Missing Scout in NC - Found!

[mschwartz]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/03/20/searchers_missing_scout_might_be_found/

 

I've been following this story - 12 year old Boy Scout goes missing Saturday in the North Carolina mountains after apparently wandering away from the campsite. But it looks like they've found him. Good news!

[ChuckSt8er]

Praise be to the One who watches over us all - - from the youngest Tigers to the most seasoned veterans.

 

Give thanks to all the teams of searchers, leaders, parents, community and scouters the world over who held their collective breaths and now can let it go...

[anarchist]

Great news!

 

Recently we had a thread that turned into a discussion of using the "buddy system"...those of us who find value in training young scouts to travel (anywhere-anytime) in pairs or groups, just can't help but wonder... If this lucky young man had used "the system", would he and his family been put though this ordeal?

 

Broad day light, base camp, middle of the day and he just wandered away and got "lost". When dealing with young scouts I see lots of merit in the buddy system. This just "ups" its place on my program "value meter".

...just a thought.

 

anarchist

[Trevorum]

Excellent news for the family and all scouts. Once he realized he was lost, the boy didn't wander and clearly knew how to survive. His dad said he expected that his son would be making beef jerky out there!

[yelruh]

I also wonder about the buddy system.

 

But what concerns me more is the reports that this scout stayed in camp with one adult, while the rest went hiking. Where the heck is two deep leadership?

 

I'd be interested in knowing what more information about what really happened, before I start judging.

[kb6jra]

I'm glad he's alright and I'm glad he put some of his training to good use.

 

I'd like to chime in on the buddy system issue and the YPT issue as well.

 

Buddy system. Where was this boys buddy. In camp, out of camp, taking a leak on a bush...you need a buddy. This would have possibly been avoided if the "buddy" was with this kid reminding him that he's getting too far away from camp.

 

Youth Protection. This is way out of line. a boy want's to sleep in, so 1 adult stays behind with him and the whole rest of the troop takes a hike? Then the boy strays away from camp afterwards, seems a bit fishy to me. NEVER put yourself in that position. This has lawsuit written all over it. Regardless if the facts are that the adult was not abusive of the child, there was nothing but opportunity, and that's a huge mistake. It's a mistake on the part of the adult that stayed behind solo, and it's a mistake for those other adults that let him. I don't care if this adult is the equivalen to Mother Theresa, We Never put ourselves in this position.

 

This really frustrated me when I read it. I hope for the sake of this unit and these people it's just a case of ommitted facts in the papers.

 

[Twocubdad]

Well it certainly wasn't hard to come up with a Scoutmasters' Minute for tonight's meeting. With a buddy, he would have been home in his jammies Sunday night.

 

According to the Scout's dad on TV tonight, he was homesick and was trying to walk to the road where he could hitch-hike home. He was in camp because he wanted to sleep in instead of going on the hike. His mother is also quoted in the paper that he is on Ritalin for ADD, but doesn't like to take the medication. It sure doesn't take much to read between the lines. How many of us have guys like that in our troops?

 

But consider this quote from an AP story:

 

"Adults involved in the Boy Scouts are taught to follow 'Two Deep Leadership' which meandates that at least two adults be present for all camps, trips and outdoor activities. The organization prohibits one-on-one situations between a scout and an adult.

 

"But John Akerman, scout executive with the Raleigh-Durham area Occoneechee Council said it would make sense to leave one adult behind with one scout if the other scouts are with other adults on an activity."

 

That is:

a) a local policy adaptation

b) a new change in the Guide to Safe Scouting

c) just one of those things those dang scout executives say, or

d) the dumbest thing you've ever heard

[Oak Tree]

Good news indeed.

 

It is a scary thing to lose a boy, and I know it could happen. No matter how much you enforce the buddy system, if a boy wants to go somewhere without his buddy, he can. Especially if he just wanders away from camp. I have boys like this in my troop.

 

It was great to read the parents' comments about how they still trust the leaders and will send their son camping again.

 

It's common to evaluate any situation like this and try to identify what went wrong, but I don't want to sit here and blame the troop - I'm just happy the boy was found.

 

As far as we can tell, the YPT violation had nothing to do with the boy getting lost.

 

And as for Akerman, I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. I certainly prefer this response to "yep, those troop leaders really screwed up." In general I've found that the professionals tend to have a much more pragmatic and flexible approach to the rules, and I can see some wisdom in that.

 

Oak Tree

[Ekmiranda]

Its great to here that the boy is home and safe.

 

I have to agree with the posts that there is something deeper going on here. I feel that the finger pointing should be held back but the investigation should proceed as soon as possible.

 

Why did this boy wander off? Where was the buddy all questions that were asked and good ones but it goes deeper?

 

How come the mess kit was found with in a mile from camp?

Where were the water and flashlight and most of all the whistle and first aid kit?

 

And what I find most concerning is the fact that the father said

 

According to the Scout's dad on TV tonight, he was homesick and was trying to walk to the road where he could hitch-hike home. He was in camp because he wanted to sleep in instead of going on the hike. His mother is also quoted in the paper that he is on Ritalin for ADD, but doesn't like to take the medication. It sure doesn't take much to read between the lines. How many of us have guys like that in our troops?

 

Was he on the Ritalin or not. And how sever is the ADD

 

If this boy was planning to walk to the road to hitch hike home and hes as smart as the father said doesnt someone out there think that it would have been thought out and he would have brought a few supplies with him besides a bag of chips and candy bar and a mess kit.

 

THIS KID RAN FOR SOME REASON OR ANOTHER!!

 

Who is teaching this 12 years old to hitch hike home we all know what can happen.

 

And the Ritalin What does that have to do with anything. My son takes the stuff and whether he is on the Ritalin or off it would not make him do or think a silly thing like that I want to hitchhike home.

 

This whole thing stinks. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out

 

EKM

[Venividi]

I have had several experiences with scouts doing things they knew would not be acceptable, but did it anyway, hiding from those that he would suspect may intervene. Including things such as:

- making a flame thrower with a can of spray deoderant.

- calling a parent to come pick him up because he was tired.

- ditching a buddy and going to the camp trading post alone.

Working on developing character such that a scout resists impulses for short term focus on his immediate "wants" takes time and repetition, as does considering hike safety requirements such as carrying whistle, water, etc.

 

 

[Ekmiranda]

 

Working on developing character such that a scout resists impulses for short term focus on his immediate "wants" takes time and repetition, as does considering hike safety requirements such as carrying whistle, water, etc.

 

I understand that it takes time to develope these skills and I agree with you but I think that you are missing my point.

 

The father stated that he left the camp to go to the road and hitch hike home.(in the news cast it almost seemed like the father said it as a matter of fact and it was no big deal) I'm sure he was just happy to have his son back home safe. (But the fact is that the boy did not tell anyone) and Dad also stated that his son was knowlegable in the outdoors. If the boy just wanted to go home why did he not tell the SM or the ASM was he afraid to ? There are underlying issues here.

 

What happen to this boy we may never know but something spooked him.

 

And futher more, if this child was taking Ritalin and has ADD to what extent we do not know he should have been under the watchful eye of a leader. I do not feel that the SPL or the ASPL should have that responsibility no less his patrol leader.

 

As I stated in my post before my son takes Ritalin and has a mild case of ADD and only takes it for school ( I am lucky in that respect ) But I also have three children in my pack who have a bad case of ADD and are on Meds. all the time. I know as a leader that these 3 children need to be looked after every second when we are on an outing.

 

The child just disapeared.

 

The whole story is not being told something is not right. For the boys sake I truely hope that I am wrong but it does not seem that way from what we are being told or read.

 

I am not acussing anyone and am not pointing the finger either.

[Venividi]

Ekmiranda,

Thanks for the further explanation, it helps. I have a differing opinion that the fact that a scout left camp to go try and hitchhike home may somehow imply that there are underlying issues with the troop that would cause him to attempt to do so. I think that it is more likely that it is a case of a boy wanting to do what he wanted to do, and then acting on it. I am not trying to disuade you from your view, but merely offering a different one.

 

Cheers,

Venividi

[Ekmiranda]

Venividi,

 

Thank your for understanding that I to have an opinion, and just so you know yours is valued and taken into consideration as is mine. Like I said before I hope to God that I am way off base for the boys sake. It would be a releaf to all to know that the boy just acted on his own impluses.

 

Lets all hope that, that is the case.

 

P>S> I have not heard someone use the phrase cheers in a long time.

 

CHEERS,

EKM

 

[2Eagle]

There is a key ingredient missing in this discussion that was mentioned by the father on the evening news. He had bet the boy $5.00 that he would have fun on the trip....meaning...he had to bribe the kid to go. So the problem may be the boy's attitude not ADD or some other underlying cause that spooked him. It may be compounded by the homesickness caused by the fact that Dad could not go on the trip...but I've never seen homesickness manifested in wanting to leave the group. All of this was further compounded by the mistakes the unit made...allowing him to sleep in, no 2 deep leadership, no buddy system, the adult that was supposed to watch him was obviously not watching him, etc.

[Ekmiranda]

Interesting I did not hear that the boy had to be bribed by the father to go on the Trip. That put more light on the subject.

 

I know from past issues of home sickness all you need to do is to get the scout involved in something that takes his mind off the H.S. and its done.

 

I know at times I need to coax my son to go on some campouts but also I am always there as an ASM. But when he gets to the meeting place his attitude changes. There are alot of things that have compounded in this issue like 2Eagle said, that could have led to the boy leaving. But still the fact remains that He did not tell anyone and also went off with the idea that he was going to make the road and HITCH-HIKE sounds like a runaway siniro to me. Has this boy had any past history with the Troop like this before/ and has the boy ever tryed to run away from home. I may be blind but how did a 12 year old get the idea in his head to go and HITCH-HIKE. (I am just speculating here and not saying that I heard this. Is it possible that the boy told the SM or the ASM or the SPL that he wanted to go home and someone said go and HITCH-HIKE the road is that way) MIND YOU I AM JUST SPECULATEING

 

EKM