What is the YMCA Guide, Adventure guide program,
Indian
Guides,
Indian Princess and Papoose Programs about?
The YMCA
Y-Indian Guides, Y-Indian Princesses, Y-Indian Braves and Y-Indian
Maidens, also known as the YMCA Adventure Guide Program are
year-round programs designed to build strong relationships between
parents and their children.
It is open to families with children in kindergarten to third
grade.
The YMCA guide
program was started
by Harold S. Keltner, St. Louis YMCA Director and Joe Friday, an
Ojibway Indian.
The
participants
in the YMCA Family Programs learn about American Indian people
their culture, their customs, crafts and games, and seek to bring
new understanding and appreciation of the
Native American Heritage and the
contributions Native Americans have made to our nation.
They strive to share the qualities of the American Indian culture
and life:
Dignity, Patience, Endurance, Spirituality, Feeling for the earth,
and Concern for the family.
Some YMCA y-guide programs are now called
YMCA Adventure guides
but have strived to keep the Native American theme.
The reason the YMCA uses the Native American theme is to help focus
the groups,
and to bring traditional values and organizational structure to the
program.
The YMCA you join will assign you to a group called a circle or
tribe,
that will meet on a regular basis in each others’ homes, weekly,
biweekly or monthly.
YMCA guides tribes/groups will get together for campouts and family
outings, throughout the year
to go on campouts, and other field trips.
The
yguides aims are listed as:
1. To be clean in body and pure in
heart.
2. To be pals forever with my father/son.
3. To love the sacred circle of my family.
4. To listen while others speak.
5. To love my neighbor as myself.
6. To seek and preserve the beauty of the Great Spirit's work in
forest, field, and stream
To quote Joe Friday:
“The Indian father raises his son. He
teaches
his son to hunt, to track, to fish, to walk softly and silently in
the forest,
to know the meaning and purpose of life and all he must
know.”
For more
information on
The Adventure Guide Program, YMCA Y-Indian Guides, Y-Indian
Princesses,
Y-Indian Braves and Y-Indian Maidens
Click
here for links to the YMCA's that have these
programs.
Use the our
already designed
Craft kits for Yguide and Adventure Guide Programs
or ask us to help you with you Indian crafts.
Adventure Guides, YMCA,
Yguides Vest Sizing Assistance
Many parents would like to be able
to mail order their YMCA vest kits. To assist you in getting the
correct sizing we have added this information to our site.
When ordering your suede vest kit, they should
have room to wear over bulky sweatshirts throughout the
winter months of the program
Childrens' YMCA Vest sizing
Child Medium Suede Vest Kit Girth Measures 30" Length Measures 17"
This suede vest kit is equivalent to our former sizing of Child Xlg and
is the most common size vest worn by Boys and Girls in the
Yguide/Yprincess program that will last them throughout the program.
Child Large Suede Vest
Kit
Girth Measures 37" Length Measures 22"
This suede vest kit is equivalent to our former sizing of Adult Small,
There are many children that are in the 6-8 year old range that
parents have purchased the adult small vest kit for them.
Tthis suede vest kit is usually for children that are taller or are
experiencing a growth spurt where whe Child Medium (or Old Style Child Xlg) fits them snug now.
IF your child is larger than an average 7-8 year old OR the program
lasts past 8 years of age your BEST choice is to purchase the Child Large (OLD STYLE adult Small) vest kit for your child.
Adult YMCA Vest Sizing
Adult Large Suede Vest Kit Girth Measures 47" Length Measures 26"
This suede vest kit is equivalent to our former sizing of Adult Extra
Large. Most Men in the Yguides, Adventure Guides programs choose
this sizing for their suede vest kit.
If you are local to us, it would be
beneficial to stop in our retail store. We
have in store ready made samples of the YMCA vests for customers to
try on,
If you are not local to us you may try to ask other members of your
group about their vest sizes to determine the correct size of vest
to purchase.
If you are local to us, it would be beneficial
to stop in our retail store.
We have in store ready made samples of the YMCA vests for customers
to try on,
If you are not local to us you may try to ask other members of your
group about their vest sizes
to determine the correct size of vest to purchase.
Yguide Vest Kits -
Suede Leather Vest Kits
Leather
Vest Kits, veg split Suede
Vest kits for Guide Program y-guide
Vests, Vests for Adventure Guides veg split Suede Leather
Vest Kits For Your Patches
Y-guide
Vest
Assembly and Patch Gluing
Instructions
The kids yguide vest kits
come with either a black shoelace or white kite string material
for sewing them together
The adult y-guide vest kits come with either a black shoelace or
flat leather lace. like the
lace used in lacing leather projects
such as wallets together.
We suggest using artificial sinew to
sew your YMCA vests together.
Artificial Sinew is a waxed nylon thread that is durable and looks nice
in the construction of your indian guide or princess vest.
If ordering the artificial sinew with your adventure guide vest kits we
would include a stitching needle,
One spool of artificial sinew will sew both the adult and child's
vests together and also leave extra for other projects.
YMCA Adventure Guides/Princess ~ Indian Guide/Princess Vest
Assembly Instructions - Using Artificial Sinew
There are 5 pieces in the adult
vest
kit and 3 pieces in the childs'' vest kit.
If you are using artificial sinew to replace the leather lace in
the adult vest
Use sinew to replace the thread in the child's kit and lace
in the adult kit.
Use the needle in the child's kit to sew both vests together with
sinew.
You can follow the child's kit instructions that come with the kit
for sewing vests together with sinew...with 1 exception...
You don't have to use the complicated step 1 of the child's vest
instruction. Just thread the needle as normal and then twist.
The main goal is so the sinew will not slip off the needle while
you are sewing.
When finished sewing a section, double knot the thread and melt the
knot tails into the knot.
This prevents the knot from unraveling or coming untied.
Child's yguide/
Adventure Guide Vest Kit Assembly
Measure 4X the distance you are
going
to sew and cut off the sinew.
Thread needle with waxed sinew and twist to secure thread onto
needle.
Overlap and align shoulder holes at left back (top) panel over
front panel.
Leave 2" of thread at first hole, sew along seam "in and out"
running stitch to the end.
Turn and sew back to starting point filling in between previous
stitches.
Double stitch through the last hole and tie ends of thread together
in a square knot. Trim off the excess thread.
Melt knot into itself to secure the knot and stitching from
unraveling.
Overlap and align holes of the left front (side) panel over
left back panel.
Leave 2" of thread at first hole, sew along seam "in and out"
running stitch to the end.
Turn and sew back to starting point filling in between previous
stitches.
Double stitch through the last hole and tie ends of thread together
in a square knot. Trim off the excess thread.
Melt knot into itself to secure the knot and stitching from
unraveling.
Repeat overlap steps on right side of the vest.
**NOTE**
You can overlap the seams in any way that you would like to as far
as back over front, or front over back.
You can add 2 different color pony beads in the stitching to add
decoration to the vest.
You would just add the beads as you are sewing...it is suggested
that you only add beads to the top and side stitching.
Adding beads to the back of the adult vests will cause the beads to
rub on chairs etc and make it uncomfortable.
Adult yguide/ Adventure Guide
Vest Kit Assembly
Begin by construction the back of
your
adult vest kit
Begin stitching at the bottom center of the vest.
Measure 4X the distance you are going to sew and cut off sinew.
(You will use 1 piece of sinew for the full back...
so measure 4X across the back and from the bottom to center of
V-shape if vest)
Thread needle with waxed sinew and twist to secure thread onto
needle.
Place 2 bottom back panels together, overlapping left over
right.
The top panel is overlapped over BOTH bottom panels.
Leave 2" of thread at first hole, sew along seam "in and out"
running stitch to the end.
Starting at bottom, go up to venter, over to the right, back to
center, stitch to the left and then back to center.
Then stitch back to your starting point at the bottom center of the
vest.
Double stitch the last hole and tie ends of thread together in a
square knot. Trim off part of excess thread
Melt knot into itself to secure the knot and stitching from
unraveling.
Follow instructions above (under Child's kit) to sew shoulders and
sides of vests.
Hopefully the instructions we have
created for construction of your y-guide vests using artificial
sinew,
will be helpful in making your vests a project you can do with your
child.
Many of the kits that we carry
require similar sewing as is done with the vest,
so this is a perfect opportunity to assist your child in learning
this skill so that they will be able to master the other kits as
well.
Leathercraft Cement Glue Notes: Glueing
your patches to your Adventure guide vest
If the back of your patch is shiny
(which many of them are now), scuff up the back of the patch so
that the glue will adhere.
Place the patch on the vest in the position where it will be
glued.
Mark around the patch lightly with a pencil.
Put a thin coat of glue on the back of the patch and in the space
you have marked out for the patch.
Allow glue to become tacky. Put patch on vest in position.
Set a book on top of the patch when the patch is on the vest to
hold them together while the glue dries.
MAKE SURE that you only apply a THIN coat of glue...
If you put too much glue on the patch or vest it will seep over the
sides of the patch and stain the vest.
Try to get the glue all the way to
the
bottom edges of the patch so that they will be fully adhered to the
vest.
If the edges are not glued down this tends to cause the edges to
lift and the patch to "pop off"
YMCA
- Adventure Guides, Y-guides,
Y-princess Events
The YMCA has a really cool program
called the YMCA Y-Guides.
If you and I join, we would get to do really neat stuff
together.
We would be guides and explorers who meet with other dads/moms and
kids.
They would come to our house (or we would go to theirs) for
meetings about once a month.
But the meetings would be fun...we’d have ceremonies and snacks and
play games.
We’d also get to go on adventures in our community.
And, oh yeah, camping and being outdoors is a big part of the
program.
We would wear cool vests and patches and maybe even carry walking
sticks.
Let’s call the YMCA to find out how we can join.
Can we?
Many of these events are only
attended
by memnbers of the YMCA y-guide program,
A great program that fosters a relationship between a parent and
their child.
If you are interested in attending this programs or would like more
information about
the Indian Guides, Indian Princess, or papoose programs (now known
at some YMCA's as Adventure Guides)
Contact the YMCA in your area and sign up!
To join in on these events you need
to
be a member of the YMCA guide or princess programs. Please contact
your local YMCA about joining these programs.
Southern
California YMCA with the Expedition, Native Sons and Daughters, Adventure Guide, Indian Guide & Indian
Princess Programs include:
Triunfo Y-Guides and
Y-Princesses Calendar
Triunfo Family
YMCA
31225 La Baya Dr. Suite
115
Westlake Village
CA
91361
818-707-YMCA
(9622)
fax 818-706-0282
Triunfo
Family YMCA
Triunfo Family YMCA proudly serves the
families
of Agoura, Agoura
Hills, Westlake Village, and Oak
Park, California
Here is another link that
may
be of assistance: http://www.triunfoymca.org/classes.cfm?category=40