Re: 85 mph/135 kph Troop Trailer

And wouldn't it be interesting--and fitting--if a professional from the
council these scouters were from were on this list...and discussed this
issue next time the troop applied for a National tour permit?

Jason Cruse
Hannibal, MO
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Bowman <mfbowman@USSCOUTS.ORG>
To: SCOUTS-L@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU <SCOUTS-L@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU>
Date: 21 August 1999 11:28 AM
Subject: 85 mph/135 kph Troop Trailer

>Scouting - Safety - Successful Programs
>
>Nothing beats getting outdoors for a great activity -- that really helps
>keep the outing in Scouting. Just getting outdoors isn't enough. We need
>to always be mindful of safety whether at the campsite or on the road.
>
>Yesterday I was driving North on I-81 in Virginia where the legal speed
>limit is 65 mph. The sky was overcast to the point that most people were
>driving with their headlights on. In my rear-view mirror I noticed a white
>pick-up truck with a red trailer coming up from behind pretty fast. About
>that point it also started to rain. My immediate thought was what kind of
>idiot would be driving that fast with a trailer in this kind of weather as
I
>watched the trailer moving side to side as it got closer. Well I didn't
>have to wait more than a few seconds to find out. On the side of the
>trailer was a huge three foot oval shaped wooden sign that proclaimed Boy
>Scout Troop 248, Norcross, GA.
>
>Woooom! With a spray of water on the windshield the truck and trailer flew
>on by and soon disappeared out of sight. On the CB radio I heard a trucker
>make a few choice remarks about the ancestory of the driver and his lack of
>intelligence. Then of all things the trucker stated that he was doing 85
>mph downhill when the trailer hauler flashed by him. Another chimed in to
>say that he sure wouldn't want his kids doing Scouting stuff - idiots like
>(more choice words) would end up getting them killed.
>
>There is no Scouting activity where it is necessary for a leader to drive
>above the legal speed limit and certainly no reason ever to drive at speeds
>that exceed what is safe for road conditions. Not only does such behavior
>endanger everyone in the vehicle, it provides a very poor image of the
>quality of Boy Scout leaders and their judgment.
>
>The two adults in the pick-up truck were lucky not to have an accident,
>assuming that didn't have one later on. Worse they could also have caused
>an accident that would have harmed other people. All it would have taken
is
>one car to pull out in front of them or a deer to jump in the road (there
>were deer along the sides).
>
>Among the goals of Scouting are character development and citizenship.
>Along with those we have a Scouting method of adult association. For the
>adults this means helping shape character development and citizenship by
>setting an example. Part of setting that example includes respect for and
>obeying laws.
>
>Any time that you display a Scouting symbol on your vehicle or trailer you
>can also be sure that other folks are going to see it. When you drive in a
>discourteous way, cut someone off, speed, etc. other people on the road are
>going to notice both the Scouting symbol and inappropriate conduct and as a
>result the public image of Scouting is going to be tarnished or diminished
>just a bit more each time. When you choose to put a Scouting bumper
sticker
>on your car, a logo on your trailer, etc., you have to always bear in mind
>that you are now identifying yourself as a Scouter and need to act
>accordingly - that means a higher standard of conduct.
>
>As a long time Scouter what I saw on the road made my blood boil. Here
were
>two people endangering themselves and other people on the road driving well
>above the posted speed limit in rain with other road hazards hauling a
>trailer advertising Scouting. I am thankful that there weren't any youth
>members in the truck, though I wonder what kind of example this would set
>for them.
>
>I hope that by relating this story many Scouters will reflect on it and
>perhaps be just a little more careful to make sure safety comes first and
to
>also be mindful of the messages our conduct can send.
>
>Mike
>
>
>Mike Bowman, Vice President
>U.S. Scouting Service Project, Inc.
>Website: http://usscouts.org
>E-Mail: mfbowman@usscouts.org

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