This past summer Philmont created a promotional video to highlight the benefits of working at the Ranch.
This excellent 8 minute video is directed and edited by Bryan Hayek. Steve Nelson and James King produced it. Staffers from GIS, Bear Research, Black Mountain, Cimarroncito, Clark’s Fork, Logistics, Services, Rangers, Activities, the Trading Post and more contribute their excitement and enthusiasm.
After you watch the video think about who you know that you can share it with and send them a link to this page (http://www.philstaff.com/?p=1771) so they can watch it to. We want as many young people to see this as possible.
Update 20081230: 2009 Philmont Staff Application.pdf
Douglas,
Thanks for sharing, I will let other folks know about the video too. Lots of great improvements since my time in 74 & 75.
Blessings,
Kipper
I worked here two years ago and this video only touches on the real aspects of working at Philmont. It’s an awesome place, one of the best experiences of my life. I travelled from Ireland to work here and it was worth every mile travelled to get there.
Douglas, where is the 2009 staff application? I can’t find it on here
@rice We’ve not yet received those from PSR for 2009. I’ll send them another note requesting them and post them once available.
This is a good video; however, it only emphasizes the Camping side of the Ranch – the various programs and opportunities in the backcountry, but what about the Training Center, the museums, the Health Clinic, etc. These have employment opportunities that would appeal to potential staffers who, while love the outdoors, may have other interests as well. At the Training Center, you support the training of Scouting leaders who have a direct impact on the lives of hundreds of young men and women. You may not be directly involved in the training sessions themselves, but you provide activities for the family members of those attending the training sessions – allowing the attendees to merge a learning experience with an unforgettable family vacation. Working at one of the museums gives you an opportunity to be a part of preserving as well as sharing Philmont’s historical and natural resources. The video is too business-like, I didn’t feel the emotion of Philmont. For me, being a part of the Philmont staff was more a spirit, a feeling of acceptance, warmth, fellowship, friendships that can last a lifetime. Philmont is a beautiful place, a peaceful place, but it’s an emotion. You carry the lessons you learn and it’s memories everywhere you go for the rest of your life. At Philmont, you learn leadership skills that will be invaluable later in life. I don’t know how you capture all that in an 8 minute video. Why not include shots of the backcountry campfires or use songs like “Run With the Wind” by Doc Walker or “New Mexico I’ve Missed You” by Ken Konopka. For me, those songs sum up how the Phil-staff experience affects you long after the summer ends. OK, I’m dating myself and since I don’t have kids am probably out of touch with today’s young adults so this may be what it takes to attract future staff members. But none the less, I would love to see the next video address the existence of the Training Center and the Museums.
@deb I can’t be sure, but I think this video was initially the work of a Base Camp staffer either for a personal or educational project. I believe it only later became a flagship item for the Ranch. Thus it reflects that person’s POV, amount of Ranch-wide access typically available to those without a Philtruck, and limited production resources. I suspect the intended audience was more the ‘friend of the Scouter in college’ rather than a lifelong Scouter themselves.
For my take, I can say that it goes a LONG way toward describing a wider experience than any other exposure I had before I signed on as a Staffer. The first day I arrived at the Ranch as a seasonal employee I knew there were two jobs: Ranger and everyone else. I suspected that all the other jobs were Rangers to–just on days off or some kitchen rotation. I’m glad it’s out there as an introduction to Philmont employment or as a stepping stone for continued conversation between someone who knows and someone who wants to know more.
I agree it does go along way to showing a wider variety of opportunities than just Ranger and it appears alot of thought and time was put into it’s production. I just assumed based on the way the video was posted (“Philmont created a promotional video “), that it was a Ranch sponsored, written, and produced recruitment video and as such would be looked at for potential updating in the future. With that assumption, it was disappointing to think that the Ranch would only “sell” a restricted view of the opportunites available. While I was on staff and interacting with staffers from the “Camping” side of operataions, I often felt the Training Center staff weren’t really thought of as being a real or integral part of the Ranch. Please delete my comments from this page. They were not intended to put down the efforts of a group of staff members, only for consideration for any updated future versions.
@deb I can delete the comment if you like. I think it’s a fair and reasonable commentary. I’m only engaging in a little conversation about the video and wanted to give you a little more background (imaginary though it may be). Ironically I wrote the post’s title as well as the somewhat contradictory comment earlier. Might be a good time for me to find out what’s true since I’m accidentally playing both sides.
The video certainly does focus on the west side of the highway though not too deep into the backcountry. My five years at the Training Center had me not caring very much about what the rest of the Ranch thought as well as learning everything there is to know about the PTC that I’d not even known existed during my camper years.
I’ll dig a little deeper and see what’s up.
@Douglas, you can leave the comments. Thanks.
I loved the video. It’s great to hear what’s going on with the staff these days. One question, if there are over
100 rangers, I wonder why the video didn’t cover this important program. Otherwise it’s excellent. I’m sending it to
several Scoutmasters that I know to view with their older Scouts in attempt to promoting working at Philmont in
the Southwest Ohio. Joe Parker, Ranger ’66, Camp Director Porcupine Camp (yea it was staffed then) ’67