Phase Three

1/80 sec, f/5.3, ISO 200, 62mm

The third thing we did on our 15-day vacation was spend 5 1/2 days at the Philmont Scout Ranch. The ranch is the largest youth ranch in the world--- some 137,000 + acres. It was a gift from Waite Phillips, an businessman and philanthropist who, along with his wife, determined, after they became wealthy, to give away half of their income every year. The Phillips' gifts to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), including the ranch land and a commercial building in Oklahoma (the income from which got the ranch off the ground as a scouting destination), made it possible for some 900,000 scouts (and counting) to enjoy high adventure and challenge themselves in the great New Mexico outdoors.

We were at Philmont for the annual LDS conference. The LDS Church has had a long and useful relationship with the BSA. The Church was BSA's first chartered partner in 1913, just 3 years after scouting was organized in the United States. The Church partners with the BSA to build boys and instill values and character. The purposes of scouting align very well with the purposes of the Church's "Young Men's" organization. The training we received at Philmont will hopefully help strengthen the Church's efforts to raise strong, value-driven youth in Twin Falls, and make the local council stronger as well. It was a wonderful week of scouting and church training.

Above is our family flag--made especially for the Philmont conference. Any guesses as to its significance?