Our M ission - The Philmont Staff Association

Transcription

The Philmont Staff Association (PSA) unites
the Philmont staff—past and present—
for the purpose of serving the adventure,
heritage and experience of Philmont Scout Ranch
and the Boy Scouts of America.
Mission
Our Mission
17 DEER RUN ROAD
CIMARRON NM 87714
check us out!
www.philstaff.com
Non-Profit Organization
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Permit 8
August 2015
high countrY
The Magazine
Volume 38, Number 4
of the
P h i l m o n t S ta f f A s s o c i at i o n
®
®
Backcountry Manager Matt Hubbard
attempts to remove tools that are stuck
between the Ponil office and the tree where
it came to rest during the recent flood..
See story on page 20.
High Country®—Volume 38, Number 4
August 2015
Ed Pease, Editor
Mark Dierker, Layout Editor
Randy Saunders, Associate Editor
Bill Cass, Copy Editor
Dave Kenneke, Staff Contributor
Kevin “Levi” Thomas, Cartoonist
Contributing Editors: Robert Birkby, David Caffey,
Bill Cass, Gregory Hobbs, Warren Smith , Mark
Stinnett, Mary Stuever, Stephen Zimmer
Contributing Writers: Lee Huckstep Marie Reynolds
Mark Stinnett Kathy Seitz Caleb Wong
© 2015, The Philmont Staff Association, Inc.
All rights reserved. High Country® is the official
magazine of the Philmont Staff Association®
Philmont Staff Association®
Board Of Directors
John Murphy, President
Colleen Nutter, Vice President, Membership
Tim Rosseisen, Vice President, Service
Warren Smith, Vice President, Development
Adam Fromm, Secretary
Matt Lindsey, Treasurer
National Directors: Amy Boyle, Ken Davis, Bryan
Delaney, Catherine Hubbard, Lee Huckstep, Dr.
Dan Miller, Steve Rick
Regional Directors: Northeast - Kathleen Seitz,
Rick Touchette
Central - Mitch Standard, Phil Winegardner
Southern - Anne Marie Pinkenburg, Doug Wahl
Western - Nancy Stickelman, Michael Waggoner
Jim lynch, Immediate Past President
Mark Anderson, Philmont Staff Advisor
Ex Officio Members: Emery Corley, Legal Advisor,
Douglas Fasching, Technology Manager
Randy Saunders, Executive Director
Dollie O’Niell, Office Manager
from the president
in this issue
columns
3
5
14
15
17
from the prez
from the editor
ranch roundup - dowling
ranch roundup - gates
next generation
6
8
10
12
18
20
25
26
27
articles
other
psa news - atlanta reunion
psa news - north texas reunion
psa news - at the summit
psa news - mckown dedication
silver sage
flood of ‘15
tragedy on the north ponil
setzer recognized
diverse art
3 bulletin board
19 87714 pride
29 trail talk
2
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Upcoming PSA® Events
National Order of the Arrow Conference – August 3-8, 2015
Michigan State University
Contact Randy Saunders at [email protected]
PSA Colorado Philtoberfest – September 26, 2015, 4:00pm
Steve & Laura Vogt’s Home, 2403 Constellation Drive, Colorado Springs
Contact: Steve Vogt at [email protected]
Bob Harvey Fellow
PAUL and MARY JANE HARVEY
Cover photo by Cassidy Johnson
George A. Bullock Fellow
WILLIAM D. BRYCE
Members Only Access
Joe Davis Fellow
BILL CASS
USER NAME: EWELLSPARK
John A. Maxbauer, Jr. Fellow
ANONYMOUS
Are you watching how we have grown,
especially over the last couple of years?
We now have over 3,000 members and
will certainly add to that total over the
course of the summer as more new and
returning staffers make the decision to
join the PSA. With growth comes the
need to look to the future. Our current
office space has worked well for us,
but as we grow in size and demands
on our services, the PSA needs more
space to be in a position to better
serve Philmont. Working with Ranch
Management over the last six months,
the PSA was offered the opportunity
to move our office to become part of
the Seton Educational Center complex.
Our future building will be located on
the north side of the Seton, facing the
large circular plaza which will serve as
the gathering place for visitors to the
Educational Center.
The Philmont Museum – Seton
Memorial Library has become an
important center of history and culture
for the Ranch, providing space for
exhibit galleries, archive storage and
restoration, and a document research
area for the numerous artifacts and
collections that speak to the history of
not only Philmont, but all of Northern
New Mexico. Philmont has launched a
capital campaign to fund this expansion which will more than double the
available space for the exhibits, books,
research and storage of items not currently on display.
BULLETIN BOARD
PSA® FELLOWS
Glenn A. Fowler Fellow
BRUCE BARNES
Building a Future
Password: frenchhenry
Volume 38, Number 4— August 2015
PSA Fall Phestival – October 2-4, 2015
Des Moines, IA
Contact: Jason Mascitti at [email protected]
PSA Autumn Adventure Trek – October 11-16, 2015
Philmont Scout Ranch
Contact: Steven & Cynthia Truemper at [email protected]
from the prez 3
from the editor
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
Philmont Museum/Seton Memorial Library
Our proposed PSA building location
is just to the left (North) of the Museum image shown here. For our office
building to be located as a part of this
educational complex is truly an honor
and allows us to be right in the center
of the action! We continue to work with
the architects on a final floor plan and
building elevations. Our new structure
will be just over 1,900 SF and include an
outdoor courtyard to take advantage of
that great New Mexico sky.
Here is the really exciting news: our
building lobby and meeting room will
have floor to ceiling glass walls and
be oriented such that there will be a
clear straight-shot view of the Tooth of
Time. How incredible is that? Timing of
construction for this project is estimated
for Fall 2016; however, should Philmont
raise 75% of its total goal of 7.2 million
dollars before then, we could be under
way much earlier.
In future communications you
will read more about this great project
and the PSA fund-raising effort led
by Mitchell and Christine Standard
currently being organized. I am very
thankful for their willingness to step
forward and lead this campaign which
will fund the new office and raise
money for the Seton expansion. This
is an important step as we add to the
incredible history of the Philmont Staff
Association. Our future is bright, and
thanks to each of you we have become
a vital part of Philmont Scout Ranch.
Readers of High Country know that we
have solicited stories about “The Summer of ‘65” for much of the past year. It
was our intention to make the fiftieth
anniversary of that momentous event
the focus of this issue of High Country.
Two things changed that plan.
First was the abundance of material that we received. While most of the
writing about that summer focused on
the flood that ravaged Rayado Canyon, the impact of the event was felt
throughout the Ranch and we wanted
to capture those stories, too. And, the
impact was felt for years afterward, in
the way Philmont approached health
and safety, food management and
distribution, and conservation, to name
just a few. We wanted – and we received – stories from those perspectives
as well.
Second was the terrible reality
that, in this fiftieth anniversary year of
Philmont’s worst flood, the Ranch was
hit by one perhaps even larger (at press
time, evaluations and assessments are
still under way) that raced through the
North Ponil, doing major damage and
taking the life of a young Scout from
California. We felt that we needed to
cover that story with as much material as we could gather quickly and
responsibly. Especially in these days
of instantaneous social media, both the
PSA’s leadership and Philmont ranch
management wanted to be sure that
information from the Ranch was as accurate as it could possibly be.
As a consequence, we made major
changes to our plan for the August issue, deciding instead to do two issues:
the regular issue and a special issue
devoted exclusively to that summer
fifty years ago. And we will still do our
digital-only special August issue devoted to Philstaff writing and photography.
We are grateful to the many staff
and volunteers who scrambled and
stayed flexible so that we could do so.
John Murphy
PSA President
Available at philstaff.com or 575-376-1138.
4 from the prez
from the editor 5
psa news
®
Regional Reunions
Atlanta Reunion
The Philmont Staff Association once
again held a reception at the BSA
National Annual Meeting. This year’s
event, on May 21 in Atlanta, was a
celebration of the career of John Clark,
retired Philmont General Manager.
Over 100 PSA members, volunteers,
professionals, and guests attended.
Paul Beal, Sea Base General Manager, was the master of ceremonies for
the event. Presentations were made
by past PSA Presidents Jim Lynch and
Ed Pease, Ranch Committee Chairman
Jim Ryffel, and Chief Scout Executive
Wayne Brock. John Clark followed with
some thankful remarks.
Jim Lynch presented Janice Clark,
former PSA office manager, with a Life
Membership in the Philmont Staff Association. John and Janice’s daughter,
Renae, was also on hand to applaud her
parents.
Kevin Dowling, John Clark,& Paul Beal chat with Ken Davis at the High Adventure booth at the
BSA National Annual Meeting in Atlanta.
The reception was followed by the
inaugural gathering of the Summit
Bechtel Reserve Staff Association. Russell Smart, SBRSA President, and PSA
Life Member, introduced the association’s newly elected officers. He also
gave an update of their aspirations for
the coming months and years.
New PSA Belt Buckle Available!
The theme for this year’s buckle is the
100th anniversary of the Order of the
Arrow. All proceeds from sales go to
the PSA Staff Scholarship Fund.
Crafted by a local artist, buckles will
be available in the following metals:
Jim Lynch presents former PSA office manager Janice Clark with a Life membership, a gift from her
husband, retiring Philmont general manager John Clark..
6 psa news
Pewter - $25 retail
Bronze - $30 retail
Two-tone - $65 retail
Order online at philstaff.com or by
calling the PSA office at 575-376-1138.
psa news 7
North Texas Regional Reunion
The 2015 edition of the North Texas Regional Reunion was held on May 30 in
Grapevine. It was one of the activities
at the Lone Star Trade-O-Ree, an annual
event featuring patch and Scouting
memorabilia collectors. Other activities
held at the event included a luncheon
for participants and patch trading for
youth Scouts. There were also some
unique displays of Philmont memorabilia, including photos and neckerchiefs
dating back to the late 1930s.
The event also served as a fundraiser for the Campaign4Philmont.
Patch sales and donations netted $1,000
toward the OA Trail Crew Staff Scholarship Endowment. John Ryan and John
Corpany organized the event, including
the reunion. More than a dozen PSA
Save the Date
PSA Fall Phestival-Des Moines 2015
When: October 2-4, 2015
Where: Sheraton West Des Moines, Des Moines, Iowa
PSA members share a photo op with displays of
Philmont memorabilia.
members attended. Despite the torrential rains, Philmont staffers gathered,
shared stories, and made new friendships. Special thanks to John Ryan and
John Corpany for being our hosts.
Visit the birthplace of Waite and Genevieve Phillips. See the
Phillips family towns of Creston, Bedford and Conway, Iowa, in
their fall splendor.
Friday night-reminiscing, local dining, spend time in the hotel
lounge.
Saturday-breakfast buffet, bus tour to southern Iowa to visit
various Phillips family homesteads and
cemetery and other
historic sites, cocktail
hour, dinner, evening
concert.
Contact: Randy Saunders at the PSA office
(575) 376-1138 or [email protected]
or Jason Mascitti at
jason.mascitti@gmail.
com
Over $1,000 for Seasonal Staff Scholarships was raised at the North Texas Reunion activities.
8 psa news
psa news 9
PSA at the Summit
by Kathy Seitz
For this time and this place,
For your goodness and grace,
For each friend we embrace,
We thank thee, O Lord. Amen.
The Summit Grace. It sits above the
Dining Hall door at Summit Bechtel
Reserve (SBR), the newest BSA High
Adventure facility, located in eastern
West Virginia, near Beckley. Lee Huckstep and Dr. Dan Miller planned a great
weekend allowing 44 PSA members
and guests to see and experience the
Summit property.
The weekend started on Friday
morning, June 19 when 18 PSA members and their families participated
in whitewater rafting in the worldfamous New River Gorge. This is no
slouch of a river! Split between two
rafts, the experience was a full-day
tour. We rafted for about two hours,
stopped for a picnic lunch prepared by
the rafting company staff and finished
at about 3:30pm. The Summit uses
three rafting companies on a rotating
basis to deliver “The River” program
to Scouts, so SBR made our reservation
with the rafting company on rotation at
the time. We were very impressed with
the professionalism and experience of
the guides! The PSA group met for dinner and had great stories to share about
the big rapids experienced earlier in the
day.
Saturday morning we met at SBR,
some earlier than others. It isn’t the
easiest property to find. They are
working on signage! Matt Monroe,
Summit General Manager, gave us the
history of the property, including a tour
of Summit Center, the only permanent
building. The BSA is trying to acquire
additional land along the New River
(current holdings total more than 10,000
acres), providing additional camping
opportunities for Scouts. Following
Matt Monroe’s presentation, PSA Board
member Lee Huckstep arranged for
a bus tour of the Summit property. It
PSA members and guests gathered at the Summit for a tour of the BSA’s permanent National Jamboree site.
10 psa news
PSA members rafting on the New River, near the Summit.
was hosted by Dave Kopsa, former
Philmont staff member, and lasted
almost three hours. As the Summit
Director of High Adventure Program,
Kopsa answered all our questions and
provided a very good overview of the
property and the programs offered. It
is quite an impressive property with
opportunities for both Scouts and their
Advisors. Advisors do not need to
choose the same program as the Scouts
– and that is one of their big selling
points!
Following the bus tour, lunch was
hosted by the PSA in the Summit dining hall. Then the real fun started!
After lunch, we were given the opportunity to experience SBR for ourselves
at Action Point - smaller versions of
the venues available to Scout participants such as Boulder Cove (climbing,
rappelling and bouldering stations),
Archery Range, Zip Lines, Duck Shoot,
Challenge Courses, Canopy Tours,
Mountain Bike trails, Skate Plaza
(skateboarding) and BMX Tracks. Also
included was the Sustainability Treehouse, a green treehouse, completely
self-contained. Another feature was
an 800 foot walkable “wings” bridge,
which was built with a $15 million
donation by Consol Energy. We were
all pretty tired when we met later in
the evening for dinner. Matt, his wife
Jen, Dave, and Tim Borden, Sustainability Treehouse Manager, joined us for
dinner. Tim was also a Philmont staff
member. There is definitely a theme
here! The weekend ended Saturday
evening following dinner.
The Summit story began in 2007
when the BSA needed to find a replacement property for the National
Jamboree. It took 18 months to identify
the New River region of West Virginia.
More than 13 miles of the Summit
property borders National Park land
giving participants access to more than
70,000 acres of managed wilderness beyond the Summit property. For more
information, check out the website at
summitbsa.org.
psa news 11
McKown Baldytown Boarding House
Dedication
The McKown Baldytown Boarding
House is the newest structure at Baldy
Camp. It will serve as the quarters
for the summer seasonal staff and
visiting geologists stationed at Baldy
Camp. The new facility has bedrooms,
two showers, a kitchen/dining room,
and perhaps the largest porch in the
backcountry. The building consists of
three pre-fab units joined together in
such a way that it looks like it was one
structure built on site, and it rests on
stilts, which minimize the impact on
the hillside. There is also an impressive staircase that provides access from
the other buildings at Baldy Camp to
the Boarding House. The former staff
quarters at BaldyTown has been repurposed as instructional/museum space.
On Saturday, June 6, the McKown
family and friends arrived at Philmont
from Great Bend, KS to dedicate the
new Boarding House in memory of
Bill McKown, who passed away in the
The porch of the new Baldytown boarding house, built with an estate gift from the late Bill McKown.
Dedication plaque for the new boarding house.
spring of 2014. Bill was a Ranger in
the 1970s, a member of the Philmont
Ranch Committee, and a Life Member
of the Philmont Staff Association. Upon
his passing, he left a gift of more than
Philmont Ranger Hat
The Philmont Ranger hats are back!
Based on two Ranger hats from the
past, you may choose from a green
cap with gold lettering or a tan cap
with green lettering. Both have the
words “Philmont Ranger” embroidered on the front and “Humble
Pride” on the back. $20.
Order online at philstaff.com or by
calling the PSA office at 575-376-1138.
12 psa news
half a million dollars to the Philmont
Staff Association to
benefit Philmont and
Philmont staff. Some
of the funds were
directed to the PSA’s
Campaign4Philmont, and some to
this project at one of
Bill’s favorite places
in the backcountry.
More than 25 people
attended the dedication. Mark Anderson
and David Kenneke
gave the group a tour Mark Anderson gives a group tour of the new facility.
of the new building.
their camp home for the summer.
As the dedication was taking place, the
2015 Baldy Camp staff arrived to open
psa news 13
ranch roundup
Kevin Dowling is a PSA Trekker
by Lee Huckstep
New Philmont General Manager Kevin
Dowling is the first, and so far the only,
Philmont General Manager to have
participated in a PSA Trek.
Kevin’s first exposure to the
Philmont backcountry was the 2009
PSA Trek, in which he participated as
part of the Exchange Program between
the Philmont Staff Association and the
Sommers Alumni Association (SAA),
the Northern Tier’s staff and alumni
association. Kevin had just been named
the Northern Tier General Manager,
had never done a Philmont Trek or
been in the Philmont backcountry, and
was keen to see what a Philmont Trek
was like.
He got the full deal, including
spending
nights in
Camper Tent
City. His Trek
started at Cito,
then on to Cypher’s Mine,
Clear Creek,
Fish Camp and
Carson Meadows. Somewhere along Kevin Dowling enjoying
Cito.
the way he did
his three hours of conservation work,
rendered first aid, helped hoist the bear
bags, did the dishes and when it was
over, received his Philmont Arrowhead
Award.
Joining Kevin on the Trek were his
son Jake, (crew leader) daughter Casey,
Kevin Dowling and his crew—back, from left, Jake Dowling, Doug Latimer, Lee Huckstep, Sharon
Latimer. Front, from left, Joe Mattson, Glenn Hartman-Mattson, Alex Nepple, Jeff Touchette, Rick
Touchette, Casey Dowling, Kevin Dowling and Stephen Braunlich.
14 ranch roundup
Joe Mattson, Glenn Hartman-Mattson,
and Alex Nepple – all of the SAA – and
Stephen Braunlich, (crew advisor) Rick
Touchette, Jeff Touchette, Lee Huckstep,
Doug Latimer and Sharon Latimer,
all of the PSA. Eric Neuhaus was the
Ranger.
In subsequent years Kevin was a
gracious host to the PSA when it traveled north for Canoe Voyages as part
of the Exchange Program. He made
sure the PSA got the best Interpreters
(Northern Tier equivalent of Ranger)
and Kevin put together the difficult
transportation arrangements which
allowed the PSA to paddle the classic trip from the Northern Tier base at
Atikokan, Ontario, all the way to the
main base, Charles L. Sommers, near
Ely, MN.
Was Kevin’s interest in becoming
Philmont General Manager sparked
by his PSA Trek experience? His crew
mates like to think so. Kevin did the
PSA Trek - and naturally he just wanted
to go back to Philmont.
Dr. Robert Gates Visits Philmont
by Caleb Wong
PhilNews Staff Writer
Reprinted with permission of the
PhilNews
If you ever look for Robert Gates,
national president of the Boy Scouts of
America, you might find him thinking
about change for an hour each day. A
former Texas A&M University presi-
Dr. Robert Gates speaks to a crew during his visit to Philmont in June.
ranch roundup 15
dent, secretary of defense, and CIA director, Gates has led large, bureaucratic
institutions during his career while
keeping the big picture in mind.
On Monday, June 8th, Gates spoke
to a group of BSA national executives
and Philmont Training Center participants about several aspects of leadership required for leading change in
organizations. Throughout his speech,
he emphasized the overriding importance of a clear vision.
“You need to make time to
strategize,” said Gates. “When I was
secretary of defense, president of A&M,
and head of the intelligence community, I set aside at least an hour every
day to think about my agenda –
my agenda for change – because
bureaucracy will swallow you
up.”
During his presentation, Gates
said great leaders, as opposed to
managers, effectively articulate
organizational visions and know how
to achieve goals.
“You have to have a vision,
a goal. We need practical visionaries.
People who can not only have a vision
of what the future looks like and where
we ought to go, but also have the
political and practical skills to get us
there.”
To accomplish their goals, great
leaders need to listen to the people
below them, said Gates.
“I think the first thing for you to decide for your council or area...is what’s
wrong, what’s not working,” said
Gates. “You’d be amazed how much
they realize about what’s working and
what’s not working. And they actually
have some really good ideas on how to
16 ranch roundup
fix [issues].”
Breaking up the “bureaucratic
concrete” often found in task forces
and committees encourages individuals
with strong ideas to come forward and
share them, Gates said.
“Consensus is agreeing to say
collectively what nobody believes individually. If you form task forces, if you
form a working group or a committee
or whatever, and they come to you with
a consensus, you need to ask yourself:
is this bold enough, or is this the lowest
common denominator? Is this what everyone will minimally agree to? And if
that’s the case, reject it, and make them
go back to work.”
Ignacio Gonzalez, a PTC
participant who attended the speech,
said Gates validated his approach to
how he strategized for each day.
“I’ve always tried to take time out
first thing in the morning to think
about, you know, ‘What am I trying to
get done today?’
Once your day gets going, and
you get into the office, and you start
working with people, you’ve got
everybody’s agenda that you’re really
dealing with. It was very validating to
hear somebody that has had the
responsibilities on the scale that he’s
had that he believes that that’s a good
practice.”
Great leaders relate to their people
and know how to inspire and motivate
them, said Gates.
“Formal education can make
someone a good manager, but cannot
make someone a good leader because
leadership is more about the heart than
the head.”
next generation at HOmE
The latest in our series of “next generation” Philstaff – those who came to
Philmont as kids and returned as staffers years later – is Cheyenne JohnstonAshton. Like those we’ve featured
A five-year-old Cheyenne at French Henry.
before, Chey comes by her Philstaff
experience naturally: her father is Dan
Ashton (76,77) and her mother is Karen
Johnston-Ashton (79, 83-84). Cheyenne
is spending this summer on the staff at
Crooked Creek.
Cheyenne today. She is working this summer at
Crooked Creek.
next generation 17
Decades of Cheerful Service:
The 2015 Silver Sage Awards
A long-serving Philmont volunteer
and our second organizational recipient received the PSA’s 2015 Silver Sage
Awards in a ceremony at Philmont on
July 11. The Silver Sage Awards are
presented annually by the association
to recognize “distinguished and exceptional personal service or contributions
of an important and lasting nature,
by any individual or organization, for
the benefit of Philmont Scout Ranch,
Philmont program participants, and/or
the Philmont staff.” This year’s recipients more than qualify in both areas.
Kenn Goertz, M.D. is a pediatric
cardiologist and faculty member at the
Kansas University Medical School. He
is now in his 28th
year of service as
Philmont’s Chief
Medical Officer. As
such, he is responsible for recruitment of all of the
volunteer staff physicians who serve
one or two-week shifts at Philmont
each summer. He also serves as course
director of the KUSM pediatric rotation
program through which fourth-year
medical students serve as Philmont
medics.
Kenn has had the principal leadership role in several important and lasting innovations in Philmont operations
and health care, including changes to
the itinerary system to provide that
18 silver sage awards
the first three days of each trek will be
spent at altitudes below 9,000 feet to allow better acclimation, implementation
of mandatory height-weight guidelines
for backcountry participation (that have
since been adopted by the entire BSA),
and development of detailed risk advisories for participants and physicians.
Kenn has also served as a member
of the Philmont Ranch Committee since
1998 and as chairman of the Philmont
Health Lodge Task Force since its
creation in the late 1990s. This summer marks his 30th year of service as a
Philmont summer staff physician.
For twenty years, the Order of the
Arrow has partnered with Philmont
to sponsor the OA Trail Crew Treks,
in which OA members spend a week
building trails at Philmont before
embarking on seven-day treks. To date,
nearly 3,000 Arrowmen have spent
almost 100,000 work hours building
miles of Philmont trails, including the
new route to Baldy from Copper Park
and the still-in-progress trail from Clear
Creek to Mt. Phillips that will be totally
within Philmont’s boundaries. Other
Phil-trails constructed by OA teams include Vaca, Tooth of Time, Lovers Leap,
Black Horse, Lower Bonito, Chandler
Canyon and Flume Canyon.
The trail crew program that started
at Philmont has been so successful that
the Order has now expanded it to all
of the BSA’s high adventure bases. OA
members can now participate in similar
service/trek programs at Northern Tier,
Florida Sea Base and the Summit.
As the Order celebrates its 100th
anniversary this year, it joins the U.S.
Air Force Academy as the only organizational recipients (to date) of the Silver
Sage Award.
Where are YOU showing your 87714 Pride?
Another “it’s not merchandise, but
it is clearly ‘87714 Pride’” entry
arrived at the High Country office
a few weeks ago, and we pass it
along for the jealous musings of
the hikers among us. This hardy
crew of Philfolk are atop Machu
Picchu in the Andes Mountains of
Peru, May 9th, 2015.
From left to right are PSA members Bill Watson
(1973,1974), Pat Watson (wife), Dave Jolkovsky
(1972-1975), Sandy Slowey (wife) and Dave Slowey
(1974).
Share your 87714 sightings with us
for future use on the website, in High
Country or both! E-mail [email protected] with your sightings, and if for some inexplicable
reason you don't have your 87714
sticker yet, contact the PSA to purchase some at eminently reasonable
prices. Shop for T-Shirts (and other
cool 87714 gear) at www.philstaff.
com or call 575-376-1138.
silver sage awards 19
Devastation in the North Country:
The Flood of 2015
by Mark Stinnett
Contributing Editor
Fifty years to the month after massive
rains launched what many have since
called “the thousand year flood” across
Philmont’s South Country, the forces
of nature returned to wreak havoc
and destruction at the other end of
our ranch. In the pre-dawn hours of
Saturday, June 27, Philmont campers
and staff awoke to ferocious storms
described by some as the most frightening they had ever seen. In 1965,
the storms struck before campers had
arrived, thus sparing the Philmont
and Scouting communities the terrible
specter of injury to a participant. Tragically, this time they resulted in loss of a
young life (see story on page 25).
Heavy rains over a short period of
time in the upper Ponil Creek and Cimarron River watersheds on the night
of June 26-27 sent sudden and unprecedented torrents of water, along with
rocks, trees, shrubs and debris, crashing
down those streams and their tributaries. Virtually every camp and trail in
the North Country east of Pueblano
suffered damage.
On the North Ponil, rising waters
thundered into Metcalf Station, where
one staff member was carried away
Logs and other debris pile up around the Ponil Chuckwagon area after flash flooding that occured early Saturday morning, June 27.
Photo by Cassidy Johnson
20 flood of ‘15
Ponil PC Kylie Tucker washes the clothes of other Ponil staff members on Sunday, June 28 following
the flash flooding that occurred early Saturday morning.
some 750 yards downstream on his tent
platform before managing to escape the
torrent and return to warn his fellow
staffers. By the time it hit Indian Writings, where campers described being
awakened by a roar that sounded like
a freight train, the “wall of water” had
grown to 20 to 23 feet in height and
some 100 yards across, according to
estimates from the New Mexico State
Police. The waters engulfed campsites
and tents sites well above the creekbed.
By now, most of our readers know that
those waters carried away four Scouts.
Responding IW staff members rescued
three.
At Ponil, CD Karl Hubbard awoke in
the office to find it rapidly filling with
feet of water. Before he could get out,
those waters literally tore the building from its foundation and moved
it downstream some 30 feet before it
lodged against a tree. The corrals and
all bridges across the creek were swept
away.
Farther south, the Cimarron River
and its tributaries started their own
rampage. Tons of rocks and debris
hurtled out of Bear Canyon across
Highway 64, where they obliterated
the trail, the camper bridge, the turnaround and the guard rails. Rocks and
boulders plummeted down from the
hillsides, including one large enough to
effectively dam the river and send the
waters over the highway. Miles of mud
and rock kept the highway closed until
mid-afternoon the next day as state
crews labored to clear away the mess
and repair damage.
Rich Cabins ended up totally isolated as a half-dozen bridges on the
road connecting it to the ranch through
the Barker Wildlife Area just disap-
flood of ‘15 21
Debris pile up east of Ponil camp in the Ponil canyon following severe flash floods
peared. Several days after the flood,
Philmont infirmary teams had to use
ATVs to ferry out a health lodge case,
and supplies were being hiked in to the
camp by staff.
Crew advisor Mike Leffler posted
this description of that night’s events
on Facebook: “My son and I were advisors that night staying at Ponil. The
ferocity of the storms that night were
beyond anything I’ve experienced in
55 years. The roar of Ponil Creek rising
from its banks is still hard to explain.
The damage to Ponil camp the next
morning is something that cannot be
explained. To see cabins upon whose
porch you sat the afternoon before
ripped from their foundations is shocking. The chuck wagon pavilions where
we had eaten 12 hours earlier were
filled with debris and large trees. It
was a lesson in just how overwhelming
22 flood of ‘15
nature can be when set loose.”
And as always in such times of
crisis, the Philmont staff responded
in a way to make every Phil-veteran
proud. Leffler continued in his post:
“The support we received from the
Ponil staff, the same staff that had just
lost their summer homes as well as
many of their personal belongings, was
amazing. Without power they made us
coffee and soup, fed us whatever they
could find, and allowed us to wash and
attempt to dry mud-caked gear. It was
also inspiring to see youth from around
the country pull together to work with
the staff to clear debris and place temporary bridges across the still swollen
creek in order to help those stranded on
the opposite bank.”
All over the ranch, even with hearts
heavy with knowledge of a lost Scout,
staffers swung into action to see to the
needs of those affected by the floods
and to make sure that all participants
still received the quality program
they expected of Philmont. Logistics
staffers worked to change itineraries
and reroute crews to avoid damaged
areas. Managers fielded hundreds of
calls from parents concerned about
their own kids and media following
the story. Maintenance crews went to
work repairing damaged infrastructure.
Conservation teams dispersed to assess
trails and needed repairs. Camp staffs
went to the aid of those who had gear
washed away.
At Tooth of Time Traders, campers
who had lost equipment were each
assigned a staff buddy to completely reequip them with whatever they would
need to continue their treks. For some,
that was literally everything: packs,
boots, rain gear, socks, hats, shirts,
shorts, knives, eating gear, toiletries,
maps. Philmont replaced it all, free
of charge – even if their own gear was
later recovered. Within a couple of
days, all affected crews were back on
the trail.
On Monday, June 29, Scout leaders from across the country arrived at
Philmont for the long-before scheduled
annual national camp assessment.
Over the next two days, they fanned
out to all backcountry camps, including
those directly affected by the floods, to
evaluate facilities and programs and
meet with base and backcountry staffs.
At their wrap-up meeting back at base
on July 1, team leaders frequently
choked up when describing their
interactions over the preceding days
with staff members. Even in the face of
almost unbearable tragedy, they carried
on in the highest and best traditions of
the 77-year legacy we all share.
A crew and Philmont staff work together to rebuild a bridge on the Ponil near Indian Writings.
Photo by Justin Gilliland/PhilNews
flood of ‘15 23
Tragedy on the North Ponil
“Losing one of our Scouts brings grief
and pain to each and every one of us.”
Crews move around the debris left over by the floods from June 27, 2015. The bridge that was once a
main way for crews to travel between South and North Country was pushed about 180° due to the
rushing water. Photo by Tyler Sanders/PhilNews
Standing with CD Karl Hubbard in the Ponil dining hall, Mark Anderson and Kevin Dowling
remind Ponil and Work Crew staff members to call their families if they haven’t yet after the events related to the June 27 flood. Anderson and Dowling visited the Ponil complex on June 30, 2015 to check
on the staff’s well-being, encourage and thank them, and provide support as the staff repairs their sites
and processes the physical and emotional difficulties from the flood.
Photo by Leanora Benkato/PhilNews
24 flood of ‘15
On June 26, accompanied by their
ranger, a crew of eight Scouts and three
adult leaders from Troop 380, Sacramento, CA, arrived at Indian Writings
Camp on day one of their planned tenday adventure. They set up their first
night’s camp in the North Ponil Canyon, some 20 feet above its namesake
creek, which is normally only a couple
of feet wide and less than a foot deep.
Later that night, as they had almost
every day in this unusually rainy early
summer in northern New Mexico,
storms rolled across Philmont.
Around 4:30 a.m. the next morning,
June 27, the Scouts of Troop 380 jolted
awake to a rumbling that “sounded
like a freight train.” A wall of water
estimated at 20 to 23 feet deep and 100
yards wide surged down the North
Ponil, where it overran the troop’s
campsite and swept away four of its
Scouts. Three managed to cling to
debris in the raging waters until being
rescued by responding IW staff members. Tragically, the fourth, 13-year-old
Alden Brock, perished in the flood.
In a statement released July 3, BSA
General Services and High Adventure
Group Director John Green poignantly
summarized the thoughts that many of
us undoubtedly share:
In the early morning hours of June
27th, Mother Nature visited God’s
Country and she was not kind. In fact she
was brutal, unforgiving and devastating.
Whether you’re part of the Philmont family
or our Scouting family, losing one of our
Scouts brings grief and pain to each and
every one of us.
Waite Phillips said, “We do our best
and most constructive thinking when we’re
alone for it’s only in silence that God speaks
to us.” Our shared tragedy leaves us alone
in private thoughts, prayers and reflections.
Mine are mixed and confusing. On one
hand my sorrow for the loss of Scout Alden
Brock is heavy, deep and certain to remain
for a very long time. On the other hand is a
feeling of enormous pride and thankfulness
for how bravely the entire Philmont staff
performed in the midst of what will probably be recorded as one of the worst flash
floods in New Mexico history.
Visiting the several most severely
affected sites will leave you awed, speechless, prayerful, and yes, thankful. In the
darkness and sudden terror of hearing an
unknown roar descending on campsites our
staff and leaders performed at extraordinary
levels of preparedness.
Almost five thousand were in the mountains dealing with an unimaginable threat
and as Scouts do, doing everything possible
to help one another.
My final thought is this. As mentioned,
some say the noise was like a locomotive
or a jet, it was loud. But even though it
was hard to hear, the Good Lord did, and
he saved all but one. This I will remember
forever. God bless everyone and thank you
so much for the tremendous outpouring
of support for the family, their troop, and
Philmont.
tragedy on north ponil 25
Setzer recognized with Honor Award
by Kathy Seitz
PSA Life Member Dave Setzer was
recently recognized by Patriots’ Path
Council with its Honor Award, along
with two other Scouters. The award
recognizes Scouters who have spent
several decades giving leadership to a
specific function of the Patriots’ Path
Council. Dave was joined at the event
by family members, grandchildren and
staff members from the Watchu Mountain Adventure program, his brainchild.
Watchu Mountain Adventure is
a council-based 18-month program,
readying crews for their Philmont trek.
Patriots’ Path Council sends 20+ crews
to Philmont each summer through this
program. It is considered the nation’s
best Philmont preparation program, as
featured in Scouting magazine. Nearly
20 years ago, then Council Executive
Kevin Dowling (Yes, that Kevin Dowling. Our Kevin Dowling.) and Dave
worked together to create the Watchu
program. It includes crew COPE/
Team Building, crew development,
crew fundraising, trail planning, crew
conservation projects, summer and
winter Adirondack Treks at Sabattis
Adventure Camp, allowing them to
work together as a crew before their
Philmont adventure, culminating
in the Watchu Mountain Adventure
weekend. Watchu Mountain Adventure weekend turns Camp Allamuchy
Scout Reservation in Stanhope, NJ into
“Philmont” for the weekend, including Philmont meals and signs. Crews
learn how to raise a bear bag, how to
set up their campsite based on the rules
of the “Bearmuda Triangle”, cooking
and proper sump techniques, packing
a backpack including gear suggestions,
etc. Crews also participate in an eight
mile Philmont rugged hike. The weekend presents an opportunity for each
crew to “find the gaps” before they
head to Philmont. Patriots’ Path Council uses Blue Sky Adventures to provide
the much needed acclimation for those
coming from sea level states. Two days
are spent enjoying really cool activities
in Colorado like white water rafting, a
cog railway ride up Pike’s Peak, a visit
to the Air Force Academy and a visit
and hike around Garden of the Gods
in Colorado Springs. The program has
grown over the years under Dave’s
loving guidance as Chief Watchu, and a
volunteer staff of about 40 experienced
Philmonters. I am fortunate to be
among the 40 in this amazing program.
Dave stepped down as Chief
Watchu this past June. The staff gave
him a jacket, embroidered with “Chief
Watchu Emeritus.” He will forever be
thanked for the thousands and thousands of hours and love he gave to the
Watchu program, benefiting more than
5,000 Scouts since it’s inception.
Dave is a Mechanical Engineer
with a PhD in Applied Mechanics from
Lehigh University. He spent his entire
working career with AT&T, Bell Labs,
retiring as their National Quality Director. He was awarded the Eagle Scout
award in 1950 and subsequently was
recognized with Distinguished Eagle
Scout and Vigil Honor Order of the Arrow awards. Dave attended the “Wagon Train” program at Philmont in 1952,
when facilities were “rustic”, to say the
least. He and his (now deceased) wife
Carolyn, three adult children and six
grandchildren all called north central
New Jersey home. Dave isn’t retiring
from Scouting; he is just moving on to
other things. My hope (and my expectation) is that there will be even more
stories to tell in the near future.
The Passion of Creating Diverse Art
Reprinted with permission from
Enchantment, the magazine of New
Mexico’s rural electric co-operatives.
Everything in Susan Norris’ bright
Cimarron studio comes from her own
two hands—painting, hand-built pots
and bowls, raku pottery, prints, cards,
and ceramic and bronze sculpture large
and small.
The shelves are populated with ani-
Dave Setzer recieves the Patriots’ Path Council Honor Award.
26 setzer recognized
mals, wild and domestic, realistic and
whimsical. A bear on a log, a retriever
in the act of capturing a bird, a wild
wolf in repose, and a relaxed African
zebra reveal an artist with the technical abilities to give form to the diverse
creatures that inhabit her imagination.
To observe Norris’ art is like reading
a biography in progress, because she
depicts what she loves. A horsewoman
who for 20 years was an endurance
rider, an experienced outdoorswoman
diverse art 27
who bowhunts, she is a dedicated
conservationist who knows and loves
nature in all its complexity as well as, a
seamstress and a woodworker.
“I’m completely self-taught,” Norris says. Starting out painting in her
native northeast Ohio, throughout her
career she has mastered techniques and
learned about materials as required by
new projects. “If I don’t know about
something, I find someone to ask,” she
says. “And I want to return the favor
to others.” Last summer, she made
her knowledge available by offering
classes; this summer she plans to expand her private teaching.
And, at the rear of the gallery is
her pride-and-joy work in progress: a
monumental sculpture of a 1915-era
Ernest Thompson Seton and a young
boy called “Scout.” Inspired by a
visit to Philmont Scout Ranch, Norris
proposed a series of three bronzes to
commemorate Seton and his contributions to scouting. She went after the
proposal with complete focus, putting
in the serious effort required for it to be
accepted and awarded one year later,
to be placed at the entrance of the $7.5
million planned expansion of the Seton
Memorial Library. Her rendition of
“Lobo,” the wolf who inspired Seton’s
passion for conservation, has already
been installed at the museum.
There’s no questioning her passion
for her art. “I’ve got to do it. My drive
is the joy of it, not the big bronze or
being famous. Yes, it’s difficult to be a
self-employed artist. But if you want
something bad enough, a burning
desire is what you need to get ahead. I
totally believe that.”
A longtime resident of Raton, in
28 diverse art
trail talk
1950s
Susan Norris and Lobo.
2012 Norris chose Cimarron for the
site of her studio-gallery “to be close
to Philmont” while working on her
monumental project for the Philmont
Museum, “so scouts, families and other
interested people could come in and
observe progress of the sculpture. I like
it here,” she says. “It’s a very friendly
community, with a lot of family values,
core values. People are very helpful
and considerate. I felt embraced when I
moved here, not like an outsider.” Norris, a member of Springer
Electric Cooperative, enjoys networking and meeting people to talk about
art and share her many interests. “I’ve
made so many friends through my
work,” she says.
“Long after I’m gone, these bronzes
are still going to be there. I hope young
people are inspired by what I did.”
Visit www.susannorrisartworks.
com to learn more about Susan Norris
and her passion for art.
Kenneth D. McDow (52) after
Philmont, served as 1st Sergeant in the
21st Special Forces Group (Airborne)
and remained active in Scouting as a
Scoutmaster, Explorer Advisor, and OA
Lodge Adviser. He received the Silver
Beaver for his work in New Orleans,
and his children, Cheryl McDow Dupree and Timothy McDow are also former Philstaffers. Contact: 8503 Apricot
Street, New Orleans, LA 76118. 504861-4719. [email protected].
Ed Summers (54-55), now retired, after
Philmont taught accounting at the University of Texas at Austin and served
on the Texas Board of Professional
Engineers. Contact: 3608 Highland
View Drive, Austin, TX 78731. [email protected].
1960s
Dana Edwards (65-68, 71) , after serving as the Acting District Chair for
the National Pike District (Howard
County) in the Baltimore Area Council, was elected to a full term as Chair.
8120 Brightlink Court, Ellicott City, MD
21043. 410-379-8092. dana_edwards@
comcast.net.
1970s
James Keown (76-77) after Philmont
and multiple degrees from Indiana
University, married, taught school and
was a counselor (Indiana Counselor of
the Year, 2012) till retiring in 2015. He
is a counselor consultant, an artist of
handmade kites (sunoakkites.com), a
photographer, SCUBA instructor, and
filmmaker. Contact: 4462 Old Vincennes Road, Floyds Knobs, IN 47119.
502-609-6648. [email protected].
2000s
Kent Barnett (04, 08, 11) and wife
Denise have been married 34 years,
have a daughter Katie and son, former Philmont staffer Tyler (04), one
grandchild and another on the way. He
serves as Executive Director of Members of Church of Christ for Scouting
(MCCS) and remains active in Scouting
today, as evidenced by numerous accolades including the Silver Beaver, the
James E. West Fellowship and the PTC
Award knot. Contact: 1401 Roadrunner Ct, Abilene, TX 79601. 325-3701679. [email protected].
James E. Van Hecke, Jr (04-13) remains
active in Scouting, currently serving on
the National Camp Accreditation Team
for the Western Region and as a member of the Executive Board of the Great
Southwest Council. Contact: 13619
Keesha Jo Ave. SE, Albuquerque, NM
87123. 505-332-8807. jamesvanhecke@
comcast.net.
trail talk 29
Daniel Napoliello (02, 04, 08) is a
retired Senior Healthcare Internal Auditor from TriWest Healthcare Alliance in
Phoenix, after a long and distinguished
career in nursing and the Indian Health
Service. After service in Vietnam, he
entered the US Public Health Service
(1964-1994), was extensively involved
in and recognized for his work, including the President’s (POTUS) Call to
Service – Lifetime, and the Arizona Veteran’s Hall of Fame, among others. He
served on the Hospital Interface Team
for the 2013 National Jamboree and is
Assistant Council Commissioner in the
Grand Canyon Council. Contact: 8880
W. Christopher Michael Lane, Peoria,
AZ 85345. [email protected].
Erin Sullivan (06) graduated from the
Trail Guide Remembers Friendships
Ed. Note
Readers of High Country know that we condense updates about former
Philstaffers into a predictable format -- trying to cram as much information into as
small a space as possible, in order to include as many people as we can. More often
than he likes, your space-conscious editor has taken the editing pen to material submitted for inclusion, reducing it to its barest bones. Despite that discipline, every once in
a while a submission comes our way that just doesn’t lend itself to that practice. This
one, from William “Wild Bill” Plummer, is in that mode. After reducing a fascinating
life story by more than half (but saving all the material for the High Country archive
at the Seton), this little segment about Philmont in its earliest days remained.
In 1946, a fellow scout, Ed Carty, in our Troop 21 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, served
as a Trail Guide at Philmont while I was serving in the army. In 1947, three of
us from our troop applied for and were accepted on the Philmont staff. Ed
became a wrangler, I forget Wayne “Chief” Dietrick’s assignment, and I was
a Trail Guide based at Ponil and leading Southbound expeditions with a half
dozen burros (Rocky Mountain Canaries). Trail Guides were forerunners of the
Rangers, but we stayed with each group from when we left Ponil to when we
arrived back at Headquarters. We formed very close bonds with the leaders
and the boys. I returned the next year as a Trail Guide. With a break in our
schedules at the same time, five of us met at Agua Fria and embarked on our
dream to climb Mount Wheeler. On returning, I recollect that I hiked back to
Ponil to pick up my next expedition. Three of us who were on staff those years,
Brad Kinsman, Bill Hudson and myself were all later hired and worked for
Corning Glass Works. That from a Philmont staff of about 100. Contact: 10
Fox Ln E, Painted Post, NY 14879. 607-962-2640. [email protected].
30 trail talk
PSA Pullover
taking pre-orders
This pullover is a high quality, rugged,
functional piece of technical layer-ware.
Perfect for runs, biking, climbing, or any
other outdoor activity, the dual-layer
design gives a great warmth-to-weight
ratio. Handy accessible pocket for keys,
gels, or phone, and a PSA logo that tells
the story. Available in Men’s Sizes: Small,
Medium, Large, XLarge and 2XLarge.
Sizes seem to run small. $75. Order at
philstaff.com or 575-376-1138.
2010s
nitions include the Silver Beaver and
Silver Antelope (among many others),
he still finds time to serve as Committee Chairman for Pack 32 in Romney,
WV. Contact: 3524 Middle Ridge
Road, Romney, WV 26757. 703-4775835. [email protected].
Frederick “Rick” Hillenbrand (15) is
heavily involved in Scouting, serving
on the Board of the Northeast Region,
as NER Area 6 VP for Membership,
as Communications Chairman for the
national commissioner support staff,
and much more. And though his recog-
Jake Koch (10-15) graduated from
the University of Wisconsin-Stevens
Point in 2014 and has been working at
Philmont in both the summers and the
second seasons since. Contact: 2615
13th Avenue, Monroe, WI 53566. 608558-3540. [email protected].
University of Scranton and works in
investment management for a financial services company. Contact: 217
Prospect Ave 8-3C, Cranford, NJ 07016.
[email protected].
Experience “The Full Philmont”
For decades, we’ve said that Philmont is “the people, the place, and the
program.” Whether you spent a week at PTC or a summer in the backcountry,
you know that to be true. It’s just as true in the other seasons, too. And if you
really want to complete “The Full Philmont,”you simply must experience the
spectacular colors, the crisp weather, the abundant wildlife, and the absence of
anything other than nature herself during Autumn Adventure.
For information, visit philstaff.com or call the PSA office at 575-376-1138.
trail talk 31

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