Tragic Happening

[wagionvigil]

This morning as I went to do a climbing class at Laurel Caverns I Saw an ambulance in our camp ground. I immediately entered and parked a ways from the truck. AS I walked over the Manager came over and told me a scout leader had died in his sleep 49 years old. It would seem he suffered from sleep apnea and did not bring his macjhine with him. He also had had heart surgery within the past year. He was with his troop including his 10 year old son.

[t305spl]

To be honest I think the BSA should hold a National Memorial for all the Scouts and Scouters who have died while taking part in a scouting trip. Not one that would recognize each individual scout or scouter but a general ceremony in Washington D.C. Remember these Scouts and Scouters dedicated there lives to this cause and they deserve national recognition. This would be an all day event on a weekend in the summer and units from all over can come to the memorial and tour the nations capitol. What do you guys think?

[evmori]

Matt,
That is an excellent idea.

[ASM-142]

To be honest I think the BSA should hold a National Memorial for all the Scouts and Scouters who have died while taking part in a scouting trip. Not one that would recognize each individual scout or scouter but a general ceremony in Washington D.C. Remember these Scouts and Scouters dedicated there lives to this cause and they deserve national recognition. This would be an all day event on a weekend in the summer and units from all over can come to the memorial and tour the nations capitol. What do you guys think?

This sounds good. Could something like this also include camping on the Mall?

[Billiken]

To be honest I think the BSA should hold a National Memorial for all the Scouts and Scouters who have died while taking part in a scouting trip. Not one that would recognize each individual scout or scouter but a general ceremony in Washington D.C. Remember these Scouts and Scouters dedicated there lives to this cause and they deserve national recognition. This would be an all day event on a weekend in the summer and units from all over can come to the memorial and tour the nations capitol. What do you guys think?

t305spl:

I think it's a fantastic idea.

If the logistics make it too much work, perhaps some sort of recognition/ceremony could be a permanent part of the nat'l jamboree.

[scubascout]

that is an excellent idea

[jr56]

Yes, that's a really good idea.

[Lynda J]

I agree. It could be a simple plaque at the National Museum with the small brass plate with their name, troop and council.

[outfoxed86]

I also think its a great idea
Rembering the fallen should be a yearly ceremoney
Wayne

[wagionvigil]

Wagion Lodge #6 does a yearly Vigil Rededication Ceremony where we pay tribute to those vigils from the Lodge that have gone on to the Big Lodge in the Heavens.

[PPC_NYLT]

I also think that there should be a yearly recognition of all those scouts and scouters who have unfortunately died "in the line of scouting" in addition to a monument/plaque in Texas or someother location. This could also serve as a reminder to each and every scouter nationwide that safety is definetly something that should be taken seriously. It does make me happy to know, though, that there are not many scouts/scouters who die as a result of a scouting-related accident (I don't have any proof to this, this is just from what I've heard). i.e. the man Wagion mentioned apparently died of sleep apnea, and not of falling out of his climbing harness, although this does not diminish the tragedy of him dieing during a scouting activity.

[207TR47]

PPC-NYLT hits on something I have wondered for awhile. I have read that a Scout drowned at an Oregon Scout camp in 2006 and another in Michigan? or near there died from carbon monoxide poisoning in his cabin. I have wondered since I often read of "numbers" on everything else, what is the number of Scouts KIA since BSA's inception?

[fin24000]

well what would be good is to find some one with in 10 miles of the National Museum that has 1000-2000 acers that wouldent mind taking there cows off it and letting 20,000 scouts camp there for a few nights...... But I think going to DC would be to hard for most and Texas is about half way (cost to cost that is)......

[coneyraven]

...and of course, who can forget what happened at the National Jamboree last year in Virginia.....between the heat exhaustion and the leaders that were electricuted while putting up their tent.......not good....definitly not "good press" for scouting.

[riverwalk]

These tragic events happen every year in Scouting, though a total number might interest some people. If each Scouter was trained, and each Unit followed the Policies, and Scouts didn't go on a survival trip alone...the numbers might be less, except for a few events like weather and bears.

I don't know what the Museum reference was about, but I don't think there's a 100 acre plot left within ten miles of the NSM? Unfortunately, everyone local to me is growing buildings and parking lots, haha.

[Wapiti]

Where was his machine? How could this leader have passed his annual physical.

[Lynda J]

well what would be good is to find some one with in 10 miles of the National Museum that has 1000-2000 acers that wouldent mind taking there cows off it and letting 20,000 scouts camp there for a few nights...... But I think going to DC would be to hard for most and Texas is about half way (cost to cost that is)......

The Texas Motor Speedway is extreemly supportive of Scouting. We have had three Camporees out there. So far the only requirement is presenting an insurance waver. Any event would simply have to be worked around the racing season. And there is Dirt Track racing year round. Our last District Camporee that we had there they raced until 2 a.m.

There could also be something done at National Jamboree. Where the names of Scouts and Scouters that have gone on to that great camp in the sky are read.

We have lost two long time Scouters within the past month. Both had grown up in Scouting and had stayed in. I think one had been in over 65 years.

I think I am going to suggest that our District a Memory Plaque for lost Scouters and Scouts. [/quote]

[WVBeaver05]

Where was his machine? How could this leader have passed his annual physical.

I know that we have made accommodations for sleep apnea machines on at least two occassions.

As I recall, for a weekend camping trip (if he wasn't actually climbing or doing other high adventure activities himself), the Class III physical would not even be presented. Also, we never really know what is going to happen. I knew a man, younger than that, not at a Scouting event, but having recently had a "clean" complete physical who died suddenly.

We do what we can, but sometimes ......................

YiS