ehsguy,
Let's back up a minute.
When you said, "make a drop-down of values available as query criteria", did you mean that you want to have a drop-down that, when you select a value, restricts the values you can see on the same form/navigates the form to a specific record? Or, did you mean that you have some query that does something else entirely, unrelated to the form, and that you just want to have a list of values to pick from for the criteria of that query?(This is what I assumed you wanted.)
In the first case, we're talking about either a filter on the form's data or record navigation, and in the second, we're just talking about a query that uses a field on a form for the "where" clause.
Just FYI: When you use the query design grid, the whole "Select blah blah" stuff is created in the background every time. You just don't see it unless you change your query from design view to SQL view. As to whether you have to type the SQL in the properties of the form, instead of using the query design grid, the answer is no.
To create or modify a query upon which the form will be based, just open the properties window of the form, go to the "Data" tab, and click on the words, "Record Source". You will see a drop-down and an elipse (...) appear over on the right side. If you click the drop-down arrow, a list of all existing tables and queries will appear. If you want your form to be based on an existing table or query, just select the one you want.
If you want to create a new query (SQL statement) to serve as the basis of the form, just click on the elipse. A show table form will open, which shows all of the existing tables and queries (same info as in the drop-down). If you then click the close button on the show table form, a blank query design grid will appear, and you can use that to create the query you want. When you click the "X" (close form button up in the upper right corner), it will ask you if you want to save the changes you made. If you say "yes", the "Select blah blah" statement will be created in the "Record Source" box of your properties window. Neither way is significantly better than the other-having a SQL statement in the "Record Source" is really no better or worse that basing your form on an existing table or query.
Here again, this is probably not what you want to do, if you are just trying to pick a row for the form to display by using a drop-down.
I'm a bit uncertain exactly what you want to accomplish, but if you write back with a few more specifics, I'll be glad to explain how to accomplish what you want.
Tranman