The Phil-list Sep_2006: [Philmont] Increased Participation

From: Bacon, Bruce <bbbacon@walshgroup.com>
Date: Wed Sep 27 2006 - 14:30:16 CDT

Thank you Don. I appreciate what you wrote in your e-mail. However, I
was not addressing the other options for High Adventure such as World
Jamboree/National Jamboree, etc. I was addressing the subject of the
list-serv - Philmont. I was trying to convey that for a group of peers,
Philmont is one of the highest sought after venues (at least in our area
of Texas). And if that venue is under so much pressure that by raising
the population it would be detrimental to the ranch, Scouting should
come up with an alternative to the selection process. The point I was
addressing was what you reinforced in your second sentence "The system
is inequitable to units that haven't gone recently". If there is an
inequitable condition, we should fix it as best we can. We owe it to
the Scouts, the system and the Ranch to do so.

Yes - some of the pressure could be lessened by Scouts choosing other
options such as you mentioned, but, people vote with their feet and
their checkbooks. My troop has sent over 50 Scouts/Scouters to Philmont
since 2000. We have also sent 32 to Northern Tier and 32 to Sea Base.
During that same time only 1 Scout has gone to a WJ or NJ. Why? Cost
isn't an issue in our area. In my opinion it is due to the ability to
attend with their peers, to experience the outdoors with their friends.
Good luck getting a group of peers to the WJ/NJ.

I can't write anything to address all of the 900,000 possible attendees
getting to attend Philmont. I can, however, get more of them to go by
speaking out on an "inequitable condition". Think starfish principle.
It matters to the ones that are touched.

Thank you again Don for your thoughts.

Bruce Bacon

-----Original Message-----
From: Philmont@troop47.com [mailto:Philmont@troop47.com] On Behalf Of
Donald S. Roberts
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 1:27 PM
To: Philmont List Member
Subject: [Philmont] Increased Participation

> From: Bacon, Bruce
> ... Upon calling Philmont to
> discuss the process, it seems that all groups that apply fall into 2
> groups: "those-that-went-last-year" (TTWLY) and
> "those-that-are-eligible-to-attend" (TTAETA). The TTWLY are
> removed to
> the circular file (trash can). The remaining TTAETA go into the
> lottery. All of the TTAETA have the same chances of winning
> the lottery

Yes, this has been discussed here on this list every year when the
waitlist
numbers come out. This system is inequitable to units that haven't gone
recently. This system is inequitable to individual scouts whose units
fail
to get a trek.

This system is a zillion times better than the prior system where the
"in
the know" folks figured how to maximize their chances on a call in and
the
great unwashed was just plain out of luck.

I have been on a trek. I have been to PTC. I have backpacked the
Sierras.
I have seen other high adventure bases. 20,000 individuals (including
adults - so maybe 15,000 youth) get to go on a trek each year. This
from a
pool of about 900,000 eligible youth (all venturers, scouts aged 14 up).
Thus, there is simply no opportunity or capacity, even if Philmont ups
it by
15%, to have every scout and venturer have a chance to go to Philmont.
Not
even a really large percentage. Don't overstate the importance of being
able to go on a trek. You also understate the opportunities to go, you
cut
it off at 17, but they can go as youth to 20.

Philmont is great, but it is only one of several potential once in a
lifetime opportunities a scout should get a shot at. It is not for
everybody, and I wouldn't even put it at first choice if you only got to
choose one of the once in a lifetime things to do. I'd put World
Jamboree,
National Jamboree, International trips that include either homestay or
some
form of twinning with international scouts above Philmont as providing
the
most bang for the buck for a once in a lifetime experience. It is
HARDER to
get into a WJ or NJ troop (or in the case of WJ, crew). NJ gets about
35,000 participants every 4 years compared to 20,000 (including adults)
at
Philmont every year. That means more than twice as many scouts can
experience Philmont than a National Jamboree. WJ is even worse, we are
limited to 3,000 participants every four years, and only a rare breed
gets
that opportunity. Both are far more broadening and valuable experiences
than a Philmont trek. Taking a unit to a place like Kandersteg
International Scout Centre in Switzerland is another great chance that
can
be even more rare still.

We should be working to encourage the discouraged to look at these other
great opportunities rather than grousing about the Philmont lottery
system.
There are other fish in the sea, and many of them are as big or bigger.

Didn't get a trek in 2007? Guess what, there are unfilled spots for our
World Jamboree 2007 contingent. Sure, it is a bit more expensive, but
look
what you get! Too pricey? KISC is having a mini-world jamboree they are
calling Kanderjam, costs half what WJ costs, but just as great an
experience!

The world is far bigger than Philmont. Let's take pressure off the
ranch to
over burden the environment by taking advantage of these great (and
often
preferable) alternatives. My son gets the rare privilege of being able
to do
them all - Philmont 05, NJ 05, WJ 07, KISC 04 and even Hawaii 06. He
thought his Philmont experience was great, but it is just one of many
specials in his mind.

Let the adventure continue - Kilimanjaro is on tap for 2009...Anyone
want to
join us? We have room...

Regards
Don Roberts
Fullerton, CA
Philmont 05, PTC 02
WJ 07, NJ 73, KISC 04

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Received on Wed Sep 27 14:43:26 2006

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