Y-Guides and Princesses March in Durham Holiday Parade

Did you know that the Y-Guides and Princesses now have four tribes in Durham? We do!

Several members of the 3rd year Dancing Turtles Princess tribe (out of Cary) and three dads and daughters from the 2nd year Laughing Bulls tribe (from Durham) walked in the 2008 Durham Holiday Parade. It was a little cold, but we all had a great time carrying our banner proud and yelling "Merry Christmas!"

Here's a great photo I found on Flickr:











We hope that walking in the Durham parade will help raise awareness of Y-Guides and Princesses in the Durham area!

If you have friends who live in Durham and have a kindergartener, tell them about Y-Guides and Princesses! Tell them how much special the program is to you and your child. Suggest that they visit our Nation Web site at www.arapahoe-nation.org and to look forward to the 2009 Dads Orientation Meeting next August!

A Night that I'll Remember Forever

Years from now, what memories will stand out when you think about your son or daughter?

Family trips? Going to football games together? A dance recital? Catching a fish at Spring Outing?

It's great when you realize that you've just experienced something that you know that you'll never forget. I can't stop thinking about it even today.

Last night I took my daughter Ashlyn "Fuzzy Kitty" to the 3rd year Daddy/Daughter Date Night. While 3rd year Guides and their dads get to go to B.W. Wells to camp out, 3rd year Princesses get to get all dressed up and attend a sit down dinner and dance with their dads.

On Saturday, we started to get ready. Ashlyn and her mom went shopping to buy a new dress. I pulled out my suit to make sure I could still wear it.

On the way to the dance, Ashlyn asked "Who's going to be there? What's it going to be like? What music are they going to play?"

"I don't know. We'll have to find out together."

We arrived and ran into Jerry & Jessica, a dad and daughter from our tribe. Ashlyn picked out her corsage, which she wore around her wrist. We got our picture made like they do at high school proms. We each got lemonade in the reception area.

At 6:00 pm, the dads escorted their daughters into the ballroom arm-in-arm. We found our assigned table, full of silverware, plates and drink glasses.

"This is so fancy!" Ashlyn said.

The girls all got fruit cups, followed by chicken strips and fries, while the dads got salad and a nice chicken & mushroom entree. Everyone got a huge slab of chocolate cake for dessert.

At 7:00 pm, the fun really started with the dancing, complete with DJ and lights. Songs ranged from the requisite "YMCA", to "Brown Eyed Girl" (makes me think of the Spring Outing fireworks) and "My Girl". Throw in "Carolina Girls" and "Shout" and it was a fun night. We danced the "Electric Slide", did the "Chicken Dance" (of course) and had a "Twist" contest (Ashlyn's very good!). Bobby "Big Hare" helped the dads "find their Groove Thing", teaching us to do the "sprinkler", "lawn mower", "grocery shopping" and the "weed eater".

Thankfully we had a few slow songs to let us dads rest sprinkled throughout. After the sweatiest dad contest, the night ended with a slow dance to "Butterfly Kisses". (Must'n listen to the words or I'll cry.)

Ashlyn looked so big last night. She's growing up too fast. It seems like just last week, she was 4 years old.

I'll always remember holding her close and slow dancing with her and her looking up at me with a smile on her face.

We talked a lot about the night on the way home, picking out our favorite songs and moments. She was so excited to tell her mom and brother about the event. When we turned into our neighborhood, I asked a question, but she didn't answer. She had fallen asleep.

We will always remember this night.

Dads, do not miss this event. It is worth every penny.

Great Turnout at Dads Orientation Meetings

Wow!

I'm happy to report that we had a standing room-only crowd at the Dads Orientation meeting held earlier this month at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. I spoke with several new dads who attended the Dads Orientation meeting and they were blown away by all the testimony shared by all our speakers, as well as the videos that were shown. Our new incoming Chief Roger Winstead "Rolling Rock" made some outstanding videos that were shown. Take a look at them:

"Why Y-Guides?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLNW-XAA-zw

"Patches, We Need Patches"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEwk5MAE088

It looks like we'll be adding a record number of new tribes this year.

We'll also be adding a Guides tribe and a Princess tribe in Durham! I look forward in seeing the program grow in Durham.

Our 1st year dads are now going through their dads' training sessions and getting ready for their 1st tribe meetings. Do you remember your first tribe meeting for your son or daughter? With their empty vests hanging down to their knees?

As the season changes, it'll be only a few weeks before we meet at Fall Outing at Camp Kanata. I can't wait to see all our 1st year tribes there and look forward in leading them to the campfire.

Has your tribe had their dads' planning meeting yet? Do you have your meeting schedule set for the year? Have you planned on any outings for the fall? Have you discussed your tribe's WeBuildPeople donation plans? If not, make sure to start planning for the fall season!

Let's have a great year! Make this year special for you and your child!

How-How!

P.S. - Did you know that the YMCA Y-Guides & Princesses program has a new staff member?! I want everyone to welcome Meredith Stewart "Brown Bear" to the program who will serve as assistant director. I think Meredith will be a great role model for our princesses.

Spread the Word about Y-Guides & Princesses

We're all very lucky to have the most successful Y-Guides & Princesses program right here in our community. It's simply amazing how many lives this program touches and the father-child relationships that are strengthened through this program.

I'd like to ask all dads to help the YMCA spread the word about our program with your friends and neighbors. Let's make sure all dads with rising 1st graders know about the Y-Guides & Princesses program, the largest father-child program in the country!

Do you know dads at work, in the neighborhood or at church that have rising 1st graders? Tell them about your experiences (and your child's experiences) in the program and what it has brought to your relationship with your child. Tell them about the tribe meetings and your child earning feathers. Tell them about tribe outings, camping and of course Spring Outing.

Post information on your company's intranet or bulletin board. See if you can add it to your neighborhood newsletter or email list.

I've tried to spread the word far and wide about this year's Dads Orientation meeting. While word of mouth is fantastic, many dads simply don't hear about it. Because of this, I've tried to promote our program and orientation meetings in every local online calendar I can find, as well as newspapers, TV station community calendars, blogs, parenting web sites like Triangle TRACKS, local magazines and more.

Just today, I was happy to see a small article in the N&O promoting the Durham orientation meeting. I'm excited that the YMCA is expanding Y-Guides & Princesses into Durham this year. The YMCA has scheduled an orientation meeting for dads who live in Durham. I'd personally love to see at least 10 Guides & 10 Princesses tribes form in Durham.

While online calendars are good, word of mouth is so powerful and influential. Give your friends and neighbors the gift of a strong relationship with their son or daughter by telling them about Y-Guides & Princesses. Get them excited!

Let's bring in more than 200 new tribes this year!

For Wake County (Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest and surrounding areas)

2008 Wake County Y-Guides & Princesses Dads Orientation Meeting
Tuesday, September 9, 7:00 p.m.
McKimmon Center, NC State University
1101 Gorman Street, Raleigh 27606

For dads who live in Durham, the YMCA has scheduled an Orientation meeting in Durham this year!

2008 Durham Y-Guides & Princesses Dads Orientation Meeting
Tuesday, August 19, 7:00 p.m.
Hope Valley Country Club
3803 Dover Road, Durham, 27707


How-How!

More Fun with the YMCA

About two weeks ago, Matt ("Moose") passed me an email where Carol Clark, the YMCA of the Triangle VP for Marketing & Communications was looking for a YMCA participant to speak at an upcoming YMCA conference in Raleigh with other YMCA marketing directors. They were looking for information on search engine optimization (SEO) and Web marketing. Hey, why not I thought.

Last Thursday was the big day. There were about 30 marketing directors there from YMCAs all over the country. I was nervous, but it went well. I covered SEO, paid search and Web site analytics, and then I dived into a section about Web 2.0; you know blogs, podcasts, YouTube, Facebook. All that. Unfortunately we ran out of time, but everyone seemed so excited about the material.

I did have to brag about our fantastic Y-Guides & Princesses program, its history and impressive membership numbers. I really would love to help other programs repeat our success!

I repeatedly hear stories that many Adventure Guides programs rely solely on volunteers to RUN and lead their programs. Can you imagine our program without Moose, Salty Dog or Big Hare or someone like them leading the way?

I want to thank Carol once more for the opportunity to talk at this conference. I had a great time and hope the information was helpful to all.

How-How!

It's Time to Make a Change

I read somewhere recently that if you want to accomplish something, you should yell it from the top of the tallest tree. The perceived peer pressure will help push you even more. I guess that's what I'm doing here.

Well, I did it.

I made the decision to get off my a... er, couch, improve my diet and start exercising.

Weight and age has started to creep up on me. I was tired all the time. I had headaches. I didn't feel great. My latest physical showed a ridiculously high triglycerides level, which is problematic. My doctor gave me until August to make the necessary changes with my weight, exercise and my diet. If I didn't, I'd likely go on medication forever. Heck, I'm only 44. I don't want to be on medicine the rest of my life. I don't want to have a "turkey neck" as my daughter calls it. I don't want my belly to be a "big pillow". (Dads, don't we all want 6-pack abs?) But most importantly, I want to I enjoy being with my wife and kids for years to come. I want to be around as Aaron and Ashlyn grow up, as they graduate from high school and college and maybe even medical school and then get out in the real world. I'd like to see both get married and have kids, gosh and be a grandfather one day. I'd like to travel the world with my wife. If I don't do something now, this will not happen.

So I started.... Last Tuesday, May 27 -- for those keeping score -- I weighed 197.5. I have a goal to be at 175 pounds by August 21 in time for my next physical.

So what have I done so far? First, I changed my eating. Instead of 3 big meals a day, I changed to 6. Here's a typical day.

• A nonfat breakfast (Special K "Fruit & Yogurt")
• A morning snack (South Beach Living High Protein Cereal Bars and perhaps a piece of fruit)
• A small, nonfattening lunch (lots of fruit & veggies, deck of card-sized meat portion)
  
• An afternoon snack (protein bar/fruit/yogurt, approx 150 cal)
• A small, non-fattening dinner
• A small evening snack (fruit)
  

I'm also drinking at least a 64 oz. of water during the day. I take a multivitamin and 2 fish oil tablets after breakfast and dinner.

For exercise, I'm run/walking at lunch for about an hour. I'm no long distance runner. I simply jog about 200 steps and then walk for about 100 steps. Repeat. I do finish with about a 1/2 mile jog. Nothing too fast. By the end, I'm tired and soaking wet.

Some days I also get to go to Lifetime Fitness which is fantastic after work with my wife and we do cardio work on the treadmills or elliptical trainers. I use a heart rate monitor and follow a 35 minute program that a trainer created for me that pushes my heart rate just up to my anaerobic threshold and then back down about 5 times. It's great. I'll add in time for weights once or twice a week too.

I try to get 8 hours a sleep at night minimum. You can't eat when you're asleep.

Well, what's the result so far?

I feel much better. I have a lot more energy at work and home. I can already see the changes in the mirror. My clothes aren't as tight. My belly isn't as fat. I weighed today and I'm at 191.5 lbs, 6 pounds less. That makes me feel even better and motivates me even more.

Do you want to start?

Take it slow. Go see a doctor first to make sure it's safe for you to exercise. You might also want to get a Personal Wellness Profile through the YMCA and WakeMed. The profile screenings include a full lipid panel, cholesterol, blood pressure, body composition, cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility. You can also read up on the YMCA's Healthy Balance program.

Pick a small goal. 5 pounds or just to start exercising 20 minutes a day. Start walking! Find some physical activity that you can do every day that will get you moving. Check out Cooking Light magazine and Web site for some fantastic low-fat/cal recipes. Look into joining the YMCA or local fitness center and meet with a physical trainer to get a workout program customized for you.

Don't diet and starve yourself. If you eat well 80% of the time, you're doing great.

Do you have a beautiful little girl or really cool son that you'd like to watch grow in years to come? Have you finally reached a point where you've recently said "I have to start somewhere"? Well, start today.

I'll keep you updated on my progress.

How-How!

Looking for the words to "Rare Bog"?

Want to relive the campfire from Spring Outing?

I just wanted to let everyone know that the lyrics to Salty Dog's "Rare Bog" song are now on the Web site. Enjoy!

http://www.arapahoe-nation.org/resources_display.php?item=65

"... way down in the valley-O!"

Here's the cool girls from the Dancing Turtles tribe singing the song during the first Spring Outing weekend. Rain (and lots of it) pushed us inside for songs and the ghost story.

Have you saved a life today?

Did you put on your superhero cape this week and save someone's life?

• Perhaps you pulled someone from a burning car?
• Performed CPR until an ambulance arrived?
• Rescued someone from drowning?

Not this week? Well, did you know you can save up to 3 lives if you simply give blood? You can! It may not make the news, but this simple act is just as important.

It's fast, it doesn't really hurt and you get free cookies.

Have an excuse? See if one of your reasons is listed in the Red Cross' Top 10 excuses.

I used to donate at the blood drives when they would come to SAS, but the waits were way too long. I found that there's a Red Cross Blood Donation Center (3700 Regency Parkway) within walking distance to my house in Cary. With it being so close, it's easy to schedule regular donations up to 5 times a year! With an appointment, I'm in and out in 45 minutes or less.

There are many other Blood Donation Centers in the Triangle. Here's are some near you:

Cary Blood Donation Center
3700 Regency Parkway
Cary, NC 27511

Raleigh Blood Donation Center
100 N. Peartree Lane
Raleigh, NC 27610

North Raleigh Blood Donation Center
8301 Bandford Way
Raleigh, NC 27613

I'm asking the thousands of dads in the Arapahoe Nation to step up and make a difference! Give blood this week and make sure to schedule your next appointment while you're there!

Find out more at http://www.givelife.org/! You can even make appointments online!

How-How!

1st + 3rd Year Guides: What Did You Think about Spring Outing?

Wow! What a weekend! 1st year Guides and 3rd year Guides (and a few Princess tribes) got to go to Spring Outing this past weekend.

I'd like to get your feedback about Spring Outing!

• Was it special for you and your son or daughter?
• What Spring Outing memories will you remember the most?
• What did you enjoy the most about Spring Outing?
  
• Do you have any quotes from your son or daughter about how they liked Spring Outing or any of the activities?
  

Also, tell us about your experience in the program this year (1st year dads especially.) Has the program brought you closer to your son or daughter? Have you seen your son or daughter change during the year? What have you enjoyed the most?

You can send leave your comments here on the blog -- OR-- better yet, send your comments and suggestions about Spring Outing or the Y-Guides & Princesses Program to how-how@arapahoe-nation.org. Bobby ("Big Hare"), Matt ("Moose") and Andrew ("Salty Dog") read all suggestions and comments and use them to make this program even better!

How-How!

1st Year Guides Coming to Camp for 1st Spring Outing

Alright, 1st Year Guides! It's your turn. Finally! It's time for your very first Spring Outing!

Are you excited?! I bet you are! I am too!

We're all going to have a great time at Spring Outing this weekend! As I told the Princesses, your eyes will pop out of your head when you see these camps and the activities we have planned for you. From all the activities you'll get to do like canoeing, archery, "Extreme BBs", finding sharks teeth, riding the JoyBoy with "Blackbeard", riding the ITT bus, tons of contests, Arapahoe National Treasure and Saturday's campfire, along with a bunch of other surprises, you and your dads will remember this weekend for years to come.

Just staying in cabins with your tribe is a blast! Meals are fun too in the mess hall. I like to say that you get to eat with 600 of your best friends.

Dads, don't forget to stop at Neuse Sport Shop to get your first clue. They've moved the cabin assignments from their old location to a new location. When you walk in the door, walk straight ahead to the large fish tank and the table will be on your right. Find out your cabin assignment and get your first Arapahoe National Treasure clue. Don't forget to let the kids check out the live bait. Bathrooms are in the back left of the store.

After you arrive and unpack, check out your cabin and explore the camp! Tribes are on their own Friday night for dinner. Don't forget the ice cream social in the mess hall at 8:45. I'll try and get everyone fired up for the weekend.

I look forward in meeting all of you this weekend!

Come see me and mention this blog and I'll give you 10 fireballs!

How-How!

What Did Spring Outing Mean to You?

We've had four incredible Spring Outing weekends so far. I'd love to hear what you and your child thought of Spring Outing.

• Was it special for you and your son or daughter?
• What Spring Outing memories will you remember the most?
• What did you enjoy the most about Spring Outing?
  
• Do you have any quotes from your son or daughter about how they liked Spring Outing or any of the activities?
  

Also, tell us about your experience in the program this year (1st year dads especially.) Has the program brought you closer to your son or daughter? Have you seen your son or daughter change during the year? What have you enjoyed the most?

You can send leave your comments here on the blog -- OR-- better yet, send your comments and suggestions about Spring Outing or the Y-Guides & Princesses Program to how-how@arapahoe-nation.org. Bobby ("Big Hare"), Matt ("Moose") and Andrew ("Salty Dog") read all suggestions and comments and use them to make this program even better!

How-How!

Princesses Enjoy 1st Spring Outing

This past weekend was incredible with the 1st year Princesses. The girls (and dads) were giddy with excitement as they arrived at camp and found their cabin. I took my son Aaron and daughter Ashlyn with me this weekend to help out. We drove around camp Friday night talking with tribes as they unpacked and cooked out at their cabins. Girls were curious, exploring around their cabins. Just like all the Princesses, most of the Big Braves were new to the program, so the whole Spring Outing experience was new to them too.

We had a great ice cream social on Friday night where everyone got fired up to hear about all the activities planned on Saturday.

After breakfast on Saturday, activities were finally opened and tribes spread out. Some ran to archery. Some to the canoes. Some to the zipline. Some to the BBs. Others went on the Arapahoe National Treasure hunt. Others ran to the shark tooth pile to hunt for sharks teeth.

Right after breakfast I did get to meet a cool little Princess named Annalise who had become separated from her dad. She was a little weepy and upset, but we calmed her down in the camp store. I drove her to her cabin, but no one was there. As she calmed down, she started talking. We got to chat about all the things she was looking forward in doing at camp. Shortly after we got back to the camp store, her dad showed up to get her. We helped both of them pick out their free camp shirt and off they went hand-in-hand to do activities.

Aaron, Ashlyn and I went to Sea Gull to visit the Princesses at that camp for lunch. Had a great time there too, helping with some skits. Met quite a few dads and daughters after lunch who were turning in their Chief Challenge forms.

The JoyBoy was running all day Saturday. For this week, we had a real (looking) Blackbeard pirate onboard who will told you a bunch of great stories.

Dinner was special with the announcement of our contest winners, Arapahoe National Treasure tribe winner, arrowhead awards for those earning all their first year patches and a skit. Aaron, Ashlyn and I did get to see the largest fish winner catch and pull to shore their 25" carp.

Campfire was fantastic, of course. We had great weather. I think we sold about 600-1000 glow necklaces before the campfire, so that was a cool site to see once everyone got seated. Dads and Princesses really seemed to have a great time.

Sunday activities opened again. We had a very successful 5K Run/Walk at Seafarer, complete with "Fanfare for the Common Man" and "Chariots of Fire" music playing in the background. All finishers go to run through a finish line. Great fun!

After brunch, tribes start packing up. It's a sad time. You don't want to leave. "Can't we just live at Spring Outing?," kids will ask. The Princesses all hug and say their goodbyes to each other. The vans are packed and off the dads and girls leave for home. Dads and daughters talk about all the fun time they had at camp. Girls can't wait to get back home to tell mom all about it. The memories of this incredible weekend will stay with both dad and daughter forever.

I have to share this comment from my blog post last week.

"In my daughters words, 'Dad, did you every imagine that Y-Princess's would be this awesome?'"

With tears in my eyes, it is awesome.

Can't Wait for 1st Year Princesses Spring Outing!

Okay, 1st Year Princesses! You've had a great year. You formed your tribe. You had your first tribe meeting where you met and immediately made great friends with the other girls in your tribe. You're now like sisters! You had a great Fall Outing and induction ceremony at Camp Kanata. You've been on some cool outings like camping. It's been a fun year.

But you ain't seen nothing yet!

After a year of waiting and hearing about it, this Friday you'll be leaving for Camp Sea Gull & Seafarer for Spring Outing! Your eyes will pop out of your head when you see these camps and the activities we have planned for you. From all the activities you'll get to do like canoeing, archery, "Extreme BBs", finding sharks teeth, riding the JoyBoy, riding the ITT bus, tons of contests, Arapahoe National Treasure and Saturday's campfire, along with a bunch of other surprises, you and your dads will remember this weekend for years to come.

It was only a year ago when my daughter's first year tribe "The Dancing Turtles" came to camp for their first Spring Outing. The girls were so excited to be there. The dads were too. One of the dads commented "Wow, this must be Heaven." His daughter replied, "No dad. It's Spring Outing."

Another Princess exclaimed "This is going to be the best weekend EVER!"

And it was!

I look forward in meeting all of you this weekend!

Come see me and mention this blog and I'll give you 10 fireballs!

How-How!

Guides & Princesses Doesn't End after the Third Year

I just got back from the third Spring Outing today. I took my 12-year old son Aaron with me to help out this weekend. Aaron's still in the program, his 7th year, now in the Trailblazers program.

Many are under the impression that Y-Guides & Princesses is only a three-year program.

It's not!

Beginning in the 4th year, Guide tribes move into the Trailblazers program and Princess tribes move into the Trailmates program. Activities are targeted toward kids 4th grade and older.

At Friday night's ice cream social at Camp Seafarer, we showed all the 3rd year princess tribes a short video about Camp Rockmont. A dad in the program made this video showing all the fun that tribes have at Rockmont in Black Mountain, NC. All the princesses seemed real excited about it. Trailblazers and Trailmates, routinely called Blazer/Mates, all go to Rockmont in August every year instead of going to Camp Kanata in November. Blazer/Mates still go to Camp Sea Gull & Seafarer for Spring Outing.

At Rockmont, Blazer/Mates get to ride the triple zipline off the mountain, over and into the lake, ride the "Gullywasher" waterslide off the side of the mountain into the lake. Plus, there's the blob! (See the "Top 8 blobs from 2006" and Moose blobbing a small lifeguard from 2007). There's "Extreme BBs", archery, canoeing, a climbing tower, fishing, hiking, shooting .22 rifles, a Saturday night picnic dinner by the lake, a square dance complete with bluegrass band and a Saturday night campfire on the top of the mountain.

Fathers & sons/daughters can also come a day earlier to go white water rafting trip down the French Broad River. This year, you can get some discount tickets to Ghost Town in the Sky, the western theme park in Maggie Valley, complete with cool gunfights, shows and rides in this old western town.

Salty Dog is going to be adding more outdoor activities for Blazer/Mates, like multi-day hiking and more! Let him know what you'd like to do! (Have you seen Salty Dog's new blog?)

Dads, while the first three years in Y-Guides & Princesses are fun and help build your relationship with your son or daughter, I personally feel that they need you more as they get older, especially as they approach middle school. The more time you spend with your child in activities like Blazer/Mates, the stronger your relationship will become and hopefully, help lead them to make good decisions.

Do all you can to keep your tribe together for as long as possible. But if your tribe does disbands, you and your child can continue to be in the program for as long as you want. Over the past few years, we've had several "children" drive their dads to Rockmont. Isn't that incredible? I think it is.

Patches! Patches! Patches!

Did you know that you can get and earn up to 6 patches at Spring Outing?

It's true!

1. Spring Outing "Arapahoe National Treasure" patch - You'll get this one when you arrive at camp, along with the weekend schedule and a few bonus fireballs. (You'll wonder why it has a string loop around the top of the patch. Well, the patch vendor thought we were Boy Scouts and added the string loop to hang off uniform buttons. Uh, no. You can cut this off before you glue it to your vest.)
   
   
2. 2007-08 Chief's Challenge Patch - If father and child completed 10 environmental activities found in the Chief's Challenge flyer, then you can earn this cool patch. Bring a copy of the flyer. If you forget, we have some in the store. If you haven't started the challenge, take a look at the flyer, and you'll see you're already likely doing many of the activities like recycling, changing out your old incandescent bulbs, conserving water and you'll also be recycling in your cabin at camp. That's already 4 items!
   
   
3. 2006-2007 Chief's Challenge Patch - This was selected by last year's Nation's Chief Alan Dickenson "Wide Wing". To earn this patch, the father should pick out a Bible verse for their son or daughter to learn. If the child can recite it back to the father, then you get this patch. Alan joked that children memorizing "Jesus wept." will be required to explain when he wept and why. :-)
   
   
4. Healthy Balance Family Challenge Patch - If your family has been following 12 of the 20 items on the Healthy Balance flyer, then you can get this patch. If you haven't started, you can sign the form and take it home and we'll give you the patches.
   
   
5. Spring Outing 5K Challenge Patch - If fathers and children participate in this year's 5K run/walk on Sunday morning, you'll receive this cool patch. Dads and children must stay together. It's not a race, but just a great way for dads and children to get some exercise and do another activity together.
   
   
6. Devotion Patch - If you attend the Sunday morning devotion service from 7:30-8:00, you'll receive this round patch with a dove on it.
   

Can you earn them all? I bet you can!

Spring Outing - Week 2: Beautiful Sunshine!

I ventured back to camp for weekend #2 of the 2008 Spring Outing. I was all alone this weekend after spending last week with The Dancing Turtles, my daughter's tribe at Camp Sea Gull. I asked my son Aaron to come along this week and work with me, but he was too paranoid about missing middle school. I guess I can't be upset over that.

It was a glorious weekend. I stayed at Camp Seafarer with Bobby "Big Hare" and Andrew "Salty Dog". The weather was fantastic. Warm with a nice breeze. It was cool Sunday morning for the 5K run/walk. We'd heard about a threat of r _ _ _ (shhh... don't say it!) on Saturday night, but it thankfully fell apart before getting to camp. We had a great campfire ceremony and ghost story.

Salty Dog and I spent much of the weekend riding around camp taping segments with a video camera to put on YouTube real soon. We got some hilarious interviews and footage. Can't wait to get it posted for everyone to see! We'll be out there again this weekend taping and interviewing our 3rd year Princesses and Big Braves.

All the 2nd Year Guides and dads seemed to enjoy the Arapahoe National Treasure theme this weekend. Will your tribe come out on top this weekend?!

I want to tell you a story...

It was Sunday morning about 8:20. I had raced back over to Sea Gull to get a box of pins for our 5K participants to be able to wear race numbers on their shirts. I just got back and was standing in the back of a full mess hall listening to the Sunday devotion service. (This is a patch event!) A small boy named Smiling Fox, who I had talked to several times during the weekend saw me, waived and came over to me.

"I want to talk to you," he said in a quiet voice.

I knelt down and smiled and said sure. I asked him if he was having fun this weekend. He said yes. He then said this...

"When I leave today, I'm going to miss you."

It was so sweet. I gave him a hug and told him I was going to miss him too. He smiled and ran back to his dad at the table.

I'll never forget that.

Spring Outing is so special.

Hats off to the Crabtree Creek's 1st year Guides tribe who invited my son Aaron and I to their tribe meeting last Sunday afternoon. I talked about Spring Outing and how great it is and shared with the tribe my indian costume I wore when I was in Indian Guides in Charlotte in 1970-1972. I showed off this elaborate invitation my dad made for a tribe meeting at our house. The boys had a great craft and a delicious snack and really had a great time. I look forward in seeing the tribe at Spring Outing in a few weeks!

There's Nothing Like Spring Outing!

Wow, what a Spring Outing!

First off.

It. Rained. A. Lot.

I bet we got 4-5" (or more!) overnight Friday through Saturday night. It finally stopped raining and we actually saw this orange disc in the sky Sunday morning. I'm not sure what that was.

It may have rained, but it didn't see anyone let that keep us from having fun. We still hunted for sharks teeth. We shot BBs and archery. We rode down the zipline into the wonderfully warm water :-) We had a break in the rain for our campfire, had our songs and ghost story. Sure, we had to dodge lightning from time to time by running into our cabin, but it was great fun.

This year's theme was Arapahoe National Treasure. We've been working on the theme since January and I think it worked really well. What did you think? Give us your feedback. What other themes would you like to see?

The shirts are outstanding! You'll likely see a color poster of the shirt design near the camp store that's really cool. I wish we could sell posters of the design.

Spring Outing is so special. There are few places where you get to spend this much quality time with your son or daughter. You and your child will remember these shared experiences for years to come.

Is your tribe getting ready for Spring Outing? Here are some tips that might help.

• Make sure to have rain gear. Ponchos, rain jackets, etc. Weather changes a lot on the coast. Make sure to have another pair of shoes to wear in wet weather. Crocs or surf shoes are perfect. Bring more changes of clothes than you think you need.
  
  
• Bring some cabin games & activities if it does rain. While most outdoor activities will continue if it's not lightning, there are are times when storms will run everyone indoors. Make sure to bring a deck of cards or board games.
  
  Would I bring a laptop to watch movies in case it rains? That's a tough one. I think this may create the temptation for your son or daughter to want to sit inside and watch a movie with other kids in the tribe instead of having fun outside when it's not even raining. Same goes with hand-held video game systems. I'd personally leave them at home. Just my opinion.
  
  
• Make sure you know what your tribe is doing for dinner on Friday before you leave. Tribes are on their own for this meal. There's not much to choose from fast food-wise in the area, so everyone needs to pick up something on the way there or plan on cooking out when you arrive at your cabin. Our tribe is fortunate to have a dad who cooks. Jerry sat on the porch and cooked up hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, kraut and tons of French fries. It was great! Every tribe needs a "Jerry."
  
  
• This year's Arapahoe National Treasure theme activities are for dads and children and tribes to do together, after you receive your first clue after breakfast on Saturday morning. Work together with the kids to figure out the clues and riddles and help them if they get stuck.
  
  
• Bring your completed Chief's Challenge flyer with you with the items you completed checked off. I'll be at Camp Seafarer this weekend to meet you, hear what you've accomplished and give you your Chief's Challenge patch. If you forget your flyer, you can still get your patch. I'll simply talk to your son or daughter on what they've been doing to help the environment.
  
  
• Spring Outing can be tiring. If you've been, you know how you can run out of gas around 2:00 pm on Saturday. It's even more tiring for your son or daughter. They're so excited about being at Spring Outing with the cabin and all their friends, and the running around, and the activities, and the staying up late and the getting up early and the running around more, AND, AND, AND!!!!! (CRASH!) Eventually they run out of gas and just get moody. My son Aaron would turn into the grump monster Saturday afternoon, which would finally break on the way home. They do better as they get older.
  
  My solution. Just expect that it's coming, smile when you see it and try and find a way to live with it. Don't get angry. Just find an activity that they want to do. If they want to play in the cabin quietly for awhile, let them. It'll might give you a chance to take a short nap or shower.
  

This weekend I'll be staying at Camp Seafarer with Salty Dog and Big Hare. I'll be visiting Camp Sea Gull at lunch on Saturday.

I hope to see everyone this weekend! Let's have a great time!

Spring Outing is Here!

Well, Ashlyn and I are packed up for Spring Outing. Most of the big stuff is already packed in the van, with the rest spread around the kitchen floor. I think we always end up taking everything we own. We'll be leaving around 8:30, meeting several other Long Bow dads in our tribe to caravan to camp together.

Spring Outing is so special. For dads, it's a great opportunity to just get away from all the daily pressures of work and simply enjoy being with your son or daughter. You don't have to worry about meals or much of anything. (Well, maybe a little worry with the Tar Heels playing in the Final Four on Saturday night.)

We may get a little rain this weekend, but that's okay. Were not going to let that stop us from having fun. It'll be warm, plus Moose and Salty Dog have already turned on the heaters in the lakes, so they should be great for swimming and riding the zipline.

During Spring Outing, we'll be having the Arapahoe National Treasure weekend, where we'll get to hear a message from famed treasure hunter and cryptologist Benjamin Franklin Gates. From what Moose told me, Gates needs our help. I can't wait to find out more!

I've seen the Spring Outing shirts and they're great! So good in fact that I'm sure you'll want to see how nicely they look in the mirror.

Well, off to bed. Gotta get an early start tomorrow.

And to think that Ashlyn's been asking me since September, "How many more days until Spring Outing?" It's finally here.

Make it special!

Reminder! Tribes are asked to bring one white 26 or 27 watt CFL bulb (equivalent to 100 watt incandecent) in a standard household size and one yellow 11-13 watt CFL Bug light in a standard household size. This valuable donation will help the camps reduce their energy bills and dramatically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

We don't want the tribes replacing the bulbs themselves, so we're asking all tribes to bring their bulbs to the ice cream social on Friday night.

I Still Love Model Rocketry

I was bitten by the model rocketry bug in junior high school in Charlotte. My dad had bought a Saturn V "model rocket" at a flea market several years earlier. It actually said you could launch it, but we'd never heard of that. He ended up building the kit without any plan on launching it. By junior high, I had seen several other kids launch their rockets. I bought a Estes starter pack with an Alpha III rocket and launch pad. All it took was one launch for me, my dad and two brothers, Kevin & Jamey to get hooked.

For the next few years, we built dozens of rockets. In the summer of 1979 I was on an episode of KidsWorld where I did a story about model rocketry. I wish I had a copy of that segment.

I helped my son Aaron build his first rocket several years ago and will likely be buying my daughter her first rocket soon. I finally moved up to bigger rockets, building my first D and E engine rockets. Estes didn't make E engines when I was younger. I'd love to get into high powered rocketry, but I'll need to save some $$$ for that. I need to find a bigger field.

There's a lot of cool model rocket launch videos online. One of the best rocket video is the one below. It's a high powered rocket, more than 6 feet tall that looks like a Crayola crayon. Our rubber pal Gumby (remember him dads?) gets to ride in the rocket in the nose cone. The rocket is complete with an on-board camera to tape the journey. Throw in some cool music and it's a great video.

Sorry - you need the Google Video plug-in

If it's not too windy, bring out your model rockets at Kite Day on Saturday, March 8th from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at Carter-Finley Stadium parking lot.

Does Your Tribe Need a Check Up?

As we turn the corner on the new year with Spring only a few weeks away, it's a good time to evaluate how your tribe is doing. Every Fall and Spring, tribes should take a close look at what's working and what isn't. Does your tribe need a check up?

• Question: Do you have your Spring tribe meetings scheduled and everyone know their meeting responsibilities?
  
  Answer: If not, I'd highly recommend setting up a Spring Dads-only meeting to ensure that the rest of your tribal meetings through May are scheduled and you know who will hosting each meeting. Make sure that meeting responsibilities (i.e. story and trick/song) are laid out in advance. For our tribe, I set up a meeting responsibilities spreadsheet on Google Docs that's accessible to all the dads in the tribe. In grid form, it lists all upcoming meetings and the responsibilities that each dad has. This has worked quite well.
  
  Also, plan on having a Fall Dads-Only meeting later in the year to schedule your Fall meeting schedule.
  
  
• Question: Has a dad missed several meetings or shows up unprepared for meetings?
  
  Answer: If so, the chief should call the dad to check if everything is okay. The dad may just be going through a busy stretch at work. He or his family may be going through a health-related situation. Or the dad may be dealing with marriage-related issues. See if there's anything that you or the tribe can do to help and express how everyone misses seeing him and his son/daughter.
  
  If the dad just says he forgets about his responsibilities, remind him of your tribe's responsibility chart (see above) and how it's important for each dad to spend a few minutes preparing for the meeting.
  
  

• Question: Is meeting attendance low and you feel that your tribe is losing momentum?
  
  Answer: This frequently happens when tribes move from having tribe meetings twice a month to only once a month. I've seen that this duration is just too long for tribes build any momentum. Dads and kids get busy doing other things apart instead of spending time together. Some dads question whether they can meet this level of commitment of meeting twice a month. But I know you can do it! Meeting twice a month is only two hours a month where you are exclusively focused on being with your child at a meeting. Rededicate yourself to the program. Make a big deal of the father-child relationship. Recognize that as in all things, you get out of the Program what you put into the Program. If you put in an effort of 6, you will get a 6 in return. Put in a 10 and you will get out a 10!
  
  
• Question: Are your meetings loud with interruptions from the children?
  
  Answer: A "talking stick" will solve this. Go out in the woods with your child and find a nice sized stick. You could strip it of bark and perhaps decorate it together. At your next meeting, introduce the "talking stick" to your tribe. Explain that this will help everyone be respectful to the speaker. Simply pass the stick around to the father or child who is talking. No other tribe member may talk if they aren't holding the stick.
  
  
• Question: Is your tribe still delivering invitations before every meeting?
  
  Answer: If not, start doing it! The value of making and delivering invitations is not for the recipients, but for the host father and child. The time spent discussing what the invitation should be, shopping for any necessary materials, making the invitations and delivering them together is where the value lies. It's just another hour or two that you get to spend time with your child. Your child will enjoy being with you and enjoy dropping off the invitations for other tribe members. My daughter Ashlyn "Fuzzy Kitty" and I always pick up a milkshake while we deliver invitations. While she may not remember making a specific invitation, the tradition and memories of stopping for a milkshake will likely stay with her for years.
  
  
• Question: Are all members of your tribe actively working on earning feathers for their vests?
  
  Answer: If not, then the Chief should talk about the importance of earning feathers at each meeting. Push the tribe to have everyone earn all their yearly feathers in time for Spring Outing. Every father/child pair who earn all their feathers by Spring Outing will receive an arrowhead for their necklace. If all members of your tribe earn all their feathers in time for Spring Outing, your tribe will be recognized at Spring Outing. If you and your child earn all your feathers all three years by Spring Outing, you will receive a special Eagle Claw for your necklace!
  
  Working to earning feathers is yet another activity that father and child get to do together between meetings. Whether it's working on a craft together, making dinner for mom, or dad helping his son or daughter memorize the Aims and Pledge, this time together will bring the father and child closer.
  
  
• Question: Has your tribe signed up for Spring Outing?
  
  Answer: If not, do it now! You simply cannot miss the highlight of the year! Spring Outing is the crowned jewel of the Y-Guides & Princesses program.
  
  Last year in my daughter's 1st year Princess tribe, we had several dads who were considering dropping out of the program. But all that changed when they attended Spring Outing. The whole experience of Spring Outing: sleeping in cabins, eating in the mess hall with the tribe, doing the activities with their children, and sitting with their child at the special campfire ceremony helped them truly see the impact that the program has on their relationship with their child.
  

I hope you and your child, and your tribe have a great Spring! I look forward in seeing all of you at Spring Outing very soon!

A Whole Bag of Trash

The whole family including our dog Ember and a member of my daughter's "Dancing Turtles" tribe friend went for a long walk today along a paved trail along Swift Creek between Kildaire Farm Road and Regency Drive. We also took a trash bag with us on the chance that we'd run into some litter. We scoured the woods and dried creek bed for litter. Unfortunately we found a ton of litter. Drink cans, lots of plastic bottles, juice boxes and pouches, Styrofoam cups and plastic bags. We had to actually stop when our bag started tearing. When we got home, the girls pulled out all the recyclables (70% of the trash!)

Ashlyn "Fuzzy Kitty" and Heidi "Jumping Jaguar" with their bag of trash.

Next time it's nice outside, take the family out for some fresh air and exercise and pick up trash in your local park, greenway or neighborhood. This will count as one of your 10 activities that you need to receive your Chief's Challenge patch.

Are You Recycling Everything You Can?

One of the activities in the Chief's Challenge is to make sure your family recycles.

For years, my family only recycled aluminum drink cans, plastic bottles and newspapers. Early on those were the only items that could be recycled. Did you know that most towns and cities in the Triangle can recycle a lot more!? Listed below is what you can recycle at the curb.

Are you recycling all that you can?

Cary Curbside Recycling

• Newspaper, including inserts (Use a bungee cord to securely fasten any loose items.)
• Glossy magazines/catalogs
• Glass bottles & jars (clear, brown & green)
• Plastic bottles and tubs #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Plastic lids, take out (clam shell) containers and frozen entree trays are not accepted for recycling in your curbside bin or at the Citizen's Convenience Center.
• Aluminum cans, foil, and pie pans (no food residue)
• Tin/Steel food cans
• Cartons with a gable top (including juice, milk, dairy creamers, and fabric softener refills)
• Drink boxes
• 6-pack rings (soft flimsy ones only)
• Corrugated cardboard - Flatten and cut into 2' x 3' pieces (not folded) so can they fit into the recycling truck. Do not include pizza boxes, cereal boxes or similar cardboard.

Raleigh Curbside Recycling

• newspaper and all inserts
• magazines and catalogs
• white paper, including junk mail
• corrugated cardboard pieces no larger than 3' x 3' in size
• paperboard, chipboard, and paper tubes
• food and beverage cans
• aluminum foil and trays (must be completely free of food debris)
• plastic bottles
• plastic beverage rings (soft type only, not the rigid type)
• glass food and beverage containers
• gable top cartons
• aseptic (drink) boxes

Apex Curbside Recycling

• Corrugated Cardboard & Chipboard (cereal boxes, 12-pack drink cartons)
  
• Junk Mail
  
• Glass
  
• Aluminum, Tin & Steel Cans
  
• Newspapers and Magazines
  
• Plastics

Wake Forest Curbside Recycling

• Newspapers and inserts
  
• Clean mixed paper: Magazines, junk mail, cardboard, phone books, paper egg cartons, clean pizza boxes and food boxes (example: such as those holding dry cereal or crackers)
  
• Clean shredded paper
  
• Cans: Aluminum cans, tin and steel cans (including pet food cans), clean foil and pie plates, empty aerosol cans
  
• Corrugated cardboard
  
• Glass food & beverage containers: Soda bottles, food jars, wine and liquor bottles
  
• Plastic bottles: Narrow-necked, screw-top bottles, such as soda bottles, plastic milk and water jugs and colored bottles labeled or imprinted on the bottom of the container with #1 or #2.

Durham Curbside Recycling

• Plastic bottles and jugs
  
• Six pack rings
  
• Glass food and beverage containers
  
• Aluminum cans, foil ,and pie tins
  
• Steel and tin cans with no lids
  
• Newspapers including inserts
  
• Magazines and catalogs
  
• Telephone books and small paperback books
  
• Cardboard that is unwaxed and uncoated
  
• Office paper and mixed paper, all colors

Fun Tribe Visit with the Laughing Bulls

About a week ago, my daughter Ashlyn "Fuzzy Kitty" and I visited with the Arapahoe Nation's lone Durham tribe, the Laughing Bulls, a 1st year Princess tribe. The Laughing Bulls heard about the Y-Guides program a little late, but took the initiative to form their own tribe.

The Laughing Bulls made us feel welcome as soon as we walked in. They let me help with the meeting since they had only held one tribe meeting. I was able to talk to the tribe about wampum and what it can be used for. I told a story and stood the Princesses up against the wall to do a trick (With your heels against the wall, try and pick up a penny off the ground in front of your toes without falling. Hint: You can't!) After the trick, we went outside to play a game. We played one of my favorites: Clothespin tag. Put a clothespin on everyone's back. When someone says go, everyone runs around in a small area trying to pull off other player's clothespin, without letting anyone pull their clothespin. Last one standing wins! We played 3 rounds and had a lot of dads gasping.

After snack, we got our aerobic conditioning by singing "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean". I told the tribe about Spring Outing. Everyone immediately got excited hearing about the cabins, zipline, mess hall and sharks tooth pile. After the closing prayer, the Laughing Bulls laughed into the night. What a bunch of cool little girls!

Thanks again Laughing Bulls! How-How!

Does your tribe need some help with your tribe meetings or simply have questions about the program? If so, don't hesitate to contact me. I'd love to talk to you about your tribe and answer any questions you may have. If you'd like me and my son or daughter to attend a tribe meeting, just let me know. I'll be glad to help your tribe in any way I can. I'll be glad to share with your tribe my experiences in the Indian Guides with my Dad, my experience as a father in the program, this year's Chief's Challenge or details about Spring Outing.

You can contact me at brbailey@nc.rr.com or call (919) 523-6287.

How-How!

Free Hugs

I ran across this video several months ago. It just bubbled up on Digg this past week. What an wonderful video! I had to show it to both of my kids and they loved it. With so much divisiveness in the world, it's great to see complete strangers showing basic caring and love for each other.

It all starts with one hug.



This video has been viewed more than 23 million times!

Sometimes, a hug is all what we need.

Read more about the Free Hugs Campaign.

2008 Chief's Challenge / Spring Outing

I just want to make sure everyone is aware of and is working on this year's Chief's Challenge. This is my challenge to all Big Braves, Guides & Princesses, Trailblazers and Trailmates to help protect and improve our environment. To me, there are few issues as important as preserving the Earth for generations to come. My Challenge is based on our 6th Aim:

To seek and preserve the beauty of the Great Spirit's work in
forest, field and stream.

If you and your child complete 10 environmental activities found in the Chief's Challenge Flyer, you will conserve energy and water and likely save some money in the process. You'll also receive a Chief's Challenge patch at Spring Outing!

Several dads have come up to me and asked if they can do some environmental activities that aren't listed on the flyer. Sure! Just keep a list of what you're doing. Make sure to bring your flyer and list of accomplishments to Spring Outing

I'd like to encourage tribes to have the environment be a focus of an upcoming tribe meeting. What is energy? How can we conserve energy? What's a drought? How can we conserve water? Find out how many little braves & princesses are brushing their teeth with the water off. How many tribe members are taking showers in 5 minutes or less?

All of these are important issues that you can discuss with your tribe. Throw in a cool environmental craft and you'll have a great meeting! This meeting will count toward your Chief's Challenge. Having each child make an environmental poster to decorate the cabin at Spring Outing will be fun and also count.

Speaking of Spring Outing. It's just around the corner! As your tribe prepares for Spring Outing, I'd like to make several suggestions:

1. CARPOOL! - Have your tribe carpool to Spring Outing! Not only will it save on the pollution, but you'll likely have a lot more fun with more people in the car. You'll also save on gas, since you're splitting the gas bill with another dad in the car.
   
   
2. RECYCLE! - Make sure to recycle all your plastic water and soda bottles and aluminum cans that you bring to Spring Outing. Unfortunately camp doesn't have a recycling program, so plan on bagging your bottles and cans and bringing them back home to recycle. Just bring a recycle bin from home for the tribe to use. Put the kids in charge of making sure all bottles and cans end up in your recycle bin and not in the cabin trash can.
   

The tribes of the Mighty Arapahoe Nation will also be helping Camp Sea Gull & Seafarer switch over to the new compact fluorescent bulbs.

I'm asking every tribe to bring:

• 1 (one) white, 26 or 27-watt CFL bulb (standard household size or base), and
  
• 1 (one) yellow, 13-watt CFL bulb (bug light) (standard household size or base)

This valuable donation to the camps will reduce their energy bills and dramatically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

We don't want the tribes replacing the bulbs themselves, so we're asking all tribes to bring their bulbs to the ice cream social on Friday night.

Don't forget that Spring Outing registration opens on Tuesday, January 22 at 7:00 am at the Program Center. If you haven't heard about Spring Outing registration from your Chief, give him a call to make he knows about registration.

Our great program staff, Nation's Officers and Longbow Council are all working hard to make this year's Spring Outing is the best yet. I look forward in seeing you and your tribe at Spring Outing this year!

How-How!

Hey, It's the Wienermobile!

I just happened to stop by Harris Teeter at Crescent Commons in Cary recently and ran into the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile! Have you seen it? It's real cool! The driver wasn't around, so I couldn't get a peek inside. Here are some photos of the cool vehicle.

Here's the side view:


Here's the view of the front:


Check out the tag!


How appropriate!

Oscar Meyer has a cool virtual tour of the Wienermobile on their Web site. Wouldn't it be fun to ride with with the OM crew for a week or two, crossing the country and meeting people?

Let's all sing...

"I wish I were an Oscar Meyer wiener...."

How-How!