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Okefenokee Chapter News| About FCF | Staff | Forms | Trappers Brigade | Links
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Okefenokee Chapter
“Looking Ahead”
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Frontier Adventure
February 22 and 23, 2008
Timberlake
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POW WOW: FCF Callout
June 20 – 22, 2008
Timberlake
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National Rendezvous
July 14 – 18, 2008
Camp Eagle Rock, MO
$60.00 Young Bucks
$70.00 Old Timers
1st deadline: May 13, 2008
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Trace
October 17 and 18, 2008
Timberlake
$10.00 Young Bucks
$15.00 Old Timers
$5.00 Guests
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Remember the District Workdays, Ranger Kids Field Day, and Training Academy.
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2008 Frontier Adventure
There was a Frontier Adventure planned for the weekend of February 22 – 23, 2008 at good ole Timber Lake. Excitement was in the air. Keystone was using Keypebble’s trusty ole mule Dakota and she was loaded down and ready to go. A long and dangerous trip lay before him.
The journey wasn’t too bad. Been raining for two days but that didn’t bog him down any. In fact, it rained most of the trip. There was no hostile contact with fellow travelers or wild animals and Keypebble’s ole mule Dakota held up just fine.
 It was late when he arrived at Timber Lake, there were already a good number of frontiersmen set up and settled in. The rain had stopped for the most part and it didn’t take too long to set up his little camp as he packed light. He had a nice spot to set up. Some of his good friends saved it for him. Why, the water was only about 1 or 2 inches deep. I tell you what; good frontiersmen friends are hard to beat. You know, they could have left him a spot in the mud on the back forty.
Frontiersmen from all over this neck of the country kept arriving until well past dark. I reckon that we had near 50 frontiersmen show up for the Frontier Adventure. Such a large number with the weather we been having was nothing short of a miracle from God.
We frontiersmen here about came together many years ago to form a fellowship to reach, teach, and keep men folk, both young and old, for the Master Frontiersmen Jesus Christ. We named ourselves after the Great Okefenokee Swamp here in Georgia. The purpose of the Frontier Adventure is to bring new members into our fellowship. We don’t take just anyone mind you. No sir we don’t. We look for good Christian men folk who stand out among the rest. We check them out real good like. An if’n they meet our high standards we bring them on to the Frontier Adventure.
Ok, how’s about I get on with the story about this here Frontier Adventure we just had.
One of them new Saint Louis type Ranger camps was set up to welcome the new men folk. We were expecting 40 of them. Our frontiersmen members did a good job, they brought with them 37 new men folk, a lot of young-un’s and some old- un’s to boot. Only 3 got lost. This here was the biggest group in the history of the Okefenokee Chapter. Well some of our members checked them over real good to be sure they was who we wanted. We’ll call them Greenhorns because that is what they are, just plain and simple, they ain’t frontiersmen yet.
And the Frontier Adventure begins…
The Greenhorns was led back in time to the late 1700’s and early 1800’s time period. You know, the good ole days. Such great memories… Well now, ole Keystone and N- Steel greeted this here group of Greenhorns real friendly like. Instructions were given for the long trek to the camp. They were told to stay in single file and keep together. Instructions were given to keep as quiet as possible to avoid detection by any hostiles that might be in the area. Now, even with everything as wet as it was, it still sounded like a herd of Elk walking through dry leaves.
Ole Keystone would stop them every once in awhile and give them a good word of advise. One time he told them not to let the weather ruin their Adventure but to have a good attitude and do their best. He told them to think positive about things.
Well now, the Greenhorns were led through the woods toward the Okefenokee Camp where everyone was awaiting for them. They were getting close to camp when they attracted the attention of some Trappers who were down on their luck. No harm came from the encounter, but the knapsacks the Greenhorns were carrying did get some lighter.
Traveler was on guard duty that night and after the usual “Who goes there?” welcomed Ole Keystone and the Greenhorns into the camp. The members were gathered around the campfire singing praises unto God.
After the Greenhorns were welcomed into the camp they were separated into four groups. Ole Keystone gave them a brief talk about what was going to happen and all that good stuff. Keystone was short winded this time around; only spoke for an hour or two. Now, we is pretty strict on the Greenhorns, they ain’t allowed to have a lot in their knapsack, so, we removed all the excess gear they packed.
As we is one of the top fellowships in this here country, and we look out for our own, yes even the Greenhorns, we gave them a grubstake cause they was poor folk. Oh such poor folk they were. Should have seen the way they was dressed. They was a pitiful looking group.
Now my paw always told me this; “Boy, no matter what you do in this here life, always be sure to build a good foundation.” Well it done stuck with me, and a good foundation is just what we intended to build in these Greenhorns. Why with that generous grubstake we gave those Greenhorns they were able to purchase from us all they needed to begin that foundation with some left over to boot. Yes-sir-re-bob, we be a generous group of frontiersmen.
We started building that foundation right away. Yep, they learnt how to dress proper. Not an easy task. Well, after they learnt how to dress themselves proper, we put those Greenhorns out for the night to keep watch over the camp. We even gave them some reading material and a project to keep them awake and alert.
Now, we had some of our most educated frontiersmen show them Greenhorns a trick or two about being a frontiersman. Not only did they learn how to dress proper but we went on and taught them all we know. You know what, not a one had any type of shelter with them. We showed them about that. Now you’re not going to believe this, but it be as true as the hair on Ole Keystone’s face be gray, not a one had a fire starting kit with them, no-sir-re, not a one. We had to show them all about fire with flint-n-steel. These poor Greenhorns would not last long without fire. Well now, we covered it all, even showed them how to trap. Let’s see now, I just know there was more. Ah yes, I remember now. The Greenhorns were made familiar with the workin’s of a Black powder Rifle. Showed them everything, yep, sure did, lock, stock and barrel. We even showed them how to use a hawk and a knife. Those poor Greenhorns kept trying to hide both the hawk and the knife out in the woods behind our targets. We just kept sending them after them. I even heard told that a squirrel fell out of a nearby tree he was laughin so hard at them there Greenhorns trying to stick a target.
Well I do have to tell ya that each and every Greenhorn was able to earn back their grubstake for to repay the fellowship. Each Greenhorn was recognized and there were even some nice things said about them by the frontiersmen who represented them to the fellowship. All 37 of those Greenhorns even earned a good frontiersmen name.
Well, we welcomed them into the Okefenokee Fellowship with communion. Yep our fellowship is growing.
It was a good Adventure. God blessed us. He even gave us both kinds of sunshine, that’s right, the wet sunshine of Friday turned into dry sunshine on Saturday.
Time passed by quickly and the weekend came to a close. Ole Keystone broke camp and loaded his gear. He lost Keypebble’s ole mule Dakota and had to load his gear onto an ole work horse with a bad front leg. He will have to put her out to pasture till she gets better if she makes it home. Yep, Ole Keystone was hoping that his wife would remember to stoke the fire and put on the coffee, he was headed home.
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 National FCF Rendezvous | Download the Flyer
July 14-18, 2008 Camp Eagle Rock, Eagle Rock, MO
Sojourners in a Foreign Land, Hebrews 11:13
This is open to ALL active FCF Members.
Registration cost is: $60 for Young Bucks and $70 for Old Timers
IMPORTANT NOTICE: There will NOT be another National Rendezvous for 6 years. They have moved Camporama from 2010 to 2012 to line up with the Royal Ranger 50th Anniversary Celebration. So the next National Rendezvous will not be until 2014.
ALL Okefenokee Chapter Members are encouraged to attend National Rendezvous 2008. We would like a minimum of 25 from the Okefenokee Chapter.
The FIRST registration DEADLINE is May 13, 2008.
PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO: Keyfamily@gmail.com to let Keystone know of your registration. I need to know who is attending so we can work out all the logistics going to Rendezvous, while we are at Rendezvous, and returning home from Rendezvous.
For more information, visit the National FCF web site or the National Ranger web site.
Trail of the Grizzly
The "Trail of the Grizzly" is designed to lead boys and leaders along the challenging FCF advancement trail. The purpose of this "Trail" is to prepare boys and leaders to successfully complete each of the FCF advancements by including a unique set of merit award requirements for the "Frontiersmen," "Buckskin," and "Wilderness" steps.
 Congratulations to our new Riflemen Territory National Scout:
Michael Ridgeway... FCF name N-Steel.
He is following in the foot steps of Ethan Jackson - Ethan did a great job!
Article:
What I did to Prepare for National Scout
by N"Steel (Michael Ridgeway)
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