Community Service Feels Great

Has your tribe participated in a community service project?

Most third year tribes spend the year earning their totem pole patches for completing community service work. But first and second year tribes can get involved too! It's a perfect time during the Christmas season!

I recently ran into a 4th year Trailmates tribe at the Harris Teeter at Crescent Commons Shopping Center in Cary helping out the Salvation Army by ringing the bell and collecting donations in their red kettle. Everyone was wearing their vests and greeting people as they walked in. It was great to see!

I work at SAS and SAS employees take an active role in helping the Salvation Army with their Angel Tree program. SAS employees bought clothes and books for more than 90 children.

SAS introduced a new program called the Elder Elf Holiday Home Improvement Program. Using money raised by employees, teams of SAS employees and their families, help make home and yard improvements for seniors who can no longer maintain their homes and yards due to restricted finances or physical limitations. I signed up my wife and two children and we volunteered this past Saturday in Apex.



It was fantastic! We met at the house at 10:00 am, surveyed the area with our team of volunteers and went to work. We tore down a rotten wooden fence and replaced it with a new fence. We fixed and painted another fence. Painted the shutters and mailbox post. Mowed and pulled vines off the back fence. Raked and stained the back deck. We replaced the rotten siding and door from a storage and gave it a fresh coat of paint. We painted caulked and painted windows sills inside, along with adding new blinds. We brought our senior a new Christmas tree and decorated it for her. In only 6 hours, we made great progress in improving her house and yard. The kids were right in there, helping with the yard work, painting and hauling trash.

Our senior was so appreciative and we all got hugs. We all got together to tell her that SAS employees had raised over $300 and this money had been paid to her utilities account, so she won't have a utility bill for several months.

When we were done and got home, we were all exhausted and a little sore. But it was a good sore and our hearts felt great!

Can you and your tribe make a difference?

You can!... and it's great experience and lesson for your children.

Check out the Arapahoe Nation Web site for community service opportunities in your area.

How-How!

Arapahoe Nation Marches in Raleigh Christmas Parade

In their largest showing ever, the Arapahoe Nation had hundreds of Big and Little Braves and Princesses walk in the 63rd Annual Raleigh Christmas Parade. The line of walkers stretched nearly 100 yards on this chilly Saturday morning, in front of 60,000 blanket-covered parade watchers.

Many Big Braves carried jingle bells, while Little Braves & Princesses threw fireballs (what else?) to kids watching the parade.

You gotta love hearing WRAL TV anchor Bill Leslie talk about our program's size and exclaiming "That is incredible!"

The crowd was great by yelling back when we yelled "How-How!"

When we got home after the parade, I watched a tape of the parade and was initially bummed that they went to commercial right when we walked by. I just learned that WRAL didn't broadcast the parade in order and showed the Y-Guides & Princesses later in the broadcast.

You can watch our segment online!

If you go to http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2058072/ and click on Raleigh Christmas Parade Part 2 within the video window. When the video panel comes up, move the slider to 11:41, and you'll see the Y-Guides & Princesses. I can see Big Hare, Denny Cole and several dads from my daughter's 2nd year Dancing Turtles Princess tribe. That's okay, don't show the Nation Chief and his beautiful kids. :-)

If you're a 1st year tribe, make sure your chief signs up your tribe to walk in Raleigh Christmas at next Fall's Chief's Meeting. Not only will you have a lot of fun and get a cool patch, but it's just one more experience that you and your child will share and be able to talk about for years to come.

Arapahoe Nation Blasts WeBuildPeople Goal!

It's jaw-dropping.

It's unbelievable.

The mighty Arapahoe Nation, the largest father-child program in the country, set a goal this year to raise $30,000 for WeBuildPeople. We raised $20,000 in 2006. Could we do it?

The program pushed all tribes to join the "One Tribe, One Child" program to donate their wampum to send a child to camp for a week. Longbow Council held several call nights where most all dads in the program were contacted asking for a personal pledge. We only had 6 weeks to meet our goals.

At the WeBuildPeople Victory Celebration on Thursday night, Matt "Moose" Strickland revealed how much money the Arapahoe Nation raised.

$81,762!

This is incredible! Just think of all the needy families and children that will benefit from our hard work.

If your tribe has not made your WeBuildPeople pledge, it's not too late to do so. Contact Matt "Moose" Strickland at 582-2266. We can still take your pledge at the last Fall Outing of the year.

The Alexander YMCA's WeBuildPeople 2007 goal was $675,000, but all the volunteers and donors crushed the goal, raising a record-setting $850,341! This will change the lives of over 1,000 people during the next year!

I want to congratulate everyone involved in the WeBuildPeople campaign. Matt for developing a great plan to take our campaign to the next level, and Steve Motter, our Nation's WeBuildPeople Colonel. We also couldn't have done it without the help of our incredible Longbow Council volunteers.

A Fall Outing to Remember

For the first time in seven years, I was fortunate enough to have my parents and my wife Monica come to Fall Outing at Camp Kanata. It was a special day for me -- a day that I had been planning for months. Since I was in the Indian Guides with my Dad in Charlotte in the early 70's, I wanted to thank him, and my mom for all that they have done for me. I wrote my script with tears in my eyes. It was going to be difficult to read. For the next week, I read over the script several times each day and it became easier. During the ceremony, when I turned to the last page of the script, my son Aaron whispered "Uh-oh", knowing I might have trouble reading it. Fortunately I didn't get choked up.

Here's what I added at the end of the ceremony for my parents.

Little Braves, tonight is a night you will never forget.

You'll remember the fall breeze and the color in the trees.

You'll remember taking your 2-mile hike and having fun with your tribe.

You'll remember holding your dad's hand and walking together between the lit torches as the tom-tom beats in the background.

You'll remember how high you jumped when the bonfire was lit.

You'll remember exchanging bear claws with your dad and giving him a big hug.

All the memories that you form tonight and in the years to come with your dad in the Y-Guides program will be with you forever. And perhaps you'll be able to share these same experiences in the Y-Guides with your son or daughter when you become a big brave.

I want to tell you a true story.

There once was a man named Morning Cloud. Just like your dad, Morning Cloud had a son who he loved very much. Morning Cloud taught his son to love his family. He taught his son to be respectful of others and to respect our natural surroundings. He taught him to fish and to make a campfire. Together with his wife, Morning Cloud helped shape and guide their son into a man. But most importantly, together, they showed their son how to be a great father.

Morning Cloud's son is now grown and has two children of his own. It's now the son's time to pass down all those important lessons that he learned from his mother and father to his own children. The son is thankful every day for the lessons he received from his parents.

You ask yourself "Is Morning Cloud an Indian?"

No, but Morning Cloud was a dad just like the Big Braves sitting here tonight. Morning Cloud was a father in the YMCA Indian Guides program. The son was just like all of you Little Braves.

The son's Indian name in this story is Red Cloud. I am Red Cloud and the son in this story.

I then introduced my parents and walked over and gave them the biggest hug.

Now this is something I'll never forget.

Princesses Wrap up Fall Outing Weekend

We had the second Fall Outing ceremony for the remaining 1st & 2nd year Princess tribes this past Sunday.

What a beautiful day and evening! I enjoyed welcoming the 1st and 2nd year tribes at the deck and handing out our cool new 2007 Fall Outing patches.

I've never seen so many torches before. There were so many torches, that we actually ran out of kerosene. Lighting them also took longer. The procession nearly got to the torches before all were lit. Seeing all the torches and their reflection in the lake is an impressive sight.

The ceremony was more impressive now that the time has changed. Unlike the first weekend, it was completely dark before the procession came down between the torches.

I had my son Aaron "Tough Bull" (7th year) and my daughter Ashlyn "Fuzzy Kitty" (2nd year) with me this weekend. I'm already looking forward to this Sunday when I'll be bringing my wife Monica and my parents to Kanata to see Fall Outing for themselves.

Attention Guide Tribes! The Princess tribes have raised a ton of money for WeBuildPeople! Can you top them? I know you can! Make sure your tribe has talked about your tribe's pledge for WeBuildPeople by the time you come to Fall Outing. We will be collecting your tribe's WeBuildPeople pledge cards on the Mess Hall deck where you check in. Remember, no money is due now. Just your pledge.

I heard about one tribe having a yard sale with all the proceeds going to WeBuildPeople. That's an excellent idea. The dads matched the sales and then one of the dads' employers matched the total contribution. This is a great way to meet your $500 donation level (or more!) to be eligible to win a free Spring Outing for the entire tribe.

I look forward in seeing all the 1st & 2nd year Guide tribes this Sunday! Don't hesitate to come and say hello. Be the first Little Brave to come up and meet me any time Sunday and mention this blog and you'll win 15 fireballs!

Has Your Tribe Made Your WeBuildPeople Pledge?

As Nation Chief, I'm asking that each tribe pledge their yearly wampum at Fall Outing to the YMCA's WeBuildPeople program, which helps send kids to summer camp who would otherwise not be able to afford the opportunity. This year, it will cost $150 to send a child to camp.

At Fall Outing, your tribe can make your WeBuildPeople Wampum pledge. When you do, each member of the tribe will receive a cool new WeBuildPeople patch. Don't worry about collecting money now. The chief will be billed in Spring 2008.

But wait! There's more! Those tribes that raise $500 or more are eligible to enter a prize drawing for some amazing gifts, including a free Spring Outing for the entire tribe, free Winter Inning tickets for the entire tribe and the ability to choose your cabin at Spring Outing.

For every $100 donated over the $500 level, your tribe will get an additional entry in the drawings. For example, if your tribe donates $700, your tribe's name will get 3 entries!

Can your tribe easily raise $500? Absolutely! For a 10-dad tribe and 15 tribe meetings remaining, dads would simply have to add $3.00 to wampum bag (in addition to earned wampum) at each tribe meeting (twice monthly). This would raise $450. Add in the earned wampum and you'll certainly hit $500.

The WeBuildPeople campaign supports the entire experience at the YMCA and targets the most pressing needs -- scholarship, outreach, youth development and more. 100% of the dollars are used for these needs; no dollars are spent on administrative services or fees. Every gift, regardless of size makes a difference!

In 2006, the Central YMCA (now the Alexander YMCA) raised over $625,000 and used these funds to assist about 775 children and families in the YMCA's youth and membership programs (i.e. afterschool care, summer day camp, tutorial programs, Y-Guides, etc). It also supported the YMCA's subsidized outreach programs for children living in low-income housing communities.

The Y-Guides & Princess program has been asked to raise $25,000 in 2007. We can do better!

If your tribe hasn't discussed WeBuildPeople, discuss it at your next tribe meeting. Push your tribe to make a difference in the lives of kids in the community.

I ask for Big Braves to try to also make a personal donation. Many of you have been contacted by a Longbow Council member about making a donation. If not, you can call Matt "Moose" Strickland at (919) 582-2266. He can take your pledge over the phone. Donations over $100 can be broken into installments beginning in 2008. Also don't forget that some local employers will match your donation! Contact your HR department to find out!

Want to hear and see how the WeBuildPeople program is changing the lives of people in our community? Watch this great video!

Fun at First Fall Outing

My daughter Ashlyn and I had a great time at Fall Outing this past Sunday (10/28) with our 2nd year Princess tribe "The Dancing Turtles."

The Great Spirit gave us beautiful Fall weather -- cool and breezy.

Our great program staff Bobby "Big Hare" Harris, Matt "Moose" Strickland, and Andrew "Salty Dog" Plyler did a great job organizing the event. I think it was a great move to move the 3rd year tribes to Saturday. In years past, it was just ridiculously crowded, especially during the ceremony.

Since our tribe has 3 new pairs in the program, we took our 2-mile hike to help them earn their 1st year feather. I didn't fall in the mud like I did last year. I still can't live that one down.

The ceremony was special for Ashlyn and myself. It's something that we'll never forget.

I really liked meeting Emma "Pink Panther" after the ceremony. She was shy, but brave enough to come up and talk to the Chief. No doubt she'll be on the zipline come Spring.

We enjoyed meeting all the friendly girls of "The Dancing Fireflies" on the soccer field who came up and talked to Ashlyn and me as we waited for our tribe to arrive. What a bunch of cool girls.

Just how many "Dancing" Princess tribes are there? Within 30 feet of our picnic table on the soccer field, I bet we ran into 3 or 4 "Dancing" tribes? "Dancing Turtles", "Dancing Fireflies", "Dancing Daisies", "Dancing Geckos".

Did you get info about the Chief's Challenge on the back deck? You can get the Chief's Challenge flyer here.

Since our program is so large, we have to break up Fall Outing into four separate weekends. Because of this, I get to do this 3 more weeks. I'm already looking forward to next Sunday. I'm bringing Ashlyn and my son Aaron this next Sunday.

Welcome to the Chief's Blog

How-How! I want to welcome all Y-Guides & Princesses to my new blog! During the upcoming year as Nation Chief, I will be updating this blog with articles on upcoming & recent events, tribal meetings, outings and more.

First, it's a great honor to be named Nation Chief this year. We are all so blessed to be in the largest father-child program in the country with nearly 11,000 members!

Let me tell you about myself.

I'm in my 7th year in the Y-Guides program. I first joined the then "Indian Guides" in the fall of 2001 with my son Aaron "Tough Bull". We were part of the "Ragin' Raptors" tribe, which has since disbanded. If you're in the Trailblazers program and looking for more members in the Cary area, drop me an email. Aaron and I want are looking for an active Trailblazer tribe to join to do more than just Rockmont each year. Multi-day hiking & camping, paintball, go-karts, community service, etc.

I'm also in my 2nd year with my daughter Ashlyn "Fuzzy Kitty," in the "The Dancing Turtles" tribe. We lost several members in our tribe over the summer, so we pulled in the remaining members of "The Arapahoe Angels". So instead of two small tribes, we now have an active 10-dad, 11-girl tribe.

I was fortunate to be in the Indian Guides with my father in Charlotte in the early 1970s. I can remember going fishing at 4:00 am at Camp Thicket. I remember going to Camp Thunderbird to Longhouse. I have so many memories of being with my dad in the program. I knew I had to share these same experiences with my children when I got older.

I look forward in serving you as Nation Chief. Please don't hesitate to come up at any event and introduce yourself. I'd love to meet you and hear your experiences in the program.

If you have any suggestions on future articles, want to share a great craft, story, outing or just have questions about the Y-Guides program, just let me know.