The Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship (FCF), originally called Frontiersmen Camping Fraternity, was founded during the summer of 1966. The Fellowship began as a way to reward for the older boys and men who had distinguished themselves in advancement, training, and camping.

The first FCF chapter was organized in the Southern California District in 1966. Dressed in buckskin outfits, the boys and men gathered in the firelight and prepared to endure a night of testing that would stretch their camping and survival skills to the limit.