Re: Fly Overs / District subdivisions
CHUCK BRAMLET (chuckb@AZTEC.ASU.EDU)
Fri, 29 Jan 1999 16:11:09 -0700
In regard to the question of Fly Overs at Philmont, my opinions
might not be welcomed by many of the others on this list.
First of all, these planes _must_ train someplace. Whether it's
over the Southern AZ desert, Philmont, Puget Sound, or wherever.
Accidents are just as likely over your house if you sit at the
end of the runway as they would be out in the middle of nowhere.
few of these planes crash for no reason, regardless of what the
media has to say about it.
Consider the other side of the coin. We have an Air Force Base
here in the Phoenix area that has become endangered due to the
fact that the local property owners are demanding their rights
to sell their property to whomever has the money. Those who
want that property want to build SF homes under the flight path.
If that happens, we lose the base, because the USAF will likely
close it. The Base in question is Luke AFB. It is one of the
main training facilities for combat pilots. We already lost
Williams, for exactly this reason. Not that the Phoenix area
depends on this base, but it costs a lot of _taxpayer_ money to
close/move a military base.
Whatever happens, whether they fly over Philmont, or not, just
remember that the sound that you are hearing is the sound of
_freedom_ being defended.
Now, on to Kelly Parker's District question...
Many of you may remember a while back when I posted about the
_forced_ merger of our District with the neighboring one. No,
Mike, _we_ didn't do it. Had it been up to us in the two
Districts, it wouldn't have happened. It was done by, and for,
the Council. The merge created acrimony that we are still
fighting almost 2 years later.
In "old Thunderbird District" prior to the merger, a well
attended camporee drew about 8-1200 Scouts and Scouters.
That came down to about 70 units. Now, in the current District,
a well attended Camporee draws about 8-1200 Scouts and Scouters.
About 70 units. (I do uniform inspections by patrol, I know
how many forms I use...)
We have been having to camp on private property for the last
3-5 years. (Cattle ranches and farms, mostly.) It's getting
more and more difficult to find a place to have a _Troop_
campout, much less a camporee.
So, what Kelly is concerned about has been created/aggravated
by the current Council policies.
YiS,
Chuck Bramlet -- I "used to be" an Antelope! WEM-10-95 Member DNRC
ASM Troop 323, Firebird District, Grand Canyon Council, Phoenix, Az.
mailto:chuckb@aztec.asu.edu
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The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of
comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge
and controversy. -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
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