Francis of Assisi. Having been in the traditional Weeblos, Scouts, etc., my wife and I naturally looked into involving him in a local chapter. So it began.
Established in 2003, GUIDES is an orthodox Catholic wilderness boys troop dedicated to teaching and forming boys in the Catholic faith, obedient to the Magesterium, serving the poor as exemplified by our patron St. Raising godly adventurous boys for 9 years and counting..............
In 2003, when our eldest son turned 7, he desired to join a scouting troop. As we pursued our options, we found th
at the “traditional” scouts weren’t offering what we wanted for him. We wanted practical, hands on, inspiring, life-long learning rooted in the christian tradition coupled with real outdoor skills that would serve John-Paul both now and in his future. If time was spent away from our home, we wanted that time to be well worth the sacrifice in the interruption of our family’s schedule. As we sought, we couldn’t find these properties coupled within the realms of the same organization. After much prayer and meeting with other dads in various parishes with the same desires for their sons, I decided to begin a group fashioned in the history of our Roman Catholic Tradition which implements the outdoor skills needed for our boys to be knowledegable, reliant, safe and boldly adventurous in the world God gave us, specifically, in nature. Our first GUIDES chapter of 17 boys from different parishes - uniforms, manuals, badges and all! Our meetings keep growing larger, boys keep spreading the word to their friends and parents continue supporting. All the while, the Lord keeps working. The GUIDES emblem illustrates the different facets of GUIDES. The compass rose at its center has a two-fold meaning. As GUIDES, the Lord is our Morning Star that keeps us focused on Him,
GUIDing us along the narrow path, and pointing the way to Him for others. Additionally, a compass is an indispensable tool of the outdoors that every “guide” needs in order to find his way. The Chi-rho and “M” display our commitment to Christ and to Mary, His Most Holy and Immaculate Mother. The fire shows our knowledge of outdoor skills while the deer prints signify skilled nature observation. It's color brown on the outer circle is in honor of our patron, St. Our GUIDES motto QUAERERE ET SERVIENT or TO SEEK AND TO SERVE sums up the GUIDES essence, which is to seek and serve the Lord and one another and to fully explore and enjoy the natural world God has created. About Andrew Ellis:
Having been raised on the Oklahoma prairie, Andrew was always been active in the great outdoors. His love for nature, exploration and adventure has honed his bushcraft skills for the past 35 years. His deep love for God, the Catholic Church and his family are the center of his life. After completing his undergraduate degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Andrew pursued further education at The Ohio State University where he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. He and his wife, Marika, live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where they are very active in their home parish and in homeschooling their seven children. He founded GUIDES in 2003 as a Catholic alternative to Boy Scouts and has been serving in the formation of boys to young men ever since. Site Administrator/Media Design & Consultant:
James Volpe https://www.facebook.com/VOLPEdesign
