Re: [Philmont]: An advisor's quandry

BTW, over 800,000 Scouts have passed through. Mr. Sam Ayala, a Star
Scout from Troop 74, Edinburg Texas was so honored this past summer.

YiS,
Jim Welton
McAllen, Texas

On 3/1/06, bill55@comcast.net <bill55@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> Susan's suggestion that moms should be invited on a difficult shakedown hike
> and then "left in the dust" to prove their sons' fitness for a trek was
> probably offered tongue in cheek and would probably be thought better of
> long before the invitation was issued.
>
> At Philmont and in all hiking trips, no one should be "left in the dust" as
> the group must hike together. A mom would not think highly of a tour leader
> who planned an outing that was clearly too difficult for an identifiable
> group of the participants to attempt. If this is the case, in the troop
> overnight situation, a "two-tier" hike would be planned (assuming adequate
> adult leadership) with two different hikes adapted to the two skill levels.
>
> I would not be in favor of inviting "spectators" to any Philmont shakedown
> outing. Consideration of the "spectators'" comfort could very well get in
> the way of the necessary conditioning and bonding of the crew itself.
> Nothing wrong with inviting an extra adult who is a Philmont veteran or
> otherwise qualified to provide more than "two-deep" leadership. I have often
> served as a "shakedown advisor" myself. Regular moms and dads are better
> invited to a troop overnight, in my view, unless "two-deep" would be
> compromised .
>
> I think the best way to convince moms (and dads) that their son is ready and
> perfectly capable of a Philmont trek is statistical. Well over 600,000 boys
> and advisors have participated in the program over the last 65 years, with
> an exemplary safety record. If those boys could do it, your son can, too.
>
> Of course, each advisor and lead advisor must "Be Prepared" to look and act
> the part at those all important meetings where parents are in attendance.
> You only have one chance to make a first impression and "Be Prepared" (as
> well as the precepts of the Scout Oath and Law) works every time.
>
> All for now.
>
> William A. Sheehan, ASM
> Troop 55, Pitman, NJ
> Philmont '70,'72, Autumn Adventure '01,'03,'05 and hopefully '06

-------------------------------------------------------
Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
Subscribe/Unsubscribe at http://usscouts.org/lists/
Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
-------------------------------------------------------
Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------

 
Received on Wed Mar 1 17:25:15 2006