June 4th 2018 Wild Fires in Ute park in New Mexico have started burning their way towards Philmont Ranch BSA
All efforts are being made to keep it from spreading and causing damage
My entire time while a boy scout I would always hear.
"Your not a real scout till you have hiked the mountains of Philmont Ranch "
Philmont to me and many Blue Collar Working Class Scouts was something we could never attain
even as a provisional scout because of the high cost of airfare and the cost of the camp itself .
It would take saving all of our money we made for several years..
Lets face it you can only sell so many cookies, garbage bags candy etc .or work a paper delivery job or work the bowling alley lanes or cut grass to make enough money because unlike upper class kids our parents could not give us any money towards the trip.
In my case this made for 2 strikes ever getting there no money and I would never pass the physical due to painful joint condition in my knees known as Osgood Slaughters.
OK so I could not actively participate but I always planned on working as an adult and saving my funds and at least going to visit some day even if it was only as a day visitor to see the sites.
Well that did not work out either between the mills going down and no jobs available and then getting my back injured and then my legs crushed in accidents that dream was gone as well.
All I could ever settle for was some pictures which was fine. Till I was doing some Sub Contract work for a really nice ADT dealer installing one of their basic burglar alarm packages in a persons high end home and I noticed they where in scouting from pictures they had in a hall way and mentioned I was in scouting and had gotten my eagle scout award as well .
Well they where insulted I was doing a blue collar job and he starts this shit about well you where not a real scout then since I had not been to Philmont or any of the other High Adventure Bases
I reminded him about doing your best and in my case I did best I could being born into situation I was put into. With both physical and learning learning issues I far exceeded well beyond what was expected of me. Besides I wasn't a flunky I own my own business this was extra money I was making helping out a fellow contractor. But he was one of these eagles who felt you should only be working in the white collar field if you obtain the rank of eagle .
I finished the install and was never so glad to get the hell away from such another obnoxious and ignorant person.
Out of all the people I have meet who have gone to Philmont only a handful where really grateful they went and shared their knowledge they gained from there and encouraged others to try and get there. . Thats a dam shame so you can see why I could care less if the place burns to the ground after you meet such so called scouts I have meet .
