Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship

The Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship is a program of the Royal Rangers, and serves as their service/honor organization, similar to the Boy Scouts of America's Order of the Arrow. It endeavors to develop in each member the same courageous and undaunted spirit of the early frontiersman. High moral and contagious enthusiasm are developed by urging each member to strive to achieve important accomplishments.

*Courage
*Achievement
*Friendship
*Leadership
*Woodsmanship (Bushcraft, Australia)

Young adults in the Royal Rangers program who meet the requirements, should be strongly encouraged to pursue an interest in becoming a part of the FCF. Skills that can be learned from the FCF are campfire cooking, Christian service in the community, fellowship, frontier outfit making, black powder rifle shooting, trading, tomahawk and knife throwing, teepee camping, hide tanning, bead craft, scrimshaw, leather craft, wood working, and much, much more.

The FCF can provide a young Royal Ranger many different opportunities for growth and development. This provision however, can only be enabled through the participation and involvement of FCF members within the outpost. Keeping alive the spirit of the FCF means getting young bucks involved and keeping them involved. There are many skills that he must learn and develop before he becomes an "old timer", along with learning what it means to be apart of the Frontiersman Camping Fellowship.

Entrance To FCF

In Australia a new recruit wishing to enter FCF must fulfill the following criteria
*Adventure Ranger Age
*Meet the other requirements

Upon this they then under take and entrance exam, Phase 1 and 2 testing.Phase 1 testing comprises practical knowledge. eg, compass work and lashings. To pass recruits must
*Pass the Bible section of Phase 1 with 90% or more.
*They are allowed to fail only 2 sections.

In the United States these are the requirements for joining FCF:

Boys
* Earn all 8 green "Trail of the Grizzly merits (Camping, First Aid Skills, Toolcraft, Ropecraft, Lashing, Compass, Firecraft, Cooking)
* Be an Adventure Ranger in at least the sixth grade and be at least 11 years old
* Be recommended by an Outpost Commander
* Explain the Plan of Salvation
* Recite the Meaning of the 4 Red Points, 4 Gold Points and 8 Blue Points of the Royal Ranger Emblem

Leaders
* Earn or teach the 8 green "Trail of the Grizzly Merits" (Camping, First Aid Skills, Toolcraft, Ropecraft, Lashing, Compass, Firecraft, Cooking)
* Complete the Royal Rangers Basics Module of the Leaders Training Academy
* Be a leader in good standing in the local church

Upon earning all 8 merits, both men and boys are eligible to wear the Trail of the Grizzly patch. They must then complete a Frontier Adventure before being awarded their Frontiersman Pin.

FCF Rankings

New recruits that pass the Testing are entered into FCF with a Rank of "Settler". To reach the next level of Selector a Settler must fulfill many criteria, some of which are below;
*Have a Trade and Costume
*Able to memorize the 5 Logs (Courage, Achievement, Friendship, Leadership, Woodsmanship or Bushcraft, Australia)
*Memorize the FCF motto

The 3rd and final Ranking in FCF is Bushman.

Each level is represented with a pin.

In the United States these levels are:

* Frontiersman
* Buckskin
* Wilderness

In order to earn Buckskin:

Boys & Leaders
* Earn the Church and the Knife & Hawk Merit plus either the Black Powder or Archery Merit

*Participate in at least one Frontier Adventure after becoming a Frontiersmen member

*Make or purchase a complete FCF outfit

*Recite from memory the FCF Pledge

*Explain the meaning of the FCF Symbol

*State the Vision and Purpose of FCF

*Make an FCF identification staff

*Select a frontier-related craft or skill to develop

*Select an FCF name

*Complete the Buckskin workbook

*Be an active member in good standing for at least one year

Boys Only
* Earn the Bronze Medal of Achievement or one Expedition Rangers Medal

Leaders Only
* Sponsor a boy into FCF
* Earn the Leaders Medal of Achievement

To earn Wilderness:

Both Boys and Leaders
* Earn the Christian Service, Wilderness Survival, Primitive Shelters and Primitive Snares Merits

* Complete the Wilderness booklet

Boys Only
* Earn the Silver Medal of Achievement or an additional Expedition Rangers Medal

* Sponsor a boy into FCF

* Attend 2 Frontier Adventures and be a member in good standing for 2 years

Leaders Only
* Attend a National Training Camp

* Sponsor an additional boy into FCF

* Attend 4 Frontier Adventures and be a member in good standing for at least 2 years

Both leaders and boys must carry a Wilderness pouch before going on their vigil. Upon completing the vigil, they are then presented with their Wilderness pin.

Trades

The Australian FCF members, particularly those in New South Wales are encouraged to pick up "trades". A trade is a line of work typically undertaken in the 1800s. New FCF members can create a coustum, reflecting on what a typical person in that trade would wear. they can also do a stall in the FCF Village

FCF Village

This is where FCF members come to relax and enjoy fellowship around a fire of a night. But during the day they provide entertainment for the Rangers who are not in FCF. This includes Stalls where Members undertake activities according to the Trade they have chosen. This entertains and teaches children about early settlers.

External links

*http://www.nationalfcf.com/ National FCF website
*http://www.fcfworld.com/ A site dedicated to Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship (FCF)
*http://www.indiannationfcf.com/ Indian Nation FCF
*http://royalrangers.ag.org - The Official website of Royal Rangers
*http://www.royalrangersinternational.com/ - The Official website of Royal Rangers International, the liaison between the United States Royal Rangers and other national programs
*http://www.rangersaustralia.org.au - The official site for Rangers in Australia