FAQs

How much does it cost?

At this time there are no dues.  We are planning upcoming fundraisers to keep it this way.
There will be upfront costs for purchase of a Navigators T-shirt $15, and a gray and/or black backpack.
There may be per meeting costs for entrance fees, supplies, etc.  Badges are $3 each and will be awarded bi-annually. Participation buttons are awarded after each meeting, those are 50 cents each.

When do we meet?

We meet 2 times a month.  Days of the week and times are based on regular surveys.  At this time, Sunday afternoons have the highest availability and Saturday afternoons have the second highest.  We will try to schedule on those days, but meetings may occur on other days depending on availability of a special guest or facility.

Where do we meet?

Everywhere!  We keep Navigators outdoors as much as the weather will allow.  Meeting locations for outdoor meetings may be at a park, hiking trail, campground, lake etc.  Indoor meetings will be at various library locations, depending on meeting room availability.

Is there a uniform?

Our uniforms are a Navigators t-shirt and a gray or black backpack.  T-shirts may be ordered at the Navigators store.  Just visit http://navigatorsusa.org/ and click store.  Juniors (10 and under) will wear green shirts.  Seniors and adult volunteers will wear blue shirts.
Backpacks may be any style, gray and/or black with no characters or patterns.   We will be sewing badges and attaching buttons to the backpacks.

Can you tell me about the program?

Junior Navigators (ages 6-10)
Junior Navigators will work through a series of worksheets to earn badges.  Each topic will have 3 level badges: bronze, silver and gold.  Meetings will introduce topics and Juniors and their families will be encouraged to work through them on their own to complete requirements.  Any badge can be worked at any time.  Navigators do not have to wait for a meeting introduction if there is a topic they are interested in pursuing.  Navigators who have mastered a topic may be asked to help lead a meeting about that topic.
Topics include: Hiking, Cycling, Geocaching, Fishing, Swimming, Caving, Sports, Space, Bushcraft, Community,  Communication, Conservation, and so much more!

Senior Navigators (ages 11 and up)
Senior Navigators will be working on more advanced skills.  They will learn first aid, survival, knife skills, backpacking, water purification, safe fire building, winter camping, map reading, food prep and safety, plant identification and so much more.

We will also be doing 2-3 community service projects each year.

What about my younger children?

Siblings are welcome!  We will have a Stargazers/Siblings group.  This group will have related but more age appropriate activities.