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Simple Road Map?

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Post by Phillip Gross September 13th 2013, 7:08 am

I see the technical requirements to be in FCF, as far as merits are concerned, but how do you begin? Meaning, do you have to complete all of those merits before you can attend an FCF event and start building your kit?


My interest has been increased as I went through Primitive Shelters with my AR/ER class. They seemed interested in FCF too, but I just don't know enough about the process. Would you guys mind laying out a clear road map for someone who is totally unfamiliar with the process getting started in FCF? I looked on the FCF website, but didn't see a detailed, step by step of "this is how you get started" type thing. Maybe it's there and I couldn't see the forest for the trees.

I know in the past I haven't been hot n heavy into FCF, but if that's what the boys like then I guess I better be! Smile Plus the fact that we're just now coming up on a year at the outpost. I've had a lot to figure out and can't do it all immediately. Still nowhere near being a well oiled machine, but we've still got our head above water and the numbers are still slowly increasing, so I guess it's going ok. Simple Road Map? 3452256262 
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Post by strods September 13th 2013, 8:43 am

The simplest road map is called the Trail the Grizzly, which are 7 blue merits & 1 green.
Blue: Tool Craft, Rope Craft, Lashing, Fire Craft,Cooking,First Aid,Compass
Green: Camping
There is no official order, though it is smart to keep Camping last as it reviews the other 7 skills. And it requires 10 nights of camping.

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Post by strods September 13th 2013, 8:47 am

If you are specifically looking at FCF (and I encourage it) talk about the merit in that light. Use a flint & steel, or at least a feral rod for Fire. Introduce the idea of the Mountain men building camp with simple tools & rope. Etc.

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Post by Mark Jones September 13th 2013, 9:02 am

I took 6 boys into FCF last year.

1. Have them fill out the FCF Fronteirsman Application.
2. Note the merits that are required and complete them.
(my boys were a mixed group some had them some didn't)
(so we went through them and those that had them was a review)
3. Make sure the camping is done. Might have to plan a few extra campouts to make the requirements.

4. Contact the FCF Scribe or Company Clerk (me in my District) and find out the date for their frontier adventure.

5. Attend and your set.

6. You can start at anytime acquiring your outfit and stuff. Yet it's always a good idea to have a idea of what your chapter teaches for your time pierod and your area.. some are different.

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Post by red squirrel September 13th 2013, 12:32 pm

Howdy!

Alright! FCF questions!!!
Wink Smile



Phillip Gross wrote:I see the technical requirements to be in FCF, as far as merits are concerned, but how do you begin? Meaning, do you have to complete all of those merits before you can attend an FCF event and start building your kit?


Yes. You have to complete (take the class OR teach) the 8 merits, and take the training needed, as well as a few other requirememts before you can start your frontier adventure (or FA). A FA is a weekend camp where you learn and are tested in FCF stuff. You will learn through out the weekend what you will be tested on.
You can start building your kit now, just cant go to any FCF camps unless your area has one like southern IL where non FCF members (and families) can attend for the one camp a year, to see what we are all about.




My interest has been increased as I went through Primitive Shelters with my AR/ER class. They seemed interested in FCF too, but I just don't know enough about the process. Would you guys mind laying out a clear road map for someone who is totally unfamiliar with the process getting started in FCF? I looked on the FCF website, but didn't see a detailed, step by step of "this is how you get started" type thing. Maybe it's there and I couldn't see the forest for the trees.

http://www.nationalfcf.com/DoyouhavewhatittakestobeaFrontiersman/tabid/2416/Default.aspx
Here is a link for info. It does include advancing inside FCF, but just look at the "Frontiersman" section for now.  


I know in the past I haven't been hot n heavy into FCF, but if that's what the boys like then I guess I better be! Smile Plus the fact that we're just now coming up on a year at the outpost. I've had a lot to figure out and can't do it all immediately. Still nowhere near being a well oiled machine, but we've still got our head above water and the numbers are still slowly increasing, so I guess it's going ok. Simple Road Map? 3452256262 
Its a good way to start. Nothing wrong with planning. DR boys can earn 4 merits to help them get into FCF, AR and up can earn all of them. You probably already have the Ranger Basics training required.
It is something our boys are really into. But, I also make sure its out in front of them every so often at church. WinkSmile

And a side note; I have to admit I didnt even get to anyone elses reply because of being so excited to answer an FCF question. Forgive me if I have repeated what someone else already said.
WinkSmile
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Post by red squirrel September 13th 2013, 12:39 pm

Howdy!

Ok, just to add, the time period of FCF is 1760-1840, which includes F&I war all the way through the fur trade era of the west. You can do anything in between as far as your outfit or kit. I do recommend spending some time in thought and prayer as to WHO you want to be though. Might save you some time and money from having to make more than what you really needed. If you need further help with that, let me know.
And, you dont really have to be someone historical from your area. For example, I am from Illinois. I play a guy from Ohio ranging down the Ohio river between forts and settlements looking for sign of Indian attack or activity. A scout and or spy.
Find who you want to be, and have a goal in your mind how far you want to go to be that person. Its not about the kit and stuff, as we have said before. Its about ministering to the boys and showing Godly character. But, having kit and FCF stuff can greatly strengthen that work.

Ask more . . .
I dare ya!
Wink Smile
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Post by red squirrel September 13th 2013, 12:50 pm

Any more questions yet . . .

Kidding Smile

Take your time.
Just hurry up!

Wink Smilefire 
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Post by Phillip Gross September 13th 2013, 3:23 pm

Thank you guys for the feed back. Guess I need to focus on those merits so we can get into it.

I'm going to talk to the boys tonight to see what kind of response I get.
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Post by RRCmdrBennett September 13th 2013, 3:51 pm

The DR can do all 8 merits. Seven are blue but camping is green now and maybe applied toward GEA. I wouldn't rush them just because all 8 can count toward GEA. Another suggestion besides keeping Camping badge last is to do rope craft before lashing. Just seems logical to know your knots before building furniture.


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Post by strods September 13th 2013, 4:04 pm

Rope & lashing are so close we often teach them together

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Post by strods September 13th 2013, 4:06 pm

Cooking & fire too. Generally, fire first but then "wow nice fire! What do we do with it?'

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Post by RRCmdrBennett September 13th 2013, 4:54 pm

Thats a good idea too. On the frontier you need a fire before you can cook. Also fire comes before food and water in a survival situation.

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Post by Phillip Gross September 14th 2013, 10:44 am

I've emailed our state director to let him know that we're interested in starting down the path to FCF involvement.

I've been looking at the FCF website and have a couple questions. I see a few standard events on our state's FCF website, Swamp Fox Chapter, and am curious about them. They have Trace in the spring, Frontier Adventure in the fall, and Wilderness Trek in Nov or Dec each year. They also do the village at Pow Wow (our Pow Wow was cancelled this year because of various circumstances... Dunno ). So, what are each of these events? I know the Frontier Adventure is for new FCF members, correct? What about Trace and Wilderness Trek? I don't know if they (our chapter) do much else besides these four events each year. Obviously websites don't always get updated properly, so there could be more happening than what I see on the site.

I also watched a couple FCF promo videos. The first one http://www.nationalfcf.com/PromotionalVideo/tabid/3032/Default.aspx seems like a good one to show the boys, and this older one http://vimeo.com/69203042 seems more aimed at leaders. The second one also shows Doug Marsh in his kit and has audio of him giving his full endorsement of FCF as a great ministry and encouraging all organizational leaders to be involved in FCF.
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Post by Phillip Gross September 14th 2013, 11:04 am

red squirrel wrote:Howdy!

Ok, just to add, the time period of FCF is 1760-1840, which includes F&I war all the way through the fur trade era of the west. You can do anything in between as far as your outfit or kit. I do recommend spending some time in thought and prayer as to WHO you want to be though. Might save you some time and money from having to make more than what you really needed. If you need further help with that, let me know.
Yeah, I have no idea where to even start with this.

red squirrel wrote:
And, you dont really have to be someone historical from your area. For example, I am from Illinois. I play a guy from Ohio ranging down the Ohio river between forts and settlements looking for sign of Indian attack or activity. A scout and or spy.
But that might be a good place to start??? So do I just start pouring into history books to find out what we even had around here at that time? There are obviously plenty of options with our chapter being in the southeast during and after the Revolutionary War.
red squirrel wrote:
Find who you want to be, and have a goal in your mind how far you want to go to be that person. Its not about the kit and stuff, as we have said before. Its about ministering to the boys and showing Godly character. But, having kit and FCF stuff can greatly strengthen that work.

Ask more . . .
I dare ya!
Wink Smile
Well there's a lot to think about... I presented it to my older boys last night. One boy said that it looked pretty cool, but that it also looked like a good bit of work (he likes the video games... Laughing). I realized, and we discussed such, that life is full of "cost vs benefit" analysis. Until the benefit outweighs the cost, there won't be much effort given to do it. Hopefully our local chapter will have something going on that outsiders can come see, even if just during a day, so the boys and leaders can get a taste of what it's all about. Right now all they're going off of is what I describe, which isn't much! As I previously mentioned, I emailed out state director to ask that very question. Hopefully they'll have something we can go see, especially since there was no Pow Wow this year. :evil:
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Post by RRCmdrBennett September 14th 2013, 11:30 am

Here and Potomac we had spring trace in april or may, fcf village in June for Ohio and Aug for Potomac, and Fall Trace. Ohio does Frontier Adventure at Spring Trace. Do the merits, send in the application, attend FA @spring trace and you're in. Used to have to do a sectional brigade trace after filing app and before FA. They've cut out the sectional fcf event.

Potomac it was Merits, submit app to district, attend district pow wow and attend a late night "review" in the fcf village. You were led by a youngbuck with a lantern from station to station answering various questions about the work you did from the merits. If you "passed" the "review" your name would be announced during the Sat night "FCF Call-out". No one fails because its not a test anymore.

Old FCF was changed soon after JB died. There was phase 1 testing aka Brigade trace. Brigade trace here was as I described in Potomac was a review and some skills demo. Unlike Potomac it included skills demo from the candidates and members would showcase and talk about their kits.

Old way after truly passing phase 1 you went to phase 2 aka frontier adventure. Phase 2 was more an initiation. We have stricter rules now. No testing, no hazing, etc.  There were incidents in chapters of fraternity style hazings and some silliness that has permanently seared into some a strong dislike for FCF.  Just ask Chris's old pastor. In 1990 they switched from Frontiersman Camping Fraternity to Fellowship, dropped testing, banned hazings, and phase 1 & 2 names were changed.  

Here Fall trace is open for all Royal Rangers. You can come for the day or setup a separate modern campsite.

I would have liked to have kept the skills testing of phase 1. It just needed to be standardized and fair.

Check for some non-civil war reenactment groups they can be of help. If you were here I'd say go to The Log Cabin in Lodi. Books, guns, knives, skins, hawks, clothes patterns, etc are all found here. They also have a black powder range.

On History channel website there is a Mtn Man documentary I've shown in Royal Rangers. It was well received.

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Post by Phillip Gross September 14th 2013, 3:09 pm

I'm surprised that the RR leaders manual doesn't have more info about FCF. Is there some good general info that I can print out about FCF? One of our Cmdr's doesn't have internet access, so I told him I'd find him some info to print out that he could look at.
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Post by RRCmdrBennett September 14th 2013, 7:45 pm

Www.nationalfcf.com

Do you have a FCF handbook? The leaders manual doesn't give you squat on FCF. Remember, we're not an old camping program.

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"Be Ready, It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark."

fire FCF Frontiersman 9/91 fire
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Training Seminars/Camps:
LTC LMA 5/94, Ranger Basics 1/05, LTA LMA 5/05, NTC IL 5/09, WCO 10/09, ICS 4/10, RKTC 7/10, Ranger Essentials 8/10, NRMC 10/11,
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RR v1.0

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Post by strods September 14th 2013, 7:54 pm

The handbook is available from GPH

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Post by Phillip Gross September 14th 2013, 9:08 pm

Cool. I've got to order some new stuff anyway, so I'll get that book too.
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Post by Phillip Gross September 14th 2013, 9:12 pm

Scratch that! Found it on Amazon for cheaper. One click shopping and it's on the way! Smile
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Post by RRCmdrBennett September 14th 2013, 10:37 pm

How recent is the edition on Amazon?

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RR Outpost #215, Ohio District :flag:
RR GMA #83 Potomac Dist-#2366 Nat'l

"Be Ready, It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark."

fire FCF Frontiersman 9/91 fire
Free Trapper 2016
Training Seminars/Camps:
LTC LMA 5/94, Ranger Basics 1/05, LTA LMA 5/05, NTC IL 5/09, WCO 10/09, ICS 4/10, RKTC 7/10, Ranger Essentials 8/10, NRMC 10/11,
Outpost Leader Advancement Levels:
LMA-Advanced 10/11, MoE 2012-092

RR v1.0

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Post by Phillip Gross September 14th 2013, 11:12 pm

Want to say it was 2002. Had the same cover as the one on GPH. Do you think it might be different?
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Post by strods September 15th 2013, 12:16 am

when you are talking to the Rangers I always like to draw comparisons of tribal cultures and their ceremonies of coming of age. or Jewish cultures for that reason. I like to talk about FCF with my outpost as a trail to woodsman maturity

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Post by Phillip Gross September 15th 2013, 6:35 am

strods wrote:when you are talking to the Rangers I always like to draw comparisons of tribal cultures and their ceremonies of coming of age. or Jewish cultures for that reason.  I like to talk about FCF with my outpost as a trail to woodsman maturity
I like that. Instead of presenting it like "a piece of candy if you do this, this, and this", it's more of "this will be tough because only those willing to work hard can have it".

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Post by strods September 15th 2013, 10:52 am

Exactally. In fact I used the whole Man vs Wild etc show they are familiar with as a spring board. Then I talk about in history how the Frotiersmen were the real deal.

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