Q. My Troop is part of the DAC contingent but we have too many candidates?

A: When you have more candidates than crew slots you need to establish some method of prioritization. The choice is yours but keep it simple. Here’s one approach that works. Scouts who sign up by a well-communicated date are assigned to the crew starting with those who've attained the rank of Eagle, then Life, etc. until all slots are filled. This has the dual benefit of a) rewarding advancement and b) those lowest in rank almost always have the most time left in Scouts to get on another Philmont trek. Those who don't make it go on a Troop waiting list.

Q. We still have too many candidates, does DAC have a waiting list?

A. Our goal at Council is to send as many Scouts to Philmont as possible. Each crew advisor has the privilege and responsibility to lead a 12-person crew on a Philmont trek. Most crews crews are completely filled from within their Troop. Alternately, the crew can be a provisional mix (Scouts from other Troops).

The crew advisor  has great latitude to select their own crew. If they haven't filled their crew after canvassing their Troop the lead advisor is free to recruit from other units as they see fit, consistent with Scouting goals. These activities typically sort themselves out by January of the year of your trek.

If  crew openings exist in February of the year of your trek the DAC contingent leader  will start broadcasting to progressively wider audiences until all slots are filled. If many Scouts respond we’ll prioritize based on rank (Eagle = highest, 1st class = lowest). FYI, 1st class is the minimum skill level. This approach a) gives crew advisors time to recruit, b) provides the crew advisor with top-notch provisional Scouts to fill out their crew and c) allows provisional Scouts time to bond and train with their crew. Any candidates should expect to be interviewed by the prospective crew advisor (adult) and perhaps the crew leader (youth).

Bottom line, any crew advisor will find it hard to turn down a candidate who adds value to their crew, i.e. has the right mix of skills, experience and enthusiasm.

Q. My crew has made payment(s) but they're not showing up -- what's wrong?

A. Each payment must have a Troop number to identify it as belonging to your crew. If not, payments get posted to a catchall category.

Q. What are Camperships?

Camperships are given to make up the difference that a Scout, his family, and the unit can't cover towards Philmont fees. Detroit Area Council believes that it is important for a Scout to contribute some portion of his fees through personal resources or unit fund-raising projects, thus meeting the spirit of the 9th Scout Law: A Scout is Thrifty: a Scout pays his own way.

Q. What Camperships are available?

There are two funds, Waite Phillips and Scoutreach. Each fund has independent of the other. Each requires a separate application. Youth crewmembers (adults are not eligible) can apply for either or both funds:

Q. How does the Crew Advisor know if a Scout in should submit a Waite Phillips and/or Scoutreach campership application? 

A. When you feel the Scout’s need is genuine it’s the right time. Consider these items: 1) Has the Scout contributed his Scout fund monies? 2) Has the Scout saved for and/or earned a portion of the monies? 3) Has the Troop exhausted it’s campership funds? 4) Has the Troop run any fund-raisers for the crew?

Q. Does the DAC contingent travel together, or is it possible for a crew to depart earlier or return later to accommodate sightseeing or other activities before or after the trek? 

A. All contingent crews travel as a group -- one major advantage of being part of the contingent is that DAC handles the transportation logistics. 

Q. How do we travel? 

A. Plane to Denver, Colorado Springs or Albuquerque (tbd each year), bus to Philmont.

Q. Does the DAC contingent remain together at Philmont, or can each crew follow its own individual itinerary? 

A. Each crew chooses their own itinerary in March of the year of your trek.  

Q. Are the crew itineraries already established?  

A. Philmont has about 35 Treks to choose from marked as Typical, Rugged, and Strenuous and Super Strenuous. Here's the top 4 trek selection hints that have proven most helpful for other crews:

March - Philmont sends new "Trek Itinerary" books for the current year to  the DAC contingent leader.  Crew advisors pick them up, reads thoroughly, fills out a card with top 5 choices and sends to Philmont. The faster you execute this the better your chances of getting your first choice --- that's why you pick the book up from the contingent leader instead of waiting for it to be mailed.

Warning: Philmont's trails are constantly evolving. Each year a few itineraries change routes, camps and/or activities. If you peruse other resources like the ones below be aware that changes creep in through the years. Said another away, Trek number xx in 2005 may be different from the same trek number in 2004, 1994, 1984 etc. Cross reference your information by trail or camp names in addition to trek number. For instance, there's two ascents to Mt. Phillips. Over the years the trek numbers using those ascents have changed but the trails have not.

What your crew can do now:

 1. Surf the unofficial  Danyoder website. Overview level of detail. Mimics the Ranger CD (see below), free, has been accurate in the past but no guarantees. http://www.danyoder.com/philmont/

 2. Surf Seldon's unofficial website. Detailed itineraries posted by other crews. http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/~seb/philmont.html#3

3. Order the official Philmont Interactive Ranger CD. Overview level of detail. Changes yearly. Last year's avail now for $50. New version usually issued around April.

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