PPC2152

The term "urban legend" implies that "it isn't true." And that is misleading. Simply because there is no "regulation" regarding wearing the bull with the tail over the shoulder to indicate the wearer has scaled the Tooth of Time does not mean that this "tradition" does not exist, or is not observed by a lot of units and Philmont Scouts and Scouters. Its very similar to the tradition in sailing that you don't buy or display blue or green fenders for your sailboat unless you've done some blue water sailing. Otherwise, you stick with white fenders. There is nothing to stop an inexperienced sailor from buying blue fenders for his freshwater boat, but the "Old Salts" will snicker at him behind his back. The simple fact of the matter is that many Philmont Scouts have observed, recognized, and respected this tradition for a long, long time. It was a firmly established tradition in 1965 when I first went to Philmont. I didn't scale the TOT that year, and didn't date sew my bull's tail over the seam. When my son went in the 1990's, the tradition had not changed. And so it has remained a tradition that is frequently spoken of whenever Philmont Scouts and Scouters gather. Now, let's be honest: Have many Scouts sewed their bull's tail over the shoulder seam in accordance with this tradition? Yes! Of course! Have some other Scouts who have scaled the TOT chosen not to do this? Undoubtedly. Have some Scouts who have scaled the TOT never even bought a red Philmont coat? Undoubtedly. Have other Scouts who have never scaled the TOT sewn their bull on with the tail over the shoulder seam? I'd like to think not, but some may have. Are their "uniform regulations" that detail this tradition? Of course not. But, does any of this mean that the "tradition" does not exist? Of course not. The tradition exists, and has for many, many years. To say that it is an "urban legend" implies that the tradition does not exist. And that, my friends, is simply not true. It does exist.

Thanks to Eamonn and epalmer84. You both seem to have some of the information that I was looking for regarding the early appearance of the red wool jac-shirt. I have now found this account in Minor Huffman's book, "High Adventure Among the Magic Mountains: Philmont The First 50 Years." It appears on pages 65 & 66. It says that Fretwell discussed the idea with Huffman in 1944. Then later Fretwell sent Huffman "a red shirt" and asked him to explore the possibility of an emblem for it. Later Fretwell called and asked Huffman to trace the bull in the tile at "automobile entrance" on the north side of the Villa. It wasn't until August 1946 that Fretwell presented the 12 Region Execs with their shirts with the bull over the left pocket. I guess that answers my questions about the history of the original red wool "jac-shirts." Thanks to both of you.

Does anyone know exactly when the red wool Philmont coat came into use? Or when they first appeared in either photographs or in the B.S.A. catalogs? I have an old red wool heavy shirt with a black felt Philmont bull on it that belonged to my wife's paternal grandfather. He was James P. Fitch, the first Region Nine (TX, OK, & NM) Scout Executive, and the man who "courted" Waite Phillips during the decade or so leading up to his final donation of Philmont Scout Ranch to Region Nine. Jim Fitch went from being the Region Nine Scout Executive to the position of "General Manager of Phillips Properties" (which included both Philmont and the Philtower Building in Tulsa) for the B.S.A. between 1945 and the early 1950's, when he finally retired. He lived at Philmont year 'round during these years. I have many pictures of him wearing this red wool shirt, usually at Philmont, which would have been during the 1940's and early 1950's. I believe most of the photos show it with the black Philmont bull, but some early ones may have it without. Because it was a bit more light weight than the current Philmont coats, he wore it tucked in to his pants, more like a shirt than like a coat or jacket. It has a manufacturer's label inside the neck that says: "Maker - J. A. Brewster - Camden, ME." It has two square patch pockets in the front with buttoned flaps, and black buttons. I'm just wondering if anyone else has an early "Philmont coat" like this one, made by the same manufacturer. Or if anyone has information that would fill in the story. It stands to reason that 1) if he wore it at Philmont as often as the photos would indicate, then it would be natural for others to follow his example; and 2) if other, more official, Philmont coats were available during that time period, he would have bought one. But because he never did have a more official one, then it means that either Philmont didn't have them during the years that he was at Philmont, or they did have them, but he didn't buy one because he already had one. That being the coat that I inherited. My father-in-law, Jim Fitch's son, said the one his father wore was the first red wool "Philmont coat," and I've always believed it to be, and told others that it was. But, I'm submitting this to the scrutiny of others who may know more of the story. Any history detectives out there?

The original version of this grace before meals was written in 1930 by Jerry Fulkerson, long before Philmont Scout Ranch existed. It was written for Worth Ranch Scout camp in the Fort Worth Area Council in Texas. It was used at Worth Ranch Scout camp during the 1930's and was eventually taken to Philmont by Clarence Dunn in the early 1940's. He was a Fort Worth area Scouter and school teacher who was the first Director of Rangers at Philmont. When Philmont began in the early 1940's it was decided that Philmont needed a simple grace to say before meals. Clarence Dunn offered the Worth Ranch Grace, and it was adopted. Over the years, it was forgotten where it came from and, with a couple of minor variations, became The Philmont Grace. But The Worth Ranch Grace continues to be used in the Fort Worth Area. The original version, known as "The Worth Ranch Grace," is no longer in use. It went like this: "For food and for raiment, For life and for opportunity, For friends and this fellowship, We thank Thee, O Lord. Amen." Note that this original version differs from the Philmont Grace in several ways: 1) The word "and" appears three times, instead of once; 2) The word "opportunity" is singular, instead of plural; and 3) The third line says "friends and this fellowship," instead of "friendship and fellowship." The version of The Worth Ranch Grace that Scouts have learned and used since after World War II is this: "For food, for raiment, For life, for opportunities, For friends and this fellowship, We thank thee, O Lord. Amen." This current version of The Worth Ranch Grace differs from the original version in two ways: 1) The word "and" in the first and second line are replaced by a comma; and 2) the word "opportunity" is now the plural "opportunities." The 3rd and 4th lines remain the same. However, both the original and current versions of The Worth Ranch Grace differ from the Philmont Grace in that 3rd line of The Worth Ranch Grace is and has always been: "For friends and this fellowship." This is a reference to the "fellowship of Worth Ranch Scouts," or the "Worth Ranch Fellowship" which is a line in the Worth Ranch Song. See the Wikipedia article titled: "The Wilderness Grace."