EXPLORING SoCal, WALKING IN FAITH
We’ve been exploring Southern California together as brothers and sisters for over 10 years.
Come get to know us and our journey.
WHAT DO WE DO?
Our Explorer movement offers a same-gender program experience. Within our explorer movement we differentiate between men and women to accompany our young people in a conscious development of themselves and to respond to the needs of each gender be they physiological, physical or spiritual. This proven method, which is faithful to Baden-Powell, creates balanced personalities and constitutes a fulfilling and happy environment that complements family life, which by nature is mixed, and the life of our greater society.
FNE develops the whole child from a physical, emotional, spiritual, social and intellectual perspective. We further teach and model responsibility, promise, commitment, leadership, service, and loyalty. We accomplish these promises by safely and constructively exploring nature, the community, service to others and our Catholic faith.
All-season camping (including the year’s highlight of a week-long summer camp), service projects, retreats, and weekly meetings with challenging games/activities are just some of the things that help make all of these promises possible.
FNE helps our youth embrace and demonstrate concern for others while also growing in self-confidence as to how they can make a positive difference in their own lives and the lives of others around them. Experiences and lessons learned through FNE will help them prepare for the challenges that life brings, and continue in their growing love and trust for Jesus Christ even as they move into their adult years. Our youths are our leaders and citizens of tomorrow; FNE enables them to embrace righteous core values and beliefs even if society is moving in a different direction.
HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT
Our pedagogy and movement traces its roots back to the Lord Baden-Powell – the father of scouting – and Venerable Jacques Sevin. Lord Baden-Powell would create the concept of scouting and founded the first scout patrols following his time in the British Army fighting in the Boer Wars in South Africa. Father Jacques Sevin SJ, a French Jesuit, would meet B-P and adapt his pedagogy to the Catholic Faith for introduction to France; It was believed by B-P that Sevin had understood scouting better than anyone.
Our brother and sister scouts in Europe would start what would become the associations of the Union of International Guides and Scouts of Europe – Federation of Scouts of Europe (UIGSE-FSE) following the Second World War when French and German scouts came together to walk in the Faith and create a new brotherly bond in the wake of the violence done during the war. Today the UIGSE has association in 20 countries and is recognized by the Holy See as a Lay Association of the Faithful by Pontifical Right.
Paul Ritchi, our association’s founder from Canada, has been leading scouting groups since his teenage years. He would join the UIGSE-FSE in 1999 and after the ASGE’s split from the UIGSE in 2007, he would found the Federation of North-American Explorers in order to remain with the movement. The movement soon after expanded into the United States.
You can read more about the FNE and the UIGSE on their websites.
https://fneexplorers.com/
https://uigse-fse.org
ABOUT OUR GROUP
In 2013 our group, El Camino Real, would be founded at Saint Margaret’s Catholic Church in Oceanside. Under the patronage of the then-Blessed Junipero Serra (now a canonized saint). Today we’re going strong boasting 6 Explorer Patrols, bustling Timber Wolf Dens, lively Otter Lodges, and a blooming Wayfarer/Rover Crew and Fire.
Our group is named El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road) after the actual road that goes up the coastline of our home state of California.
El Camino Real was created during the Spanish colonial period and connected the 21 Franciscan Missions together. Sections of this road remain in use today, typically marked by a series of replica bells and are a strong reminder of the Spanish Catholic history here in Alta California.
Our group colors are gray and red. The gray represents the Camino Real and the red represents the blood of the martyrs. Each group wears their colors on their neckerchiefs (scarves).
The group is placed under the patronage of Saint Junipero Serra. San Serra (‘San’ being Spanish for ‘Saint’) was the founding father of California having begun the work of the Missions to evangelize to the natives.
In addition, each of the Explorer Patrols have their own unique patron saint chosen by that patrol.
The patron of the Timber Wolves across the movement is Saint Francis of Assisi and the patron of all Otters is Saint Dominic Savio.
So far we are the only group of the FNE in California (God willing this will soon change). Every three years we attend a regional summer camp for the groups in the US Southwest where the male Explorers from El Camino Real (Oceanside & Murrieta, CA), Sangre de Cristo (Albuquerque, NM) and Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Littleton, CO) meet and hold company with each other.
GET IN TOUCH
We’d love to have you alongside us on the way.
You can see our upcoming meetings and events on our events page and send an email to co*****@*************ne.com