Tornado Strikes Iowa Boy Scout Camp… My personal connection

From the desk of Roy Furr, Thursday, June 12th, 2008

Dear Reader,

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but tragedy struck a Boy Scout camp in Western Iowa last night.

A tornado ripped through, claiming the lives of four scouts and injuring dozens of others.

I had a personal connection to that scout camp. In fact, I spent many weekends there growing up. I have many fond memories of the place — of hiking in the hills, of sitting around campfires, and of being with friends.

I learned, slept, and played in buildings that are now rubble.

Now many unfortunate scouts are going to have memories of fear and loss. It’s painful to think about. And it’s so unfair.

There were also stories of heroism to come from the disaster — scouts coming to the aid of others despite their own injuries. Of pulling bricks from collapsed chimneys off of others. Of the scouts that ran to the on-site house of the camp director, to rescue him from the rubble.

Luckily the day before the tornado, the whole camp conducted tornado readiness exercises. The scouts learned to “be prepared” for what could happen.

If they didn’t have this training, things could have been worse.

Now, as they sort through the rubble and the local scout leadership decides what to do next, they need your thoughts and prayers.

That those who were injured come out okay.

That those who are suffering from the experience find healing.

That “normal” can return for those whose lives have been suddenly, violently been swept up into this tragedy.

I don’t know of any other ways you can help right now. But at least keep these young scouts and their adult leaders in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you,

Roy Furr

P.S. — If you want more information, here’s a link to the New York Times coverage of the issue:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/us/13tornado.html?ref=us

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