Introduction

Ill bite first



My name is Simeon. I am a product of the Royal Rangers ministry since 1979 at 4 years old. Entered FCF in 1988. I went all the way through Trail Rangers, and life got busy. When I came back to FCF it was somewhere around 1999, after being out about 6 years. I now am involved with my local outpost each week, teaching frontier skills along side merits being taught to all age groups by their regular commanders. I attend in my FCF kit when teaching, which helps promote the ministry of FCF, and lets the boys see me and ask what FCF is. Also the parents.

FCF is my ministry, calling, and passion.

I'd love to have someone at our outpost who would have a passion for FCF. There's one guy that I'm reaching out to that will hopefully get involved who I know likes things like that. He was really interested in Civil War reenactments, so I told him about FCF.

Keep him in your prayers that he'll come aboard if that be where God is calling him. Don't want people just to have people....

hello all
This is my return form silence for a bit. No worries I've just been happily busy. In January we had a set of twin girls add to our family so you can understand busy. Beyond that I am working towards my Buckskin rank this year so most of what little free time I have has been spent working on my FCF outfit. Here is a peak thus far.

Glad to hear it Strods.

Philip, hopefully that guy is interested in the pre-1840's era since we don't do civil war or cowboy western expansion time periods. Personally, do you like FCF for yourself?

I explained the time period to him when we talked about it. We'll see...

I personally appreciate FCF, and have even contemplated getting involved in it, but I feel like I have too many irons in the fire as it is now. It's not at the top of my priority list, but I know it's a good ministry so I hope we get someone who'll want to take the reigns with it.

BEHOLD: The Return of Yoda!!!!

What words of wisdom do you have for us today Yoda?

RRCmdrBennett wrote:What words of wisdom do you have for us today Yoda?

Beware of the wife that says she "needs" new shoes...

Or new "dvds"... Or in Chris's case a new pistol

I wouldn't mind a new Pistol, I'd get to shoot it too

sreidelberger wrote:BEHOLD: The Return of Yoda!!!!

Use the Force you must!

strods wrote:hello all
This is my return form silence for a bit. No worries I've just been happily busy. In January we had a set of twin girls add to our family so you can understand busy. Beyond that I am working towards my Buckskin rank this year so most of what little free time I have has been spent working on my FCF outfit. Here is a peak thus far.

Congratulations on your new additions

RRCmdrBennett wrote:Or new "dvds"... Or in Chris's case a new pistol

I got my eyes on something a little bigger....three bedrooms, bigger rooms all around, a garage and a yard to play in for the "littler rangers", Lord willing that is

I forgot this was an intro post.....welcome aboard Yoda

Phillip, getting involved in FCF is easier than one might think, so to speak.
I know there are personal time restraints and commitments, let me explain.

If you are getting current RR training, that is a large chunk of completing requirements. One must also either take or teach a few merit classes, which likely most RR commanders are already doing.

The Frontier Adventure is sometimes done at a normal RR camp, so no extra weekend needed to part out of the schedule.

Outfit and accouterments once you get in, can be done MUCH more simply than what most FCF'rs do. No need for a trailer or piles and piles of stuff. I camp entire weekends with only whats on my back, and live to type about it.


Yes, it might be something God has for someone else in your outpost right now, but I encourage you to at least check into it and see for yourself. We have 6 active adults in FCF in our outpost. Theres me, highly focused, and theres a few who only think about their kit a few days before an FCF camp.

Theres nothing like a campfire service in the woods with folk's prepared and dressed in old timey clothes.

sreidelberger wrote:

RRCmdrBennett wrote:What words of wisdom do you have for us today Yoda?

Beware of the wife that says she "needs" new shoes...

When in trouble, new shoes will save you, not!

But new Blaster, mmmmmmmmmm...........

red squirrel wrote:Phillip, getting involved in FCF is easier than one might think, so to speak.
I know there are personal time restraints and commitments, let me explain.

If you are getting current RR training, that is a large chunk of completing requirements. One must also either take or teach a few merit classes, which likely most RR commanders are already doing.

The Frontier Adventure is sometimes done at a normal RR camp, so no extra weekend needed to part out of the schedule.

Outfit and accouterments once you get in, can be done MUCH more simply than what most FCF'rs do. No need for a trailer or piles and piles of stuff. I camp entire weekends with only whats on my back, and live to type about it.


Yes, it might be something God has for someone else in your outpost right now, but I encourage you to at least check into it and see for yourself. We have 6 active adults in FCF in our outpost. Theres me, highly focused, and theres a few who only think about their kit a few days before an FCF camp.

Theres nothing like a campfire service in the woods with folk's prepared and dressed in old timey clothes.

Been chewing on this one today....

I don't have anything against being involved in FCF. In fact I just had a conversation with our state director the other day about this very thing! I may end up being the semi-involved FCF'er before it's all said and done...

My wife and I have four children (Phillip Jr 9, Seth 8, Elizabeth 6, and Judah 5mos.). Obviously a lot of time goes into a family of 6! Baseball, soccer, track, music lessons, etc, etc, etc,... I run a small electrical company which has gotten even busier lately because I decided to branch out and diversify. Something about keeping all your eggs in one basket is bad! I lead praise and worship at church with my acoustic guitar along with Phillip Jr on bass and Seth on drums. Our church is small, so I really needed the boys to get up to speed quickly on their instruments because nobody else played... AND I work with some great guys getting our outpost off the ground. Unfortunately RR2.0 doesn't exactly fit our needs, so there's a lot of time spent trying to figure out how to get more RR1.0 done with today's lessons...

All that to say that I don't see a whole lot of time in my near future for much else. But I think I may get into FCF at some level, if for no other reason than that I'll know more about it so I can tell others. I'd still like to have a passionate FCF'er at the outpost that would really take the reigns with that aspect of the outpost so that I could be the "show up and hang out" guy every once and a while!

I'd still like to have a passionate FCF'er at the outpost that would really take the reigns with that aspect of the outpost so that I could be the "show up and hang out" guy every once and a while!

Phillip, I understand your situation. Its hard juggling time and keeping life in order.
Part of the reason I say to look into it is because it can be in your future. If you are looking to teach a primitive shelters merit, take note that it counts towards "the trail of the grizzly", another step towards becoming an FCF'r. IIRC, you were getting training, which also counts towards the "trail". And as you said, even if now is not the time, it may be in the future. I know my brother who is 5 years older than me didnt get into FCF as a youth, and now wishes he had because his son is 15 and IN fcf, now attending events and camps with me.

I have talked with many who are in a small outpost, and I hear the struggles. I also know there is a balance there as well. FCF can be a calling card, a method or tool to get the older lads interested, or keep them interested for a longer period of time. If a leader close by (even from another outpost) is there in his outfit, and can help every now and then, the boys learn and know about it, and the desire grows to be in FCF.

Ultimately God is in charge. He will let you know if or when you should take the plunge. FCF is NOT for everyone, I know that. I just believe its for more than what we have active now.

I'm actually starting Primitive Shelters this Friday night with my ARs! I'll probably end up in FCF at some point.

I have a habit of filling up my plate until it's overflowing. When I do that I start feeling a little stressed, and then go into a holding pattern until I handle what's currently on my plate and things start to settle down. Right now I'm at the point of feeling a little stressed at the amount I have on my plate...

Phillip Gross wrote:

red squirrel wrote:Phillip, getting involved in FCF is easier than one might think, so to speak.
I know there are personal time restraints and commitments, let me explain.

If you are getting current RR training, that is a large chunk of completing requirements. One must also either take or teach a few merit classes, which likely most RR commanders are already doing.

The Frontier Adventure is sometimes done at a normal RR camp, so no extra weekend needed to part out of the schedule.

Outfit and accouterments once you get in, can be done MUCH more simply than what most FCF'rs do. No need for a trailer or piles and piles of stuff. I camp entire weekends with only whats on my back, and live to type about it.


Yes, it might be something God has for someone else in your outpost right now, but I encourage you to at least check into it and see for yourself. We have 6 active adults in FCF in our outpost. Theres me, highly focused, and theres a few who only think about their kit a few days before an FCF camp.

Theres nothing like a campfire service in the woods with folk's prepared and dressed in old timey clothes.

Been chewing on this one today....

I don't have anything against being involved in FCF. In fact I just had a conversation with our state director the other day about this very thing! I may end up being the semi-involved FCF'er before it's all said and done...

My wife and I have four children (Phillip Jr 9, Seth 8, Elizabeth 6, and Judah 5mos.). Obviously a lot of time goes into a family of 6! Baseball, soccer, track, music lessons, etc, etc, etc,... I run a small electrical company which has gotten even busier lately because I decided to branch out and diversify. Something about keeping all your eggs in one basket is bad! I lead praise and worship at church with my acoustic guitar along with Phillip Jr on bass and Seth on drums. Our church is small, so I really needed the boys to get up to speed quickly on their instruments because nobody else played... AND I work with some great guys getting our outpost off the ground. Unfortunately RR2.0 doesn't exactly fit our needs, so there's a lot of time spent trying to figure out how to get more RR1.0 done with today's lessons...

All that to say that I don't see a whole lot of time in my near future for much else. But I think I may get into FCF at some level, if for no other reason than that I'll know more about it so I can tell others. I'd still like to have a passionate FCF'er at the outpost that would really take the reigns with that aspect of the outpost so that I could be the "show up and hang out" guy every once and a while!

You do sound very busy.
How long have you been playing

I've been playing off and on since I was a kid. There have been times in my life where I went years without touching a guitar though. I grew up around it though. My mom was in a band called "New Dawn" back in the '70s. Here's a link to the title song of their album "Little Grain of Wheat". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYOAFZXsNpM

Mom's the one doing lead vocals on this track. At 1:47 the picture changes to the back cover. Mom is second from the left. The other lady to the right is my Aunt Janet (Dad's sister).

I have only been playing 2-3 years, I really enjoy it. I would like to be on the worship band.....Lord willing that is

That's awesome! Why aren't you on the praise team now?

Phillip Gross wrote:That's awesome! Why aren't you on the praise team now?

We have guitar player now who plays really good and that's without lessons, he can play anything with strings. He is my "teacher" he says I "graduate" in about a month and lessons (for 1 1/2 years or so) will be done, after that its up to me and how much I practice; which I already knew. He knows I want to be on the worship team so I am trying to be patient and believe that the Lord will raise me up when He wants to. When the Lord opens a door....no man can shut it. I am glad I can come back and read this later....remind myself how positive I was about it.

Christi wrote:
We have guitar player now who plays really good and that's without lessons, he can play anything with strings. He is my "teacher" he says I "graduate" in about a month and lessons (for 1 1/2 years or so) will be done, after that its up to me and how much I practice; which I already knew. He knows I want to be on the worship team so I am trying to be patient and believe that the Lord will raise me up when He wants to. When the Lord opens a door....no man can shut it. I am glad I can come back and read this later....remind myself how positive I was about it.

I know everyone has their own ways of doing things, but I try to get people plugged in ASAP. That's really how I advanced was by being on the praise team before I "should be". It created a NEED for me to push myself and you just naturally develop more (IMO) in situations like that because of the demand.

Since I've been leading Praise and Worship I've had a few people play on the team well before they "should have". The sound man just pulled their volumes back until they improved.

As a side note I've had people that can't sing a lick be on stage before if they were a praiser. One girl sang so bad (and she knows it) that her microphone wasn't even plugged in, but she praises unashamed and so helped lead the congregation into P&W.

I say all the time that I'd rather have someone who'll praise the Lord than someone who is just talented at playing an instrument or singing. We can work on developing a skill, but a heart of worship is valuable! Now if I can have both then....

Anyway, I hope you can realize your dream soon!