Research Paper
Spiritual Reflections as Seen in the Literature of Philmont
This quotation by Walt Whitman serves to show the developmental and spiritual power of the outdoors. Philmont Scout Ranch, which is located in Cimarron, New Mexico, is one of those rare places that throughout its history has been a beacon for the spiritual growth of those who camp and experience the beauty of the reservation. From books and newspaper articles to troop journals, the writings on the Philmont Scout Ranch are laced together with a common theme. The writings of Philmont constantly portray the theme that scouts have spiritual self-discovery through interacting with the nature and challenges of the reservation.
The history of Philmont can be traced back well before the 1850’s. Philmont originally was land occupied by Native Americans, specifically, the Jicarilla Apache and the Moache Ute. This history of the Native Americans at Philmont is still alive today, as scouts hike through a vast array of ancient Apache campsites (Murphy 23). Even one of the activities the scouts participate in is "scouting for Indian arrowheads." Along with searching for artifacts the scouts are treated to a description of how the Native Americans lived at an outpost called the Indian Writings Camp (Williams 68-9). This conscious effort of the park to teach the histories of the past is what makes Philmont an ideal environment for the education of timeless traditions.
As pioneers moved in from the east, Philmont became one of the original settlements in Northern New Mexico. From the 1850’s until 1922 the city of Cimarron which houses the ranch saw many settlers come to the area due to a Mexican land grant and the discovery of gold. In 1922 an oil tycoon named Waite Phillips became interested in having a ranch and soon he gathered over 300,000 acres in the area and named it Philmont after part of his last name and the Spanish for "mountain" (Philmont Scout Ranch History 1-2). Phillips became very interested in obtaining a vast land area for use in outdoor recreation and having an area that he could share with his friends and family (Murphy 189). He was also a huge believer in Andrew Carnegie’s "Gospel of Wealth" which stated it was the responsibility of the wealthy to give back to those less fortunate (Murphy 191). This awareness of helping his fellow man, and looking beyond himself would become a tradition of Philmont and its goal of inspiring a helpful spirit in scouts. His charity eventually led to the establishment of the largest scout reservation in the world.
Phillips was clearly a champion of charity throughout his life and in 1938 he donated 35,857 acres of the ranch to the Boy Scouts to be used in the creation of a nationwide camping facility. Three years later, Phillips donated additional land to the scouts, including his home on the ranch, so that more scouts could enjoy the park’s richness (Philmont Scout Ranch History 1-2). In addition to the new lands that were provided to the scouts, Phillips donated his Philtower building in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The revenues from the building donation were used to help lessen the financial strain on the boys who cherished the opportunity to experience Philmont (Murphy 226). Phillips commented on his gifts to the Scouts by saying,
It is clear from this quote by Phillips that from the beginning of the camp the concept of finding faith through the "inspiration of nature visualized" was a primary concern of those who started the camp.
Not only was the history of Philmont instrumental in the way the program would impact the lives of those who have experienced its beauty, but the town of Cimarron that the scouts see as they arrive offers a glimpse into another spiritual influence of the camp. Cimarron is laced with a unique and golden past that adds to the scouts Philmont experience. Minor Huffman, author of the Philmont novel High Adventure Among the Magic Mountains, says as scouts arrive they are treated to a "glimpse of a rich past made interesting by the mountain men, the miners, land barons and outlaws of yesterday." The location of Philmont offers campers who are "the men of tomorrow" a place to reflect on the heroes and villains of yesterday (Huffman 134). For many of the scouts who travel to Philmont, this is the first time they will have seen such great mountains and vast deserts. The town of Cimarron adds to their awe by beginning their spiritual journey with a deliberation into the history of their country and the land. The camp is very conscious of the past and on a plaque near the ranch’s trading post this theme is shown in bronze. The plaque states that the goal of Philmont is to, "encourage the perpetuation of self-reliance, courage, faith, [and] justice, on which this great country was built by the American pioneer" (Goodheart 3). The lifetime lessons Philmont teaches through the exploration of the past and "pioneer" ways are well documented in the literature of the camp. This literature will build upon the magical history of the camp.
The first area of literature that develops the theme of spiritual discovery in nature is in select books written about Philmont. Philmont novels provide wonderful descriptions of the nature of the park, quotes from those associated with Philmont, and many intimate reflections on how the park has changed people for the better. William Cass wrote in Return to the Summit of Scouting that his book was just not his story about Philmont but "our" story. Cass explains from the beginning that we should all "journey back to whatever your special summit is" (Cass xvii). Cass is showing that Philmont provides a religious or philosophical "summit". In Cass’s novel he provides comments by the former director of camping at Philmont who says that, "the beauty and majesty of the land—those lofty peaks, lush mountain parks, and crystal clear streams" is what brings the campers to Philmont, and gives the camp its "magic" (Cass xi). In The Columbus Dispatch Joe Blundo comments on the beauty of the camp and the bond he had with his son;
Blundo is able to find the "summit" that Cass describes in his novel. The "majesty of the land—those lofty peaks" that the former director of the camp expounded is what Blundo experiences and places him on "top of the world" in a state of spiritual happiness.
Crews that come through Philmont each year experience the enchantment of the camp and its spectacular surroundings. After two weeks of hiking and learning about different cultures, skills, and time periods, scouts leave with a better understanding of themselves. Joe Williams eloquently describes these changes in his book Philmont: Where Spirits Soar by stating,
This passage clearly details the transcendentalist theme of discovery of oneself in the midst of nature. The obstacles of nature that hinder the scouts during the two weeks in the wilderness ultimately bestow upon them an "awareness of their own inner spirit." This spirit of the camp is emphasized in Williams’ book, when he quotes the Philmont Hymn,
Silver on the sage, starlit skies above,
Aspen covered hills, country that I love.
Out in God’s country—tonight.
Wind in whispering pines, eagles soaring high,
Purple mountains rise, against an azure sky.
Philmont, here’s to thee, Scouting paradise,
Out in God’s country tonight.
The first two lines of each stanza in this hymn emphasize the beauty and natural surroundings of Philmont. The last two lines of each stanza show Philmont in a religious light by calling the place "paradise" and "God’s country." This hymn is known to all that travel to Philmont and is a clear representation of Philmont as a religious or spiritual land.
It is clear from the close examination of select passages in the novels of Philmont, that a transcendentalist theme is readily available. Not only in the formal literature do you find this connection, but also in the journals and trip logs that the scouts themselves have written. There is, however, a distinct contrast between the novels and the journals. The journals are filled with more measurable and specific details pertaining to the different crew experiences. Although the journals do have a distinct nature to them, they still address the main themes that are in all Philmont literature. In a Philmont Journal from 1983, the writer addresses the concern that the details of the trip log might give the wrong impression about Philmont;
The use of the word "experience" in this journal serves to strengthen the idea that Philmont is a "Scouter’s Paradise." Philmont provides an opportunity to learn lifelong skills in a setting, which requires someone to get back to life’s basics.
The journals also offer details that are not associated with typical transcendentalist writing. These details themselves sometimes help show a larger theme. A trip log dealing with a bear incident along the trail helps highlight this idea. After a bear attack on another crew, these scouts took extra precautions with their packs and in the journal a scout details this;
This humorous story of using crosses to protect against the threat of a bear attack helps illustrate that the individual stories of Philmont are filled with many religious and spiritual overtones. The camp is a beacon for spiritual reflection and fulfillment. Another trip journal helps show the power Philmont has in changing lives after the trip has ended. The memoir writes,
This passage clearly shows that Philmont is a place for learning skills and attributes that can not be obtained anywhere else except in the nature and challenges of the ranch. The author then, in the tradition of Plato and the allegory of the cave, calls upon the scouts to use their new spiritual knowledge to make the world a better place. Self-discovery and inspiration through the interactions with nature are again clearly shown in the journals of the Philmont Scout Ranch. Paul Haydel in his Philmont Log from 1994 probably sums up the experience of Philmont the best and the simplest when he states, "All in all, a really neat, memorable experience. Certainly the high point of my scouting career, and one of the high points in my life. Hope everyone remembers it as well as I do" (Haydel 10).
Not only do individual books and journal accounts describe the "magic" of Philmont, but periodicals provide reports of Philmont experiences. In the process of their reports they are able to convey the message of self-discovery in the nature of Philmont to the public. In Outside magazine Philmont is given a brief description that stresses the uniqueness of the whole camp;
Words like "sub-cultures" and "empires" show Philmont not as just a camp, but as a unique entity with different goals, rules, and laws than the world outside its boundaries. This passage from Outside builds upon the belief that Philmont is different from the normal surroundings of life. This difference provides those who experience its wonders an opportunity to discover things about themselves that they could have never learned away from the "empire" of Philmont.
In the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Melony Overton writes an account of a local scout troop that spent two weeks in Philmont. She states that Philmont is, "a Boy Scout’s equivalent to Mecca" (Overton 1). The comparison of Philmont to a place of great importance like Mecca shows when writers of mass media are attempting to relay the power and magic of Philmont, they use words like "empire" and comparisons to religious holy lands. This is a way to describe to the public the amazing learning and awe-inspiring things that happen at the ranch.
Cynthia Astle for Reporter Interactive News writes on the mass distribution of bibles to the campers of Philmont. In describing the camp she says that the bibles are being given to scouts, "who visit ‘God’s Country’" (Astle 1996 1). The spiritual aspect of the camp is shown in-depth when the writer discusses now at Philmont, religious literature is passed to the scouts as they arrive at the camp. In addition to bibles, the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America hands out a "devotional pamphlet" called Eagles Soaring High which is for use by the scouts on the trail. Philmont is beaming with such religious and spiritual overtones that a battle over the Philmont Bibles and the Eagles Soaring High pamphlets ensued in 1997. Those religions not associated with Christianity became concerned with the distribution of the bibles to the scouts (Astle 1997 2). This controversy over the religious literature that is passed throughout Philmont helps illustrate the immense potential of spiritual discovery the scouts have during their two-week trip. Many groups understand that the scouts who endure the challenges of Philmont will experience a self-revelation that is uncommon in the normal activities of everyday life. At Philmont the senses are stimulated and the lessons learned during the experience are of an unmatched caliber.
There are many nature writings detailing the spiritual discovery of man in the woods and waters of America. From Henry David Thoreau to Annie Dillard, writers of enormous stature have documented the passions and revelations that they have experienced while reflecting in the outdoors. In the same way, Philmont in its writings is portrayed as a place for self-revelation and discovery. What is unique, however, is this theme does not come from one writer or even just the books on Philmont, but from everyone who enters the park's gates and chooses to write about their experience. From individual accounts of a troop’s two weeks at the camp, to a writer for a newspaper documenting Philmont, the common transcendentalist theme of man’s self discovery in nature is shown. Not only do the campers learn, but also they take the time to document the religious and spiritual aspect the camp emanates. Waite Phillips, over half a century ago, imagined the park as a place of self-discovery for all scouts who came to Philmont. Each year 20,000 scouts come to the ranch and take part in what was the dream of a businessman who wanted to share his wealth to better the young people of America. The scouts who visit Philmont are a part of what was one man’s dream. The park that was established by this same man, also becomes a part of the scout’s dreams. In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass one passage states, "He was part of my dream, of course—but then I was part of his dream, too" (Williams 158). Carroll could have easily been talking about the dream that was Philmont. Spiritual dreams are fulfilled every summer by thousands who enter its beauty and discover something profound about themselves. These scouts never would have heard these admonitions if it were not for the nature and challenges of Philmont.
Works Cited