Located at the world-famous Philmont Scout Ranch, the Philmont Training Center has served as the National Training Center of the Boy Scouts of America since 1950. Thousands of Scouters and their families have enjoyed the fun, fellowship, and education summer.

A wide range of conferences are offered by the divisions and committees of the National Council. Scouters must be approved by their council and are challenged to return and share the information in local training.

While a Scouter is participating in a conference, every member of his or her family (from infants to adult children) is involved in a full schedule of age-specific activities. After hours fun for the entire family is also offered.

The Training Center also has year-around facilities for Scouting conferences and training events, and hosts local council Wood Badge courses.

For more information, write or call:

Director
Philmont Training Center
Philmont Scout Ranch
Cimarron, NM 87714
(505)376-2281

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Philmont Experience - 1996
Marianne and Bates Noble

"You've been to Philmont? No way! You're only 12 years old and you have to be 14 to go there!" challenged the incredulous merit badge counselor at Camp Napowan.

"I have too been to Philmont! I was there two years ago and I'm going again this summer," our son retorted. The two Scouts then exchanged those "you-must-be-crazy-looks" that adolescents practice endlessly and went their own ways, each wondering what the other guy was talking about.

Like the Doublemint twins, they were both right. While Scouts must be at least 14 years old to take a Philmont trek, Philmont Training Center has programs for the whole family.

Philmont Training Center is one of Scouting's best secrets. Located on the grounds of the extraordinary Philmont Scout Ranch, in Cimarron, New Mexico, the Training Center offers approximately 60 courses to over 5,000 participants each summer. Participants can enroll in these conferences with the approval of their local Council.

Adult Scouters can choose from a wide variety of courses in Cub Scout or Boy Scout leadership ranging from the Tiger Cub Program through Strictly for Cubmasters to Boy Scout Advancement, Outdoor Skills Instructor, High Adventure Training, and Working with Older Scouts and Junior Leaders. Not to be left out, spouses and all kids can enroll in age-related day programs including Nursery, Small Fry (ages 3-5), Tiger Cubs (1st grade boys), Ninas (1st grade girls), Cub Scouts (2nd and 3rd grade boys), Webelos (4th and 5th grade boys), Chicas (2nd through 5th grade girls). Boy Scouts (6th - 8th grade boys), Muchachas (6th - 8th grade girls), and Los Jovenes (Boys and girls, grade 9 and above). Senoras and senores (adult non-conference participants) may participate in a variety of local tours and hikes.

Further, 9th grade and older boys and girls can be Mountain Men or Mountain Women, taking a five day backpacking trek through the Philmont backcountry. Identical in nature to the renowned Philmont treks, these abbreviated versions give the children of conference participants the opportunity to experience the rugged challenge and beauty of Philmont.

Philmont Training Center is refreshingly open and supportive of all participants at all ages, with male and female staff active in all levels and phases of the program. There are no outsiders at Philmont.


Our family left for Philmont on a Thursday evening, and drove through the night to Amarillo, Texas, arriving early Friday afternoon. A friendly local in the visitor information center asked where we were headed. When we responded that our destination was the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, NM, his face clouded. "Are you aware that Cimarron was hit by a tornado last night?" he asked.

We quickly phoned ahead to the motel where we had reserved a room for Saturday night. "We weren't hit, but there is a lot of damage in town," confirmed the desk clerk. The Scout Ranch was not affected at all. We continued on the next day, and arrived in Cimarron Saturday afternoon.

Cimarron is a very small town and it's even a little smaller now. The bank, post office, car wash , pizza place, and several mobile homes were severely damaged or destroyed. Early damage estimates were just under $2 million.

It turns out that tornadoes are exceptionally rare in Cimarron. Perhaps it is the elevation (6, 674 feet) or the mountains, but in any case, they weren't ready. There was no early warning system ("We don't have a tidal wave warning system either," they joked, "and they happen just about as often around here.") There were several significant injuries, but no fatalities. Scouts from Philmont, to no one's surprise, pitched in to help with cleanup and donations to the relief fund.

We checked in at the Scout Ranch at 1:00 on Sunday afternoon and moved into our two large platform tents. Each is equipped with two beds, linens, chairs, and an electric light. The restroom and shower facilities are clean and modern, with no shortage of hot water at any time during our stay. While the two wool blankets we each were issued seemed ludicrous in the 90 degree heat of the afternoon, we ended up covering them with our sleeping bags by 2:00 am. That mountain air is COLD at night.

Our 14 year old son enrolled in the Mountain Man trek. He was grouped into a crew with six other boys and two Rangers. He brought his backpack and personal gear, while all tents, food, and patrol gear were supplied by Philmont. The crews said good-bye to their parents and were spirited away by 3:30 Sunday afternoon.

Out 12 year old son was placed in Boy Scouts II. Their activities included a variety of day hikes (including Tooth of Time) and an overnight at the Philmont stockade. Our 8 year old daughter was a Chica, and participated in Day Camp activities, such as pony rides, hikes, songs, skits, and crafts. Both loved their programs.

Bates and I attended terrific courses, with excellent faculty and enthusiastic participants from around the country. We even met several participants from BSA's Far East Council which includes Japan, Thailand, and other Pacific rim nations. Think getting to Training and Roundtable is tough here?

The latest materials and information are available in these programs. The opportunity for exchange of ideas among Scouters is unparalleled. In my new position as Cub Scout District Training Chair, I took Training Cub Scout Leaders. Bates, as Boy Scout Training Chair, took Successful Supplemental Training. While this particular course was geared toward the Cub Scout program, he brought home valuable information to help our overall training program.

Evenings and all day Wednesday are family time at Philmont. Activities include local hikes and tours, the Philmont craft center, Western night with a buffalo barbecue and midway games, branding, opening and closing programs, and fireside chats.

There's no beach, no room service, no hang gliding. Night life is an occasional mini-bear (chipmunk) wandering into camp in search of food. It's blissfully inconveniently located. No in-room phones, no fax, no e-mail. No TV or cable, although they do show family movies several nights a week in the assembly hall.

But the concept of "safe haven" pervades Philmont, almost like a bygone era. Tents aren't locked, lost items are returned to your tent, if possible, or to the Lost-and-Found if they aren't identifiable. Instead of laser shows and fireworks, expect a dazzling display of constellations and heat lightning over the distant plains. Parents watch their kids and the kids can play at the two camp playgrounds without worrying about local bullies. Friends are plentiful and discouraging words seldom heard.

Our Mountain Man was returned to us on Saturday morning, full of excitement and tales to share. It was great, he said, but we'll just have to take his word for it as he confidently guaranteed that it was far too rigorous for anyone else in the family to ever undertake.

There is a legend at Philmont, that if you look back over your left shoulder on the road out of camp and see the Tooth of Time, you'll be back to Philmont. As we drove north on that road home, every member of our family looked back.