Home.13 February 2000
Newsletter #3, 2/12/00
Greetings to All.
My apologies for the long delay since my last Newsletter. I have been extraordinarily busy both at work and in Scouts, even by my normally insane standards. 100+ hours a week combined, for months on end now, and I'm starting to feel like a graduate student again. The Projectoree is also starting to loom on my horizon, too. Anyway, enough whining. Things are beginning to move now, on several fronts - but not all the news is positive. Let's get to it:
1) Crew Size - One Scout and five Adults have dropped out since the last Newsletter, and another Scout was terminated for failure to respond to repeated status inquiries. Eric W.'s hip surgery was successful, and he's in full recovery and expects to attend. This leaves us with 24 Scouts and 4 Adults, which is still 4 Scouts too many for our current reservation, or 2 Adults short if we get a third crew. I have 2 Adult volunteers lined up if we get a third Crew (Clay Henderson of Troop 104 and Harold E., a quasi-Troop 111 ASM from Connecticut), but those sorts of commitments are always dubious, and tend to evaporate as summer plans get finalized.
Unfortunately, Philmont has not had any Crew dropouts for our arrival date, June 29th, and is not at all encouraging on our chances of getting a third Crew. June 28th and June 30th are also completely booked, so we can't "slide" a third crew one day, either. We will still be sending in a full payment for all of our extras later this month, so that we will be first on the list if anything frees up. I am also requesting permission to take two oversized Crews (that is, 14 each), if we can't get a third Crew. Philmont is usually resistant to such requests, but the fact that I have taken two 13 member Crews out as an Adult Advisor, and also that we bring all of our own gear, may be pursuasive arguments, especially since they'll have the money in hand already; this would also instantly solve our problem with inadequate Adult Advisors, too. Finally, Frank Riegelmann, the former Philmont Director, is now the Assistant Scout Executive in NCAC (he transferred here from Philmont last year), and I intend to enlist his assistance and advice. Finally, some current Scouts in our Crews may decide to drop out (or may get terminated.) Things are not 'in extremis' yet.
However, they're not looking good, either, and like it or not, I may be forced to cut the Crews down to 20 Scouts. I am starting this process now by soliciting across the current Crews for four volunteers to withdraw from this year's trek *if we can't get the additional spaces I have requested*. That is, if we get the extra spaces, you get to go; if we don't, you have volunteered not to go. Any Scout whose Fall Semester or current mid-term grades suggest a likely assignment to Summer School should also face reality, and withdraw now. Those Scouts who have been to Philmont before should consider volunteering for this "withdrawal list" in favor of those who have not attended. So should those Scouts who are still physically slight, especially among our current 8th and 9th graders. In the latter case, all I can promise is that the current 8th and 9th graders would be guaranteed slots in our 2002 Crews, assuming we successfully reserve for 2002 (but no guarantees on that, either!) That last sentence includes the non-Troop 111 Crew members. I am asking now so that if you withdraw, you still have the opportunity to sign up for summer camp. I am also asking now because (other than Rick and I) no-one has invested too much time into this yet. Scouts who withdraw get full refunds on all payments to date.
If all else fails, I will do what I have to do, and cut as I see fit. Obviously, I will not be making any friends in doing so, especially if I have to cut late in the process - but when you're out of options, the choice is easy. That's part of the responsibility of being the primary Advisor. In this unhappy case, I will try to place the cut Scouts in other local Troops who are going to Philmont this summer - there are almost always some local Crews who have available space. I intend to ask about this in my next Chain Bridge District Newsletter, and will let you know what turns up (if anything). It's the best I can do. The cut Scouts would also remain on the waiting list, pending late dropouts, if they're willing to endure that kind of stress.
2) Airfares - Early to mid-February usually marks the advent of discount airfares for the following summer, and the first was posted this past Wednesday: $238. RT to Denver. That's not great, but it's not bad compared to last week, either, when it was $364 RT to Denver and over $400 to Colorado Springs or Pueblo. However, we're holding off on Denver in hopes of getting something decent to Colorado Springs or Pueblo, which are much more convenient airports for us. Denver adds 2 extra hours of driving on our first and last days, and also increases the price on all of our vans, due to the "departure tax" on all rental vehicles at DIA, plus the extra gas. I also need to be careful on buying discount fares until our crew sizes are finalized - as we have previously learned the hard way, these are absolutely non-refundable fares.
3) Van Fares - Rick W. has already reserved adequate vans for the crew, and a less expensive rate than 1998 - good news, because `98 was a pricey year for vans, too. The fact that we already have them reserved will also help if we have to trade off for other vehicles later.
4) Meeting #2 - Sunday, March 5th - General Crew Meeting Number 2, 7:00 - 9:30pm, St. Agnes Parish Center; the agenda will include Itinerary Selection and the first gear shakedown - each Scout should bring his ENTIRE assembled kit for review. Parents are welcome, but do not have to attend. Payment #3 ($250) and the signed permission slip for the upcoming 50/20 Hike are due at this meeting. We will be attempting to select our itineraries at this meeting because the PEAKS Book will be coming sometime the following week, and it's first come/first serve on itineraries. Note that Philmont has increased the number of available Treks to 35, and many former treks no longer exist, so the meeting may run over as we try to decide what the Scouts want to do. Yes, this was an unexpected development, and will defintely complicate the process. It may be that we will have to hold an emergency meeting the night the PEAKS book arrive, in order to review the dozen or so new itineraries. It's either that or the Scouts make a collective decision to allow me to select for them, based on some general criteria that they provide at the meeting. (I would certainly rather not do that, however.)
I will be sending a separate email late this month with more details on the trek selection process, along with some additional pointers on the gear review process. Be looking for it.
5) 50/20 Hike - Our first major event is scheduled for Saturday, March 11th (Rain Date March 18th) - the 50/20 Hike. This is 50 miles in 20 hours, for those unfamiliar with the term. In a change, I am asking all Philmont Scouts to hike at least 20 miles of this hike (previously, I asked everyone to hike 15 miles.) The change is to ensure that all Philmont Scouts are pre-qualified for the Hiking Merit Badge; the 20 miler is usually the killer, and has cost some previous Philmont Scouts that badge. No longer a trivial matter, since Hiking is now an optional Eagle-Required Merit Badge. I would expect all attendees to finish 20 miles by 3pm at the latest, so they can also attend the Chain Bridge District Aquatics Event at Yorktown H.S. if they so need or desire; that starts at 6pm. Note, however, that these Scouts won't exactly be "perky" at the Aquatics Event after schlepping 20 miles!
Note that other Troop 111, 149 and 647 Scouts are also likly to attend this event. We are likely to have over 50 starters this year. Those who complete the 25/10 hike (or more) will receive a special Award Certificate at a future Court of Honor. Those who complete the entire 50 miles will receive the coveted Alonzo Stagg Medal. Usually about 50% of the starters complete 25 miles, and we expect about the same this time; however, the last time we ran a 50/20, only 2 Scouts and 1 Adult finished, out of about 45 who started (if memory serves me correctly, 27 finished 25 miles that year.) It will be going on 5pm for the last 25 milers, and going on 11pm for those who finish 50 miles.
Regardless of whether you want to do 20, 25 or 50 miles, the time to start getting ready for this strenuous event - is now. The only way to get ready - is to do some serious walking on practice hikes. In any case, it is certainly coming close for the Adults and more out-of-shape Scouts to start gearing up for Philmont anyway. Yes, I resemble both of those remarks.
Those of you in Troop 149 and 647 who can assist with this event: please email Ted and Ann Gerarden.
See you at the the second Crew meeting or the 50/20 hike.
Parents, please share and discuss this letter with your sons. Scouts, please share and discuss this letter with your parents. Newsletter #4 by February 27th at the latest. 4 1/2 months to go!
- Dr. Bob
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