[philmont] Philmont 2008

Having been on all sides of this I'd have to say that I do not believe that
there is one right answer. For some, going with council is the only way
they can go. For every unit that has the ability to pull off a trip such as
this there are two that can't or won't try. For others the council route is
the route of last resort. Sometimes the reasons are valid ... critical mass
... sometimes not ... but in any event the council contigent serves a
purpose as a mechanisim to deploy a HA program on a broad front independent
of unit capability.

As for cronyism it can be a problem in a unit as well on a council committee
... although council committees don't always attract the best (they hired
me). I can honestly say that I haven't seen cronyism as a problem with
regard to potential participation in my local council under my predecessor's
watch nor will I tolerate it under mine. As a side note this is one reason
why I'm a fan of fixed but mutually renewable terms for key unit & council
positions, further this is one reason why woodbadge course directors are
declared "dead" and not eliglble for woodbadge staff positions.

Council HA committees should be about facilitation. That is creating
program opportunities for their members. These programs may be they all
inclusive trips like Philmont (or NT or DH or Sea Base or any of a number of
fine council run venues) or cookbooks that allow a unit to go sea kayaking,
or canoeing treking or backpacking the AT. They should be about delivering
on the promise of scouting, the sizzle of the outdoor program, to their
members. Often times we get hung up on the adults and how they would like
to see things rather than on the youth ... we gotta remember why we are
here.

The Scoutmaster of my youth was known to say "If its not for the boys, its
for the birds". As a 14 yr old I didn't really understand it but was
certainly amused by it ... It turns out to be yet another of the life
lessons he taught me without my knowing it ... ain't scouting great?

YIS

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: philmont@troop47.com [mailto:philmont@troop47.com]On Behalf Of Dr.
Bob Klein
Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 5:41 PM
To: philmont List Member
Subject: [philmont] Philmont 2008

Pretty outrageous conduct on the part of the folks in charge. They're
lucky that one didn't hit the lawyers. (They sure deserved it!)

Daniel Preston wrote:
> I agree with Dr. Bob that Troop crews are preferable. I would add to
> Dr. Bob's "leader selection cronyism" comment that there is also unit
> cronyism.
>
> For Philmont 2006, I was in weekly contact with our Council leading up
> to the August 2005 sign-up date. I hand carried 6 scout applications to
> Council Headquarters on the first day of sign-up and told them that we
> had three or four more who would be sending their applications shortly.
> I was told that there were only 8 slots left out of 3 crews. When I
> asked how that could be, I was told that the other scouts and leaders
> had signed-up in July - one month before the official allowable sign-up
> date!
>
> While the sign-up process was frustrating and political, the Council did
> an excellent job of organizing the trip and left the advisors alone to
> prepare their crews as they saw fit.
>
> Dan Preston
>

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As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
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Received on Thu Dec 7 18:24:16 2006