Garrett Hunter, 13, was located in “tough terrain” about 1 mile away from his original camp in a drainage area near Junction Lake southeast of Shoshone National Forest, according to Sublette County Sheriff’s Sgt. Travis Bingham. The teen had been hiking with members of a Boy Scout group in the Wind River area near Elkhart Park Saturday morning when he slipped away from the pack to use the bathroom. By the time he returned, the group was gone. “Of course, I panicked,” he said. “I had some weight on me, so I ditched my tent and some trash and went up the mountain.” Garrett was reported missing Saturday afternoon. As time went on, he said he began to wonder if he’d ever get out of the wilderness or if he’d ever see his family again. He kept his backpack and a sleeping bag, and also had some food and a water filter, which he used to drink stream water until he was located. He said he ate ants and bark for extra food until he was located. “It was my first time tasting bugs. They actually weren’t so bad,” he said. Garrett was rescued from the mountain area early Monday morning when it was light enough for the operation. Bingham said the terrain where Garrett was found was too difficult for a helicopter to land, which made the rescue take longer. More at Source + Photos of family reunion and rescuers https://www.ksl.com/article/46368624/draper-scout-rescued-from-wyoming-mountains-reunited-with-family

Yes to those and maybe also an old nose for news and a drive to improve Scouting. I am very glad that young Garrett was found safe and am interested to learn why he left his group. I had a young Asperger scout wander away one night. His buddy had taken his eyes off him for a minute and he was gone. I am sure many parents can relate. We found him about half a mile away happily stargazing in an open area. He did not respond to any of our calls.

FOUND! "Garrett has been found, he is in good health and will stay put with volunteer searchers until morning. More to follow," the Sublette County Sheriff's Office said. He was located around 10:15 p.m. Sunday night. https://abcnews.go.com/US/boy-scout-found-missing-days-hiking-trip/story?id=56906593 https://www.localnews8.com/news/wyoming/search-underway-for-missing-boy-scout-in-wyoming/774680759

July 29, SUBLETTE COUNTY, Wyoming (KIFI/KIDK) - A search and rescue mission is underway for a missing 13-year-old Utah boy. The Sublette County Sheriff's Office said Garrett Hunter, from Draper, Utah, was hiking with a group of about 20 boy scouts and their leaders when he got separated from the group. Hunter was last seen around 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning between the 1000 Island lakes area and Mary's Lake when the group left 1000 Island lakes to head back to the Elkhart Trail. The sheriff's office said Hunter is 5'9", 130 pounds and has light brown hair. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt, gray pants and a blue pack. The sheriff said Hunter does have Asperger's and so he may not approach anyone for help. Police got the call Saturday afternoon about a missing hiker in the Mary's Lake area and immediately, a team of six TipTop Search and Rescue crew members, along with a helicopter from Sublette County, searched the area until dusk but didn't find Hunter. Search efforts resumed Sunday morning with 20 TipTop Search and Rescue members, Teton County Search and Rescue, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and WYK9 out of Jackon Hole all helping. About 38 volunteers from Utah have also come to help search. Anyone who might have been in the area and may know something, call the Sublette County Sheriff's Office at 307-367-4378. https://www.localnews8.com/news/wyoming/search-underway-for-missing-boy-scout-in-wyoming/774680759 https://www.ksl.com/article/46368288/wyoming-officials-searching-for-utah-teen-who-went-missing-in-wind-river-range

https://www.sweetwaternow.com/sheriffs-office-marine-unit-performs-nighttime-rescue/ The scene on Flaming Gorge Wednesday night, lit only by a full moon. SWCSO Photo

I am trying to gather more info. Unsure why a rescue was needed as opposed to just camp in place and resume paddle to other group in morning? What was the emergency, a missed rendezvous? (Sweetwater County, Wyo. – July 27, 2018) Deputies of the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit rescued a party of Boy Scouts stranded on Flaming Gorge late Thursday night. Sweetwater County Sheriff Mike Lowell said the party of nine scouts and three adults from Saratoga Springs, Utah, were on a rafting trip that began Thursday morning when they put their rafts into the Green River in the Jamestown area. Their plan was to raft down the Green, onto Flaming Gorge, then south to Big Firehole, there to join other members of their party already camped there. By about 9:00 PM, the Scouts had traveled about 15 miles downriver from Jamestown, but by then were on Flaming Gorge and still nine miles – and in heavy darkness – from their objective at Big Firehole. Unable to paddle farther, they made it to the Gorge’s eastern shore and used hand radios to summon aid. The party camped at Big Firehole received the radio message, drove a distance east to a point where cell phone coverage was available and contacted the Combined Communications Center in Green River. Two Sheriff’s Office corporals, Steve Powell and Todd Poppie, responded to the call for help in the Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit patrol boat, berthed at Buckboard Marina, south of Firehole. Lowell said the deputies estimated the stranded party’s position and, using the boat’s sophisticated radar, sonar, and GPS systems in the near-total darkness navigated north and located the Scouts at about midnight near Slippery Jim Bottom. None in the party were any the worse for their experience and were transported to Big Firehole in the Marine Unit boat. Lowell credited the successful rescue to the skill and knowledge of Powell and Poppie. Powell, he said, has extensive law enforcement boat training and experience, and Poppie had a long naval career before taking up his current service in law enforcement. http://wyo4news.com/news/sheriffs-office-marine-unit-performs-nighttime-rescue/ https://www.sweetwaternow.com/sheriffs-office-marine-unit-performs-nighttime-rescue/

About 10 years ago, a local private freight/sight-seeing line passed a state park. We inquired if they could transport the troop and make a stop in the park. An idea became an adventure that we still talk about. A couple years later, the line went bankrupt. Later, the state came in with a Rails to Trails program.

The Southwest Chief runs daily between Chicago and Los Angeles and connects towns and cities in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Every summer, the Southwest Chief transports thousands of Boy Scouts from across the country to Philmont Scout Ranch near Cimarron, N.M., generating economic activity for businesses in these rural areas along the way. During a meeting in June between Amtrak’s CEO and a small congressional delegation that included Kansas’ two senators, it was revealed that the train operator is exploring ending passenger train service between Dodge City and Albuquerque, and implementing a bus connection on the route instead. The communities that would lose rail service if the bus service began at Dodge City would include Garden City; Lamar, La Junta and Trinidad, Colo.; Raton, Las Vegas and Lamy, N.M. The proposal did not go over well with any of the lawmakers at the meeting, who had called the meeting to ask Amtrak to stand behind agreements it had previously made to upgrade and maintain its route through the south-central U.S. http://themercury.com/amtrak-exploring-ending-southwest-chief-through-service/article_b38918f6-bbe3-5428-b3d7-257487adeec3.html http://www.krwg.org/post/heinrich-calls-amtrak-uphold-commitment-long-distance-rail-service-southwest-chief

CHESTERFIELD, Mass. More details of sale of Moses Reservation The 186-acre Chesterfield Scout Reservation (MA) was sold to Tolgy Wood , a group that runs live action Renaissance role playing. Selling price was $1 million. Tolgy Wood LLC then executed a 26-year lease agreement with Massachusetts Renaissance Faire LLC. The two companies have the same seven partners, but Tolgy Wood is the owning company and Massachusetts Renaissance Faire is the operating company of the site. Paul Dabkowski, one of the partners in Tolgy Wood and Massachusetts Renaissance Faire, said the plan is for the facility to host live action role-playing games, as well as other events such as weddings. The property includes an outdoor amphitheater, a large dining hall, eight cabins with electricity, adirondack shelters, and a large, modern kitchen, along with a pond and waterfall. The new name of the camp will be Tolgy Wood: Chesterfield Camp. Dabkowski said he and others involved in Tolgy Wood have been renting Chesterfield Scout Reservation since 2003 for the live action role-playing Magestry, which is held one weekend a month almost every month. Dabkowski said each Magestry draws 60 to 130 people. Live action role-playing games, LARPs for short, typically involve people dressing up as fictional characters and engaging in an immersive fantasy world they help to create. Many LARPS, including Magestry, have fantasy settings. The council made the decision to sell the property in 2014, following an 18-month property study that concluded that the council should focus its efforts on the 1,300-acre Horace A. Moses Scout Reservation instead. The council had owned both the Chesterfield Scout Reservation and the Moses Scout Reservation in Russell since the merger of two area councils in 2008. Kruse said that the vote to sell the property by the all-volunteer board of the council was unanimous ...the money would be used to invest in the Moses Scout Reservation, as well as deal with the council’s debt. The Moses Reservation has already seen some improvements such as added metal roofs and the replacements of window and rotting wood in some buildings. Other camper activity investments include an ATV riding program, a water trampoline installation, and a 68 foot climbing tower. Later this year a new bathroom and shower facility will be completed. Dabkowski said that the group has been trying to purchase the property for four years, in a process that included having a lease-to-own agreement with the Boy Scouts rejected and having another purchaser’s offer being taken over one of their offers before that rival offer fell through. “It’s been a roller coaster,” he said. Dabkowski said that the decision to purchase the camp was made because of the effort of breaking down and taking away all the different items associated with Magestry. “The game kept acquiring more and more stuff,” he said. He said the camp will now primarily cater to LARP groups, renting to not only Magestry but to other games as well. He noted that LARP groups have become major customers for summer camps of all kinds in New England. “They’ve become their biggest renter,” he said. Dabkowski and his wife, Angela, another partner in Tolgy Wood and Massachusetts Renaissance Faire, were married at the camp site, and he said that the site will be available for rental for weddings as well. He also said that it will continue to be available for rental by scouting groups. “The rates are going to go up,” he said, noting that the camp will now be paying property taxes and a mortgage. The Boy Scouts of America is a tax-exempt organization. Nevertheless, Dabkowski did express a desire to keep it affordable for scouting. Source and videos https://www.gazettenet.com/Boy-Scouts-sell-Chesterfield-Scout-Reservation-19031643 https://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/07/former_chesterfield_scout_camp.html https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampshire-county/boy-scouts-of-america-sell-chesterfield-scout-reservation/1322956231

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"When Charlie Fenske was growing up on the island of Martha’s Vineyard (MA) and taking a ferry to the mainland to school every day, he’d come home and begin building his own amateur rockets. What started as a simple interest in space and rockets as a young child turned into a passion that led Charlie to space camp, rocket launches, and, eventually, the winner’s stage at the Google Science Fair. The Falmouth Academy student and Eagle Scout won the Virgin Galactic Pioneer Award, the top engineering prize at the esteemed event in 2016 for his prototype of a faster and cheaper rocket. Charlie went on to earn the second place engineering prize at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and top honors at the 2017 Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair. He spent last summer interning at the Kennedy Space Center. Charlie graduates from high school this year and will be attending MIT in the fall as a member of MIT’s class of 2022. He plans to major in aerospace engineering and obtain a Ph.D. Other future aspirations include launching his own commercial aerospace company." Source: The World's 50 Smartest Teens 2018 https://thebestschools.org/features/worlds-smartest-teens-2018/ and https://www.mvtimes.com/2018/07/24/charlie-fenske-skys-limit/ https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2016/10/03/charlie-fenske-wins-award-google https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2016/10/14/scout-wins-top-engineering-prize-at-google-science-fair-one-year-mentorship-with-virgin-galactic/

I wonder if the 17yr American, upon his return to our shores, will have a separate meeting with US Custom Officers etc, while his parents and SM wait their turn.

"One 16-year-old Scottish boy has been charged with supplying controlled drugs and a 17-year-old from the United States has been charged with possession of drugs, understood to be cannabis. Police were called to the event in the grounds of the picturesque Blair Castle at Blair Atholl, Perthshire, on Thursday. Last night a spokesman for Police Scotland said: 'After enquiries were conducted, a 17-year-old male was charged and given a Recorded Police Warning for possession of controlled drugs, and a 16-year-old male was charged and is to be reported for supplying controlled drugs.' The teenagers were sent home from the camp along with six other scouts. ... A spokesman for the organisation said: 'Scouts Scotland has a zero tolerance policy on narcotics use and this matter has been reported to Police Scotland.'" More details at sources http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5984559/Thats-scout-order-Boys-sent-home-jamboree-teenager-charged-supplying-cannabis.html http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/trendingacrossscotland/16373695.eight-scouts-sent-home-from-international-gathering-after-drugs-charge/ https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-44936866

Update July 24, 2018 The Western Massachusetts Council of the Boy Scouts of America has sold its 186-acre Chesterfield Scout Reservation. The council has owned the property for 10 years. The buyer intends to maintain the property and continue to offer outdoors programs. The funds from the sale will be put toward another council property, the 1,300-acre H.A. Moses Scout Reservation in Russell, to improve maintenance, update buildings, new camper activities and programs, and eliminate the council’s debt. https://www.bankerandtradesman.com/boy-scouts-america-sells-chesterfield-scout-reservation/

@Matt_theLife_Scout02 welcome to scouter.com. There are many here who can help. Who is the ASPL? If the SPL does not show, the ASPL steps in. What is your position in the troop? Relax

I was not there either and have many questions. According to Salem, UT police chief Brad James, ... the pond is a popular swimming spot in the summer, with a beach area, picnic tables and pavillions. Though he said the water is quite calm, he urged anyone swimming there to keep safety in mind. “You should have flotation devices,” he said. “You should have life jackets, you should have throwaway devices to throw to somebody for help, you should always have those in place any time you’re swimming in open water like that.” So my take is those devices were not present and it is still unknown if there was a medical condition involved. https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/07/19/troop-leader-drowns-utah/ I suspect local police and fire will/have questioned and instructed adult leaders and scouts but what does the unit and Council do in the next weeks? Grief counseling, review/retraining, install life rings at that park? My $0.01

The National Eagle Scout Association’s (NESA) World Explorers Program pairs stellar Eagle Scouts with world-class researchers at sites around the globe. Just 24 Eagle Scouts from across the nation are selected for the World Explorer program. To gain consideration for the program, an Eagle has to write a 250-word essay and produce a three-minute YouTube video about his Scouting career. Luke Giovanine , a 22-year-old Eagle Scout and Valparaiso University senior from Moline,IL was one of the 24 Eagles selected. For 10 days in late June/early July, Luke worked sometimes 14 hours per day with experts in exploring, mapping and data collecting in speleological disciplines such as cartography, biology, geology and hydrology, tracking deep into the interior of the 400-mile-long Mammoth Cave system in Kentucky. More details and photos at source link: https://qconline.com/lifestyles/joh_marx/q-c-eagle-scout-dives-into-caves-to-earn-world/article_80a7b5a5-7f67-540a-b57d-92cd6198e899.html

"Police have identified a Boy Scout leader who drowned after saving a boy struggling in a Utah pond. Salem police said Thursday that 22-year-old Wesley Robert Kratzer of Orem, Utah, disappeared underwater after pushing one of his young charges to safety on Wednesday night. Chief Brad James says Kratzer was found by divers under about 12 feet (4 meters) of water. He says the water is typically calm at the popular swimming spot, and it’s not clear why Kratzer slipped under the surface. He says Kratzer was one of three leaders helping three Scouts learn swimming techniques so they could advance to the next level of Scouting. Members of the group were not wearing life jackets. The child wasn’t hurt." http://www.bcdemocrat.com/2018/07/19/us-troop-leader-drowns-the-latest/ https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/south/salem/orem-scout-leader-who-drowned-in-salem-pond-identified/article_58915864-371b-5d15-a639-06fb9afd3c9e.html

SALEM, Utah — According to Salem Police Chief Brad James, a small group of Boy Scouts and their leaders were at the Knoll Park area of the pond practicing basic swimming . A 25-year-old Utah County Scout Master went in to the water to rescue a scout who was struggling and pushed him to safety, but the leader went under the water, according to James. https://fox13now.com/2018/07/18/boy-scout-leader-potentially-drowned-at-salem-ponds-police-say/ https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/south/salem/scout-leader-drowns-in-salem-pond/article_d178de2f-0d78-58e9-bd06-e9a89af1d6be.html

NPR had another report which focused on the necessity of straws for disabled customers.

Update: July 17, 2018 The five-year legal battle over control of the 100-acre Camp Richard Scout property on Nantucket has ended, with Judge Gary Nickerson ruling this week that an island scouting group is the owner of the property. “This is an amazing win for the people who put so many years of hard work into the camp and to all Nantucketers for years to come,” said Nantucket Land Council executive director Cormac Collier, whose organization assisted the Camp Richard Campers Association in fighting to retain ownership of the camp. The legal battle stemmed from the Cape & Islands Council of the Boy Scouts of America’s agreement five years ago to sell a portion of the property to Hingham-based Atlantic Development for $5 million , and efforts by island scouting groups – backed by the Nantucket Civic League (former owner of the property) and the Nantucket Land Council – to bar the sale . Last year, Superior Court Judge Gary Nickerson ruled that Camp Richard should forever remain a “campsite for the scouts of Nantucket,” and must be transferred back to the Civic League if used for any other purpose. He also determined – without any evidentiary hearings – that ownership of the property was to remain in a trust controlled by the off-island council, in part because it was affiliated with the national Boy Scouts of America and the Camp Richard Campers Association, the local organization, was not. In January, a three-judge appeals-court panel remanded the ownership question back to Superior Court after ruling that Nickerson’s decision was made “without affording the parties an opportunity to present evidence bearing on the question of the appropriate trustee. That was error.” Scout Salute to those good scouts who fought and saved Camp Richard for future scouts! More at link below: http://www.ack.net/news/20180717/judge-rules-camp-richard-belongs-to-nantucket-scout-group

@xd00z1 welcome to scouter.com

"No parents or coaches, just us." Then: outdoors...sandlot baseball, football,...patrol hikes, camping Now: indoors (bedroom closed door) Xbox Live ...

Update: July 13, 2018 The Morris Creek Fire, burning on the UU Bar Ranch, Philmont Scout Ranch, and State Land. Size: 1,671 acres, 77% contained. Cause: Lightning. https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5887

Hmm, maybe one of your scouts gave your car a pheromone rinse.