fgoodwin

1 killed, several hurt by lightning near Mt. Whitney http://www.inyoregister.com/articles/2005/08/16/news/501new01.txt Tragedy befalls group of Boy Scouts in Sequoia National Forest; youth still in critical condition By Darcy Ellis Editor Tuesday, August 16, 2005 9:46 AM PDT One backpacker was killed and two others were critically injured this week when lightning struck a group of Boy Scouts west of Mt. Whitney. A youth remains hospitalized in critical condition following the lightning incident late Thursday afternoon when the party became trapped in a sudden rainstorm along the John Muir Trail, said Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks spokesperon Alexandra Picavet. Another individual is also being held at University Medical Center in Fresno for observation, while the rest of the injured scouts and adults were to be released from the hospital yesterday. All other information about the victims, such as their names, hometowns and travel itinerary, is still being withheld by authorities. Picavet did note the group is from California, however. According to Picavet, the incident is still under investigation, but officials believe tragedy befell the Boy Scouts about 4 p.m. Thursday as they hiked near Sandy Meadow in Sequoia National Park. Afternoon lightning storms, the National Park Service noted, are common in the High Sierra during mid-summer, especially this year, when storms have been occurring "daily" during the hot weather. Such was the case Thursday. "The group saw a storm rolling in so they set up a couple of tarps and a tent," Picavet said. About seven members of the group huddled beneath one of the tarps, two gathered under another, one individual was in transit out in the open and the remaining members were seeking refuge in the tent when lightning struck. Noting again that the incident is still under investigation, Picavet said it appears the lightning did not strike the tent or tarps directly but rather touched down very near one of the shelters. Three members of the party were critically injured by the strike, and several others were also hurt. Two individuals, Picavet said, ran to the ranger station about a half-hour away in Crabtree Meadow. The backcountry ranger assigned to the station took off on foot, arriving at the wilderness site - located about four miles west of Mt. Whitney - within 30 minutes to find victims with significant injuries. Boy Scouts had been performing CPR on two of the critically injured persons for at least an hour, Picavet said. Their efforts on one of the victims would prove unsuccessful. Park Service emergency personnel mobilized immediately, with highly-trained park medics being delivered by "multiple helicopters" to the remote site, which is at the 10,700-foot elevation level. Flights, according to the Park Service, were hampered by continuing strong thunderstorm activity. Rangers, once on the ground, found CPR still in progress on several of the backpackers. One victim - an adult, according to Picavet - was declared dead by medics after radio consultations with physicians at University Medical Center. Two others who were critically injured were then flown out to the Fresno hospital for treatment. The entire party of 12 was eventually evacuated using four helicopters. Again, the two other individuals who were critically injured remain hospitalized, one still in critical condition. The backpacker who was killed, according to the Park Service, is the seventh person to die in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks this year. The Park Service is warning backcountry visitors that summer rainstorms always present a potential hazard.

SWS: good catch. I stand corrected. Here's a detailed description of two women hiking the Ruby Crest Trail: http://rubymountains.net/overland2.html After reading their description, I still sounds bit much for an 11-yo.

Is it standard procedure to take an 11-yo mountain climbing to 9,000 ft or more?

Two Boy Scouts rescued from Nevada's Ruby Mountains http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3724263 Aug 15, 2005, 4:36 PM Two Boy Scouts were rescued by helicopter from the rugged Ruby Mountains near Elko after one literally wore out his shoes and another suffered from exhaustion and dehydration. Scout leader Andy Cole summoned help Sunday afternoon after 17-year-old Scott Mills lost the soles of his shoes while hiking the Ruby Crest Trail. The scouts were 40 miles into a planned 50-mile hike. After determining Mills wouldn't be able to walk out, the troop discovered an 11-year-old scout was ill. A pilot with El Aero Helicopter plucked the boys from the 9,000 foot level and flew them to safety Sunday night. The younger scout was met by his parents at the hospital, where he was treated.

JD: I'm OK closing the thread -- I'd prefer it not be deleted but that's your call. Thanx to all who responded.

NJCS: it doesn't matter whether my "argument" catches on or not. The article is posted and will remain in the archives indefinitely. If we'd had this discussion without my posting the actual text, someone could come along a year from now (long after the actual article is gone and links to it are broken), read the discussion and claim no one would ever make up such an outlandish post, even as a joke. Well, its here, and unless a moderator deletes it, it will stay here. But thanx for your comments.

Ed, with all due respect, I think I've explained why I posted the article. And as far as "not reading it" goes, that might just as well be directed to those who complained of my posting the article in the first place.

Webelos don't follow the monthly themes, which is why you don't see their meetings listed in the Program Helps. Get a copy of the Webelos Leader Guide -- it is formatted like a hybrid: the front part looks a bit like the Cub Scout Leader Guide and the back part looks exactly like the Program Helps. However, rather than being focused on a monthly theme, the den meetings and activities are focused on an activity pin. Plus, there are various options for the monthly schedules laid at in the front of the book. HTH

Ed, the article / satirizes / bashes / attacks / "pokes fun at" / (insert your verb of choice here) / BSA at the expense of four dead Scouters -- that's over the line in my book, whatever you call it.

Forgive me, Ed. I should have said "attacking" not "bashing", in accordance with the definition of satire.

Z: I could always respond that if one doesn't like the post, one is perfectly free to skip it. But that would be too easy a cop-out. Had the article been written by Hans Zeiger as a "satire" praising the BSA and condemning gays, atheists, liberals, etc., it would certainly have been held up as a typical example of hate-speech by the religious right. So obviously, bashing BSA and its conservative policies is OK, because its just "satire", but bashing gays, atheists and liberals is wrong because that's hate-speech, right? Bringing out that dichotomy through the posts that reflect the truth of it, is one of the reasons I posted the article.

"Humorous" or not, the article is very clearly an attack on the BSA. But given its distasteful content, I'm not surprised that others who oppose BSA policies spin the article in such a way as to distance themselves from it.

As a "blue-tab" who recently crossed over to the "red-tabs", I find it appalling that so many Troops ignore district and council events. Many SMs and ASMs complain they don't have enough Webelos joining their Troops every spring, the same Troops who go out-of-council for summer camp and who avoid local events at all costs. So just how do they expect to "show their stuff" to local Webelos if they go to events where local Webelos normally don't go? I have absolutely zero sympathy for those who whine about declining membership (as a result of fewer Webelos joining them) when those same Scouters do nothing to encourage their Troops to participate in local events. So why attend local events? To showcase your Troop to those Webelos you want to attract and who can't afford to follow you out-of-council to see your Troop.

I staffed the Episcopal Church booth in the Relationships Exhibits tent, and I briefly visited all of the booths, including the PRAY booth, but I did not see the newspaper article in question. Yes, the various churches, Scouter associations and service clubs that sponsored booths are not part of BSA. But playing devil's advocate for a moment, one wonders if the Relationships Division would have allowed a BSA-bashing editorial to have been posted at the Unitarian booth, for example? Does anyone here seriously believe that, had the Relationships Division become aware of such a posting, it would have allowed such an article to remain posted in a BSA tent at BSA's premiere event? Of course not, so one must conclude that the Relationships Division *does* exercise some level of control over the content of the material distributed at or posted in the various booths. I can say that when the Relationships Division became aware that our booth would be distributing playing cards, they became very concerned about it. But once our staff priest explained the nature of the cards (the four suits covered scoutcraft, the Scout Law, Episcopal Church trivia, and prayers / devotions, and back of the cards showed a stained-glass window of a Scout kneeling in prayer), they decided not to block its distribution.

OK, now I'm confused -- forgive me, because I was never a Boy Scout, and as my son is just now in the process of advancing to Tenderfoot (passed his SM conference, still waiting for his BOR), I have to ask: What are the respective roles of the SM and the BOR in advancing a Scout? I know its gospel that the BOR not "retest" the boy. So what kinds of questions are they allowed to ask? How does the BOR do its job without stepping on the toes of the SM?

acco40: if I changed "bashing" to "attacking", would that characterization be more acceptable? Because that comes directly from the definition of "satire".

2005 National Scout Jamboree: A look back http://fredericksburg.com/community/features/jamboree/cdorder This customized keepsake CD includes PDFs of newspaper pages featuring coverage of the jamboree from start to finish. You'll also find five video clips, including President Bush's full 17-minute address to the Scouts in an emotionally charged arena show. Finally, the CD features a photo montage. (CD requires Adobe Acrobat Reader and Quicktime video player, which are both free downloads should you need them.) Cost is $19.95, including shipping. Virginia residents pay sales tax. Orders should arrive in three to five weeks. We will customize the CD with this information for no extra charge. If you provide the Scout's full name, it will appear on the CD. The troop number, city and state also can be added.

Nick, it was a pleasure to see you again at Jambo -- wish I could've spent more time at your booth. I'm glad to see the Unitarians again engaging with BSA. When I left the Jamboree last week, I had my doubts that I wanted to do it again in 2010. But the more I think about it, I think the good outweighs the bad, and I will very likely apply once again to staff the Episcopal Scouters booth in 2010. Because I left early, I was not able to leave an after-action report -- I definitely have some suggestions for improvement, but I seriously doubt the Relationships staff will listen to any of it. Anyway, I look forward to seeing you and the Relationships staff again in 2010, and it is my fervent wish that my 11-yo son will still be in Scouting and attending the Centennial Jambo with me! Fred G. Alamo Area Council National Episcopal Scouters Association(This message has been edited by fgoodwin)

Watch the 700 Club on the Christian Broadcasting Network this Friday (Aug 12). Hans Zeiger will be on the program to discuss "Get Off My Honor: The Assault on the Boy Scouts of America". For local stations and times, visit http://www.700club.com/

SP: I appreciate your comments. In a few weeks, the original article will be long gone and any links to it will break. But posting the article here preserves it. I think it is worth preserving, again, to see to what extremes the opponents of BSA will go. NJCS: yes, it is satire -- but its not too far a stretch to go from the unvarnished BSA (and GWB) bashing of the Rick Mercier editorial ("Bush spectacle at Scout jamboree had little to do with reality") to the more thinly veiled form of bashing we politely call satire. And yes, this article, although it is satire, is BSA-bashing at its finest (or worst, depending on your POV).

True, the website is devoted to "satire" and "humor". Still, I believe it reflects the general view of those who oppose the BSA's membership policies. And I think it instructive to consider just how far they will go to picture BSA in the worst light possible, for example, by turning BSA's religious principles against it.

The Cowardly Lion lacked courage -- it was the Tin Man who lacked heart!

Bob, the error in the location was my first clue -- good catch.

"Garbage" is in the eye of the beholder. I may be posting this "garbage", but don't assume I agree with it; I am as big a supporter of the traditional values of Scouting as you'll find. I'm sorry if this "garbage" offends, but I think its good to remind ourselves occasionally what the BSA-bashers have to say about it.

Gay-Friendly God Smites Boy Scouts http://www.deadbrain.com/news/article_2005_08_10_1903.php Aug 10 2005 by Spinner Street Instead of a feel-good event where boys revel in being boys, this year's annual Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree faced storms, deaths, electrocutions, horrors of biblical proportion, and a visit from President Bush. The nightmare in Falls Church, VA has some wondering just what went wrong. Throughout history, wholesome, God-fearing groups have been favored with good weather during important annual festivities designed to showcase their right-mindedness. But the Jamboree had deteriorated to such a state that President Bush playfully quipped, "You'd be better off in Iraq than here. I know where you can sign up!" Others agreed. "Just look at the Jonestown massacre, they had excellent weather," grumbled one scoutmaster whose legs had broken after a giant replica merit badge for knot tying blew over on him during a thunderstorm. "They had perfect weather for their special day, and darn it, we deserve the same!" Such was the consensus throughout the Jamboree, following an array of mishaps that called into question not only the preparedness of the Boy Scouts but also their closeness with God. Not only had the group been caught without body bags - let alone proper funeral supplies - they also seemed to be caught off guard with each successive disaster. As scouts and their leaders attempt to heal from the physical and emotional wounds inflicted on them, some have begun suspecting God of "going gay." "How else can you explain it?" demanded Jared Pabulum, a scout leader form Provo Utah. "It's as though we drove His people from our midst and now He's smiting us." (The Boy Scouts went to the Supreme Court to win the right to expel gay scouts.) Adding credence to the otherwise ludicrous speculation is the fact that God has been frequenting His local YMCA, where He's been spotted "working out" up to three times a week despite having a full Nautilus-brand home exercise system at home. "God merely enjoys the camaraderie and support of working out at the Y," explained spokesperson Ramone Bain. "There's nothing gay about that." Bain, however, could not explain Will and Grace's 15 Emmy award nominations.