Federation of North-American Explorers (FNE) |
Federation of North-American Explorers (FNE) |
Dear Parents and other interested parties, welcome to our web page and to our movement.
We are inviting interested parties both young and the not so young to investigate the potential opportunities to join our FNE Explorer movement to have fun and to grow on a personal level from a number of different perspectives.
Parents,
are you looking for:
If you have answered yes to one or more of these opportunities then we invite you to read on and learn more as to what the FNE Explorers has to offer to you and your child(ren) from the age of 7 and up.3
Why
do children wish to become a member of the FNE Explorer movement?
The short answer is to have fun, to do cool stuff and to make new friends.
From a parent perspective “The program as a whole is a good one. We find
it safe, secure and valuable place for our child and highly recommend it to
other parents.” And from another parent “The entire program is a
well balanced, structured program full of fun, team-building, skills building,
faith building and good people building. You offer a future for our youth to
live into. Not a destination, but a journey to travel. A life to live, to love!”
Now one may ask, is this for real, are these initiatives realized and how? Briefly through the use of words and images we offer the following for your consideration.
Our program experience is intertwined into our faith by encouraging and providing experiences for our youth and their leaders to:
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Same gender program experiences are offered as this opportunity of growing and developing within a single gender environment is all to rare within today’s community. This way boys can look up to positive adult make role models and girls can embark on projects or adventures that are more suited to their taste or interest.
The program measurably
places emphasis on youth leadership development and related responsibilities
through the use of youth leaders called Sixers (for Timber Wolves) and Patrol
Chiefs (for Explorers) and through the living and keeping of their promise.
We have a unique uniform that our youth wear proudly knowing that it represents
our movement, which is summarized in the Timberwolf Promise:
I promise to do my best, to be faithful to God, my country, my parents, to keep the law of the Timber Wolf Den and to do a good turn for somebody every day.
And the Explorer promise:
On my honour and with God’s grace, I promise to do my best, to serve God, my church, my country, to help others and to obey the Explorer Law.
The Explorer program as a whole appreciates the unique aspects that make up each individual. Each individual is treasured for the gifts of themselves that they bring to our Explorer family. As an example, in the Timber Wolf Den we have a saying that goes The strength of the wolf is the den and the strength of the den is the wolf meaning that every one contributes in their own way to the Explorer family. Each child is special and treasured in a movement that lives and embraces the joys and positive aspect of the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ when he told his apostles: Love one another as I have loved you!
Would you like to see your child being more active from a physical and mental developmental perspective? We emphasize the use of our bodies through playing, running, working, climbing, and doing. We embrace the mind through interactive games and actives that encourage problem solving, learning how to work as a team, to discover the joy of the simple things in life, to listen to stories, to play board games and to limit interaction between youth vs. the electronic gadget; there is a time and place for everything.
The outdoors, the real outdoors away from the hustle and from cars, planes, manmade noise and light is for many of today’s youth a rarity, we offer this exciting positive life changing experience to our youth at all levels with the degree of challenge adjusted to fit the age and capability of the youth and the skill package of the leaders.
Throughout the program the youth are continuously challenged to "what if" situations or discussions of current events, to think before one acts, in the more difficult moral choices to ask even a simple question such as WWJD – what would Jesus do before making a right decision.
The choices in life can be confusing, using our faith we help our youth discover that following Jesus is not easy in our society, that it takes courage to dare to be different, to say no to drugs, smoking, and the other many vices that are there to tempt our youth.
At times our society can be focused on serving ourselves, to have instant gratification, and to be in step with the latest fashion trends and more. In the FNE Explorer movement we encourage our youth to realize that they have a responsibility (under adult supervision to ensure their safety at all times) to help others through projects such as feeding the homeless and visiting shut-ins at Nursing Homes or hospitals.
We have a unique uniform (common to all 19 member countries), a uniform that plays a key role in the who and what we are. An explanation as to the value of what we wear while engaged in the program is explained to our explorers as follows:
Common Uniform: All FNE explorers (in all 19 countries) wear the same uniform, which represents a highly visible image or a sign of a common and shared large family, you are part of a very real family with a meaningful ideal with a true sense of sisterhood on an international level.
Care of Uniform: When putting on your uniform you are expected to be careful in doing so, to have a clean uniform and to wear it neatly and completely.
By wearing your complete uniform: you show that you are not unduly influenced by the current “what’s in” fashion trend thereby not wearing superfluous clothing while active in the movement.When one is wearing their uniform: one accepts their place in the FNE explorer family, one is reminded about the value of their Promise and the Explorer Law that they are expected to embrace and live in and day out.
The uniform is simple and straight forward: you and the other members of your patrol and troop are expected to accept it as it is, to not add or remove anything from the uniform that takes away from the sense of family, brotherhood or sisterhood.
The FNE Explorer program has been designed to reach out to all ages, a program that also encourages parents, and other responsible adults to join the family, to make a difference. Click here for further details and opportunities to become involved.
Otters
– ages 7 and 8
Meetings for the boys are held on Wednesday evenings. What do Otters do (from a youth perspective):
Visit our Otter page for more information: http://www.fourarrows.ca/otterlodge.htm.
Or email: info@fourarrows.ca
Timber Wolves – ages 9 to 12
Meetings
for the boys are held on Monday evenings and for the girls on Thursday evenings.
What do Timber Wolves do from a youth perspective:
Visit our Timber Wolf pages as follows:
For the boys http://www.fourarrows.ca/twsahi.htm
For the girls http://www.fourarrows.ca/twsingum.htm
For more information email: info@fourarrows.ca
Explorers – ages 12 to 16
Meetings
for the boys are held on Friday evenings from 7.30 to 9.30 pm and anticipated
for the girls on Wednesday evenings from 6.15 p.m. to 8.15 p.m.
What do Explorers do from a youth perspective:
Visit our Explorer Troop pages as follows:
Eagle boy Explorers http://www.fourarrows.ca/expeagle.htm
Dove girl Explorers http://www.fourarrows.ca/expdove.htm
For more information email: info@fourarrows.ca
Wayfarer Explorers for ages 17 and up
This program is under development, interested parties are encouraged to contact the group leader Paul Ritchi at 416-435-6593 for further information.
As we are an International based movement (to learn more about our international movement please click here http://www.uigse.org/presentazione_EN.ASP ) we do our best to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Europe.
We have made two visits for Easter of 2005 and again for Easter of 2007 (please click here for further information http://www.fourarrows.ca/rome2007/pilgrimage.htm) and are currently fund raising to take our boy Explorers to Poland for a special summer camp in August of 2008. Our ability to travel is only limited to our determination and successful fundraising efforts to help us reduce the individual direct costs involved.
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Our group in the Toronto area meet at Baythorn and Willowbrook Public School in Thornhill, starting the week of September 10th. For further information on the group as a whole please visit our local website at www.fourarrows.ca
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Design by: Anthony Johnson
Last Updated: February 17th, 2008
