[Philmont]: Rational Policy Decisions

I am (doubtless) notorious around certain circles of the Ranch for the
length and detail of my evaluations. I praise, criticize, and offer
copious evaluations/suggestions/opinions on every topic Philmont.
Oddly, I have never received any response, whether it be "Thanks, Dr.
Bob!" or "Dr. Klein, will you please leave us the Hell alone!" - but
that's OK too. It's therapeutic, and I happily labor under the
self-administered illusion that somebody somewhere is actually paying
attention. Some people take Prozac. I write.

One of my suggestions has been that the Ranch establish a "Reality Check
Board" of about 10 highly experienced and recently attending Advisors to
help the Management separate the wheat from the chaff on evaluation
complaints. I'm talking guys like Calvin Grey, Roy Fisher, Cooper
Wright, Wally Feurtado, etc. (and others who have never even heard of
this list-server), who have been there numerous times and are highly
experienced Scout leaders in their own right.

As has been pointed out here, Philmont Management seems overly sensitive
to complaints (and also to the latest NOLS and Outward Bound fads, but
that's another post). What makes it odd is how they will go along for
years with minimal changes, then turn around and swing the needle all
the way to the other side of the scale. We're talking trash right now,
but remember last year's astonishment at the volume (and bulk, and
weight) of food? This after years (decades?) of complaints that there
wasn't enough to eat. What was needed was a 10 - 15 percent increase,
or (an oft-made suggestion by myself) the right to purchase additional
meal packets at commissaries for those Crews who felt that they were
starving to death. Instead, we got a 50 percent increase, and
overflowing swap boxes all over the Ranch. But at least people stopped
bitching about the lack of food. No, then we had a new topic to bitch
about - the excess food, the tons of drink mixes, and the lousy food
choices the Ranch made (all sugary crap and crackers) to boost calories.
  Sigh.

And the human-sumping issue (Great idea!/Horrible idea!). And the HTH
issue (giant horsepills of HTH, one of which would sterilize an Olympic
swimming pool) (Great idea!/Horrible idea! Death to Chlorine!). etc.,
etc. Seemingly no balance and no rational compromises.

In short, too much emphasis is placed (as Jason says) on oiling the
squeakiest wheels. A little righteousness would be a good thing here.
Again, it is clear (to me at least) that the Ranch needs an independent
group - a "Best Practices Committee" - who can see the forest for the
trees, or (if you prefer) recognize silliness and/or aggravation-dumps
when they see it/them.

It is probably worth stating - for the record as it were - that I have
never run into a bad or nasty Ranger. Do they exist? - sure, but (Adam
Goodheart (Trueheart?) aside) they are seemingly a rare item. On
staffers, yes I have run into a few bad apples - and occasionally
suffered their less than appropriate ministrations - but the vast
majority were a pleasure to be around, and I always go out of my way to
thank them *all* for their efforts on our behalf. But Advisors, now
there's a different story. I have met many kindred souls on the Ranch,
and enjoyed the easy camaraderie that (most) veteran Scouters share.
But I have also met some of the most unpleasant individuals I have ever
met in Scouting right at Philmont. In all cases, I just chalk their
nastiness up to physical, mental, and emotional stress, and whenever
possible just shrug it off and steer clear. If you can read body
language, you can just barely make out "Do Not Touch" engraved on their
foreheads. Heed!!!

The problem is, of course, that it's these individuals who turn in the
scorching, one- or two-topic howlers when they get back to Basecamp, and
it's also all they can talk (bitch) about when they get home, too - some
of them for years. In the common lexicon, "They missed Philmont". How sad.

So (it appears) we are faced with decision-making to appease the bad
apples and/or the overwhelmed, many of whom are "one-trek wonders" who
will never return anyway, nor ever do a Philmont-style backpacking high
adventure with their own Troops, either. Why worry about them? There's
a (much) better way, and I've oft suggested it. Perhaps you should too!

- Dr. Bob Klein, SM-111, Arlington, VA

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Received on Wed Jul 9 21:01:31 2003