Boy Scout Troop 325
Scoutmaster Minute
Yosemite Tragedy
March 4, 2008
Larry Polyak, Assistant Scoutmaster

I read a very sad story in the newspaper the other day. A couple of weekends ago, a young 12 year old boy scout from nearby Modesto, California died while hiking in Yosemite with his troop. His name, his troop number and other details have not yet been released. But the article did say that he had wandered off on his own from his group that was hiking toward Upper Yosemite Falls. He fell of a cliff, plunging 300 feet down.

As a fellow scout, please take a moment to say a prayer for his family and friends.

People die every day from all sorts of causes. To die in this manner, when trying to witness nature's beauty is especially tragic. When a boy scout dies on an outing, it is even bigger news. We are trained. We are supposed to know better.

The scout motto is Be Prepared. We prepare. We plan. We have safe hiking rules. We have the buddy system. We say it over and over so much that sometimes we get tired of hearing it. Our troop has several hikes coming up, including one at Mission Peak and one at Mt. St. Helena. It is important for all of to remember that when we go out in the wilderness to view nature's beauty, it's not like going to the mall. We need to remember the rules and follow good safety precautions all the time.

With any luck, you guys will get to experience a lot more outdoor adventures as part of your scouting career, and hopefully later in life as well. Let's all do it safely and wisely.

Thanks for listening.