Philmont Training Center Made Easy

[Scouter&mom]

I, like Scotteng, am an ocean and water person. The idea of being out in the brown dry high country doesn't encourage me to give up my limited vacation time and money to go to training. Besides Sea Base being more attractive type place for me, it is also much closer to home. I can drive it in one day easily, where it would take several to get to Philmont. Flying isnt a real option, since I am several hours from an airport that goes anywhere.

 

I hope the Seabase training goes well, I can't make it in 2009, because all my time is already allocated for several family events, including, hopefully an Eagle ceremony, a fiftieth anniversary for my parents, and my daughters wedding to her Scout. I have already said if they have the training in 2010, I will go. I even asked one of my good friends who is also a water person, to consider going and sharing ride with me.

[John-in-KC]

I have a practical question for many:

 

How many properties do you think BSA can develop as training centers? Where will the money come from?

 

One of the great guys at Philmont is one of the commissary truck drivers, "Clutch." He takes rations into the backcountry to re-supply the staffed camps with food for crews to pick up during their treks. Wonderful gentleman ... he's also the President of a Boy Scout Council back in South Carolina.

 

I think it was Tuesday evening, Clutch, Brian Gray and I were havin a conversation about the facility itself (remember, the operating groups of volunteers and professionals make the conferences happen). Mr Gray is looking to add a building to the facility. He has the need for it, but it's going to take a major donor to step up. New construction for high-end academic space can run $1 million a building.

 

Is it really the best use of limited resources in BSA to have multiple National level training sites?

[OldGreyEagle]

I respectfully suggest that National Level Training is much more dependent on the quality of the instruction/instructor than the facilities.

 

Most of the Wood Badge Course sessions I attended were in a fairly old dining hall that had seen much better days, it did not diminish the quality of the content

[Gold Winger]

" He has the need for it, but it's going to take a major donor to step up."

 

Who needs a building? All you need is a fly for some shade.

[Eamonn]

It has been 8 years since I attended a conference at Philmont.

I enjoyed the trip. We drove and after the training spent a week traveling.

Her Who Must Be Obeyed and OJ went with me.

OJ had a great time.

Her Who Must Be Obeyed, is not a mixer, doesn't like living in a tent and while she was willing to tolerate the things she didn't like for my sake, she is in no real rush to ever return.

 

I on the other hand am a mixer. Stick me just about any place with a group of Scouter's and I'll bet I will have the best of times.

 

Attending the Conference wasn't expensive.

We all enjoyed the trip.

The food wasn't that great, but we didn't go hungry.

The two presenters for the conference turned out to be from French Creek Council, which isn't that far from where I live.

At that time I was aware of some things that were going on in that Council and have to admit to at times thinking that maybe if these guys (One was the SE for that Council)had been doing what they were presenting maybe things there might be better?

My main reason for going was that I felt that the training's for Commissioners was not that great (Something I still hold to be true.) I wanted something more. I didn't get it. I think in part because it just wasn't there.

What I got was a rehash of the same old same old.

However like most Scouting training's I learned a lot from the other participants.

 

Philmont really is beautiful.

As a location for Scouts going out and learning to appreciate the great outdoors there can't be a better place on the planet.

But maybe it is not the best location for everything that they are trying to do.

Sure for courses that are about outdoor activities this is the ideal location.

Still a location better served by public transportation might be better for a lot of what is offered?

Me staying in a tent in New Mexico was nice but I don't think it added anything to me learning about the Delivery of Commissioner Service.

I seen that a Sea Badge course was also offered there?

Sure Sea Badge is not a practical course,still I don't see myself traveling to New Mexico for Sea Badge.

We have in our Council a few people who seem to take just about any training that is ever offered. It doesn't seem to matter what it is they are there.Maybe I'm being unkind when I call these people training junkies?

Talking with some of the people who were at Philmont when I was there, it seemed that there were some people who were there every year!

I was left feeling that there was some kind of "Snob Value" with this group.

With the cost of traveling becoming more and more expensive I think it's time that we looked at what is really needed for what course?

(Round Tables happen at night indoors. - What is the advantage of a course at Philmont?)

We have in each Region wonderful facilities which could be used and would cover the same material as Philmont does.

Pouring tons of money into a place that is so hard to get to? Just seems a little silly to me.

Eamonn.

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Eamonn, you may be a mixer, but from what I understand, you are very clean...

[Bob White]

There was a time where Philmont, Like Wood Badge, had a core group of presenters that seemed to be frquently called upon to do the same courses every time. That was changed a few years ago, and now there is a noticable effort to always be bringing in new faces, new talent and shifting presenters so that no one "owns" a course topic.

 

Food has improved dramatically. I was also there 8 years ago and the food was the weakest element. This year the menu was varied and well prepared I thought.

 

As afr as how much money is spent there a lot of ohilmont is self sustaining either from the revenuing generation of the Trading Post, the activities, their Foundation, or from the money raised By the Philmont Association, a huge group of former staffers and faculty who make personal donatioons to help maintain and improve the facilities.