Bye, Dog. Hello, Bear!

Change is good.

There's a lot happening with The Program: some happy, some sad.

First, the happy! We're excited to welcome Meredith Stewart as the very first female full-time YGP staffer (Renee technically works for Alexander Y). She joins The Program from Camp Seafarer where she has worked since 1997. She jumped right in at Rockmont and is a perfect fit in The Program. She's funny, charming, warm and quite the hoot when it comes to campfire skits. Her new Indian name is "Brown Bear" but I call her "Huggy Bear."

Second, the YGP offices will be moving from Hillsborough Street to the ARC building off Chapel Hill Road between Raleigh and Cary. YGP will be moving from under the Alexander Y umbrella and be in a new branch for YMCA outreach. Everything will remain the same as we know it. Most of the changes will be behind the scenes. They will let us know when the move happens, so tribal Fetchums can know where to go.

Lastly, the sad change (for us) is that Andrew "Salty Dog" Plyler is leaving the Arapahoe Nation. Andrew was offered and accepted the YGP director position with the Winston-Salem YMCA and starts in early October. We will all miss Salty Dog's demeanor and wit - esp. his "Rattlin' Bog" song and "chiiiiiicken" face. However, the two-sizes-too-small bunny suit from Spring Outing will not be missed - as many of us have yet to be able to forget the horror. We all wish Andrew well and hope his new journey is rich and fulfilling.

How-How!

Rockmont rocks!

In as much as I love Spring Outing at Sea Gull and/or Seafarer, there's nothing like the experience of going to Camp Rockmont. Between the whitewater rafting fun on Friday, the fresh mountain air and the gulley washer, Rockmont rocks my world.

Don't get me wrong, I love Spring Outing and all the bells and whistles - but Rockmont leaves me with a certain feeling that I just don't get when I leave Arapahoe. I miss Rockmont for days after getting back home. I'm still jonesing for one more gulley washer ride.

This past weekend was absoslutely fantastic! The weather was wonderful. The lake was just the right temp. The bonfire was funny and inspirational. Moose, Andrew and Meredith were great hosts. Everything clicked.

Whitewater on Friday was super. Diving Eagle and his son Pouncing Tiger joined Shooting Bull and myself for a self-guided raft trip and it was awesome. Can't wait for Sky Walker to join us next year!

The rest of the weekend was just as much fun. We Red Wolf Warriors were joined by the Raging Storms and Aztec tribes in our spacious mountain accommodations. Everyone got along great and some new friendships were formed and old ones solidified. Many thanks to Moose for the prime real estate!

Looking down the calendar I see four Kanata trips in my future and a couple of Date Nights to attend. It's gonna be a busy Fall.

How-How!

New Dads...

Wow, what a great crowd we had last night at the New Dads meeting at the McKimmon Center! It was so wonderful to see SRO...

We heard from Allan Head, a former Nations Chief, who always leaves me with a little tear in the eye while talking about the program and his kids. He was top dog back in the 70s and all his children are now grown and one even has a First Year down in Charlotte. He always tells us of finding the old vests up in the attic - three for him and three little vests for each child - and how the memories came flooding back about all the great outings and events he experienced as a YGP father. I know I'll be same - heck - I get a little misty now, just thinking about the last couple of years. What's going to happen in 20 or 30 years?

I addressed the Nation last night as well, welcoming the new dads into the greatest parent/child group in the world - yeah, I said it - THE WORLD! Get over it other people of planet earth - Arapahoe Nation ROCKS!

For those that missed the meeting, you can see the video presentations on the Arapahoe Nation YouTube page (http://www.youtube.com/ArapahoeNation) and here's what I had to say:

In Sept. 2004, I sat right over there about mid-way down this side with a couple of guys I knew from my neighborhood and four total strangers. I was like many of you - here with a twisted arm and an unsure feeling of exactly what I was getting myself into.

I knew some guys from back in my N&O days that were Indian Princess Dads. I heard their stories. Saw their photos. As a young man without children I could only chuckle to myself about these poor guys wearing paper feather headbands, matching leather vests and sporting silly names like Flaming Otter and Prancing Rainbow Tiger. Oh, and here's a quick tip - DO NOT LET YOUR KID - ESPECIALLY A DAUGHTER - GIVE YOU YOUR INDIAN NAME!

A short time after the new dads meeting, I was at a dinner party and I sat next to an aquaintence from the pool and I happen to mention I was embarking on a new venture with Y-Guides and expressed some reservations.

He looked at me and said "You, my friend, are in for the experience of a lifetime - something you and your son will never forget." He continued by talking about the years he spent as a Big Brave with his two daughters who are now grown. I could see something in his eyes that told me how truly magical his experience was. As he continued to tell me about Spring Outing, his voice caught a slight twitter and I could tell that the memory of weekends at Sea Gull and Seafarer meant so very much to him. He expressed it so simply, so precise that I can only quote what he said about attending Spring Outing - he said "It's like being a kid again."

And when you're in your 40s, like me, and you have the pressures of work, family, finances, and so forth - it's so very special to have that feeling again. The feeling of being 7 years old - no worries, no fears, no problems. Your child will see you in a new light. Acting like them, acting as a co-hort, acting as a friend. Sure, you're still dad, but holy cow - you're a dad that stepped off a 4 story zip line tower! You're a dad that sat in muck for 2 straight hours digging for shark's teeth! You're a dad that did not worry about them drinking milk with dinner, or taking a shower before bed, or even changing clothes for three days. You are a super hero. You are a Big Brave.

As mentioned earlier, I am Nations Webspinner and Nations Chief, and for that I am proud. But what I am most proud of is being the father of a 3rd year Guide and a 5th year Trailblazer. My Blazer's name is Ridge and his Indian name is "Shooting Bull" - he's my basketball superstar motormouth. My Guide's name is Dylan and his Indian name is "Sky Walker" - he's my Lego engineering Star Wars fan. Two boys with two different personalities, preferences and goals - and their one big common thread is their love for the Guides program. Whether it's white water rafting, camping, attending a Hurricanes game or just making a craft together on the kitchen table - these guys love it all. I don't know if it's the cool stuff they get to do or the fact that they're doing the cool stuff with me - but I do know that there's nothing like the feeling I get when I ask one of them what was their favorite part of a weekend, project or event and they answer "Spending time with you, Dad."

A while back I got this blue, plastic wrist band. It has "How-How" stamped on it. Every time I look at it I think of a lot of different things. I think of my wife, Sarah, that nudged me into the program and of the support she has shown me and the boys and our participation in Guides. I think of Bobby, Matt and Andrew and their dedication and service to all us Dads and our kids. I think of my own father and and how fortunate I was to have an involved Dad of my own. But mostly, I think of Ridge and Dylan. This simple blue band represents the endless circle of life and how much the things we do today affect the future. I think of the good times my father and I shared and how those memories made me want to be a better father to my children. And I know - that through this program, I am helping to raise two young boys that will grow to be model citizens, loving husbands and men that some day will be great dads to their kids.

I congratulate you on being here tonight and making a commitment to your family and to being the best Dad you can possibly be. You begin a wonderful journey this evening that is bound only by your willingness to participate and eagerness to enjoy a time in your child's life that you, and your child, will cherish always.

How-How!

Coming up next for me is a weekend at Rockmont w/ Shooting Bull and his Blazer tribe Red Wolf Warriors. Hoping the rain holds out for white water rafting on Friday and I hope to get in a few gulley washer and zip line rides in between thunderstorms. As Moose would say "No worries" because it's all good at Rockmont...

How-How!