With apologies to Ferris Bueller and the 1986 cult classic movie, the Crew took and an already existing day off from classes to sail into downtown Seattle and spend a day taking in the sights and sounds of the city.  As soon as we got off the ferry, our intrepid VP of Program stopped at the first Starbucks WiFi hotspot and downloaded a map into his iPod and set the route up to the REI Headquarters store about two miles to the north.   Some of the group got the needed time there to renew their outdoor inventory in preparation for this summer's full schedule of events.

Teenagers are sometimes ruled by their hunger, so it was over to Pacific Place for lunch.  Some did burgers, others chose Thai food, and one got more than his quota of clam chowder.

We split into two groups after lunch, with four going over to visit the Belltown office of a mechanical engineering firm where one of the Crew's father works.  His company is planning the new Dining Hall for our local Camp Parsons, so we got to see all the diagrams.  The plans were wonderfully revealing...it will be totally new building, borrowing timbers from the existing hall, but more than doubling the seating capacity and with a modernized and sizable kitchen, serving line, and 'scullery'.    The remainder of the Crew wandered through the rest of Pacific Place and the Westlake Center, which is always filled with crowds.

Both groups rendezvoused down at Pike Place Market just as the clouds and mist began to increase, driving the crowds under storefront canopies and inside the markets.   We watched the classic Salmon-tossing helpers in the open air kiosks, folks walking by in all sorts of curious garb (a custard ice cream hat?  What?), and were serenaded by lots of street entertainers. A four man A Cappella Gospel and blues group at one end of the market was really good and drew a steady crowd of onlookers.  They were standing in front of the original Starbucks.  The main corner at Pike Place Market has one of the remaining famous Pig sculptures that used to dot the downtown, and stationed there this day was a musician who sang a variety of rock tunes while playing an accordion.  Weird Al would have been proud to hear Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon on a polka instrument.

We did it again.  For the sixth successive year since the Crew has been chartered, we earned the top award for BSA units.  This included a review of our membership growth and retention, having all adults fully trained, Venturers earning recognition awards, and an active calendar of activities based on an annual planning conference lead by the youth. This was the first year that used a grading criteria which is goal-oriented.  The new system is called the Journey To Excellence, and all Venturing Crews nationwide are compared to standards set by the National Council.  The new grading is much more challenging and winners are designed as Bronze, Silver, and Gold level.

Each season, Philmont employs more than 1,000 staff members to operate and support Philmont's program, Training Center, food service, maintenance, and ranching museums, and to assist the administrative staff.  A wide variety of paid positions are available, including rangers, backcountry program counselors, and Training Center and base camp support staff.

The majority of contracts coincide with the summer season, from late May through mid-August, though some temporary positions are available at other times to support the spring, fall, and winter programs.  All staff members, no matter what their job is or where they work, have a very important role to play in the total success of Philmont.

For more information about summer jobs at Philmont, talk to Jeff Z, who worked there for the 2011 season.  Go to their web site and read some more at www.philmontscoutranch.org.