Philmont Scout Ranch Youth Crew Leader Responsibilties

Crew Leader:

Responsible for the overall success of the expedition, and safety, comfort and participation of each individual
Represents the crew in meetings and decision making
Sees that crew operates efficiently and strictly within the rules and regulations of Philmont and BSA
Communicates and coordinates with adult advisors
Develops daily rotating duty roster and supervises its operation
Directly supervises Chefs, Firechief, and Pathfinder
Becomes thoroughly familiar with itinerary and carries a Philmont map
Is responsible for "No Trace" camping
Completes base camp reports and paperwork both before and after trek

Assistant Crew Leader:

Responsible for all duties of Crew Leader as necessary
Supervises Chaplain, Chronicler, and Medic
Supervises camp improvement/conservation project
Serves as Quartermaster and keeps up with location and proper use of all crew equipment
Distributes crew gear and food packets daily
In charge of setting up the dining fly and tents
Serves as “bear bag” man and expert on what goes into the bag

Pathfinder (Naviguesser):

Responsible for determining correct location and trail choices
Carries a Philmont Map and a good compass
Becomes thoroughly familiar with itinerary and regularly confers with Crew Leader on distances, schedule, and location
Takes sightings and map checks at each cross trail and accounts for 11 degree declination
Monitors crew location at all times

Chef:

Supervises two cooks and all meal preparation (does not do the cooking)
Responsible for efficient, timely, attractive preparation and serving of meals
Assures proper amount of water for cooking
Reads food preparation instructions fully before opening food packets, lays out food packages in proper order for meal preparation before cooking or serving anything
Puts wash water on stove as soon as finished with cooking tasks
Is exempt from most rotating duties

Firechief:

Responsible for all fires
Lights all stoves and wood fires as necessary
Keeps up with fuel supply, refueling stoves and seeing that stoves are turned off when not needed
Ensures that fires are dead out, cleans out fireplaces, and assures “leave no trace” fires
Sees that a small wood pile is left for next crew

Medic/Safety Officer:

Responsible for health and welfare of all crew members
In charge of (and carries) the First Aid Kit
Renders First Aid when necessary (along with advisor)
Treats all drinking water with purifiers and sanitizes scrubwater
In charge of (and carries) water purifier chemicals
Inspects cooking gear after each meal cleanup for sanitation
Reviews all medical records with advisers
Monitors crew regularly for sunburn, dehydration, hypothermia, foot problems, heat stroke and other ailments, and keeps advisors informed

Chaplain:

Responsible for carrying the devotional book
Conducts a short daily devotional
Assembles crew for meals and leads crew in "Philmont Grace"
Conducts the sabbath devotional
Checks on attitude and outlook of each crew member daily and coordinates with medic concerning health and welfare of each member
Arranges for crew attendance at religious services at base camp
Makes bed check each night and reports to advisors on camp security

Chronicler (Historian):

Responsible for the Crew Journal or Chronicle
Keeps a daily record of trek (altitude, trails, weather, wildlife, flora, fauna, sites, camps, trails, events, activities, participation)
Writes a report each evening giving full account of the day
Sees that postcards are written/mailed home by each crew member
Distributes mail
Arranges sightseeing and museum visits

ROTATING Camp Duties (Crew Leader prepares a daily roster) (Cooks for the day do not share rotating duties)(each job shown below has two positions)

Water (WT) – Water retrieval and purification (for meals – not individuals)
Cooks (CK) – Cooks (chef supervises the cooks)
Clean Up (CU) – Meal & Site cleanup (including carrying garbage & trash)
Dining Fly (DF) – Dining fly setup and take down
Bear Bag (BB) – Bear bag hanging and take down

Originated by Jack Langford Philmont ‘90 – Revised by Ken Cook Philmont ‘92 – Updated by Earl Owens, Philmont Advisor ‘98, ‘00, ‘02, ‘04 & ‘06

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