[philmont] Using Philmont Issued Gear

There is value in using Philmont issued gear instead of your own.
   
  <Tinker Toys were contemporaries of Lincoln Logs, American Flyer trains, and Erector Sets!>
   
  When I cleaned out my dad's attic five years ago when he died, I found my Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, American Flyer two track electric train as apposed to Lionels three ( even kids knew that trains ran on two tracks, not three), the Erector set with all the cut off pieces because what you were building required customizing and the vibrator football game complete with spring loaded kicker and three felt footballs. Also found were the Gilbert Chemistry and Microscope set. I guess you might say the microscope won out since I became a Biologist.
   
  I recently built a 30 X 30 X 12 foot steel building workshop which was no more than putting atogether a giant Erector Set. I build the whoile thing myself not because I had to but because I wanted to. The only help I got was my wife and Philmont veteran daughter helped erect the structural steel. Those two are tough!
   
  When my wife came home from work the day I finished it, she found her 61 year old husband sitting in the middle of the floor with all of the above toys hooked up and running. Even the Erector Set electric motor works! I also had assembled the Lionel electric train she gave me last Christmas since I told her I never had a Lionel Train. Boy did she surprise me on that one. Now I can show my grandkids the difference in a Lionel and American Flyer.
   
  A big boy in his own toy store at last!
   
  Since then I've added dad's workbench, drill press, table saw, wood lathe, welding machine, metal lathe and literally hundreds of hand and power tools he and I used over the years. It's a pleasure using them today.
   
  And it also contains all my camping, canoeing and kayaking gear and Scout stuff.
   
  I just returned from a three week hunting trip to West Texas where I used the skills dad taught me and those I learned in Scouting and especially at Philmont. I slept in my dad';s Comfy canvas and down sleeping bag, the kind with the hood that makes a tent like cover for the head. I used my dad's pre '64 Model 70 Winchester caliber .270 and my grandfathers Remington model 11 12 gauge autoloader to take Javelina, deer and wild turkey. We ate one of the wild turkeys today and gave thanks for the freedom to make that choice.
   
  So why am I telling you all this.
   
  It's the skills I learned in Scouting that mean so much to me today that allowed me to do this and enjoy it.
   
  And it's nice to read posts from others who used cotton tents at Philmont.
   
  I most likely pre-date all but Coop on this list at Philmont and he by only one year on me. We used official BSA "Trail Tarps" with NO poles or stakes and a gazillion tie tapes on them. We used dutch ovens checked out from Philmont at each trail camp.
   
  So why am I telling you this?
   
  Because it is an absolute disgrace to Scouts to go BUY gear to take which will be issued at Philmont. If you have tents that are BETTER than the Phil Tents, you may consider using them, but don't go buy one for the trip to have "the best".
   
  Part of the learning curve is to LEARN to use what is given you.
   
  I'll even go so far as to recommend that you deliberately leave your troop gear at home and use the Philmont issued gear. There is value in learning to use other stuff beyond having a smooth operating machine crew.
   
  Your Scouts will use these skills many times in their lives beyond Philmont. Let them learn instead of repeating putting up the same tent they have done at every Scout camp since Tenderfoot.
   
  And then when they are 61 years old they can build there own workshop themselves, pouring the concrete like they learned at Scout camp on work days, erecting the beams like they learned at Ordeal weekend , fastening the metal sides like they did along with the plumbing, the wiring and all else.
   
  There is value in skills learned at Scouting events.
   
  USE THE PHILMONT ISSUED STUFF. Your Scouts will be better men for it.
   
  There is a lot to be said for buying a used Philtent and tinkering with it on campouts.
   
  It's sort of like the Scouter that wears a Smokey bear had. Kids recognise that and look up to those things.
   
  John LeBlanc
  Phirst Philtrek 1959
  Most recent Philtrek 2002
   
   

 
---------------------------------
Check out the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done faster.

-------------------------------------------------------
Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
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
-------------------------------------------------------
To Unsubscribe send text email to:

     To: listserv@troop47.com
     Subject: unsubscribe
     Body: unsubscribe philmont@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 Thu Nov 23 20:14:40 2006