What Philmont expects from the Visiting Forester

–The summer of 2010 will be significant for the Visiting Forestry program as it will be in its pilot phase and up for evaluation at the end of the summer. As such, Philmont will be interested to hear from youth participants as well as summer staff as to how they benefited or interacted with the visiting foresters. Beyond delivering a high quality and professional forestry program to participants, it is important to remember Philmont is owned and operated by the Boy Scouts of America. The Scout Law nicely summarizes what Philmont expects from its staff at all times: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. Enjoy your week in the backcountry!

What the Visiting Forester can expect:

–From Crews: Crews are made up of 5-10 Scouts between the ages of 14 and 18 and are accompanied by 2 adult advisors.  Each crew is required to select a Crew Leader. As the name indicates, the Crew Leader is responsible for leading the crew in all aspects of a Philmont trek. Leadership responsibilities include representing the crew in base camp meetings, delegating tasks while on the trail and in camp, communicating and coordinating with the adult advisors, and being the spokesmen for the crew while in the backcountry. As a Visiting Forester it is important to understand and recognize this leadership structure so as to be able to further facilitate its purpose. For example, after greeting a crew in the backcountry it is appropriate to identify and communicate with the Crew Leader when discussing potential program options.

      When approaching crews in the backcountry to discuss forestry program options, it is possible they will not have been briefed about the opportunity. Varied interest should be expected considering the condition and circumstance the crew is facing (e.g., time of day, miles left to hike, weather, scheduled program times for climbing or riding at destination, etc.). As such, having multiple program options that vary in detail, time length, and location will maximize the likelihood a crew will choose to participate. See Sample Scripts for ideas.

–From Staff: Five to seven backcountry staff members will call Hunting Lodge home for the summer. Each backcountry camp is staffed by Program Counselors (PCs) under the direction of a Camp Director (CD). Camp Directors are veteran staff members while PC’s vary from first year staffers to veterans. Proper backcountry etiquette is to approach your stay in camp as an invited guest. Helping with everyday camp chores such as cooking and cleaning is encouraged. 

–From Philmont: As noted in your introductory material from Philmont, the Ranch is extremely busy in the summer meeting the needs of 20,000+ campers and 1000+ staff members. Philmont relies on staff members being as self-sufficient as possible. However, should a medical, family, or similar type event occur (either to you or your family back home) that requires due attention, Philmont will assist you as necessary (e.g., a ride down to base camp for health reasons). Keep in mind while in the backcountry that base camp services may be delayed for hours depending on circumstance and the remote nature of your location. As detailed above, you can expect Philmont to look to the Scout Law insofar as their professional interaction with you while on the Ranch.