A Note From the Founder – Email Issues
Kerry Cordy
Yet again, Gmail seems to be losing some of my emails. Just a reminder to everyone that I always do my best to answer all emails within one business day unless I am out of town. If for any reason you email me and don’t get a response within 24 hours, PLEASE check back with me as it means there is a problem. If for some reason your emails don’t get answered, my phone number is always on the Contact Me page of the website and you can always call me if needed. ( Just remember that I am on Pacific time please and make sure to leave a message if I don’t pick up.)
I have always been very personally involved with my members and am here not only to answer questions and fix problems, but provide ideas and advice as well. For those new to the program who do not know me yet, feel free to reach out and introduce yourself. I would love to get to know you.
New Badges Posted
Anne of Green Gables, Patchwork, Artificial Intelligence
Printable Binder Covers and Dividers
Did you know that there are free binder covers and dividers to creat badge binders? For those who print out the badges they are currently working on, putting them in a binder is a great way to stay organized. There are a variety of ready made covers and dividers for both Curiosity Untamed and Quest Clubs that feature our mascot, Badger the Badge Hound. Just go to the Resources tab on the website and choose Free Printables.
How to Create a Quest Club
Have you ever wanted to create the scouting style club of your dreams? Starting a Quest Club gives you the chance to design a club specific to your personal beliefs and goals. Each Quest Club is unique. Some are all boys, some are all girls, and some are co-ed. Some are highly religious while others are completely secular. Some are open to all ages, others just one. You make the rules.
When you create a Quest Club, you get to choose your own club name. There are groups like the Wildflower Tribe, Adventure Kids and B.R.A.T. Brigade. You choose your own uniform. All kids can wear the same color vest or you can outfit them in a rainbow of colors of their own choice.
You choose what your club stands for and the values you wish to encourage in your kids. Each club writes its own promise or pledge. For example, the Tehachapi Mountain Scouts, one of our Quest Clubs, wrote this as their pledge:
“I pledge to explore my world everyday and find ways to make it better. I pledge to conserve all of the earth’s resources, use them wisely, and teach others to do the same. I pledge to use teamwork, passion, and cooperation to help my fellow scouts and leaders. I pledge to lead by example by being honest, trustworthy, courteous, and helpful. I pledge to explore, conserve and lead in all that I do.”
While we divide our badge requirements into 6 different age levels, the names of those level vary from club to club. Some clubs use animal names for each level, others use flowers. Names such as Greenhorn, Wanderer, Pathfinder, Guide, Explorer, Pioneer, are also used as a way to express what is expected of each age level.
Creating your own Quest Club allows you to create a community around shared interests and goals. Whether you’re passionate about the outdoors, service projects, or arts and sciences, a Quest Club gives you a way to connect with others who share your interests and make a positive impact in your community.
Want to learn more? Contact me at kerry@questclubs.com and ask as many questions as you need. My phone number is also on the Contact page of the website if you would like to chat instead.
Animal Pins – Made in the U.S.A.
Many Quest Clubs choose to name their various ages levels after animals much like we do for the Frontier Girls program. In Frontier Girls, each age level is named after an animal that has character traits we hope the girls will emulate. For example in Frontier Girls, Level 1 girls are called Otters. Otters are known for their playful behavior. They are smart, creative, and curious. Their play helps them gain knowledge, speed, and dexterity that helps them survive. We hope that the girls will never lose the ability to play and look at the lighter side of life.
When designing a Quest Club for your group, if you use animal names and wish to purchase pins to represent your age levels, we recommend purchasing from our animal pin vendor, LapelPinPlanet. While we carry their animal pins for the Frontier Girls age levels in the Curiosity Untamed store, many more animals are available on their website. Whenever possible everything we offer in our store is made in the U.S.A. and LapelPinPlanet is one of our favorite vendors.
LapelPinPlanet is run by the Clift family in Coventry, Rhode Island who handcrafts pewter pins and other “sculpture to wear.” Each and every piece they create is carefully inspected, environmentally safe, and responsibly sourced. In addition to using clean alloys and a clean production process, they use 100% sustainable energy in their studio and recycle all of their scrap pewter.
Super Troops
Is your Frontier Girls Troop a Super Troop? Does your troop go above and beyond just earning badges? Check out the Super Troop Award and see if your troop qualifies. Frontier Girls Troop #109 has been earning the Super Troop award every year since 2008. Here is an example of their activities from this year to give other troops a bit of inspiration:
Badges:
- Earned 11 badges as a troop in eight different Areas of Discovery
Community Service:
- Project for whoever hosts your troop (City of Big Sandy)
- Litter pick-up at City Park
- Project for local community
- Placing flags on Veterans’ graves at Chilton Cemetery, for Veterans’ Day and Memorial Day
- Ongoing project of troop’s choice
- East Texas Patriot Guard Flag Star Appreciation Packets Project – available half hour before and after each meeting.
Family Events:
- Family Swim Party: 26 September 2022
- Family Tea Party: 13 February 2023
Outdoor Events:
- Placing flags on veterans’ graves at Chilton Cemetery: 10 November Day 2022 & 25 May 2023.
- Family Swim Party: 26 September 2022
- Raingutter Regatta 8 May 2023
- Picnic at Big Sandy City Park: 8 May 2023
Ceremonies:
- Flag Ceremony *required* — almost every meeting, depending upon where we meet.
- Advancement Ceremony & Rededication – 19 September 2022
- Award Ceremony – 19 September 2022, Tea Party 13 February 2023, Year End Awards 15 May 2023
