Posted on 05/16/2009 1:49:02 PM PDT by Daffynition
(WCCO) The Boy Scouts of America is sending a message to overweight leaders: shape up or stay home
Starting next year, volunteers must undergo annual physicals and meet weight restrictions before they can take part in the most rugged Scout activities.
Last summer, Kevin Wright's sons went to the Philmont Scout ranch in the mountains of New Mexico. Wright didn't go make the long trip. The longtime Scout leader didn't meet Philmont's weight restrictions.
"I wasn't in bad shape," he said. "But considering what you're going through on that trek, that was a good instance where they need to have limitations."
Soon those rules will extend beyond the Boy Scouts' three high-adventure bases to other Scouting activities like kayaking, rock climbing and backpacking.
"This is really specific for what we consider high adventure, strenuous, at elevation, remote primitive areas," said Kent York, marketing director for the Northstar Council, which covers the middle third of Minnesota and part of western Wisconsin.
York is 5 feet, 8 inches and 140 pounds, in the "acceptable" range of the Boy Scout guidelines.
Wright is 6 feet tall and 263 pounds, the wrong size, according to the Scout chart. He's now considered too big for the Boundary Waters and other strenuous treks.
"According to that sheet, 239's my max," said Wright. "So I couldn't go."
"It comes down to more likely to suffer health issues such as heart attack or twist an ankle or a knee or have a problem on the trail," said York.
The bigger the person, the harder it would be to evacuate.
"That's a lot of weight to be carrying, and it's very difficult and so that's why we're trying to come up with a policy that makes sense to help protect the whole group," said York.
The new rules mean some leaders will miss out on memorable trips with their sons, like Wright missed on the Philmont trek.
"I regret it to this day," he said. "Because they had the time of a life, and I didn't get to enjoy it with them."
The new policy depends on location, whether emergency help can reach an injured leader in 30 minutes or less. Many Point, a resident camp up north, isn't a problem, but the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness would be.
This policy has been in place for a couple of years. My son did the Philmont trek last summer and it is indeed a once in a life time experience. They spend an entire year preparing for it. The best way to ruin this trek for the scouts is for one of the leaders to have a heart attack.
I did the 50-mile hike, which was actually 75 miles when all was said and done. It was great! The biggest tragedy we had was some of the guys got blisters and the scoutmaster almost ran out of booze.
I don’t know how long the BSA has been doing this, but it’s not recent news. My first trip to Philmont as a Scoutmaster was in 2000 and they enforced a weight-to-height ratio. in 1999, I think there was some flexibility at Sea Base, but Sea Base didn’t involve the prospect of evacuating someone over (beautiful) rugged terrain on foot.
I haven’t checked the Philmont site this morning, but Philmont used to have a maximum weight regardless of height — something like 260 pounds. It simply wasn’t possible for a group of Rangers effectively to evacuate someone with a compound fracture or heart attack if they weighed too much to move.
And yes, there’s plenty of terrain at Philmont that’s miles of hard hiking from an ATV supply road.
At any rate, I wonder why the author of this article thought this was a new policy?
I can see I was mistaken in thinking this was a serious post.
Ummmm. For leaders over the age of 40, that annual physical's been required for things as simply as summer camp for at least 20 years. Under 40, it was every three years, but over 40 -- annual physicals have been required.
Who writes these articles?
When your group is miles from the road, and anybody with a sudden health problem is going to need to be CARRIED to where help may be available, it makes sense to have a weight limit, particularly when an overweight condition makes it more likely that he’s going to have a health problem.
I always felt Philmont had become the “disneyland” of Scouting. So many troops have been over those trails they’re as big as dirt roads. HH Ranch is a new BSA camp up the road near Alamagordo, NM. No trails, lots of incredible indian artifacts still laying around. Boy I miss the scouts.
Scratch that. Its near Socorro, not Alamagordo.
Philturn Rocky Mountain Scout Camp is the original name for Philmont Scout Ranch, the largest High Adventure Base owned and operated by the Boy Scouts of America. Nested in the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range near Cimarron New Mexico, it its the best-known Boy Scout Camp in the world. Today Scouts from all 50 states, Europe, South Africa, Japan and many other countries backpack its rugged and beautiful terrain every year.
Today's 137,493 acre ranch started with a 35,857 acre donation to the Boy Scouts by Mr. Waite Phillips in 1938. The area was named "Philturn Rocky Mountain Scout Camp", after Phillips' surname and the BSA slogan, "Do a Good Turn Daily". This was the beginning of the present day Philmont Scout Ranch.
Not quite that thin, lol. But those who knew me as a heavy man now ask me what the heck happened, lol. It’s a question I’m happy to answer.
Bravo!
Other ways to eliminate a pound or two from your load ...
Poncho: can be used as a tarp, pack cover, emergency shelter, groundsheet, pillow…
Trekking poles: tripod, tent or tarp poles, emergency splint or crutch, fishing rod…
Spork: replaces spoon and fork (long handled version great for prepackaged meals)
Bandana: wash cloth, towel, head cover, pot holder, sling, bandage, water pre-filter…
Parachute Cord: clothes line, tarping, hanging food bag, securing splints…
Clothes: pillow, sling, socks as gloves, extra layer under sleeping bag…
Cooking Pot: bowl, cup, bucket (for emergency sandcastle building), noisemaker…
Tent Peg: splint, shovel, punch for leather repair…
Duct Tape: gear repair, blister treatment, pretty much anything…
%;-D
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