Don’t forget, some listed badges are generic requirments to earn a variety of specific badges. For example, the Sports Team Fan badge requirements are used to earn a badge for a specific sports team and can be earned multiple times with different teams. Seasons can be used to earn a badge for each individual season, and Cultures can be used to earn a badge on the culture of any country in the world.

“They  just finished the badge today and we spent the afternoon going over the flag code. It says in section 176 part g) “The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.”  The girls wanted to know why it is okay to write “Our Flag” across the flag on the badge.”

My answer, its not!  The Our Flag badge for Frontier Girls had a flag in the background with “Our Flag” printed across the front.  Thanks to the diligence of Troop #141 it has now been redesigned to stay in compliance with the code.  Girls in my own troop also realized that my website, blog, and brochures also violate this part of the code since I use the flag as a background for each.  The website is undergoing a redesign and the blog will also be redesigned soon.  The brochures will be redone the next time we go to print.

Thanks to all the girls who keep me in check!

This month’s Badge of the Month is the Apple Badge (Discover Agriculture). This badge will be on sale for $.89 each until Oct. 15, so order early if you plan to earn it with your troop.

Let me know what ideas you may have to improve the newsletter. Thanks!

My main email system crashed and I have been rapidly trying to re-enter everyone’s email addresses. So I am hoping that posting this on the blog will get the information out as quickly as possible. Please pass the word.

Quest Clubs - www.questclubs.com

Quest Clubs, available in September 2011,  is a new spin off program of Frontier Girls.  So many boys asked if they could earn our badges, that we decided to come up with a program families could use in a co-ed format.  Unlike Frontier Girls, Quest is not a scouting style program, but rather was designed to be an educational incentive program.   While Quest uses all the same badges and awards as Frontier Girls, there is no required uniform, no promise, no creed,  etc.   Quest has no specific program structure, but is designed to be molded to fit the needs of your family or group.  In addition to starting an actual Quest Club, homeschool groups can use Quest as part of their co-ops, as well as unit studies for home education.  Schools can use Quest in the classroom or as part of an afterschool program.  Families can use it to supplement existing curriculum . 

Frontier Girls members will receive a complementary membership to Quest as part of their membership each year.  This way, if siblings would also like to earn badges, either alongside other programs like the Boy Scouts, as part of their education, or even just for fun, they will have access to them as well.   To get more information regarding Quest Clubs, visit the new website at www.questclubs.com after September 1, 2011.  You can also email any questions to kerry@questclubs.com.

Contests
Girl of the Month
Classifieds (to sell or find used uniform pieces, craft supplies, camping equipment, etc. – free of charge for our members)
Community Service Ideas
Events
and more.

If you have something you would like posted in the Frontier News, please email me at kerry@frontiergirls.com

campfire cooking

With summer here, many troops are planning campouts, so I thought I would share some of my favorite camp recipes.  If you have recipes you would like to share as well, please comment on this post or post them to the Leader’s Yahoogroup or our Facebook site.  Thanks!

A safety note: When cooking with foil packets, steam can build up inside the packet. Make sure an adult removes the packet from the grill (carefully so that the packet does not break and spill hot liquid or food on someone) using tongs or oven mitts. Poke holes in the foil with a fork to allow steam to escape and let stand for 5 minutes. Open the packet slowly, keeping your hands and face away from the opening to avoid any excess steam that escapes.

 Biscuit on a Stick – Wrap biscuit dough around a stick or marshmallow skewer and roast over the fire. Do make layer the dough too thick, or you will burn it on the outside and the inside will still be raw. For a special treat roll the finished biscuits in butter and cinnamon with sugar. You can make “garlic bread” by rolling the biscuit in butter and sprinkling it with garlic powder or garlic salt.

Pudding Catch –Put instant pudding and milk into ziplock bags, following the directions on the box for quantity. Double bag to ensure your pudding does not leak. Then play catch with a friend for about 5 minutes to set the pudding. When it is all mixed, cut a corner off the bag, squeeze it out and eat!

Smores – Top a graham cracker square with ½ of a chocolate bar. Roast a marshmallow over the fire, and place it on top of the chocolate. Put another graham cracker square on top to create a sandwich. If you don’t have a wood fire, or roasting sticks, you can grill your smore by placing a marshmallow and chocolate between two graham cracker halves and then wrapping it loosely in foil. Do not wrap it too tight as you want the air to circulate. Place it on a medium/hot grill for 4-5 minutes or until the marshmallow has melted.

Banana Boats – On a large sheet of foil place a banana that has been slit lengthwise. Inside, place marshmallows, and chocolate chips. Wrap securely with the foil, leaving room for air circulation and place on the grill or medium coals for 10- 15 minutes or until the chocolate and marshmallows have melted.

Sizzling Apples – Roast an apple over the fire until the skin splits and the flesh sizzles. Have an adult help carefully peel away the skin and then roll the apple in cinnamon and sugar.

Chili in a Bag – You will need an individual sized bag of Frito Corn Chips for each person. Heat your chili in a pot over the fire or on the stove. Spoon chili directly into the bags of corn chips and serve. Be careful not to get your chili too hot or you will not be able to hold onto your bags.

Foil Packets – In a large sheet of foil, combine the meat of your choice (precooked), chopped vegetables, seasoning, and a pat of butter. Wrap your packet securely, but make sure to leave room for air to circulate. Place your packet on the grill or over medium coals until heated through, about 25-45 minutes.. This recipe works great with the kids since each person gets to put in only the items they like. Many troops have each girl bring their own meat and then one vegetable to share.

Taco Packet – On a large sheet of foil, place 1 flour tortilla. Top it with a little meat, cheese and salsa. Bring up the foil on the sides and double fold the top and ends, leaving room for air to circulate. Place it on the grill or over medium coals until heated through. Check after 15 minutes. Open and top with lettuce, sour cream, or other toppings.

Dogs and Beans Packet – On a large sheet of foil place ½ cup of baked beans and one sliced hotdog. Top with BBQ sauce if you like. Wrap your packet securely, leaving room for air circulation and place on the grill or medium coals until heated through for about 15-30 minutes. Open and top with cheese if you wish, or serve with tortilla chips.

Hobo Soup – Have each girl bring one can of soup to the campout. It doesn’t matter what kind (just no clam chowder please!). Cook all the soup together in a large pot and serve. This recipe never turns out the same twice, but always somehow turns up tasting quite good.

Pigs in a Blanket – Place a hotdog on a long stick or marshmallow skewer. Wrap it securely with biscuit dough and roast over the fire until the dough is cooked through.

French Toast – Spray the inside of a pie iron with non-stick cooking spray. Dip a piece of toast in a mixture of egg, milk, a little cinnamon, and sugar. Place it in the pie iron and roast over the fire until done.

Pie Iron Sandwich – Butter two slices of bread and place buttered side down on each side of the pie iron. Fill with your favorite sandwich meat, cheese and veggies such as sliced onions or peppers. Close and cook over the fire.

For our craft, we decided to make potato people.  Each girl received a potato, a small cup of toothpicks,a small cup of straight pins, a plasitc knife and a pair of scissors.  A variety of vegetable were placed in the center of each table including items such as napa cabbage (which became angel wings and bride dresses), radishes (which became hats, eyes and noses), kale (for hair and eye lashes), red peppers (lips), carrot slices (eyes and arms), and much more. 

I was a little concerned about our little ones and all the sharp objects, but they did great and didn’t even need much help.  One pin prick the entire afternoon.  This was a great project for multiple age troops as the high schoolers had just as much fun as the 5 year olds.

Next meeting it is off to the nursery for a field trip and a chance to plant our own vegetables to take home.

According to the Girl Scout website, “Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low assembled 18 girls from Savannah, Georgia, on March 12, 1912, for a local Girl Scout meeting. She believed that all girls should be given the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually. With the goal of bringing girls out of isolated home environments and into community service and the open air, Girl Scouts hiked, played basketball, went on camping trips, learned how to tell time by the stars, and studied first aid.”

Over the years the Girl Scouts have consistently changed their program in an attempt to keep up with the times and keep girls involved.  Unfortunately, the newest program to evolve, Journeys, is no longer a good fit for many families seeking the traditional Girl Scout experience.  For this reason, we created Frontier Girls Clubs.

Frontier Girls is a scout like club for girls ages 5-18 that we offer as an alternative to the Girl Scout program.  We focus on patriotism, traditional values, community service and a love of learning.  Patriotism is a character trait we take very seriously in Frontier Girls.  All meetings begin with a formal flag ceremony and girls are taught a proper respect for both flag and country.  We are also a strong supporter of our military personnel and veterans.   Frontier Girls Clubs dedicates an entire section of its program to teaching the girls good character traits such as honesty, responsibility, modesty, and joy, and encouraging them not only to participate in community service projects, but to organize their own.

Frontier Girls Clubs offers over 1200 individual badges.  With the invention of the Internet,  most families, even in rural communities, have access to unlimited information, if not in their own homes, then at least through the public libraries.  Because of this access to information, we are able to offer badges on virtually any subject a girl wishes to learn about.  Girls today have more opportunities than at any other time in our history.  Their interests vary from basic home skills and crafts to cutting edge science and technology.   Whether a girl wants to learn about dairying and farming, or about aviation and rocketry, we offer badges for just about anything.

Frontier Girls Clubs are very flexible for busy families today.  Our program is designed to work with multiple ages in a single troop, all working on the same badge at the same time, but at differing skill levels.  Some troops are large with a wide age range, while others are small and may consist of a single age group.  Some troops meet every week, some just once a month.  Many of our troops work closely with local Boy Scout or Cub Scout troops.   Frontier Girls honors the badge requirements of other programs as long as they are age appropriate.  Troops can therefore work alongside their local Boy Scouts and use their requirements to earn a badge through Frontier Girls.

While Girl Scouts still has a lot to offer the girls of today, each family is different and should research the various scouting style options that are available today.  Frontier Girls is just one.  Before making a decision for your family, you may also wish to look into:

Campfire
4H
Missionettes
Little Flowers
American Heritage Girls
Spiral Scouts
Pilgrims of the Holy Family
Earth Scouts
Keepers of the Faith
Pioneer Clubs

Good luck and happy hunting!

The girls learned a hula dance and a song in Hawaiian for the entertainment.  We used knots that we learned to make our own grass skirts and leis, and learned all about party etiquette and table manners before inviting all family members to our luau.  At the luau, we also educated parents and siblings on Hawaiin etiquette such as never taking off a lei in front of the person who gave it to you (it is rude.)

We used our potluck luau as the start to our Investiture/Rededication Ceremony last month and everyone had a marvelous time.  The girls loved getting up on stage in their grass skirts to hula for their parents.  (We kept the patriotic theme of Frontier Girls by having the girls wear the skirts over their uniform and used red, white, and blue flower leis.)

By working on three badges at one time, the girls are less likely to get bored with a single subject and you can use one project to fulfill a variety of badge requirements.

So what badges will you be earning this year?

Frontier Girls luau

Frontier Girls fantasy badge

 By Tabitha Simicsak (Butterfly) Troop #101

This spring I decided to write my first badge. Starting in my teen years I have begun to like fantasy. One day I had my best friend over and she said it would be cool if there was a fantasy badge. I thought no more about it, until one night a couple weeks later I was in bed trying to go to sleep. I started to think of requirements I could do, from there I just started writing. I think I should have researched it a little better, because I didn’t learn much. I just used what I know of fantasy. My family, my troop leader, Mrs. Cordy, my pastor’s wife and daughter were a big help. I sent a draft of the badge to Mrs. Cordy and she said that, “I love the idea but it needs some work”. Then she gave me some tips on writing badges. I worked on it some more and sent a second draft to Mrs. Cordy. In the end she still made a few adjustments. I don’t know if I will write any more badges, but if I do write more badges, I would like to write the Radio Theater Badge and the Podcast badge. I encourage girls of all ages to write badges. It is hard work and it can be fun. Just remember to research it thoroughly and keep in mind the basic areas that need to be covered.