Re: [Philmont]: Philmont Council contingents [another view]

I would like once again to raise the question of increasing the time
between troop Philmont treks from every 2 years to every 3 or 4 years.
Some scouts get to attend multiple times with the present system while
others don't get to ever experience Philmont. I have a large troop
which has consistently had over 100 members. We went in 1992 with 5
crews of 11-12 each, in 1996 with 3 crews of 12 each, 2000 with 4 crews
for 12 each. In 2004 we ended up low on the lottery with 36 already
having paid in a deposit. The council had not filled their spots for 3
crews and had not obtained leadership yet near the time to pay. I lead
the council contingent for 2 of the crews predominantly for my troop.
The third crew was filled by another troop. I eliminated most of the
adults in the two crews for my troop. One crew had 3 adults and 9
scouts -- none of whom had ever been. My crew had 2 adults and an
18-year-old who had previously gone in 2000 who could move up to be an
adult in case something happened to the two older adults. We did see
several crews who had lost one or more adults, so that Philmont had to
supply rangers so they could complete their trek. My crew then had 11
scouts who had never attended Philmont, 2 older adults, and one
18-year-old. We did get permission to increase my crew to 14 since we
were taking all scouts with no previous Philmont experience. By doing
this I took very few adults but did manage to get in every scout in the
council that I became aware of who wanted to go. By stetching out the
time to every 3 or better every 4 years, we tend to get in boys who
have never been rather than having scouts go multiple times while some
never get to go at all. In each of my treks we have encountered crews
with scouts who have attended multiple times.

We supplement the non Philmont years with the National Jamboree, Sea
Base, Tinnerman Canoe Base, and sometimes a trip on the Appalachian
Trail, allowing us to provide a high adventure activity every summer
for the older scouts.

Philmont is the highlight of most scouts scouting experience, and it
seems we need to work really hard to develop a system that includes
more scouts for a first experience before we work in those who have
been multiple times. It seems to me that increasing the time between
treks for a troop to every 3 or 4 years is a very simple step that
would certainly promote this. This also gives scouts the opportunity
to experience other high adventure activities and enrich their total
scouting experience.

Charles Goodwin, MD
Scoutmaster Troop 236, Kettering, OH
Philmont 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004
National Jamboree 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005,
World Jamboree 1995, 1999, 2007
Sea Base 1998, 2002, 2006
Tinnerman Canoe Base 1999, 2003
Appalachian Trail 1989, 1991, 1994

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Received on Fri Nov 18 08:49:17 2005