A Note from the Founder: Starting the Year with Purpose
by Kerry Cordy
September feels like a new beginning for most of us in the homeschool and scouting world. The lazy pace of summer gives way to something more structured, and there is a certain energy that comes with that shift — new supplies, new goals, fresh momentum.
But before you dive into a full schedule, it is worth taking a few minutes to think about what you actually want this year to look like. Not just which badges to work on, but what skills you want your kids to develop, what kind of leader you want to be, and what your group needs most right now.
Some of the best troop years I have heard about started with a simple conversation — leaders and members sitting down together and asking: what did we love about last year, what do we want to do differently, and what is one thing we want to accomplish before May? That kind of thoughtful start tends to carry a group a lot further than jumping straight into a packed activity calendar.
If you are homeschooling, the same applies. Pick two or three areas you really want to dig into this year. Let your kids have some input. Write it down somewhere you will actually see it. Then build from there.
— Kerry Cordy
New Badges Added
Tidal Zones Badge – Discover the Outdoors – Explore the four zones of a tidal area, the unique plants and animals that live in each one, and what makes these ecosystems some of the most dynamic environments on earth.
Multiplication Badge – Discover Science and Technology – Build fluency and confidence with multiplication through hands-on strategies, real-world applications, and activities that go beyond memorizing tables.
Needs vs. Wants Badge – Discover Character – Explore the difference between needs and wants, learn how understanding that distinction shapes smart decisions about money, resources, and daily life.
Hands-On Activity: Build a Tidal Zone in a Tray
This activity pairs with the Tidal Zones Badge and works whether you live near the coast or nowhere near it.
Materials:
- A large shallow tray or plastic storage bin
- Sand or gravel for the bottom
- Water
- Small rocks or stones to create zones at different heights
- A cup or ladle for adding and removing water
- Optional: small plastic marine animals, shells, or craft foam cut into simple creature shapes to represent organisms in each zone
Instructions:
- Before building, discuss the four tidal zones — the spray zone, the high tide zone, the middle tide zone, and the low tide zone. Talk about what kinds of creatures live in each one and why — some can survive long periods out of water, others cannot.
- Build your tray model by layering sand or gravel in the bottom and stacking rocks to create a sloped shoreline with four distinct levels.
- Slowly pour water into the tray using the cup to simulate a rising tide. Observe which zones are covered and which remain exposed.
- Scoop water out gradually with the cup to simulate the tide going out. Observe which zones are exposed first and which stay underwater the longest.
- Place your creature representations in the appropriate zones based on what you have learned. Discuss why certain animals live where they do and what adaptations help them survive.
- Older members can research a specific tidal zone animal in depth — a sea star, a limpet, a hermit crab — and present what they find to the group.
This works well as a troop activity with members working in small groups to build their own tray models and compare results. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour.
Founders Day – September 20
September 20 is my birthday, and over the years our Frontier Girls members have turned it into a day of celebration and service that honestly means more to me than I ever expected.
Ideas for celebrating Founders Day include:
- Participate in a community service project that represents Frontier Girls or me in some way — helping at a local VFW, American Legion, or veterans’ home, or participating in a walk or fundraiser for Alzheimer’s research in honor of my mom, Sandy Yearwood, who was the inspiration behind Frontier Girls and passed away in 2018.
- Interview me by phone or email — I genuinely enjoy hearing from members and getting to know the people who are part of this community.
- Send me a birthday card.
Seasonal Activities for September
September is the start of a new program year for most troops, clubs, and homeschool families.
- Host an investiture or welcome ceremony for new members joining this fall.
- Visit an apple orchard or pumpkin patch and work toward the Apples Badge or Pumpkins Badge.
- Bake a loaf of bread from scratch and work toward the Bread or Baking Badges.
- Take a nature walk and document signs of the season changing — changing leaves, migrating birds, cooling temperatures.
- Work on the My Troop Badge as a group activity to kick off the new year.
- Celebrate Founders Day on September 20 with a service project or a card to Kerry.
Leadership Position Spotlight: Photographer
The Photographer is responsible for taking pictures at all group meetings and events. It sounds simple, but done consistently it creates something genuinely valuable — a visual record of the group’s work, growth, and experiences over time.
A member who holds this position develops an eye for capturing moments, learns to be present and observant, and builds a real skill in photography that connects directly to the Photography Badge and the Advanced Photography Badge. It is also a great position for kids who have a hard time sitting still, since it gives them a legitimate reason to be up and moving around during meetings. Over the course of a program year, a dedicated Photographer can produce a record that becomes the foundation for a troop scrapbook, a year-end slideshow, or a portfolio for an older member’s badge work.
Higher Award Spotlight: Discovery Award
The Discovery Award is earned by completing one badge in each of the nine Areas of Discovery. It is one of the first major awards many members work toward, and it is designed to encourage broad exploration rather than staying only in familiar territory.
For members who tend to gravitate toward the same area — arts, say, or outdoor skills — this award is a gentle push to try something new. Earning it requires at least one badge each in areas like Discover the World, Discover Character, Discover Agriculture, and Discover Science and Technology, among others. It is very achievable and makes a meaningful goal for the first year of membership.
Community Service: Senior Center Visit
September is a good month to reach out to a local senior center or assisted living facility and plan a visit. Many of these organizations welcome youth groups and are easy to coordinate with — a phone call is usually all it takes to get on the calendar.
What you do during the visit can be as simple or as involved as your group is ready for. Younger kids can bring handmade cards or drawings. Older members can plan a short performance, lead a simple craft, or just spend time in conversation with residents. Troops who do tall flag routines or patriotic presentations are often especially well received at veterans’ homes.
This project connects naturally to the Senior Citizens Badge and counts toward Servant’s Heart hours. It is also the kind of service that tends to stick with kids — the connection with an older generation is something many of them remember for a long time.
Resource Spotlight: How to Align Badges with State Standards
One of the most common questions I hear from homeschool families is: “How do I show this counts as real learning?” If you have been wondering how to connect badge work to your state’s requirements, I have a blog post that walks you through it step by step.
The process is simpler than most people expect. You start with the badge itself — looking at what skills the child is actually practicing — and then find the state standards that match those skills. The key is matching skills, not activities. You don’t need a standard that says “cook a meal.” You need one that says “follow multi-step directions” or “use standard units of measurement.” Once you start looking at it that way, the connections become obvious.
The post also covers how to use optional badge requirements to fill any gaps, how to layer expectations across different ages working on the same badge, and how to keep records without overcomplicating them. Most badges naturally cover multiple subjects, and in most cases they cover more ground than a single worksheet ever will.
Tips and Tricks for Leaders
At your first September meeting, take ten minutes to let members share one thing they did or learned over the summer — a trip, a skill, a book, anything. It gets the group talking, helps you see what badge connections might already be there, and reminds everyone that learning happened even when the program was on pause. It also gives quieter members an easy on-ramp back into the group dynamic.
Frontier Girls Continuing Education Scholarships
Each year I personally offer three continuing education scholarships to registered Frontier Girls members between the ages of 16 and 21. These are not traditional college scholarships — they are personal gifts that can be used for any type of continuing education, including college tuition, vocational school, special classes or seminars, educational equipment such as computers or cameras, or even travel. The goal is simple: to encourage girls to keep learning and exploring the world around them, inside or outside of a traditional school setting.
Abby Olson Award — $1,000 Named for the first Frontier Girl to earn both the Diamond Gem Award and the WOW! Award at the Eagle level, as well as all nine Major Awards before graduating. Abby was a founding member of the very first Frontier Girls troop and went on to work at Frontier Girls headquarters, eventually serving as office manager. This award goes to the girl who best follows in Abby’s footsteps.
Qualifications: Must be a registered Frontier Girl, ages 16–21 on April 1. Must have earned the Diamond or Grey Diamond Award and the WOW! Award at the Eagle or Owl level. Applications due April 1, award given June 1.
Charlotte Duke Award — $500 Named for the first Frontier Girl to earn the Diamond Gem Award. This award goes to the girl who best follows in Charlotte’s footsteps.
Qualifications: Must be a registered Frontier Girl, ages 16–21 on April 1. Must have earned the Diamond or Grey Diamond Award. Applications due April 1, award given June 1.
Megan Lundquist Award — $500 Named for the first Frontier Girl to earn the Eagle level WOW! Award. This award goes to the girl who best follows in Megan’s footsteps.
Qualifications: Must be a registered Frontier Girl, ages 16–21 on April 1. Must have earned the Eagle or Owl level WOW! Award. Applications due April 1, award given June 1.
Click the links above for full application details.
Not a Member Yet?
Curiosity Untamed provides thousands of hands-on badges across nine Areas of Discovery. Whether you’re homeschooling, leading a troop, or simply looking for meaningful activities, our program offers structure without limiting curiosity.
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