RE: [Philmont]: RE: Route selection

I'm enjoying this thread a great deal, and just want to put my own spin
on a thought that has already been expressed by others. Having just
returned from Philmont on 8/21 I have been making notes these last few
days for my next visit. Both my son and I attended as "fill-ins" for
those who could not make the trip at the last minute, so we only had 6
weeks to prepare, and went with another Troop who we knew well. We had a
great time, of course, and did trek 11. Now, I had been waiting for
another opportunity to go to Philmont since the trek I missed out on in
1971. I'm not a "Big Trip" kind of Scoutmaster because all the planning
and 'what-ifs' scare me a bit, but since day#2 at Philmont I was
thinking about bringing my Small Troop out, and now since coming home I
am already making notes and planning based on what I've learned. We live
in the Catskill Mountains of New York and challenging hiking
opportunities abound within 15 minutes drive of where the Troop meets. I
don't think my boys will be worried about getting in all the hiking they
can, they will be looking for the different and special things Philmont
can offer. What I enjoyed most at Philmont probably won't matter much to
them. They will have a different slant, I'm sure. Still, when the day
comes to pick an itinerary, I think my talk will stress program, not
miles. The programs were pretty good, but weren't real special for me
because I've done all that stuff before in greater detail, but what
matters is what is special for them. It is their trip, I am just a
facilitator. Some of the kids gave me a hard time about not doing all
the program and preferring to watch and take pictures, but when there
was no staff around to show them how to throw a rope, tie a fly, or pan
for gold, they were amazed that I could show them.
 As an advisor, your job is to lay out the options, and the
ramifications of those options, and then let them choose. In a few
months, you won't even have to do that because you will have a crew
chief.
 One other related point I have been thinking about is pre-trek prep:
The adults NEED physical training, most of the boys really don't. The
training trips should stress procedure, getting used to the gear,
cooking, and most important: WORKING AS A TEAM. This is where it
matters, not the mileage.
 Just my 2 cents,
 Tom
808-F1 (2004)

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Received on Fri Sep 3 19:40:00 2004