Welcome to our first-ever Friday Field Log!

In case you don’t know the story, I have had this society idea tumbling around in my head for years.

Often I thought how fun it would be to have a whimsical version of scouting for adults. A few weeks ago, I shared it on my Facebook page and it captured the imagination of the internet. Almost 3 million of you saw the posts and thousands raised your hands and said, I’m in. And here 👏🏻 we 👏🏻 are.

Going viral is a wild ride. I am still replying to comments. This is 1000% a situation of build the plane while you fly the plane. Thank you for your patience and encouragement and most of all doing this with me. This is one of the most magical things I’ve ever experienced.

A few of you made the comment over on Facebook that you have seen others try this kind of thing but it fizzled and there seemed to be perhaps a lack of follow-through ultimately. While I don’t have an insight on those situations, I want you to know I am all in.

Last time I was this all in I moved alone, sight unseen, to an active conflict zone in South Sudan with a few hundred dollars, bottled water and a camp stove. I was privileged to live locally in the community for seven years.

Even though things have slowed slightly in terms of sharing velocity, I want you to hear from me and be kept in the loop every single week.

But I do not want to inundate your inbox with every detail. (Spoiler: I’m the friend who gives you your gift early and then gets you a second one for the actual day because I can be a little extra.)

Here’s what happened this week so far:

• I’m still researching the best badge options and starting to order samples. This is a learning curve for me. As an artist/illustrator/designer I’m used to print, but this is a whole new world.

• I’m almost finished with our very first Field Guide designed to be used in one of your first troop meetings. It is gorgeous and comes with a very special introduction. I have taken my time because I want it to be something special. I should finish it this weekend.

• I am making plans to turn these PDFs into actual print magazines that can be purchased. It just feels so special to have something on paper. Paper people you get this— not just me, right?

• A BIG huge enormous deal is unfolding behind the scenes this coming week. I’m creating an application to submit us to a very special project/grant that might open some massive doors to help me serve y’all better. It’s a longshot and I can’t say much more than that right now, but fingers crossed. 🙏🏻

This space isn’t about me. It’s about YOU. So I’d love to know what questions you have about Frolic and Forage. Or hosting/joining a troop. Or my background. I am planning to do regular ask me anything videos where I answer your questions. Click the button to add as many of yours as you like.

Ask Me Anything

May I ask a favor?

If you are meeting with your troop, snap a few photos:

1. I’d just love to see your faces! If you are open to sharing them with me, I’d love to see them. Full stop.

2. It would be a huge help to begin having an archive to pull from to celebrate what is going on with our independent troops and gatherings.

If you are comfortable, you can send photos to frolicandforagesociety@substack.com In the message, let me know if I have permission to share and a little about what the photos represent. If you have selected a troop name include that and your city/state or country.

If you just want me to enjoy seeing your troop in action but not share them, let me know that too.

Our Friday Frolic Weekly Chat

This is new too. I don’t want to overwhelm you. You do not need to do everything. Pick one or two things.

I believe when we follow our intuition instead of the fear of missing out we will find the things that are truly meant for us in this moment.

This is a chat where we share what we’re making and exploring! A little like show-and-tell meets a circle of encouragement.

A Chat Thread to Help You Find One Another

In case you missed it, this is a chat thread to help you find one another while I’m building a directory.

And that’s a wrap. I am so deeply grateful each one of you are here.

With wonder and whimsy,

• I am currently building a directory. It will be simple and low-tech for now. So all of you looking for how you can find eachother, it’s in the works. See below about the immediate set-up and what’s in the works.

• We are working on creating the first-ever field guide for your first or second meeting. You do not have to have this to start gathering. My goal is to have it to you by the end of this week.

• If you want to start or are starting an independent troop, please read through the How to Start a Troop guide. It will answer so many questions.
  

Help us help you find eachother…

I created a chat with a few specific instructions that will build a central space for you to find one another, as we are building a directory page behind the scenes.

Please follow the 3 simple steps in the chat instructions just to keep it easy to navigate.

Working on this week…

• The field guide for your first or second meeting. Eeeek!

• Deep dive research into badge production options

• Our first show-and-tell chat later this week… I want you to have a space to share what you are working on and connect over that!

• A photo album option that allows you to upload photos of your gatherings. First, I just want to see and celebrate you. Second, with your permission, I’d love to start sharing the beautiful things that are happening because of you!

So grateful for each of you.

SO many of you on Facebook and here have raised your hands to be troop hosts and gatherers.

The last 4 days I’ve been working on creating a guide that should answer most questions and give you a solid foundation to start with.

In the following PDF, you’ll find:

• What an independent Frolic and Forage troop is

• How to name your troop

• What’s our why at the heart of all of this

• All about our society emblems

• Thoughts and tips on cultivating a healthy troop with a worksheet (if you like those kinds of things)

• Helpful links & things

How To Start A Troop

6.04MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Here are the basics on gathering your independent local troop. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out.

Download

Also for those of you who like roadmaps and having an idea of what’s coming next… we now have a page for that. I’ll do my best to include updates and what we are working on so we can be excited together!

All my love,

I just wanted to send this out for those of you who are new to Substack.

This is more of an introduction to how we will be using the platform, but if you have specific questions, drop them in the comments below and I’ll make some more walkthroughs.

This is a zero-shame space. Questions are always welcome!

And Substack just MASSIVELY upped their video game so we will definitely be taking advantage of that!

I’m so glad you are here.

Love,

Promises to do the dishes before going to bed or be more present at meal time. There are promises we celebrate with formal vows and ceremonies. And ones that are whispered late at night after everyone else has gone to sleep.

Promises are about trust. And the promises we make ourselves are just as important as the ones we formalize and declare in the presence of our communities.

They might even be more important. Because how we carry promises we make ourselves can shape our ability to trust and hold space for our intuition, creativity, and dreams.

You my friend are worth showing up for… just as much as everybody else in your world that depends on you to show up for them.

Plus, every society worth its whimsy must have at least a small pledge.

This isn’t about getting it right or following the rules. It’s about choosing the kind of world we want to be a part of building. And it’s about who we are becoming in the process.

So, you can place your hand over your heart, lift your teacup, or hold a half-finished craft and repeat:

I promise
to stay curious,
choose kindness,
make room for wonder,
and bring whimsy wherever I go.

I am so glad you are here my friends and fellow foragers.

Thank you for your patience as I have been getting all our foundational structure built around here. Anything we build is only as solid as the foundation we build it on. And that is too vital to rush.

The Latest Updates

• I massively upgraded our frequently asked questions. If you are searching for information about how things work here, this is the place to start. I will continue updating as we grow.

• Here is the section that explains how local troops operate.

• NEW! A form where you can submit your local troop information for an eventual directory of sorts.

• How to start an independent troop is coming 07/16

• Our first-ever Field Guide is coming ETA 07/24.

  • Field Guides are our monthly guides with a theme, ideas, crafts, a recipe, menu ideas… basically they are designed to make it easier to gather with your troop and not have to invent ideas from scratch. You do not have to use them. But there is something special about knowing troops all over the world are meeting around similar topics.

  • This field guide is special because we are creating it to help you facilitate your first or (2nd or 3rd) meeting.

• Badges and so much more are also in the works.

• I’m so looking forward to diving into the fun stuff— getting to know you!

May your pockets always contain interesting rocks. May your tables always have room for one more chair. May your curiosity lead you down paths that delight. And may you find whimsy waiting in places you least expect.

All my love,

PS Here’ss the lock screen image. Just save it to your phone like you’d save any other photo. (Long tap and select or right click usually works).

I’m literally spinning in my desk chair, I’m so excited you are here. I also might be slightly over-caffeinated and covered with pixel dust. It’s a smidge of a construction zone around here.

There is something so magical about being a part of something from the very beginning as it grows.

Over 2 million people on the internet have seen our posts in the last week. And thousands of you raised your hand to say, “I’m in.” Dang, I am humbled by your trust and enthusiasm.

I don’t take your trust lightly. In a world where it is increasingly difficult to tell who and what is actually real, trust is everything. And yours is a gift I hope to steward well. Thank you.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started! 🎉

Start by reading our community guidelines.

Then hop into the chat and introduce yourself!

Here are some things we are working on round the clock to get into your hands as quickly as possible!

• How to start a local independent troop. (In the meanwhile, check out the FAQs for the basics you need to know before you get started.) ETA 07/16
  —
  These are 4 major questions answered from our FAQ page to get you started.

  • Can I start my own local troop?

  • Are local troops official chapters?

  • What can I call my local troop?

  • What about international troops?

• A simple way you can let us know you are starting a troop and where you are from

• Practical ways you can help us grow.

• Our first badges 👏🏻

• A mushroom beret mini tutorial

• Our first Field Guide you can use for your very first troop meeting (or 2nd or 3rd… we know some of you may already be hanging out!)

• Our first Society Dispatch private podcast episode. Think of it as us sitting around the craft table together while you knit, embroider, paint, or fold laundry.

• Some posts that introduce more of the story about who we are, our team, and what we do as a society.

There are more things in the works, but if you were hoping to see something specific sooner than later, hit reply to this email and let us know what it is! I am still catching up on email, but things will go faster now that our doors are open here.

Wrangling all our tech and documents, well let’s just say my 48-year-old self pulled a classic all-nighter. Completely worth it. (Yes, the FAQs were indeed published by yours truly at 3:28 AM)

I am humbled, gobsmacked, delighted, and beyond grateful you are here.

With whimsy and wonder,

PS. Help us get the word out!

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