Father and Sons attend Philmont

Courtesy of The Winchester Star and Stephanie Mangino

Return trip to Philmont for dad, a first for sons

By Stephanie M. Mangino
The Winchester Star

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Winchester — Tons of dehydrated food, a burro named Mr. Sparkles, and a treacherous climb marked Parker and Preston Kemp’s summer adventure at the Philmont Scout Ranch.
There, the brothers — 16 and 15, respectively, and James Wood High School students — earned their Arrowhead badges (the same badge their father Dwight earned 34 years ago).
Dwight said he was pleased to return to Philmont, near Cimarron, N.M., with his sons. They took a 10-day trek, which started easily with three- to four-mile hikes daily. The excursions increased to seven, and then about nine miles, until they hit a mountain called Baldy.

Dwight Kemp and his sons Parker and Preston (right) took part in a summer adventure at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. There, the brothers, both James Wood High School students, earned their Arrowhead badges — the same badge their father earned 34 years ago. (Photo by Scott Mason)

The hike up the mountain was difficult, the boys said, with slippery shale slopes — every two steps forward assured one step back.
When they reached the top, the boys and their father played a celebratory game of Uno, a family favorite. “Uno was awesome,” Dwight said.
The Shenandoah Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America sends teams to Philmont every two years. This year, it sent four teams, said Sherry, the boys’ mother.
Scouts volunteer to participate, as do adults hoping to accompany them. However, the adults must be selected to go, Dwight said.
Their Philmont team included other fathers, but “I was the only father of two,” Dwight said.
But the adults aren’t in charge of the trek, he said. “It’s entirely a boy-run event.” The adults plan the trip and get everyone there, “but the boys run the show.”
It’s a tough time. After hiking six hours, taking no breaks before setting up camp and getting dinner ready, they stayed active until bedtime. Parker said the experience “helped my work ethic a lot.”
All the team members had assigned roles. Parker was the “medic” of the group and carried the duct tape used to cover injuries.
Preston was the assistant navigator and assistant cook. Some of the food wasn’t particularly appetizing, especially in the form of energy bars.
No one was particularly fond of one type of bar, which consequently became a snack for Mr. Sparkles, the boys said.

At the ranch, Preston Kemp (left), his father Dwight, and brother Parker took a 10-day trek, which started easily with three- to four-mile hikes daily. The excursions expanded to seven, and then about nine miles, until they hit a mountain called Baldy. (Photo by Scott Mason)

With so much going on, procrastination was not an option at Philmont. Nor was much parental intervention.
The brothers, who were not partnered with each other on their team, mostly managed themselves, Dwight said.
He did witness a sibling fight between the boys, which upset him. But when the boys addressed the issues during the regular “Roses, Thorns, and Buds” sessions — where they discuss what they liked and didn’t enjoy during the day, and their hopes for the following day — they offered apologies, particularly Parker.
That was a landmark experience for Dwight, who said he saw his sons mature on the trip. Philmont “challenges the spirit of these kids.”
When the boys returned home, they were somewhat changed. Sherry said she was on the receiving end of many hugs upon the return of her sons, who were excited to tell her about their experiences. On the trip, “we had a lot of man hugs, too,” Dwight said.
For Dwight, the summer of 2009 will go down as a “dream come true,” and he noted how much he appreciates his co-workers for allowing him to take three weeks away from his medical practice (Bone & Joint Specialists of Winchester) to attend Philmont and its pre-trip activities with his sons.
Both of the boys know how much the trip meant to their father, who had long held the goal of taking his children on the trip that meant so much to him as a teen.
It was exciting, Parker said, knowing their father “did the exact same thing a long, long, time ago.”
Dwight said he might take the trip again one day with grandchildren. He and Sherry are the parents of four: Parker, Preston, Paige, and Patricia.
And while he and his boys have a shared Boy Scout experience and matching Arrowhead patches, Dwight’s sons hope to move forward to a point he didn’t seek — the rank of Eagle Scout.
Parker is one merit badge and a project away from being an Eagle, while Preston must earn two more merit badges and achieve a project to attain the rank.
The brothers are also becoming excited about next year’s National Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill. Dad will visit, but won’t stay on the site.
But it promises to be fun. “That’s the next adventure,” he said.