Posted on 11/27/2005 1:38:53 PM PST by Coleus
The bird-watching hiking trip that the boys from Boy Scout Troop 44 in Pennington took Nov. 19 to Pennsylvania's Hawk Mountain didn't include plans for a life-and-death rescue mission.
Plans changed when the boys encountered fire-and-rescue personnel scrambling on foot up the mountain with their emergency gear.
The boys of Troop 44 didn't hesitate to lend a hand to the emergency crews after learning they were rushing to a hiker who had been pinned and badly injured by a massive boulder in an area that could not be reached by vehicle.
"We were on the last part of our hike," said Chris Brzezynski, 14, of Hopewell Township.
As the eight Troop 44 scouts on the trip, who range in age from 11 to 15, and their six adult chaperones walked down one of the mountain's trails, they passed emergency crews heading up.
"They said a woman's trapped" but told the scouts and other visitors to keep heading down the trail, away from the area of the accident, Brzezynski said.
"At the bottom, we saw a bunch of firemen and they looked really, really tired," he said. "So we helped them carry up stretchers, winches, flashlights . . . any kind of rescue equipment we could find."
The victim, identified in published reports as Sarae Rinker, 18, of Monroe County, Pa., was pinned by a massive boulder in Berks County's Hawk Mountain bird sanctuary.
Rescuers had to haul their equipment on foot to the site of the hiking accident because it was about a mile from the nearest road, said Dean Kniss, the assistant chief of the Kempton Fire Co., which covers Hawk Mountain.
Kniss said between 50 and 60 rescue personnel responded to the incident, which was reported 2 p.m.
"It just took a lot of people to carry stuff,"
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
And some people want to keep these guys off of public school property.
Ironic, the PA wing of the Civil Air Patrol runs a search and rescue school at Hawk Mountain.
A Scout is Helpful.
Some people think that the corruption of our corrupt people will lead to a bad state of affairs.
Yup, its sad the ACLU is attacking the Scouts. I was a scout when I was younger. Some of my best memories come from my days at camp and the campfires. I learned alot from the scouts and it helped shape who I am today by keeping me busy and out of trouble in my teens yrs.
I encourage all young teens to get involved.
I was escorting six 15 to 17 year-old Eagle Scouts to a rendezvous point in the US, where they would become part of a contingent of 24 Eagle Scouts flying to Japan. There, they were to represent the Boy Scouts of America as guests of the Scout Association of Japan and the Japanese government for two weeks.
In other words, they weren't just Boy Scouts, they were Eagle Scouts.
They weren't just Eagle Scouts, but had been selected to represent the BSA as American youth ambassadors.
And . . . they were in complete Boy Scout uniform, in public, without embarrassment.
Four of the six were pulled aside by airport security for the complete pat-down and hand-wand inspection. Then the security guards told me that all six Scout must surrender their large metal Philmont Scout Ranch belt buckles, because they were too big and could be used as a weapon.
I explained where we were going, that the boys had no extra belts, that, although Boy Scouts, their pants were baggy and would drop to their ankles without a belt. The guard still wanted the buckles.
I explained that these Scouts were ambassadors, would be meeting the highest-ranking leaders of Scouting in Japan, the Japanese Minister of Education, and other governmental leaders, and asked if it would be appropriate for them to spend two weeks holding their pants up with one hand.
About this time, a National Guardsman at the security point who had been listening to the entire conversation walked up to the guard and basically said, "Listen, Buddy. I'm an Eagle Scout. I know what those Philmont buckles mean. I have one. I am holding a rifle. My rifle is bigger than your gun. These young men are on their way to Japan WITH their Philmont buckles. Is there any part of that statement that you don't understand?"
We had a great time in Japan, and none of the Scout attempted any terroristic acts, with or without their Philmont belt buckles.
And I forgot the most important part. Congratulations to Troop 44. A Boy Scout is Helpful. This Scouter is proud of you.
Congressman Billybob
So when is the lawsuit scheduled? After all, the wicked Boy Scouts took part in a government rescue operation!
Second, thank you for sharing that (pathetic) story about the "security" personnel trying to take the Philmont buckles away from your Scouts. (I've been to Philmont and still remember the experience, 49 years later. And I am an Eagle, though I never had an opportunity to do what your group did in their trip to Japan.) I'm glad that a saner head prevailed in that confrontation.
Odds are, that taught your young men something about the institutional stupidity of bureaucrats, and the take-charge common sense that Scouts, and especially Eagles, should display when confronted with a challenge.
Cordially,
Congressman Billybob
That's a great story!!
I just needed my project to make Eagle but it seemed so un-important at that time...
It is also an issue close to my heart, I'm a former scout (Police Explorer and SeaScout) and the father of a Cub Scout who at the age of 9 has already decided to be a Marine when he grows up, because, in his words, "I want to be an American Hero".
Thank you for helping to mold the new generation of American leaders.
No matter how little power we give to the government, they manage to abuse it!
Odds are, that taught your young men something about the institutional stupidity of bureaucrats, and the take-charge common sense that Scouts, and especially Eagles, should display when confronted with a challenge.
The Scouts took the airport security situation in stride; after all, they are Eagle Scouts. What they really learned from the trip is that Scouting is a Movement, just like Lord Baden-Powell said.
I firmly believe that ALL Scout leaders should strive to get their Scouts to focus on the Movement beyond their Troop. Have joint campouts with other Troops. Share a summer camp experience with a Troop from another state as part of a joint Troop. Most of all -- take advantage of ANY opportunity for contact with the Scouting programs in the other 140+ countries in the World Organization of Scouting. Host foreign Scouts. Encourage your local Scout Camp to develop a program where a couple of international Scouts serve as staffers each year. Put together exchange trips.
One of my favorite memories of Japan was a scene that could have been written as part of a Hallmark-sponsored TV show. The Scouts spent two and 1/2 days in a youth forum, meeting with Japanese Scouts (male and female) and discussing through interpreters how Scouting could address the problems facing our world in the next century. After about a day and a half, I saw an Eagle Scout from Dallas and a young woman Scout from Japan laughing during a break. She was telling a story using a few English words she knew, along with noises and hand motions. The two of them were obviously bonding. Those of you in Scouting know that U.S. Scout uniforms have Council Shoulder patches that say where a Scout is from, as well as a U.S. flag, on the shoulder of the uniform. Japanese uniforms have the red and white rockers, like the old U.S. community strips, that say the name of the city where the Scout's Troop is located. The Eagle Scout and the Japanese Scout were seated in such a way that, just as I turned to leave, I noticed that I could see the flag on his shoulder and the R/W community strip on her uniform, as the two laughed and smiled. Hers said simply: Hiroshima.
Scouting is a Movement. Scouting is a guide for living life. You deprive young men if you lead them to believe that Scouting is only what happens in their home Troop.
Well, that's my soapbox.
ROFLMAO
What a great story.
I had the privilege of acting as one of 6 leaders for a group of 25 Venture Scouts (23 young gentlemen and 12 young ladies) to Japan on a similar trip. It was the summer of 2004 and we took a tour of Toyko, spent a weekend with some Japanese families, spent 6 days and nights at Japan's 6th Venture Jamboree, and spent 3 days and nights at a hotel in Narita at the Asia-Pacific Youth Forum with a Japanese contingent and a contingent from all over the area, including Scouts and Scouters from Nepal, Bhutan, French Polynesia, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, etc., etc. Great fun. Great kids. What a privelege.
I'm certain you had an incredible time, and that your Venture Scouts came away with a better undertanding of Scouting as a Movement.
Unfortunately, the young woman died.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.