THANK YOU!!!

I just wanted to thank all the people that made the Fall Outings go so well. Our LBC (as usual) did a great job. Showing up early and staying late. Working the deck while the droves come through to find out about all things Arapahoe Nation! The snack table was a great addition too. Richard I think you have a future in popcorn! Keith Simpson, great job at the We Build People table!

Otter, Brown Bear and Moose...as I said at the dinner on our last night, the efforts of the YGP staff are what make this program what it is. Otter's energy is unmatched. Brown Bear keeps us all in line. And Moose, even when dealing with pain that would keep most of us mortals down for the count, rises above it and keeps the show going. That is only one of the reasons why he is TarHeel of the week. (check him out in the N&O 11/08)

I hope everyone who attended the Fall Outing for their first time enjoyed the induction ceremony. To everyone else coming for your 2nd or 3rd year and beyond I hope you took something new away and maybe were reminded of the great things that this program has to offer all of us.

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Time for Fall Outings

I love this time of year! The mornings are cool, days are warm and the nights even cooler. Time for another change in seasons and time for FALL OUTINGS!! The Fall Outings for our Arapahoe Nation officially kick-off our year. I'm sure that many tribes have already had a meeting or two to start their year. But the Fall Outing is where it all begins. We have 110 new tribes this year! The numbers still blow mind!
I love to see all the new Guides and Princesses at Camp Kanata with their new, yet to be covered in patches, vests. The look on their faces at the ceremonial campfire is the best! I know for many years to come, both father and child will remember the walk from the top of the road down through the torch line and participating in the induction ceremony that will make them members in the Arapahoe Nation. ( For the rest of my life the smell of Kerosene will always remind me of Fall Outing ) It was seven years ago for me when I attended my first Fall Outing as a Dad that I realized that my kids were going to be young for a very short time and that I needed to make the most of every chance we got to spend together. That's one of the things that is so great about the YGP program. The one-on-one relationship with father and child is strengthened and a bond created that will last the rest of your days. For years to come dads and kids will remember not only the Fall Outing but many other things you will do and experience in YGP. There will be a lot of "hey Dad, remember that time..." and Dad will do the same. I hope everyone has a great Fall season and I hope that you come to enjoy the Fall Outing as much as I do. For me it's like a homecoming of sorts because here is where it all began for me.

May the Great Spirit bless you all!
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Tribe Visit

Last weekend I had the honor of visiting the third year Princess tribe, the Dancing Winds. The meeting was at the home of Leaping Tiger and Blooming Rose. The big braves had requested that I come and speak with the girls about what to expect in their third year. When I got there we had some introductions. I was introduced initially by Blooming Rose meeting me at the front door and then running into the house yelling, "hey, there's some big guy at the front door!" After entering and having proper introductions, I had each Princess tell me some of the reasons they liked the program. I got the usual answers...Sea Gull/Seafarer, Zip lines, Fall Outing, horse back riding and hanging with my friends. I told them the best part for me was spending time with my daughter and son doing anything they wanted to do. After enjoying some orange lemonade. ( yellow and pink mixed )Crazy Wind Dancers! I spoke to the girls about what to expect for their third year.

The third year is about community service and giving back. I spoke to the girls about how helping people in need is something we should all do. I read to them from the Great Spirit's book. Specifically Luke 12:15-21. In these verses the Great Spirit tells a story about a very wealthy man that has far more than he needed. And how he planned to keep it all for himself. He decided that he would take it easy, eat drink and enjoy all he had stored up. The Great Spirit said to the man, " You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?" Basically the story tells us to share what we have with others and to not wrap ourselves up with worrying about material possessions. There are more important things in life other than "stuff".

Thank you Wind Dancers for the opportunity to come and visit with you at your first meeting this year. Have a great year!

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I'm always amazed!

Last night we had our annual 1st Dads orientation night at the McKimmon center at NCSU. Every year we have a huge turn out of 1st year Dads peppered with several Dads returning for there the 2nd, 3rd or even 4th time. This is the night where Dads in the Triangle area are told by there wives "there is a meeting at 7:00 p.m. over at State, and you will be there!"
But seriously, most of the guys have heard the fabled stories of the incredible adventures and indescribable fun that fathers and sons and fathers and daughters have in the world famous program known as Y-Guides & Y-Princesses. Each year I tell myself there is no way we will get this many people again next year...I think we had close to 1,000 Dads there last night. AWESOME!!! I may be a little partial but there was a great energy in the room last night.
I had the honor of speaking to the group first to describe a little of my experience with the YGP program. I spoke to the group about how unique this program is and how (until they experience it on their own) difficult it can be to put in words the rewards they will get out of participating. I also told them the importance of doing everything they can with their child while they can. This program is designed to strengthen the one-on-one relationship with your child. I can remember when my daughter and I started in the program and the moment that it hit me. Just how short my time with my kids was going to be. It will be different for everybody. But for me it was at our first Fall Outing. During the campfire. It hit me. For that reason the Fall Outing will always be a very special time for me. I'm looking forward to Fall Outings this year.

When do you think it will hit you?

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And So It Begins...

HOW HOW! It is indeed an honor to have been named the Nation Chief for the 2009-2010 program year. Who would have thought 34 years ago when I was a member of the Cheraw tribe (we actually used real tribe names because there were far fewer numbers in the Arapahoe Nation back then) that I would one day receive what has now been referred to as "the call". Moose called me one day as I was leaving the office and asked me if I would be interested in being the Chief this year. I was caught a little off guard (thinking the Chief had been chosen weeks earlier), but my immediate answer was "yes"! It may have come out more like "dude are you serious?!" But none the less, my answer was yes. When I broke the news to Carleigh a.k.a Tiger Lilly my 7th year Trailblazer and Jacob a.k.a. Screaming Hawk my 3rd year Guide they could not believe it. We were all very excited and all love being a part of the Arapahoe Nation.
I am not quite the blog-master that my predecessors are so bare with me as learn how to do this with a little trial and hopefully not too many errors. Many thanks to Chief Rolling Rock for his help with getting my blog set up. We have become good friends over the past couple of years and I will probably be picking his brain a little more as the year progresses.

I have some pretty big shoes to fill with past Chief's like: Wide Wing, Gray Bear, Red Cloud and Rolling Rock setting the bar pretty high. But I believe that all of us have one thing in common. We all believe in what this program is about and want to see it continue to grow as it has over the last 40 years!

I'm looking forward to a great year!

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