When I was a boy some of my friends were in the Boy Scouts. I was one of the lucky ones. I was an Indian Brave in the YMCA Indian Guides. This organization was great as it wasn't used as a babysitter for boys. Fathers actively participated in activities with their sons. It was a great memory builder.
As you can see from the pics above, we got to wear our Indian outfits and had a great time at the meetings. Yes, that's me ("Lighting Bolt") on the left circa 1974-75 with my mustachioed dad ("Thunder Cloud") and younger bro Kurt ("North Wind") at one of the lodge campouts.
Recently I posed with my Pa (yes that's us almost 40 years later) in our Indian Guides vests. As you can see there were plenty of patches on them....which meant we spent a lot of quality time together doing various things from campouts to road rallies to rocket derby competitions. Pa received several awards from the YMCA for his contribution to the Indian Guides. I've scanned a few of the plaques above.
The motto of the Indian Guides is "Father And Son, Pals Forever" and the purpose: to foster companionship of father and son. When we got too old for the Indian Guides we d
idn't want it to end. Luckily we continued on in a club for older boys called the Trailblazers.The YMCA (Young Men's Christian Associations) of yesteryear has undergone a lot of changes. Its mission then (as stated in the Indian Guide manual) was "to achieve its Christian purpose by interpreting moral and spiritual values in all relationships and activities....based on the teachings and examples of Jesus."
Unfortunately today the YMCA is simply known as "The Y" and the Indian Guides have been disbanded in many states due to Native Americans balking at the perceived stereotype. I say "perceived" as the Indian Guides manual tells the true story. It uses "the high standard of relationship between fathers and sons among early Indian sets as an example for fathers to follow. The Indian father was responsible for his son's ethics, physical
development and attitudes toward others."I
f only this would be used as an example today. Luckily it still is in some localities. The Indian Guides haven't vanished altogether and I found several websites of "tribes" still enjoying and promoting father and son companionship like we did back in the 1970s with campouts, fishing trips, and bonfires.With Father's Day this month it is nice to be able to recall the time spent growing up in the YMCA Indian Guides. Thanks Pa!
(Last pic above was found in my photo album, I think it is of Mike, Tim and Robby Miller, who were members of our Indian Guides Cree Tribe in the Detroit, MI area in the early 1970s....wonder whatever happened to them....)
This is fantastic, Jeff; I had to ask my wife what Indian Guides were; she said pre boy scouts. Well I vaguely remember taking our two oldest sons, Paul and Mark to Indian Guides. I remember the scouting experiences best: all three of our boys were Senior Patol Leaders, one by one. And their subsequent lives have certainly expressed the leadership skills they developed --- back there is the oh so distant past.
ReplyDeleteThank you Larry! Actually the Indian Guides had nothing to do with Boy Scouts. They were two different programs, but both very worthwhile. Thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I was Lightning Bolt, and my Dad as Thundercloud too! We were founding members of the Hopi tribe, out of the Downriver (Wyandotte) YMCA, starting in 1973. We also went on to form the "Wagonmasters", the only Trailblazer group at the Downriver Y. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I was Lightning Bolt, and my Dad as Thundercloud too! We were founding members of the Hopi tribe, out of the Downriver (Wyandotte) YMCA, starting in 1973. We also went on to form the "Wagonmasters", the only Trailblazer group at the Downriver Y. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteI was a member of the Indian Guides in Massapequa, back in the mid 1960's... I remember most of the Father/Son members were from the area... Was really a fun experience...
ReplyDeleteAs a YMCA Indian Guide in San Diego in the late 1950s, I was pleased to locate this page! Dad (Thunder Cloud) and I (Lightning Cloud) loved the activities, headbands, t-shirts and activities with other Son/Dad tribe members. We were in the Potawatomi tribe for several years and enjoyed being together -- the reason we started with the Indian Guides. Later, I joined Boy Scouts, and enjoyed achievements through Eagle Scout, Report to the Nation plus Order of the Arrow (Vigil Honor and lodge officer), where my fascination with Native American life grew. In college I majored in Cultural Anthropology, continuing my love of early indigenous life worldwide. Indian Guides experiences brought me closer to my father as well as the "Indian" culture in the USA.
ReplyDelete