What is the difference between Youth and Alumni membership?

A Firecrafter is a Youth member until turning 21, at which point he/she becomes an Alumni member. Youth members are able to participate in events as youth, run for officer positions, and coordinate events. Alumni members are able to attend events as alumni, advise youth officers and event coordinators, and participate in event cook/dish crew. For more information on how youth and alumni members are able to be active, please visit the get involved page (under construction).

Can a scout or scouter be outside of Indiana and join Firecrafter?

Yes, through the lone troop program, troops are able to earn the Firecrafter ranks. For information on the lone troop program, please contact councilvicechief@firecrafter.org. Members outside of the range of our flames (Crossroads of America Council, Buffalo Trace Council, and Miami Valley Council) will be assigned to whatever flame and ember is geographically closest to their location. To see which ember and flame is closes to you please visit the Embers and Flames page.

How do I run for an officer position?

Firecrafter officer elections are run yearly at the end of Grand Ritual. First, the council positions (Chief, Vice-Chief, Secretary, and Treasurer) are elected by all firecrafters present, with each ember voting on behalf of their members, then flames elect their flame officers (Chief and Vice-Chief), then embers elect their ember officers (Chief, Vice-Chief, and Secretary/Treasurers).

I have a health concern or question. Who do I ask?

For all questions or concerns regarding health needs at Firecrafter events, please reach out to Health@firecrafter.org, and our Health Coordinator will assist you in addressing these with you! 

What do I need to include in my health form (AHMR)?

Please fill out the form clearly and completely, with no line or boxes unaddressed. For specific items that are reviewed at every Firecrafter event, please review this document. 

I have special dietary needs.  What should I do?

Please make sure to communicate your needs when registering.  The cook crews will do their best to accommodate special dietary needs.  Participants other than ritual candidates are also welcome to bring and prepare their own food.

Can my (non-member) parents come and see the Ritual?

Firecrafter upholds the BSA principal that there are no secrets in Scouting, and therefore, parents are welcome.  Careful consideration should be given to the impact on future membership of registered adults.  Firecrafter does reserve the right to request proof of Youth Protection Training for the safety of all participants and see above that they will need to be BSA Registered given the updates to the BSA Guide to Safe Scouting (September 1, 2023).

My child did not receive a candidate letter when he/she completed Firecrafter requirements at camp, or the letter was lost.  Where can I get a copy?

The sample candidate letter is on the Ritual page here.

What are the requirements for participating in Firecrafter Events with the updates to the BSA Guide to Safe Scouting (September 1, 2023)?Registration with the BSA is required for participation in Firecrafter events, specifically camping overnight and having any contact with youth (necessary to guide candidates).  Please pass the word to your friends/family who might wish to attend the ritual or other weekend events.  They will need to register in advance and have their BSA application fully processed and approved (which includes background check and youth protection training) before arriving at the ritual.  Going to My.Scouting.Org is the best way to verify you are registered or to become registered.

What should I wear to Firecrafter events?

The Firecrafter uniform consists of Fire shirt, undershirt, and scout shorts with accessories.  Firecrafters should wear this uniform to events.  Depending upon the activities, a Firecrafter may wish to bring an activity/work shirt as well.  Firecrafters who have lost or outgrown the uniform may purchase replacements at the trading post.  Order ahead is available!

Non-members should bring BSA field uniform and one or more activity uniforms.

Do I need to bring a tent?

Yes, unless you have specifically made other arrangements.

Am I free to come and go from events?

Participants under 18 are generally expected to come and stay through the event unless prior arrangements have been made.  All participants should check in/out with registration.  If not purchasing food from the event, please be sure to bring food with you.

How can I register multiple people for events?

Public events, which are open to non-Firecrafters, may offer a guest option for registering non-members.  Members should not register as a guest because we want to track member participation.  To register multiple members at the same time, please sign in and register yourself, then select "New Registration" and provide the username of the member you wish to register.  You can repeat this process until you have registered everyone for whom you are responsible and then make a single payment transaction.  To look up the username for someone, sign in and use the Member Directory.

I want to share information that may assist the staff with my personal or youth's experience at an event in regard to a chronic condition, mental/emotional experience, or recent events that may affect them. Who can I email?

Please email Health@firecrafter.org, and the health coordinator can make sure this is given to the event leadership team and health team. This email is monitored 24/7 by a licensed volunteer who is happy to make this event as positive and fufilling as they can. 

My child does not have an email address.  Can I use mine?

Each Firecrafter member must have/use a unique email address in the database.  However, we understand that parents may not be comfortable with their child having an email address.  If the parent is not a member and has only one scout, the scout can use the parent's email address.  If the parent is a member and/or has multiple Youth members, this is problematic.  We have solved this problem by creating a placeholder email address that can be used for login and registration, but not communication.  For recent initiates, the system has been updated so that any youth member without a unique email address now has a username of first.last.year@firecrafter.org, where that represents first name, last name, and year of initiation.  To be clear, this is not a real email address, but will be used in the multiple registration process.  When the scout is ready to update his/her email address, please contact the councilsecretary@firecrafter.org and alumnisecretary@firecrafter.org.

Each member also has an alternate address, which is used as a Copy To for all communication.  This is an ideal place to include the parent's email address.