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!