Posted on 03/18/2007 2:40:41 PM PDT by SmithL
TRAPHILL, N.C. (AP) -- Search teams combed mountain terrain Sunday for a 12-year-old Boy Scout who disappeared during an outing.
About 10 scouts and the adult leaders of Troop 230, from Greensboro, noticed that Michael Auberry was missing between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday in Stone Mountain State Park, officials said.
The troop had gone on a hike earlier Saturday, and the boy and an adult stayed behind, said David Bauer, a ranger with the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was not immediately clear why they stayed behind.
After the troop returned and ate lunch with Michael and the adult, the troop noticed the boy was missing from camp. Searchers found part of his mess kit less than a mile away late Saturday,
(Excerpt) Read more at ap.washingtontimes.com ...
Thanks. Don't want to jump to conclusions, but it does sound as though somebody else may have been involved.
Antique? Now you're making me feel old! In my defense, the Iraqi patches were from 2005-2006! I'll admit they were pretty cool -- if I remember correctly, proceeds of the patches were used to turn Saddam Hussein's old secret police headquarters into the national headquarters of the new Boy Scouts of Iraq.
I have to go back to my private mails, because I know I promised your oldest son something SPECIFIC when he made Eagle. It wasn't just an "I'll send something." Freep me if you remember what it was.
Thank you very much for that site. The stories seem to continue to back away from any definitive statements that the Scout ate with his Troop. Our prayers for this young Scout, his family, and his Troop and leaders.
Prayers up here too.
The mess kit left contained was for lunch, and seemed to contain it. It was reported as scraps, so it looks like he left in the middle of a group lunch.
I can't remember, and Bill probably won't remember in 2011 or so, either. We said we'd get him an eagle statue, any one he likes, within reason.
Our boys just got their summer camp information this evening. Tom has to do the First Year startup program, but Bill has lots of choices of cool activities, including "Reptiles and Amphibians"!
"...a ranger with the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was not immediately clear why they stayed behind."
"Paging Alec Baldwin! Please pick up the white Courtesy Phone in the Lobby!"
http://adamsandler.jt.org/andrea/SNL/canteen/canteen.htm
I hope this kid is OK. Last I heard, they cleared the adult of any wrong-doing, but you know how these things tend to end up.
Prayers up. :)
But there will be a terrarium at the Tax-Chick household for a couple of months, complete with Leopard Gecko or other critter.
While viewing the coverage of the lost Scout, Michael Auberry, I was wondering if supplies including radios, food, warm clothing, etc., could be dropped by air at Strategic area's. They could drop devices with loud signals attracting the 12 year old to it.
The boy could possibly have some reasons for hiding or afraid of being humiliated.
I have not seen any coverage of air drops, but hope it is a good idea that maybe you can inquire about.
Daniel Smith
52 yrs old Receiver of a U.S. Silver Lifesaving Medal in 1998
The world is not the same as it used to be. Our son ten and is in Scouts. And the leaders are nice enough people, they seem responsible. But, I ask myself, do I really KNOW Mr. Smith? We go camping with him and his son, but I don't know him. I would much rather have my son camping with Mr. Smith, and my son's Daddy. Having a parent there is much safer.
I guess that means my son has only two more months to make first class. He has been wanting to go with another troop that his friends are in, because he is getting sick of being bullied and picked on in his current troop and being told "that's just the way they are" about these particular boys. Only problem is the troop he wants to be in is a bit of a way to go.
The world is the same it always was. I've taken lots of kids out camping over 25 years. I was the only adult. Never had a son, just a daughter, so those were mostly all girls. Even taught them, and let them shoot. They even graduated to those eeeevil black rifles. They had fun, had great experiences and learned things. I never get involved with people that don't trust me, are irrationally suspicious and go overboard on rules. It's not healthy. If you don't have trust, there is nothing.
"Having a parent there is much safer."
I've taken adults out for over 35 years. It depends...
I hope they find him. I remember a kid getting lost in the Great Smoky Mountains back in the early 70's. They never found him. They had everybody looking back then even the National Guards. Adults should be very careful with kids in the mountains. They could literally walk within 5 feet of him and never see him. Sadly many adults do not understand the dangers of the mountains.
Ooops, I hadn't read the requirements! Bill seems more interested in shooting, fortunately.
Thank you for speaking up to correct any misinformation on this thread. And thank you for doing all you've done to help the Scout organization in the past.
I've been asked to be an ASM. I'm really looking forward to it. I had a gas in Scouts when I was a kid.
I made life and I'm hoping I can help my boy to make Eagle.
Prayers for this missing young boy.
L
Best wishes to you and Jr. :-). Make sure you take all the training you can.
That reminds me I need to get the survival skills DVD out today!
"he is getting sick of being bullied and picked on in his current troop"
I understand that this young scout, Michael, was in a troop that did not include his regular friends.
It is possible that when the group returned from the hike, he had some sort of unpleasant teasing because he had been "too tired" to go with them. Taking his mess kit into the woods appears as if he wanted to eat by himself...sulking and unhappy.
Just an observation.
If you are the parents of a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or child who goes into the woods with you, then please browbeat them until they learn:
Always have a whistle in the outdoors.
If you are lost or confused, hug a tree or sit down, but stay in one place.
Every few minutes, blow three quick blasts on your whistle.
The longer version of that is:
Always have a good, shrill whistle with you. In your pocket. Clipped to your belt loop. Clipped to your coat zipper. Buy one WITHOUT a ball, which can freeze or (in the case of inexpensive whistles where the ball is made of clay) break or dissolve. The $4 for an cylindrical aluminum survival whistle at REI or Wal-Mart is worth the money. Most $.99 whistles are not worth the money. There are also orange "hurricane" whistles that are very loud.
Teach your child that if he or she is lost or confused, hug a tree or sit down. Stay in one place. Use a map or game to show how much easier it is to find someone who is sitting still -- and how they don't walk away from the searchers.
Blow three short blasts (the emergency signal) every few minutes. Blowing a whistle doesn't strain your voice or take as much effort.
Building a shelter and finding water and food are much less important in my opinion than WHISTLE/HUG A TREE/BLOW.
Prayers for this Scout.
Get ready to make frequent purchases of live crickets, or to put up with the ghastly smell of crickets purchases and kept alive in bulk until it is gulpy-gulp time.
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