FCF Adventure Weekend

[Roaring Bull]

Wild Bull and I have been working to get into the reenactment group of the Royal Rangers called FCF. Well, this weekend there was the test, called the Frontier Adventure. So, we went, along with another commander and another young man from our outpost. There were a total of 20 candidates. This is how our weekend went.

First off was a little bit of a uniform inspection and some words on the changes taking place over the next several months on what our uniforms will be. Then we changed out of our Class B khaki uniforms into grubby clothes and the real Adventure began. With a lot of walking in the dark, we got into character as the Booshways took charge of us, splitting us into two groups. The Booshway is a leader of sorts that guides you through the process. We were given some "pay" (beads) up front and told that we would need at least 3 beads in our possession to get in to FCF. Plus we were given a can of rations. These were given to us by the chapter President.
We were given a couple of things that would make the weekend rather interesting. One was a rope with a loop on one end and a wooden toggle on the other end. These kept us together and helped us learn to work as a team when walking from place to place. The other was the 9 inch long piece of wood with the end hollowed out about 2 inches. This was our talking stick. Once you put it on, you could not talk. If you talked with it on, they cut a notch in it. It you got two notches cut, that cost you one bead. Each additional notch would also cost you one bead.
So we got to walk some more and learned a few things about the spirit of FCF. Then we got our rations stolen by a band of renegades. Once we made it to camp, we had use three of our five beads to buy some gear we would need, like a flint and steel set, a beaded choker set, a booklet we would have to read, and a .50 lead ball. So we were now down to 2 beads. Then we went to company clerk's desk and signed on the line with a quill and ink. We got to sit down for a while at the firelight service. Finally at about midnight 30 we got to bed down, on the ground next to a lake. Of course the wind was blowing about 20 mph and the temp by then was about 40º. We had to take a sight test that night as well. They pulled back a blanket and told you to look real fast and learn, then tell them 12 things on the blanket in 10 seconds...I guess you can see that it was just a ploy to take another bead. So after I got about an hour and a half of sleep trying get comfortable on the hard ground, we were woke up at just before sunrise and told to pack up our gear.
We got packed up and lined up and walked up the hill to the main camp. There were bartered for some breakfast, costing us our last bead. There was jerky and hard tack for breakfast. After we got that choked down we had a trapping class put on by the chapter president. Then the real work of earning beads began. We started out with archery. It was a rather simple chore of making a shot at a turkey at 5 yards, or a deer at 10 yards or a bear at 15 yards. We all got a bead for that. Then was probably the most difficult challenge. We were given a sack lunch that held a hamburger patty, a raw egg, a waxed paper cup, an orange and a raw canned biscuit. The test was to start a fire with flint and steel and cook the meat and egg and once everything was totally cooked you could eat it and get your bead. The common way was to cut the top of the orange off and hollow it out, eating the insides. Then you put the meat into the orange and put the orange into the coals of your fire. You would put water into the paper cup and boil the egg in the coals. I decided that I really didn't like the taste of orange meat. So I put my egg into my hamburger and mixed it up in the paper sack and hung the paper sack over the fire on a stick. There is enough grease in the meat and water in the egg to keep the bag from burning and still cook the meat. Lots of folks were gathered around as I sat there with my sack over my fire, my biscuit on a stick, eating my orange. So when it came time to be judged, the Pres liked my idea and said I got my bead, as did the others in our outpost. Black powder shooting was next...no problem there. Throwing a tomahawk and a knife and sticking them was after that...again no problems. So we all had five beads and only one notch cut in our sticks. We all hurried to get our choker kits completed because the Pres said no choker-no pass. We all got them done. We older fellers had to help out a couple of the younguns, but we got them done.
Then the Pres had the tally sheet out and took note of our beads and notches. We walked up the benches and sat down facing away from the camp. Then our sponsors (each candidate had to have a sponsor that was already in FCF) brought us up a plate of dinner with a pork chop that was enormous, at least 1 ½" thick and covering half the plate, with potato wedges and homemade bread, all cooked out side. There was also banana pudding for desert. Then each sponsor presented each candidate with a gift for making it through the Adventure and into FCF. Our sponsor gave us a Bible with a stitched leather cover and a rabbit fur with a wooden communion cup and beeswax candles.
So, we packed up our gear, went home, showered and slept a contented sleep!

[kit_carson]

sounds like y'all had a good time! what no pics?

[heatherhistorian]

Wow! that sounds like a moving experience.  Glad you were able to partake.  once in a lifetime experience.  keep up the good work!

[Roaring Bull]

sounds like y'all had a good time! what no pics?

There was a camera man taking pics but I was a little too busy myself.  If they get posted somewhere I can post some!

[Roaring Bull]

Wow! that sounds like a moving experience.  Glad you were able to partake.  once in a lifetime experience.  keep up the good work!

Thanks Heather.

[William]

Wow!  Thanks for sharing.