Getting Started FAQs

1. What is Philmont?

2. What is a Philmont trek?

3. What is "The Watchu Experience?”

4. What is the size and make-up of a Philmont crew?

5. What are the requirements to be eligible to join a Philmont crew?

6. What is a crew number, and how does that differ from an expedition number or a unit number?

7. As Philmont and the Watchu Experience both appear to have their own special vocabularies, is there a list of terms with their definitions as they relate to Philmont and Watchu?

8. What published resources are available to prepare Philmont crews, and when are they issued?

9. In addition to the fee paid directly to Patriots' Path Council and the purchase of personal equipment, what other expenses should be expected?

10. If a crew member must drop out of a crew, who needs to be notified and when?

11. Can merit badges be earned while at Philmont?

12. Is the advisor's fee for going to Philmont, or for equipment such as boots or a sleeping bag, tax deductible?

13. Will the crew advisors be issued name badges?

14. Is the family letter that was sent in September and all the enclosures available in a digital format?

15. Does Chief Watchu want to be copied on the e-mails sent to our crew’s family network?

1. What is Philmont?

Philmont is short for Philmont Scout Ranch, an approximately 137,000 acre (215 square mile) working ranch outside of Cimarron, New Mexico, largely donated by Oklahoma oilman Waite Phillips to the Boy Scouts of America for use as a High Adventure base.  Most of the ranch consists of rugged mountain wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) range of the Rockies.

 

2. What is a Philmont trek?

A Philmont trek is a 12-day High Adventure backpacking hike by a crew of scouts and scouters through the backcountry of Philmont Scout Ranch, camping overnight at a variety of staffed and unstaffed camps, and participating in a series of programs relating to Western history and other activities.

 

3. What is "The Watchu Experience?"

The Watchu Experience is the name given to Patriots' Path Council's ten-month long program of preparing crews for a Philmont trek.

 

4. What is the size and make-up of a Philmont crew?

A Philmont crew is a group of up to twelve (12) youth and adults, with a minimum of two (2) adults, and maximum of four (4) over the age of 21.

 

5. What are the requirements to be eligible to join a Philmont crew?

Youth members of a crew must be at least 14 years of age by January 1 of the year of their trek OR have completed 8^th grade prior to their trek.  All crew members, both youth and adults, must be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America.

 

6. What is a crew number, and does that differ from an expedition number or a unit number?

Each Philmont crew is assigned a unique identifier, which is called both a crew and an expedition number.  It is a three digit, one letter, and option additional digit format, which identifies the date of arrival at Philmont, which expedition or contingent arriving that day, and a supplemental number if the crew is in a contingent with multiple crews.  For example a crew with the crew (expedition) number of 630H6 would arrive at Philmont on 630 (June 30th), would be the Hth group of crews arriving that day, and would be the sixth crew within that group.  The full group of crews would also be known as contingent (or expedition) 630H.  Crew or expedition number is different from unit number, which is the designation for a crew member's home Boy Scout troop or Venturing crew and is unrelated to Philmont.

 

7. As Philmont and the Watchu Experience both appear to have their own special vocabularies, is there a list of terms with their definitions as they relate to Philmont and Watchu?

A list of terms used at Philmont and during the Watchu Experience entitled 'Philmont Nomenclature' has been prepared and posted on this Web site at 'Trek Preparation'.

 

8. What published resources are available to prepare Philmont crews, and when are they issued?

The following documents, listed in the order they are issued with a short description of their contents, are available for the preparation of Philmont crews:

·                    Watchu Advisor Guide – November Advisor Briefing – specific information for crew advisors (one per advisor).

·                    Philmont Council and Unit Planning Guide  - January Advisor Briefing – general information (one per crew)

·                    Philmont Health and Medical Record – January Advisor Briefing – 6 page form, including participation advisories and height/weight chart (one per crew member)

·                    Philmont TREKS Itinerary Guide - mailed to each crew in March – detailed description of each available itinerary, including camp information and programs (one per crew)

·                    Philmont Guidebook to Adventure – mailed to each crew in March – invaluable pocket-sized reference, including equipment lists, health and safety guidelines, program descriptions and much more (one per crew member)

·                    Philmont Overall (Souvenir) Map – mailed to each crew in March – smaller scale (1"=4,000') map for planning purposes (one per crew, additional copies available from Tooth of Time Traders)

·                    Philmont Eagles Soaring High – issued after arrival at Philmont – pocket-sized devotional booklet for Christians, Muslims, and Jews (one per crew member)

 

9. In addition to the fee paid directly to Patriots' Path Council and the purchase of personal equipment, what other expenses should be expected?

Each crew needs to establish a budget and designate a banker or treasurer to handle the funds (a great job for a parent to take on in support of the crew!) for crew expenses. The amount will vary from crew to crew, and should (at a minimum) provide food and fuel for shakedown hikes and any special crew apparel such as T-shirts, hats, or neckerchiefs. Other things that might be considered for the crew budget include fees for CPR and First Aid training, ground transportation to and from the airport and whether crew gear such as stoves must be purchased.

 

10. If a crew member must drop out of a crew, who needs to be notified and when?

If a crew member must drop out of a crew, the Watchu Administrator should be notified immediately.  Council may know of someone looking for a slot in a Philmont crew, and any refund of fees is based upon monies that have not been committed to expenses to that point in time.  If Council does not have a waiting list, every effort must be made to fill the slot – the Patriots' Path contingent fee is calculated presuming each available slot is filled, and unfilled slots are a financial hardship on the Council and future contingents.

 

11. Can merit badges be earned while at Philmont?

While there are no formal merit badge programs at Philmont, there are several that, if managed properly, can be accomplished in conjunction with the Philmont experience.  Backpacking, Camping, Hiking and Orienteering are a few examples.  Scouts and merit badge counselors should work out the details before traveling to Philmont.  Many requirements can be satisfied during your training program or while at Philmont.  Advisors can certify in writing the completion of specific requirements, which will honored by council approved Merit Badge Counselors.

 

12. Is the advisor's fee for going to Philmont, or for equipment such as boots or a sleeping bag, tax deductible?

This is one question Chief Watchu is not qualified to answer - as they say, contact a tax advisor.  However, unofficially, yes, some money adult volunteers spend on scout training, equipment, program fees, uniforms, miles driven, and travel is tax deductible.  The advisor must first be a qualified BSA leader, and then it depends on how much of the expense is specifically allocated to scouting and the Philmont activities.  Since all Philmont advisors must be a registered member and official adult volunteer leader of the Boy Scouts of America, they should qualify for some tax deductions.

 

13. Will the Crew advisors be issued name badges?

Advisor nameplates, include a BSA logo, will be produced and are expected to be delivered at the January Advisor Briefing.  Check with the Watchu Administrator at the back of the room.  The name will be as recorded on the Name Plate Form provided in the package at the November Advisor Briefing.

 

14. Is the family letter that was sent in September and all the enclosures available in a digital format?

The letter and enclosures are posted on this Web site at 'Administration' under 'Communications from Council'.  Click HERE to open a copy to save or print.

 

15. Does Chief Watchu want to be copied on the e-mails sent to a crew’s family network?

Thanks for asking, but Ol’ Chief Watchu would be overwhelmed if each crew sent him copies of the Family Network e-mails.