August 2022 Newslettter

Kerry Cordy

A Note From the Founder – Share the Love, Get a Coupon

Kerry Cordy

Its that time of year again, and everyone is gearing up for a new school year. In an effort to promote Curiosity Untamed, I am offering a 10% off store coupon for anyone who wants to help me out. To get your coupon just do the following:

  • Make a post on a homeschool Facebook or other social media group telling people why you love Curiosity Untamed (or Quest Clubs or Frontier Girls) and how you use it in your homeschooling. If you are not on social media, you can also make a post on any homeschool forum.
  • Screenshot your post and make sure to include the name of the group to which it was posted.
  • Email your screenshot to kerry@curiosityuntamed.com and I will send you a custom coupon code good for 10% off your next purchase in the store.

New Badges Posted

Cardinal Directions, Potatoes,

Learn About Sloths – Animal Specific Badge

The Animal specific badge can be used to learn about any animal you choose. I was recently made aware of a fabulous resource for those of you who wish to learn about Sloths. The Sloth Conservation Foundation has some great free printable activity booklets to learn about this facinating creature.

Are you a club leader or co-op leader? Do you think your group would benefit from speaking with one of a sloth educator live from the jungles of Costa Rica? If so, you you can now get all of the latest sloth information and knowledge directly from one of the conservation’s educators working with scientists and conservationists in the field.

The Sloth Conservation Foundation is offering FREE lessons for groups via Zoom or Skype on different sloth related topics. The duration of the sessions are usually 30 minutes – 1 hour, and they are specialized for different age groups. If you are interested, you can register on their website slothconservation.org.

Camping Safety Activity

by Jon Melick – Girl Scout Trailblazer Facebook Group

As most of us know, teaching how to set up a campsite correctly and safely can be BORRRRRR…ING! Jon Melick of the of the Girl Scout Trailblazer Facebook group has a way to make it fun.

It’s called a “Bizarro Campsite,” in which the goal is to make as many mistakes as you can. Kids then see how many of them they can find; and it can be a competition by individuals, patrols, age groups or anything else.

Below is a sample list of “mistakes.” Set up each item in your campsite and see how many the kids can spot. Feel free to develop your own!

  • 1. Gasoline/lighter fluid can near fire
  • 2. Stove not on stable surface
  • 3. Stove fuel containers left near the stove
  • 4. Very large pot on a small stove
  • 5. Tent on slope/close to a tree/at the bottom of a gully
  • 6. Empty food containers, scraps or boxes left around the site
  • 7. Glass containers left lying around
  • 8. No bear bag; or set up but only a few feet off the ground, against a tree
  • 9. Dirty cook kit
  • 10. Wash basins left with filthy water in them and dirty dishes left in them
  • 11. Trash on ground
  • 12. Latrine too close to water or tents
  • 13. Tent not set up correctly – guy lines not set, ground cloth sticking out from under tent; tent and/or fly not staked down
  • 14. Firewood supply unprotected from rain or snow
  • 15. Matches left out
  • 16. Shoes on food prep/eating table
  • 17. Fire not made in fire pit, made around flammable objects (dead grass, twigs, things on ground that burn easily)
  • 18. Clothesline too low — 3-4′ off of the ground
  • 19. Food and drink in tent
  • 20. Cooler left open with food inside it
  • 21. No fire buckets; or empty fire buckets
  • 22. Axe lying in or on the ground
  • 23. Rope tossed on ground
  • 24. Knife left open on the table

Growing up FG

by Elizabeth and Kara Simmons

Our journey in Frontier Girls started in the fall of 2010. Kara was about to start first grade. We wanted a scouting-type-skills-fun-social group for her. God led us to Frontier Girls (long story for another day).

Mom’s perspective – Leading my troop is one of my greatest joys. I LOVE my girls and our families. Adventures through the years are precious memories. Frontier Girls has stretched me to try things that I normally wouldn’t. Kerry thinks we can do this, let’s try. Sometimes it’s been a reach (making marionettes needing knots tied with little fingers, vegetable art with sharp knives). Other times it has been perfect (allowing my daughter to cook eggs, shadowing the District Director for our State Senator). And sometimes, it has been comical and I still get teased (watching a kids’ cartoon in French, allowing my older girls to tie me up to practice their knots). But it has always been GROWTH. And the growth I have seen in my girl – her confidence, her conviction, her knowledge, and her character – has been AMAZING. We chose badges in her high school years that would prepare her, and she is READY to fly. God led us to Frontier Girls and He has blessed us through Kerry and this wonderful program.

Kara’s perspective – Frontier Girls has been a source of learning and joy since I was 6 years old.  Badges quickly became an integral part of everyday life as well as family vacations.  No vacation is complete without at least one badge and one museum!  Meetings have always been special because I get to make friends with other girls and learn things in a group setting (something I don’t get a lot of being home schooled!).  I started helping to lead parts of meetings when I taught fondant making as a Butterfly for the Edible Art badge.  When I first discovered the awards, I decided that I simply must have sparkly gems on my vest.  This kicked off 12 years of learning and exploration as I earned the Gem Award 4 times, Wow Award 3 times, and earned Majors in both Character and Knowledge.  Frontier Girls has taught me to learn, explore, serve, and have fun! Now I’m an Owl, which in our troop equates being a junior leader.  I’m looking forward to helping to teach the younger girls so many things!  The highlight of this past year has been convincing Mom to become an Owl with me (I’ve been trying ever since the level was created!).  I’m looking forward to continuing to learn, grow, and explore alongside her and our troop, even as I may be absent for internships and college.