[Philmont]: Troop and Crew at same time

> My plan now is to start a Venture crew at our school which is
> already the chartering org for the troop and pack.

As I'm sure you will be told several times, there is no such thing
as a "Venture Crew." It's "Venturing Crew".

> My question is how can we get two Philmont treks at the same time?

You are assuming that, with a one in five chance of getting even one trek
that both units will get a trek. Let's see, if I recall my probability
theory,
doesn't that turn into a 1 in 25 chance of success? Seems like a bridge
you may want to cross only when you come to it.

In any case, it is by unit that the Philmont lottery operates, and as a Crew
and a Troop are two separate units (regardless of their relation by
chartered
partner or even crossing of membership), they get two separate lottery
entries. My Troop (1201) and my Crew (1202) both entered the lottery
for 2005. Troop did not get a trek, crew got one. Fortunately, the number
who wanted to go was accommodated within the one trek crew.

You should revise how you look at this. Instead of looking for one trek
of one crew for each unit, enter the lottery for each unit with the total
you
want for crews. If you have 24 people between the two units who will want
to go, then enter 24 in the lottery for BOTH units. If you only get one
winner, you still accommodate both. If you get two winners, consider
dropping one. Nothing is official until you make the down payment.

Philmont allocates not by individual or single crew but by contingent.
For purposes of the lottery, a troop that asks for 7 people (minimum crew)
is identical to a troop that asks for 48 people, each has an identical
chance of winning. Philmont will not give the 48 people contingent
room for only 12, they will allocate 48 in four crews and give them
all the same start date.

So, if you have 24 willing to go between the two units, have each unit
ask for 24 (if you really want to get flexibility, ask for 25 so you could
put together three crews if need be, it does not deprive other units of
slots, so doesn't get into the decision about fairness as discussed below).

Now, as to fairness. Yeah, you are increasing your chances at
the expense of units who don't have a sister unit to enter the lottery
with. I think that may be a personal decision whether that is
unscoutlike behavior. I don't think it falls into that category, but
I am sure some folks do, especially those who never seem to
get a contingent.

The other consideration is that Philmont's rules are that you can't
transfer a trek, i.e. that a unit that wins the lottery is the unit that
must use the trek. This does not preclude inviting scouts or
Venturers from other units to fill out your Crew. But that is another
of the scoutlike characteristics you must consider when you
decide how you want to do this. At the time our crew and
troop signed up, both had members who wanted to go, and both
had a lot of cross membership. That we filled out the crew with
members of the troop as well as the Crew was a result of not
having enough from the Crew to fill the trek.

Good luck. Our troop is entering the lottery for 2007, but our
crew is not as no one in our crew is planning on Philmont for
2007, all are going to try to go to world jamboree instead (it is,
after all, the 100th anniv. of scouting, and when else does that
opportunity come along?). We could have both troop and crew
enter the lottery to increase the chances of getting one with the
crew intending to hand it over to the troop, but I see that as
unscoutlike when no one from the crew is planning to go.

Again, your call on that. But in your circumstance, I'd say having
both enter the total for both is correct and acceptable.

Regards
Don Roberts
ASM T1201, CA C1202
Fullerton, CA
Eagle class of 73

Donald S. Roberts
Law Offices of Philip L. Hummel, IV
500 N. State College Blvd., Suite 1200
Orange, CA 92868
714-978-6771 Fax: 714-634-3869
donald@hummellawfirm.com
****************************
Please note: This message may contain confidential and privileged material
and use of e-mail does not constitute the waiver of any privilege.
Distribution to parties not the intended recipients is restricted to parties
for whom the sender has given written consent. If you are not the intended
recipient, please contact the sender and discard copies of this message.
****************************

-------------------------------------------------------
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 Tue Nov 1 16:06:52 2005