By Dillon Giles
In October of 2013, section chiefs from across the Western Region assembled for their yearly gathering of sectional leaders; this time, however, it was hosted at a special location: Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. The weekend was a time for the chiefs to get to know one another and receive valuable leadership training courses that could be taken back to help strengthen the lodges in their sections. The participants also had the chance to experience Philmont during its off-season including participation in various tours and hikes provided by the Philmont staff.
The weekend consisted of 10 training sessions that ranged from the "secrets of remembering names" to recruiting fresh and talented individuals. The instructors for the classes included former region chiefs: Fred Gross, David Harrell, and Joseph Garcia, along with Clint Takeshita, the 1991 national chief and current national committee member, and David Dye, the 2013 Western Region chief. All of the training courses were custom built not only to give the section chiefs a valuable experience but also to provide information for sharing with the Arrowmen of their sections.
In addition to great training and fellowship, participants had the unique opportunity to take guided tours of Philmont's backcountry staff camps. The camps visited included Baldy Town, Miranda, French Henry, Ponil, and various other south country areas. The section chiefs also spent Saturday morning hiking up the picturesque Tooth of Time where they took in the breathtaking 360 degree view of not only the ranch but also the surrounding New Mexico area.
All in all, this was a great weekend of brotherhood among the chiefs to the West, and a great ending to a 2013 calendar year. Here's to a successful 2014 for the Western Region section leaders!