I was reading the news this morning to catch up on what happened in the world since I laid my head down to sleep. I noticed a heading for a story about the much troubled Boy Scout jamboree in Virginia. According to reports, more than 300 Scouts were treated yesterday for heat stroke, dehydration, and other heat related illnesses. It was so bad, that they had to convert tent to triage centers and also call in refer trucks to try to bring some peoples temps down and give IV's to some patients. They also had to call in for extra help from local hospitals, coast guard units, army medics, and other agencies.

OK, seriously, what happened to: Always Be Prepared?

When I was a scout a decade ago, we learned many things. I can still remember most of them. One thing I remember in particular was First Aid. Why? Cuz it was something that could save my life someday. I know the symptoms and also basic treatment of a few serious things like: shock, heat stroke, dehydration, frost bite, hypothermia, etc. OK, now that was me. You are in a situation where there are 42,000 scouts and scout masters. How can all these people not know the dangers of the heat? When I was a scout, if we went on a 3 mile hike, we took like three canteens and we used to take rests. You have all these scouts in an event organized by scouts for scouts, and apparently, the thought that people might need water, didn't come up. I don't know. It just makes me wonder about the common sense in America today.

Coffee time.

I was reading the news today and there was a report that at the National Boy Scout Jamboree, 4 scout leaders were killed in a tent accident. At first I though maybe a tent collapsed and some people maybe suffocated. But no. They were electrocuted.

Yes, electrocuted. While they were erecting their tent, a pole struck an overhead power line and BAM, they died. I had a bunch of questions regarding this. Like:

A: Why were they pitching a tent near where there were power lines? When I went camping as a scout, we usually didn't have electricity let alone overhead electric lines.

B: How do you not notice overhead power lines. They are usually either strung from large metal structures or wooden poles. When I see a tree with no branches except for one really long thin one, it would raise a flag. Not a flagpole mind you, cuz electricity and metal don't mix.

C: Maybe since they were from Alaska, they weren't used to power or anything like that. It was just a strange magical thing.

I don't know. But whatever happened to always being prepared and being mentally awake. Just a thought. Ok time for bed.

Good Night Walla Walla