Latest news with #CubScouts
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
A California mother and son were lost deep in the woods. Then rescuers found a note that said ‘help'
By luck, Tami Laird had a stack of papers in her car. She'd packed the usual camping supplies – sleeping bags, food, flashlights, first aid kit and duct tape. At the last minute, she'd also printed a stack of campsite maps to share with other Cub Scouts she and her son were meeting in the Sierra. Lost deep in the woods, with cell service long gone, she grabbed a map. 'HELP,' she scribbled on the back. 'Me and my son are stranded up the road to the right. Please get help.' Nine-year-old Stirling lugged a rock into the middle of the narrow, dusty forest road where they were stuck, and Laird taped the note to it. Night was falling, and Laird's mind was racing. Was her son warm enough? How much should they ration their food? Would they ever be found? 'I was sick to my stomach,' she said. Laird and Stirling had set out the afternoon of July 11 from their home in Roseville to drive to Camp Wolfeboro nestled along the North Fork of the Stanislaus River. The trip should have taken about three hours. But they didn't arrive that night. And they didn't turn up the next day. Laird knew Camp Wolfeboro was roughly two miles down a dirt road from Highway 4, and by late Friday afternoon she knew they were lost in a labyrinth of logging trails and forest service roads of Stanislaus National Forest. Her Nissan Sentra kept bottoming out, no matter how carefully she maneuvered. 'I turned around and tried to retrace my steps, but there were so many interlocking dirt roads,' Laird said. Laird and Stirling tried to reassure one another. They had food and a camp stove. He had his emergency whistle around his neck. They took breaks to play cards then kept driving. Then the car got stuck. Laird had hit the gas to get up and over a berm but the wheels were off the ground. They used their hands to dig the dirt away, pulling away rocks and sticks until they had enough traction and could drive away. But then they got stuck again. They dug the car out and kept driving, but then got stuck again. Stirling tried his whistle – blowing in three short bursts like he was trained to signal distress. Laird tried dialing 911, but they had no signal. That night, Stirling tossed and turned but seemed to rest. Laird watched the stars and moon move across the sky through the towering trees. She kept hoping she'd see a helicopter appear in the sky. She wondered if anyone had reported them missing. No one had, yet. The next morning, July 12, Laird and Stirling filled their backpacks with snacks and water, and set out on foot to see if they could hike up to cell service. They tore up an old brown sheet and tied strips onto branches so they could find their way back to the car. They also brought pen and paper, and started leaving notes, hoping that someone was looking for them. They didn't know it then, but they were roughly 20 miles as the crow flies from Camp Wolfeboro, deep in the dusty forested canyon folds that rise from the foothills into the high Sierra. Totally lost, they began rationing hot dogs. It wasn't until the next day that the Cub Scouts group alerted Laird's emergency contacts that the pair hadn't arrived. They called 911, and the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office began searching. Sheriff's Lt. Greg Stark said they mapped a broad general search area using the last coordinates transmitted from Laird's phone before losing service. Then, early in the search, campers in the area told a deputy they'd seen a mother and son in a sedan and watched them turn around. 'There are not a lot of sedans out there, so we adjusted our search areas again to tighten that up,' Stark said. They had called in the volunteer search and rescue team, and many members happened to be training nearby. Sixteen volunteers assembled at a base camp in the Stanislaus National Forest within about a half hour and soon set out with paper maps in teams of two. Tony Fernandez and another volunteer drove along dirt roads in his Toyota Tacoma. 'It went from gravel to just dirt to moon dust,' Fernandez said. They marked each road they searched on the map. They headed up a really steep and bumpy road, even though Fernandez, an off-road driving enthusiast, didn't think a sedan would have made it. But he turned down the road anyway, and something caught his eye. 'I jokingly said, 'Is that a rock with a note?' Not thinking she would have thought of that,' Fernandez said. He recalled his partner, Adam Salazar, exclaiming that it was. 'My partner said, 'Dude, it's a note that says help on it,'' he said. They followed the note to the right, then found another note instructing them to take another right. A third note told them to head to the left. Moments later, Fernandez saw something blue ahead. It was a set of camp chairs. Suddenly, Laird was running down the road toward the pickup with tears streaming down her eyes. She'd heard Fernandez honking and had initially thought she'd imagined it. 'It was a little over 24 hours. We were so lucky it wasn't more,' Laird said Fernandez had tow equipment and pulled the sedan off the berm where it was lodged. His partner drove the sedan and Laird and Stirling rode out of the woods in Fernandez' truck. The notes, the strips of sheet, staying with their car – all of this dramatically improved their chances of being found, Stark said. 'They did everything right,' Stark said. Except, perhaps, the initial problem of directions. Laird said she hadn't pulled up the camp website for directions until they were too far along the route. By then they didn't have enough cell services to load the page. So she said she plugged Camp Wolfeboro into her phone's Google Maps app. 'Technology is great and works – until it doesn't,' Stark said.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
The incredible handwritten note that saved mom and child's life after they got lost in huge California forest
A quick-thinking mother and son were rescued from a massive California forest after getting lost on their way to a camping trip. Tami, 49, and her nine-year-old son, Stirling, were driving from Sacramento to a Cub Scouts trip at Camp Wolfeboro in Calaveras County on Friday. However, Tami took a wrong turn and her car got stuck after the undercarriage hit a large bump. 'I started trying to call 911. I couldn't get any calls to go through,' Tami, who did not give her last name, told ABC10. '[Stirling] started, blowing his Cub Scout whistle. He had learned what to do with that, and so we kept trying that for hours and eventually we realized we were gonna be stuck there for the night.' After spending the night in the car, the mother and son duo decided to go search for help and left notes along the way in case anyone found them. 'HELP! Me and my son are stranded with no service and can't call 911,' one note said. 'We are ahead, up the road to the right. Please call 911 to get help for us.' A second note said, 'HELP. Me and my son are stranded up the road to the right. Please get help for us. Follow the strips of brown sheet. Thank you!' Tami (right), 49, and her nine-year-old son, Stirling (left), got lost in a California forest while driving to a Cub Scout camping trip Rescuers were able to find the mother and son thanks to notes they left with directions to where they were located Thankfully, members of the Calaveras County Volunteer Search and Rescue Team discovered the note and were able to bring the mother and son to safety. 'We didn't want to get lost from our car, so we did leave a note on our car saying that we were walking away by foot,' Tami said. 'I had a sheet in the car, so I, I tore the sheet up and we took the strips with us, and everywhere we walked, we hung those on the trees so that we would be able to get back to the car.' When Tami and Sterling didn't show up at camp, the Calaveras County Dispatch Center received a report that the mother and son duo were overdue and not answering their phones. The Calaveras County Volunteer Team happened to be conducting its monthly training session nearby and were sent to look for the pair, according to the sheriff's office. 'Very scary experience and the longer we were out there,' said Tami. 'The more we were worried that nobody was gonna come for us. 'Then we heard another honk and I turned around and I saw this truck coming down the road and it was just the best feeling ever.' Due to the isolated location where rescuers found Tami and Sterling, they were unable to communicate their discovery to the command post via conventional radio frequencies or cell phone. Tami took a wrong turn and her car got stuck after the undercarriage hit a large bump As they were out searching, Stirling (pictured) blew his Cub Scout whistle to signal for help while his mother left the notes 'They utilized an amateur radio frequency, commonly known as HAM radio, to establish communication,' the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office said. 'After broadcasting "emergency traffic" on the HAM radio, their call was immediately answered by a retired El Dorado County Communications Supervisor who was a HAM Operator monitoring frequencies from his home.' Finally, rescuers were able to connect with their team and get the necessary equipment to recover Tami's car and get them back to their loved ones. 'It was just a very scary experience. In general, it was just really scary and and I'm also really emotional with all the support we got our friends, our family that got on the phones calling hospitals, calling 911,' Tami said. 'All the search and rescue people that helped us, they were, they were just, it's so amazing how dedicated they are.'
The Star
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Crown Prince inaugurates Scouts Training Centre
Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah takes a closer look at one of the exhibitions. - BB/ANN BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah Hassanal Bolkiah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, who is also the Chief Scout of the Brunei Darussalam Scouts Association (PPNBD), graced the 75th Anniversary of Cub Scouts in Brunei Darussalam and the inauguration of the the Scout Training and Camp Centre, on Tuesday (June 16). Also present at the event was His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Malik. Upon arrival, Their Royal Highnesses were greeted by the Minister of Development Datuk Seri Setia Mohd Juanda Abd Rashid, in his capacity as Acting Minister of Culture Youth and Sports; Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Setia Ahmaddin Abd Rahman; and PPNBD President Datuk Paduka Ar. Idris Abas. In a sabda (speech), the Crown Prince described the occasion as a symbol of the Scouts Association's continued commitment to developing disciplined, responsible and patriotic youth aligned with Brunei Vision 2035. He expressed pride in the achievements of the scouting movement since the establishment of the Cub Scouts, highlighting its key role in shaping character and leadership through activities that instill confidence, responsibility, and a spirit of volunteerism. With the full operation of the new training centre, the Crown Prince is confident it will become a centre of excellence for scout leadership, unity and skills development, while contributing to the goal of building a resilient society. The Crown Prince also acknowledged the vital contributions of scout leaders, volunteers, parents and educators—many of whom are teachers—in ensuring the movement's continued success. He further extended appreciation to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Education for their unwavering support towards the growth of the scouting and other cadet movements in the country. 'The scouting identity and values,' he said, 'can inspire success beyond the movement, empowering young citizens to shoulder responsibilities with patriotism and foresight.' Themed 'Our Scouts, Our Future', the celebration reaffirms the continued commitment of the PPNBD to producing a resilient, dedicated and devoted young generation for the nation through progressive and inclusive non-formal education. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
Daily Record
13-06-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Burnside Cubs pitch up for camping adventure
Members of the 113th Glasgow (Burnside) group had a memorable camping weekend, while their annual plant sale again proved a huge success. Cub Scouts from 113th Glasgow (Burnside) had a 'cool camping' experience to round off the session in style as they had a packed adventure weekend near Edinburgh. The eight- to 10-year-olds and their volunteer leaders pitched their tents in a field on the outskirts of the capital and tried new outdoor skills including firelighting and learning to use trangia stoves to prepare their own soup and sandwich lunch. A busy weekend also saw them take part in activities incuding walking in the Pentland Hills, archery, orienteering and even axe throwing – which 'went down a treat'. Their programme included outdoor games, a walk past an alpaca farm, first aid, an escape room challenge and making camp-oven pizzas, plus a movie inside their marquee during a torrential downpour which 'drenched the whole campsite' in the middle of the weekend. Cub leader Allan Whiteford said: 'This was a great adventure for our Cubs. Mixed weather, being self-sufficient in part for lunches and meeting new friends from the east coast helps develop the confidence of Scouts and prepares them for life.' The adventurous residential also allowed more of the Burnside troop's leaders the chance to develop their camp organisation and planning skills and work towards gaining the organisation's camp permits. Group Scout leader Graeme Hamilton said: 'Having a great team of adult volunteers who are prepared to take youngsters away for a weekend of fun and adventure is great and develops their life skills too. 'To do so in challenging weather makes me all the more proud of our Scout volunteers. I'd love more people to join us and be part of our community adventure here at the 113th.' It followed the success of the previous weekend's annual plant sale at the Scout hall on Crawfurd Road – where the group once again recorded a sellout success after doubling the number of plants for sale at the hugely popular community event. Supporters snapped up summer garden bargains – and enjoyed home baking provided by members' families in the tea room, plus children's activities including a bouncy castle and face painting run by Ace Place afterschool and nursery staff, celebrating their 15 years of operating from the venue. Graeme said: 'This has been a fixture in our community calendar for around 30 years and it gets better and better each year. 'It's a great opportunity for the whole of Burnside to get together, and we really do thank our volunteer helpers, other hall user groups and our plant suppliers."
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Commentary: Why nostalgia for the 1950s of ‘Leave it to Beaver' persists in America's religious right
Anyone looking to drench themselves in the 1950s nostalgia currently favored by the religious right in America should consider watching 'Leave It to Beaver' stoned. Which is what I did with an old friend in the 1980s while attending graduate school at the University of California-Berkeley. Nostalgia for the '50s — that land beyond time where Catholic traditionalists such as Notre Dame political theorist and post-liberal prophet Patrick Deneen dwell — idealizes imaginary communities of yore such as Mayfield, the setting for 'Leave it to Beaver,' where the values of faith, family, friends and flag all flourished. According to this narrative, late-stage liberalism and the globalization of markets, with their characteristic rootlessness, dissolve this communal existence. When I was at Berkeley in the 1980s, a large number of my childhood friends from Princeton, New Jersey, somehow found their way to the Bay Area. One afternoon, one of my Princeton buddies was house-sitting for an uncle in a Bay Area suburb. The uncle, whom I'll call Uncle Jim, had been my Cub Scout pack leader in Princeton when I was in elementary school. One sun-drenched afternoon, my friend and I settled into a couch, he rolled some joints and we flipped the TV to 'Leave It to Beaver' reruns. The series, on the air from 1957 and 1963, is a resonant symbol of '50s nostalgia, one to which conservative Catholics have returned as a template for modeling natural law. To Catholics who moved to the suburbs in the '50s and '60s, 'Leave It to Beaver' was a 'medieval morality play,' as Jerry Mathers, the Catholic actor who played young protagonist Theodore 'Beaver' Cleaver, put it. The show was a guide for young souls more tethered to television than to the suburban church. Michael De Sapio, writing in the online journal The Imaginative Conservative in 2017, states that, according to Mather, Beaver Cleaver 'repeatedly succumbed to temptation, suffered the consequences, and was guided back on the path of virtue.' In other words, these archetypal storylines and characters represent a moral imagination that 'elevates us to first principles as it guides us upwards towards virtue and wisdom and redemption,' in the words of American philosopher Russell Kirk. De Sapio continues: 'The emphasis on decorum and good manners in the Cleaver family conveyed a vision of the good, true and beautiful.' Mathers shared that the casting directors for the show selected him to play Beaver when they asked where he would prefer to be after they noticed he was uneasy at the audition. His guileless reply: his Cub Scouts den meeting. Notably, the mission of the Scouts is to 'prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.' Which returns us to Uncle Jim, my former Cub Scouts leader. He was an electrical engineer who ended his first marriage and moved to California in the 1970s, where he married a woman several decades younger and shed the trappings of his formerly decorous identity. 'Leave It to Beaver' mirrored and shaped the aspirations of millions of Catholics moving to the suburbs after World War II, and it has lingered as an idealized — and exclusive — depiction of the American Dream. The only nonwhite characters to appear in the show's 234 episodes were a Black man exiting a dairy truck in the episode 'Eddie, the Businessman' (1962) and a Black actress who plays a maid in the 1963 episode 'The Parking Attendants.' Within months of its final episode in June 1963 — following the March on Washington, D.C., in August led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the November assassination of President John F. Kennedy — 'Leave It to Beaver' had become a charming artifact of mid-century optimism, more a product of nostalgia and romantic imagination than a realistic model for America's future. _____ Peter H. Schwartz writes at the broad intersection of philosophy, politics, history and religion. He publishes the Wikid World newsletter on Substack. _____
