[philmont] Philmont 2008

Rice Brewer wrote:
> I suspect that the council contingent crew will become THE way to go to
> Philmont in the future. No, I do not have "inside information" to that
> effect but I can see it coming someday.
>
> Rice Brewer
> Fort Smith, AR
>

Comments: I for one hope this never happens. Having been on both
Council and independent "contingents", and having listened to many
complaints both here and on the Ranch, it has been my observation or
direct experience that the Council treks are:

A) Risk-adverse (and usually boring) in their pre-trek activities.
B) Prone to cronyism on leader selections.
C) Penny-pinching - yet making quite sure that the Council coffers get a
serious piece of the action for often trivial "administrative" functions.
D) Spineless when dealing with "difficult" Adults/Scouts, or with
Adults/Scouts who are clearly not physically, mentally, or emotionally
ready for Philmont ("If they paid in full, they're obviously fully
qualified").
E) Indifferent to Advisor concerns about TREKS book timeliness.

And I could go on, but you get the point. Perhaps most critically, we
had a thread here several years ago where a number of posters indicated
that in some Councils Philmont Crew slots were withheld from certain
Troops because they didn't attend the Council's summer camp, or didn't
meet some quota on popcorn sales, or didn't pony up enough money for
FOS, or similar such "sins" (this is also known as that famous BSA
course "How to Forever Alienate a Troop, Level 101" (graduate level
version to follow)). So much for the Scout Oath and Law.

I will add that things in my Council are significantly better now than
in past decades, and I have certainly been grateful for the Council
opportunities that my Scouts have had when we were below the Titanic on
the Waiting List. But all-in-all I would far rather go independently,
despite all the additional work involved.

- Dr. Bob (708 this summer, Independent)

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Received on Wed Dec 6 17:18:04 2006