[Philmont] Cameras and notepads. A differing opinion.

  I have lurked on this forum for several months, but this is my first post, first time I felt I had something beneficial to add. After reading you may disagree!
   
  I attended Philmont in 1976 (715 c1) as a 15 year old on a contingent from Allegheny Trails Council (Pittsburgh area). At that time in my life I was not very gifted (still not) or interested in writing. My dear mother strongly urged me to keep a journal on the trek, which I did more for her than me. I probably showed it to my family when we returned, then threw it in a box with some other Scout stuff and forgot that I even wrote about the trip.
   
  Fast forward 30 some years to this past summer when I was visiting home from Texas and looking through some old Boy Scout uniforms in a closet trying to figure out which were mine and which belonged to my brother(s). I found an envelope with my journal as well as the Itinerary Guide that was used to select our trek and the big paper map of the ranch that I had highlighted our hike.
   
  The journal is a skimpy 2x3 inch note pad with about half a dozen penciled bullets about each day on the trek. It tells the day #, what time we got up, how far we hiked, what we ate, how long it rained, what program we did, etc. I read it to my parents, sisters and in-laws who were in town that day for dinner. It was so simple and repetitive (rained this afternoon, rained tonight, rained while we hiked, rained while we slept) that we all laughed, but I also had to wipe a few tears. As spartan as it is, it still brought back memories that I had not thought about for many years and probably wouldn't have thought about without the journal.
   
  I am an advisor for a trek in 2008 (612 m) and I will urge the guys on the crew to take at least a few minutes away from the fun and adventure to write a couple lines about the trip. Actually doing it and saving it, will be up to them.
   
  Shane and all, Thanks for sharing your advice and opinions so freely. This has been a very helpful resource as I attempt to organize a young 10 boy crew with no Philmont experience for their adventure.
   
  Kirk McClure
  Troop 1001
  North Trails Dist
  Circle 10

Shane Hoffman <mycales@tx.rr.com> wrote: I've gotten to where I don't write much anymore. Life is busy right now,
but this drew me out.

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Received on Wed Oct 17 11:31:43 2007