Clark County Family YMCA
YAdventure Guides
Welcome to the Columbia-Willamette Y-Adventure Guides Program. We were formerly known as the Y-Indian Guides and Y-Indian Princesses. We have a very active program made up of Father/Daughter and Father/Son groups (Circles) for Kindergarteners to 5th graders. The Y-Adventure Guides are about Parent/Child relationships.
We are a participating group in the YMCA national Y-Adventure Guides. We were started in 1926. For more information visit National YAdventure Guides.
The Y-Adventure Guide Program is a part of the YMCA Parent/Child Program, built on the foundation of building strong relationships with "Father and Son" and "Father and Daughter." It allows Dad's to carve out one on one time with their child in a positive atmosphere. This program frees up a dads time by planning and organizing events which both parent and child can enjoy. The dad's don't spend time searching, planning, organizing, and making reservations but sign up and go. Keeping costs down is important.
Y-Adventure Guides is designed for a parent and his 5- to 11-year-old child. In Y-Adventure Guides, the focus is on the parent's role as a guide in a child's life. Parents lead, direct, supervise, influence and teach while presenting opportunities for children to explore the world around them. They lead by example as they set their children on a path through life. The program experience begins as a side-by-side journey for a parent and child.
In Y-Adventure Guides, the journey happens within the context of a small group community called a Circle. Circles are composed of four to ten parent and child pairs generally from the same school or neighborhood. Adventure Guides (parents) and Explorers (children) Circles meet in the member's homes on a rotating monthly basis. Circles provide structure, a sense of community, and support for all group activities. A typical meeting includes crafts, stories, activities, and snacks. All the Circles participate in a larger activity called an Expedition. The Expeditions are monthly adventures (e.g., overnight camping, pinewood derby, bowling, etc. throughout the year.
Program Goals
Foster companionship and understanding; set a foundation for positive, lifelong relationships between parent and child.
· Build a sense of self-esteem and personal worth.
· Expand awareness of spirit, mind, and body.
· Provide a framework to meet the mutual needs of parents and children for spending enjoyable, constructive, and quality time together.
· Enhance the quality of family time.
· Emphasize the vital role that a parent plays in the growth and development of a child.
· Offer an important and unique opportunity to develop and enjoy volunteer leadership skills.
· Program Purpose is to foster understanding and companionship between parent and child.
Y-Adventure Program Aims
1. To be clean in body and pure in heart
2. To be friends forever with my dad/son/daughter
3. To love the sacred circle of my family
4. To listen while others speak
5. To love my neighbor as myself
6. To respect the traditions and beliefs of all people
7. To seek and preserve the beauty of Our Creator's work in forest, field and stream
Program's Motto
Friends Forever
Program's Theme
At the forefront of the program are the compass points. The compass points lend an inspiration for activities but also provide a framework from which to build an adventure theme. The compass-points approach retains the program's focus on strengthening parent-child relationships through small Circle communities while participating in activities that help meet the program's objectives. The four main directional points on the compass are the essential components of the program:
· The Family is True North-the focal point of the program.
· Nature and the camping experience are integral parts of the program.
· The spirit of the program is experienced through belonging to a small community called a Circle.
· Fun is the magic of the program.
The YMCA core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility make up the other directional points. Along the journey, adults should model, teach, and demonstrate these values. They also should give children many opportunities to practice and celebrate these values and to discuss behavior that is inconsistent with the values. Initially, these values will provide guidance in helping children select activities, make decisions, and decide on an appropriate course of action, both within the program and in all aspects of their lives. Ideally, as children grow, these values will become their own internal compasses.
Join the Y-Adventure Guides
The program is designed for children, boys and girls, Kindergarten through 5th Grade* and Fathers* of any age. You do not have to be a member of a YMCA to join. The key to the program is that it's not just the child that is joining it's also the parent.
Fathers and Sons, Grades K – 5
Fathers and Daughters, Grades K – 5
* Exceptions can be made, please inquire.
Things You Will Do
What we do is have a lot of fun! We do many activities in our regular monthly circles meetings. We work on crafts such as building bug boxes, bird houses, dream catchers, edible crafts and much more. Each Circle may have games, special activities and/or stories depending on the Circle's preference. Circle's can also schedule swimming parties boat outings and other get togethers.
Each circle helps plan a monthly expedition event. These range from overnight campouts to swim nights. Campouts have included: Camp Magruder on the ocean, Silver Falls, Kah Nee Ta, & Camp Collin near Oxbow Parks. Campout activities may include: Rock wall climbing, giant swings, archery, swimming, canoeing, donkey rides, hiking, craft building, campfires and many other activates. Other major monthly events may include: sledding, YMCA night, Chief Lelooska, cosmic bowling, roller skating, ball game, cruises, laser tag, fishing and a Pinewood Derby. All participants from all the individual Circles may attend these events. Some events can have over 35 – 60 parent child pairs.
To join the program or for questions please contact us at the Clark County Family YMCA in Vancouver at 360.258.3835 or at 503.228.5079 if you live in Portland.
