The only thing I would point out to them is that a mile diameter centered on camp is over 3 square miles to be search. If you have a tile floor where you meet, if they are a foot on a side, ask them how big they are.

Yes, it means math. And it provides a really concrete example to go with this kid as to why it is important to increase your "size" with noise and visual signals.

The way I heard it, he took off to try to get the road and thumb it home?

I want to formally apologize on behalf of all of my fellow Texans... We try to take care of the scum ourselves, but some slip through the cracks...

Shows just how important a whistle can be...
He said he kept shouting to the rescuers, but that they never heard him!...

That article was priceless!!!

And I agree completely...
The percentage of children, diagnosed with ADHD, is too high to be real... Either that, or ADHD needs to be removed from the category of a mental disease and declared to be one of the common personality types.

My personal view, is that it is a REAL condition, but one that is over diagnosed to an EXTREME degree...

If I remember correctly, grades in classes right after recess and PE are higher than at any other time of the day. This is thought to be because the kids are tired after running around during recess, and do not have the energy to be disruptive... But the trend is to shorten, or eliminate recess, and also to limit physical activity during that time...

This is the first case I've heard of where a kid getting lost in the woods might have actually saved his life. Why? Because they are now reporting that he was trying to hike out to the road so he could Hitch-Hike home!

The problems with this kid (and his home life) most likely go way beyond any kind of disorder. The dad is an attorney & more than likely works mega hours each week & the scouting trip was just another excuse to get rid of the kid for a few days.

My wife & I led our son's Cubscout group for 4 years. There are parents that get involved, help out & go on the trips. And there are parents who are looking for any excuse to dump their kid off on someone else... my gut is telling me this is an example of the later.

Maybe I can arrainge to have him sent back for a belated "treatment"...

Well as it turns out he RAN AWAY. So it was a deliberate action because he wasn't having fun. It is sad but it has had a happy ending as he was found.

He was planning Hitchhiking so the getting lost in the woods may have saved his life.

The only thing I would point out to them is that a mile diameter centered on camp is over 3 square miles to be search. If you have a tile floor where you meet, if they are a foot on a side, ask them how big they are.

I think that was one of the most amazing things to them. One of the concepts we talked about was how easy it would be to walk a mile or so from camp, and yet how big an area that is to search in the woods. It helped reinforce the importance of signalling, and also the importance of stopping before they go too far. I like the analogy of the floor tiles, I might use that one in a future meeting, thanks.

I guess the point of my message was that I felt a lot better knowing that something we were doing was actually getting through to these guys, because it's often hard to tell if anything happens between those ears!

It's kinda sad now that we hear about how he was trying to hitch hike home, and that his dad was essentially paying him to go on the camping trip. As others have mentioned, there are always boys that are basically on these trips as extended daycare for the parents. I think that is sad, but, I look at it a different way. From my perspective, those boys need us even more than the ones who have parents actively involved with the troop, so we always go out of our way to make them feel "at home".

I have our summer camp photo of our 20 or so boys on my desk at work. 2 other dad's, who are my Assistant Scoutmasters look forward to spending "summer vacation" with our extended family each July. I feel lucky to have such a good group of boys and adult leaders, and wish more of the moms and dads would join us. They are missing a chance to see their kids in a different light, and see them grow from boys to men. I guess my comments are starting to stray from Survival Forum to Campfire, so I'll stop now

I have been a cubscout & Webelo den leader and assistant scoutmaster for a scout troop. There is no doubt that there is a certain amount of "baby sitters of america" out there in both organizations. Yes, we leaders get agrivated at times when it becomes very obvious. There are also a lot of dedicated parents that contribute time to those organizations to help make them work.

However, there is another group out there that believe that the program helps their kids, but are just not outdoors type of people. Our advancement chair is very active, but has never camped with the troop. I was involved with a summer camp situation where a youth, who had never gotton homesick on a weekend camp, that was a complete basket case by mid week of summer camp. The parents are good people that believed in the scouting program. Kids get homesick. Not every parent likes to camp. A lot of parents believe that this program works to instill good values and leadership in young men.

Please do not slam the dad for trying to get his son involved without knowing the "rest of the story". I would bet there is not a parent on this forum that has not had to bribe their kid to do something that the parent knew would be good for the kid, but the kid just didn't see it in the same light.

Possibly this was a baby sitting case, but maybe not. I can't tell from the news reports.