The Future of FTC

I’ve always had an ultra-long-term vision for the development of Frontier Trading Company, and it’s one I’ve rarely shared.

Sometime around 2018, I sent plans to an old summer camp director for a future program area at their camp: a week-long, fully immersive historical deep-dive into the Ohio frontier, complete with a wooden-walled fort, mock battles, frontier politics, and even a Shawnee village located about one mile upriver. No doubt this was received with a shrug. Camp staff come and go every season, and once high school kids hit their college years, they rarely come back. Nonetheless, FTC as an immersive program for young people remains my greatest aspiration in this hobby.

I envision an applications-only program with a board of review to screen young people for a sincere interest in history and a willingness to push themselves. Scouting is restricted to youth ages 10 to 18, and “high Adventure” camps have age limits in the upper half of that difference. I would seek to classify this experience as a national high adventure camp with an age restriction for older Scouts. I imagine funding a scholarship program to supplement a Scout’s fundraising efforts to attend.

The point of the experience would be to immerse Scouts in the time period as completely as possible. Scouts would be fully outfitted with clothing and equipment from the time period. A canoe trip, hunting excursion, battle at the fort, interactions with American Indian interpreters, ambushes, lessons in textiles, leatherworking, shooting, planting, cooking, and possibly a night caught in the woods with no supplies could all be possible elements of the program. A paid team of historical interpreters would guide the Scouts through the experience, dropping advice and stories along the way – all backed by historical documentation. At the end of the experience, Scouts could keep any projects they complete while undergoing the program as a memento from the experience. Sew a shirt, market wallet, or shot pouch? Cast some extra ball over the fire? Those are things you can keep on your shelf forever, as a reminder of America’s frontier past.

I have shared this vision with quite a few mentors in this hobby to mixed responses; everything from “why wait until you are retired to start this?” to “that sounds like an injury waiting to happen.” I have been reminded of my youthful ambition, my inexperience managing others, and the cultural implications of portraying American Indian tribes or French and British characters. This dream has been through the wringer. Every iteration has improved over time, and I feel confident that the program will be a well-honed operation by the time this vision comes into practice. Your support of the channel helps me get closer to realizing this ambition to share American heritage with the next generation as never before.