The Troop 1954
Wednesday Newsletter

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

Announcements

1) There are numerous events in February for scouts needing extra participation.  Report to State is February 5th.  While we are not going as a troop, some members will go, again along with our Cub Scouts.  If you'd like to go to Report to State, with the Cubs, meet at the Hastings Parking Lot between 7:15 and 7:30 on Saturday.  Again, we'll give credit for participation.  The following Sunday is Scout Sunday, we are invited to go to Ms. Patty's church, First Presbyterian, here in San Marcos.  Contact her for further information.  The following weekend is our Kiwanis Camp Camp-out.  This is really vital for any scout under First Class seeking advancement.  We'll be doing all those activities and skills that are required to get you up a level or two.  The following weekend is Merit Badge University.  You can't participate in this unless you're currently signed up.  The following Wednesday is our First Aid CPR class.  So, that's five remaining scout activities in the month of February!  You'll see the dates on the calendar below.

3) First aid and CPR class will be February 26th at 2:00 at San Marcos High School. The Philmont crew is required to attend. Others are encouraged to attend.

4) Camporee is coming up in April. The date has been pushed back by at least one week. The theme of the Camporee is Baden-Powell’s 1907 camp at Brownsea Island.

5) Merit Badge University.  Did you remember to pay?  If not, get that check in really fast!

BOY SCOUT LEADER SHOULD BE REMOVED, RESCUE CHIEF SAYS

Lindsey Nair lindsey.nair@roanoke.com

The medical director for a Grayson County rescue squad is demanding accountability for a Boy Scout trip that ended last weekend with a large-scale rescue on Mount Rogers and 15 people hospitalized.

"That troop leader should be stripped of his responsibility as troop leader," said Mark Handy, an Abingdon physician who serves as medical director for the Rugby Volunteer Rescue Squad. "You can't downplay this. Those kids could have died."

Handy said that not only were about 30 Boy Scouts put in danger as the weather on the mountain last weekend deteriorated into heavy snow, rain, below-freezing temperatures and high winds, but rescuers who worked to save the troop were also put at risk.

"We're in the process of gathering information from all sources, including parents and leaders," said Clif Morris, director of field service with the Piedmont Council of the Boy Scouts in North Carolina. "We're gathering information and trying to assess the situation."

In all, 11 Scouts, leaders and chaperones with Troop 11 of Gastonia, N.C., suffered frostbite and hypothermia. Three members of the Rugby squad were treated for frostbite.

"There's one rescuer right now who is having a lot of trouble with his fingers and hands," Handy said, adding that the man has missed work because of the injury.

Handy said he telephoned Morris on Wednesday and told him he expects to hear from him about how the council will deal with the issue. Handy said he expects there to be some disciplinary action in response to the rescue.

He is also angry that Boy Scout officials and troop leaders denied that Scouts were wearing tennis shoes. Scout leader Michael Sims has said that some of the boys were wearing trail hikers, which can be mistaken for tennis shoes, but Handy and Rugby Rescue Squad member Rhonda Walls said there was no mistaking that the boys were wearing tennis shoes.

Handy said he told Morris that he hopes the Boy Scouts will return to Grayson County to visit and thank the rescuers who saved them. He said Morris asked him to e-mail a list of all the agencies that helped with the effort.

Council officials plan to meet with troop leaders to review whether the outing adhered to Scout regulations and policies.

Troop leaders contend they were prepared for harsh weather but were caught off-guard by the extreme cold and strong winds. They also were surprised by rain that soaked their clothing and gear. They didn't ignore weather warnings, Sims said Wednesday.

"There seem to be discrepancies on the weather report for that Saturday morning," he said. "It's unfortunate that this is coming down to who said what. I'm sorry it's come down to finger-pointing."

Diver left adrift sues boat crew that left him off Catalina

LOS ANGELES

A diver who drifted for five hours after a boat crew left him at sea has sued the diving company for $4 million.

Daniel Carlock Jr. filed a lawsuit Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court against Ocean Adventures Dive Co. and its employees, accusing them of negligence, inflicting emotional distress and fraud.

Carlock, 46, alleges Ocean Adventures left him off Santa Catalina Island on April 25, 2004, then lied about his location, delaying his rescue for five hours. He was eventually rescued by Boy Scouts in the area.

He developed skin cancer as a result of extended exposure to the sun that day, according to the lawsuit, which also asks for an unspecified amount in punitive damages.

The president of Ocean Adventures, Stephen Ladd, did not immediately return a call for comment Thursday. His wife said he is leading a diving expedition to the Coral Sea in Australia. Others named in the suit said they had not yet seen it and could not comment.

September 9-11 Pedernales Falls Camp Out