Local Scouts have the opportunity to visit Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico – a 140,000-acre spread in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains. The Scouts hiked five to 12 miles a day through difficult terrain whose natural beauty gave them the opportunity to reflect on God’s creation and their place within it.
CHARLOTTE — Three Scouts from the Diocese of Charlotte spent almost two weeks in the mountains of New Mexico in July, pushing themselves physically while also being introduced to spiritual contemplation.
Joseph Horne, Joshua Vari and Jack Chuma were selected by the diocese’s Catholic Committee on Scouting to undertake the St. George’s Trek, held every two years at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. Philmont, a 140,000-acre spread in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains, is Scouting America’s premier high-adventure camp. The St. George Trek – named for the patron saint of Scouting – adds a spiritual dimension, including daily reflections, Mass and Adoration.
Charlotte Catholic Committee on Scouting Chairman Mike Nielsen was pleased that each of the boys had some interest in discerning possible vocations.
“That’s one of the huge points of the trek,” he said. “If you’ve not spent time around priests and deacons and seminarians, this can help demystify them. You know, they can learn they’re just people too.”
The three Scouts were assigned to different crews and routes, but each backpacked five to 12 miles a day at elevations of 6,500 to 12,500 feet.
Charlotte-area Life Scouts Jack Chuma, Joseph Horne and Joshua Yari were selected by the diocese’s Catholic Committee on Scouting to tackle the St. George Trek - a wilderness trek that combined faith with physical challenges.
Joshua Vari
Age: 15
Home: Conover, NC
Home Church: St. Marks - St. Aloysius
Troop: 97; 1
Chartered by: St. Mark Catholic Church; Corinth Reformed Church
Scout Rank: Life
Scouting positions of note: patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, quartermaster
Parents' names/jobs: father, Nathan Vari/network architect, step-mother, Nicole Vari; mother, Aimee Supran/payroll sales manager
Siblings: older brother, Alexander Vari, Cub Scout through the Webelos rank
What Crew number at Philmont: Crew 5
After taking this Trek, do you have any interest in a religious vocation? I am interested in going by the seminary to discern more. Chaplains Aide for my crew it was my job to arrange when and where we did mass while on the trek. We couldn’t do it every day because of how busy we were. But, we did do it every other day.
Highlight: The Tooth of Time was great.
Joshua Vari started Scouting at the age of 3, when he tagged along to his older brother’s Tiger Cub meetings. He’s now reached Life Scout, one step away from the highest rank of Eagle Scout.
“I’m actually working on (my Eagle project) right now,” he said. “I’m going to be building a fence for my church school at St. Aloysius.”
Vari was the only Charlotte Trekker selected to serve as a chaplain for his crew, charged with finding a place to celebrate Mass each day.
Vari said the physical challenge of the trek was manageable, although he battled a bout of altitude sickness.
He spent a few days in the infirmary, completing about 80 miles of the more than 100-mile route. He rejoined his crew at Cimarroncita, where all the St. George Trekkers gathered.
“I came back from the infirmary just in time to have Mass with the bishop, and that was really awesome,” he said.
He said the program has affected his faith, and he encourages others to participate – particularly if they are discerning vocations.
“I definitely recommend Philmont for every Scout” he said. “It’s an awesome experience.”
Joseph Horne
Age: 17
Home: Charlotte, NC
Home Church: St. Gabriel
Troop: 174
Chartered by: St. Gabriel Catholic Church
Scout Rank: Life
Scouting positions of note: Patrol Leader
Eagle Scout project: constructed a gravel path at St. Patrick's elementary school
Parents' names/jobs: Patrick Horne - lawyer, Karen Horne, works with the church with confirmation.
Siblings: Anne Marie Horne, 15.
What Crew number at Philmont: 2
Highlights: We had Mass on a little 1.5 lb backpacking table that I brought. Abreu, we got to play with all the farm animals and Cimmaroncito, we got to meet with all the other St George crews in the middle of our trek, and there were also showers there.
This was Joseph Horne’s second time at Philmont – he took a regular trek with his troop in 2024 as a freshman.
“It was slightly easier because I’m two years older,” he said.
Horne’s crew had one of the shorter routes, but it ended up being longer for him. It mirrored the route being taken by a girls’ crew. After two adult counselors for the girls’ crew were required to leave, the organizers combined the groups into a “SuperCrew” with separate campsites. Joseph assisted Sister Teresita, the remaining adult from the girls’ crew, as he was able.
“He basically walked that thing twice,” his mom, Karen Horne, said. “And they all had 50-pound packs.”
One lighter moment came at Abreu, a farm area of the ranch where the Scouts got acquainted with baby goats. Another highlight was the 15-minute hot shower at Cimarroncita.
“It was like the one time in that trek that I felt somewhat clean, because the rest of it, there’s just dirt everywhere,” he said.
The mountain scenery became part of his discernment experience.
“One of the times, we stopped mid-hike and we went up the little ridge and we could see off both sides and we could see for miles in every direction. It was just like, all the world was so big,” he said.
The spiritual conversations – particularly a question-and-answer session with a priest and a religious sister – also made an impression.
“I feel like that helps a lot of people in their discernment,” he said, noting that it “opens the door a little bit more.”
Jack Chuma
Age: 15
Home: Huntersville, NC
Home Church: St. Mark Catholic Church, Huntersville
Troop: 97
Chartered by: St Mark Catholic Church, Huntersville
Scout Rank: Life; working on Eagle Scout project for St Mark Catholic Church (Recognition Wall)
Scouting positions of note: Chaplain, patrol leader multiple times to assistant senior patrol leader.
Catholic Scouting awards: Light of Christ and Parvuli Dei (Cub Scout awards) Working on Ad Altare Dei, first of two Scout-level.
Parents' names/jobs: Emily Chuma, director of leadership giving, Diocese of Charlotte; John Chuma, middle school teacher at Our Lady of Assumption Catholic School
Siblings: Luke 13, eighth grader at St Mark Catholic School), Paul, 5, kindergarten at St Mark Catholic School, is considering joining Cub Scouts at introductory Tiger Cub rank.
What Crew number at Philmont: 3
After taking this Trek, do you have any interest in a religious vocation? Not interested in a vocation at this time, but I enjoyed the experience.
Highlights: We had Mass every day, as well as daily adoration.My crew conducted what we were told was the first Eucharist Procession on Philmont property.
Jack Chuma’s crew had the shortest itinerary, covering about 70 miles. They averaged roughly five miles a day but completed 12 miles on one day to make up time. That long day was one of his favorites because it included learning how to reload and shoot rifles and visiting an old mine.
Chuma’s crew arrived at Cimarroncita carrying a large wooden cross in a Eucharistic procession – the first at the ranch, according to staff.
“It was something kind of planned once we got out on the trail,” Chuma said. “I don’t remember who brought it up to my group, but my crew agreed that it’d be cool to do a Eucharist procession out in that country, so we did that going into Cimarroncita.”
His crew also included a young seminarian. When he discovered that Chuma was from the Charlotte area, he immediately asked if he knew his friend from seminary – Father James Tweed.
“And we’re like, ‘Yeah, he’s at St. Mark with us,’” Chuma said.
Jack’s troop plans to return to Philmont in 2028, but he did not want to wait. When his mother learned about the St. George Trek, he applied. He had also volunteered with the Catholic Committee on Scouting and served as an altar server during the committee’s national convention in Charlotte.
The spiritual aspects of the trek were new to him.
“It was just an experience I had never really had before, like having six days of Mass in a row,” he said. “Especially in those locations, like it was just gorgeous out there.”
Jack said the experience gave him another opportunity to consider a possible vocation.
“I’ve thought about the priesthood before,” he said. “I don’t think that’s really my life, but still just getting to think about it again out in Philmont was a great experience.”
Trail tales
The Scouts did have some encounters with wildlife both large and small on the trails.
Jack Chuma’s crew mostly used their backpacks as makeshift altars for daily Mass. One day, a squirrel decided to investigate the altar, apparently interested in the hosts.
An adult member of the crew threw a rock near it to scare it away. The squirrel fled – but almost immediately, the skies opened up with a hailstorm. The Scouts quickly decided the weather was the adult’s fault.
Another evening animal encounter at Miner’s Park camp was potentially more dangerous, when Chuma looked down after he heard a familiar and scary rattling sound.
“I almost stepped on a rattlesnake,” he said. “I stood there for a second and then just slowly backed out to where I didn’t really scare it.”