Now I want to emphasize this and this is not part of my statement. This is not to condemn the Boy Scouts, this is not to condemn the American Camping Association, but we are dealing with a human element and a natural instinct is to protect ones self, and those at the top want to protect the position they hold, I can understand that, and I think we ought to all take that into consideration. 1. Lincoln, Calif.—a bus carrying 58 young people and counselors to a church-sponsored ski camp overturned killing three and injuring many. New York Times, March 5, 1972.

2. New Braunfels, Tex. A boy drowned at a Boy Scout camp. The American, Austin, Tex., March 27, 1972.

3. Easthampton, Mass.-a child drowned in a wading pool at a private day camp. The pool was supervised by a 14-year-old counselor. Northampton, Mass., newspaper, July 28, 1972.

I want to elaborate on this. This was a 14-year-old counselor taking care of some 35 children. How in the world can one adult even watch 35 children much less a 14-year-old counselor which is indicative of some shortcuts being taken.

4. Skaneateles Lake, N.Y.-a 17-year-old was killed when two speed boats collided at a YMCA camp. Channels 3, 5, and 9 TV news, Syracuse, N.Y., late July 1972.

5. Aurora, N.Y.-three young people from a private camp were killed when a pickup truck crashed. August 13, 1972.

The only comment I would like to make on that. I saw many many deaths in my file, that trucks with youths as passengers and drivers have no business in any camp.

6. Maliby, Calif.-a van operated by a day camp, a moving van, went over a cliff. One was killed and several were injured of the 20 to 25 aboard. The Hour, Norwalk, Conn., August 8, 1972.

7. Washington, D.C.-a 16-year-old Sea Explorer Scout disappeared after last being seen rowing a boat from a Coast Guard lightship in the Anacostia River which the Scouts used on weekends. The Washington Post, April 19, 1972.

8. Marshfield, Mass. An employee at a private camp was murdered. The story was not publicized in the press. The camp owner is a famous professional athlete. July 1972.

9. Kerhonkson, N.Y.-eight employees including seven teenagers died in a fire at a private ski camp. Newsletter from New York State Senator Norman J. Levy, March 20, 1973.

This I would want to elaborate on. This is the reason why my wife, Betty Kurman, wrote this report. I was with the newspaper until 2 o'clock in the morning digging up the files on this thing and it is rotten.

This bill had three long bruising years of hearings in the State Legislature of New York. It passed and Governor Rockefeller vetoed it. The explanation I had from Governor Rockefeller was "too broad a bill would apply to others as well."

He had hardly vetoed that bill when these people died needlessly and I checked it out and have all of the facts on it.

There were no windows on the building. They had oil cloth hanging up to keep the wind out. The fire doors were not fire doors but were ordinary doors that opened out into nothing. There was no fire

escape, no way of getting out. This was a multiple story building, an old hotel, that had seen its better days perhaps 70 years ago.

As I say, eight people died including seven teenagers.

Then and only then did Governor Rockefeller sign the bill which is now the law in New York State. That is how the New York State law came about.

Do we have to wait for another holocaust, another tragedy of that nature to bring the bill about at the Federal level? As sure as God made little green apples that is going to happen.

10. Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. Three Boy Scouts and one. troop leader from Albuqueruqe, N Mex. drowned in Yellowstone Lake. The group had been warned by park rangers that storms arise very suddenly on the lake and that the temperature of the water is only 50 degrees.

They were cautioned to keep their canoes close to shore. The Scouts ignored this warning for their canoes capsized 1 mile from shore.

The park rangers made a thorough investigation of this tragedy and found that the canoes were homemade, poorly designed and built, overloaded, and some of the life jackets were rotten and had lost their flotation. accident report No. 1617 by the National Park Rangers, Yellowstone National Park, U.S. Department of the Interior, July 18, 1973.

I will take my hat off, I give the utmost thanks to Congressman McKinney and Senator Weiker, who both got the report for me in detail. I have the utmost respect for the National Park Service who have their hands full with the groups that come in and simply do not know what they are doing.

11. Lake Ossipee, New Hampshire-a 16 year old dishwasher at a private ACA approved camp drowned when his canoe capsized due to strong winds. He was fully dressed in street clothes and shoes and had no chance to don his life jacket when the canoe overturned. Carroll County Independent, Center Ossippee, N.H. July 19, 1973. Story also related to me by the other occupant of the canoedressed in bathing suit and barefoot-who survived.

12. Pahaquarry Township, N.Y. A child was shot at a Boy Scout Camp. He was taken to the hospital and listed in critical condition. Charges were filed against a 19 year old Scout. UPI wire service report: The Express, Easton, Pa. and Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, Pa., August 13, 1973. Also letter from deputy superintendent, New Jersey State Police.

I was told about this as fast as this thing happened. It is amazing the people that call me from all over the United States at this point. I went down there immediately, and I spoke to the trooper. This is not in the written testimony that I have, but I think it will bear out what I am talking about. The State trooper, Al Houghton, and I asked him about it.

He said, "Look, if that boy even lives he will be in horrible condition. We had to bring him down to St. Lukes Hospital in Bethlehem."

He said what happened. He was a 19 year old horsing around with a gun, his words, not my words, a 32 caliber revolver.

I would like to know what in the world a 32 caliber revolver has been doing around a camp where there is a bunch of impressionable kids?

I asked what was the revolver doing there?

They had to use it for rattlesnakes and copperheads.

I said there is not that many copperheads here. He said, “I know it, but that is what they said."

I went to the hospital and did not see the boy he was in intensive care and they didn't know if he would live or die. I spoke to one of the nurses and the nurse told me if the boy even lived he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life.

To their credit, although it was late, the Boy Scouts dismissed the man who had the gun at the Boy Scout Camp. But indicative of the man's character, in a very short while he was picked up with $2,300 worth of stolen tools in his possession and another loaded gun. He is now going to serve time in a prison.

13. Brooksville, Fla.-10 teenagers and 2 counselors went on a 3 to 4 week canoe trip on the Chattahoochie River to the Gulf of Mexico. Their three canoes capsized in the treacherous rapids near the Palisade area.

Fortunately all survived and were rescued by Cobb County Civil Defense Department. One boy who almost drowned was admitted to a hospital. The two counselors said they had past experience in floating down rivers but that the 10 boys did not. The Atlanta Constitution, June 19, 1973.

And incidentally I want to thank the Atlanta Constitution. They had been extremely helpful to me and I appreciate it.

14. Andes, New York-a 12 year old boy was shot and seriously wounded by a 15 year old dishwasher at a camp. The Star, Oneonta, N.Y., July 24, 1973.

This I think bears elaboration and I want to elaborate on it.

The 12 year old who was shot was working, or was on the rifle range, I should say, and his gun jammed. The 15 year old who was a dishwasher was also in charge of the rifle range and as he was trying to unjam the gun the gun went off and shot the 12 year old in the stomach.

I would like to know what we are doing with a 15 year old kid in charge of a rifle range and with qualifications that were nothing.

He was a part-time dishwasher and part-time rifle range instruc

tor.

15. Rainbow Lake Village, N.W.-an eight year old boy was killed when he fell over a 150-foot waterfall. A private camp took the children on a trip in the Adirondacks. A New York State forest ranger had warned the group leader not to camp too close to the waterfall because others had lost their balance and fallen to their deaths in previous years.

When the boy's body was found at the foot of the waterfall in the morning the camp leader said the boy must have been sleepwalking; his family claims he had never done this before. The Times-Union, Rochester, N.Y., July 6, 1973, and phone conversation with boy's father.

I checked this thing out. I personally was there. And this is a waterfall where two other people had drowned fallen to their deaths

(

previously. This is an extremely dangerous area and they certainly have no darn business camping at the edge of a place of that nature where somebody getting up in the middle of the night could have wandered off not knowing the terrain.

16. Palmyra, Va.-a 12 year old boy was kicked by a horse at a private ACA approved camp. He suffered a skull fracture and permanent loss of hearing in one ear. The camp owner refused to accept any responsibility and put the entire blame on the child.

The camp also refused to pay his medical bills because they said the parents had not taken out a major medical and accident policy to pay such expenses. The parents were never advised of this extra policy which only cost $1 at the time they enrolled their child at the camp. That is from a letter from the boy's mother.

I think it is appropriate to say that if there are problems in insurance that the parents should certainly be notified. Certainly when the cost is $1 to take care of something of this nature.

These are only a few of the accidents listed for the past 2 years that show a continuing pattern of injury and death that has been going on for many years. They could certainly be avoided if proper safeguards were instituted.

The purpose of this is not to give you a gruesome record, I have hundreds of these, and most of them, my wife put into this thing. I didn't put into this thing. She thought they were before the time when this investigation was taking place.

The purpose of investigation and purpose of listing these things is not to get a résumé of horrible tragedies but why they took place and rectify them.

I would like to examine the reports of accidents, illnesses, and deaths obtained through the CDD's clipping service and compare them with the list of reports in my files. I would like to see that done now.

The report concludes that Federal legislation is not needed, that the States should enact their own legislation aided by the expertise of both Federal agencies and national youth and camp organizations. The report does admit that regulations are lacking in most States.

Only five States have comprehensive camp safety legislation. Of these only one, New Jersey, has enacted this legislation since the start of this survey, and one other, Connecticut, has tightened the lax administration of its law.

Let the Federal Government take the leadership with the Federal Youth Camp Safety Act H.R. 1486 to set basic minimum standards. Then the States will have to assume their responsibility to protect our most precious and most irreplaceable resource, our children.

I have following that, and I don't think it need be read, a letter that was published in the Santa Barbara newspaper just a few days

ago.

Mr. DANIELS. It won't be necessary to read the addendum to your statement but it will be made a part of the record.

Mr. KURMAN. Right. I don't intend to read it, but I wanted to mention the fact this has gotten reaction from all over the United States, people indignant that they want their own children pro

tected. I want to read one thing which I think is quite important. I got a call from a gentleman in California.

Frankly, I was amazed that the man would call me from Santa Barbara, Calif. I said, "Is there anything personal in this?" He said, "Yes my own little girl was killed."

It was painful. He elicited other details. I said, "I will have the lawyer write you a letter and I would like to read this short letter into the record. I think it is important and I think it may have more affect than anything else I have to say, from:

Stanley Krottenburg, attorney-at-law, Tucson, Ariz., in regard to a California child who was sent to a camp in Arizona.

Dear Mr. KURMAN. Mrs. O'Keefe sent me your letter of December 20, 1973, regarding your work toward stronger federal and state laws for children summer camps. Mrs. O'Keefe's daughter was in an Arizona summer camp and was taking tubing down a rather swift river, that is when they floated children in innertubes down the river. The children were not given life jackets and the kids got caught in a flow of water and began to drown. There were several counselors nearby that did nothing. When I asked the counselor what they had done when the seen the girl drowning. They replied "I screamed." When asked what they had done after that she said I cried. I asked the counsellor if they gave the child mouth to mouth resusitation when she was finally brought to land and told me, "No, I do not know how."

The child died. Wishing you the best of success in your endeavors, Mr. Krottenburg, attorney.

Is that the kind of personnel to have on a river trip?

I have other things I personally would rather answer in questioning that anybody has in mind. I would rather clear the air of any ambiguity in answering questions that may be involved. I want to sincerely give thanks to Congressman Daniels and other Congressmen who have done their utmost in this and I want to express my appreciation for those who for some reason or other, philosophically or otherwise, have had reservations about Federal Government getting into the realm of State, what they thought was State legislation and possibly after they have seen this investigation, they had changed their mind.

I have the utmost respect for anybody who may have made a mistake in the past and will change his mind and I want to thank the committee very much.

I would like to have an opportunity to answer any questions.

Mr. DANIELS. Mr. Kurman, the Chair does not have any questions to ask of you but I want to commend you for your support of legislation in this area. I also appreciate your documentation of the various accidents that you described.

It will help the committee in arriving at a decision and in marking up the legislation.

I recognize my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Esch.

Any questions?

Mr. ESCH. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

First of all, it goes without saying. Mr. Kurman, and you have enough credit and applaud you for yourself and I think I have a strong feeling that you don't really care, as you wrote in a letter to me recently, you don't really care about Congressman Esch and you don't care about Mr. Kurman but the one thing you are concerned with is getting legislation through?