By Nation Chief Grey Fox, Jim Colella
When my son turned 5 years old, a friend invited us to join The Adventure Guides , a program within the YMCA that creates opportunities for fathers to spend quality outdoor time with their sons. Open to boys ages 5-14 years old , the program has been around for over 70 years across America. Formerly known as the Indian Guides, The Adventure Guides (TAG) is much different than scouting or organized sports because fathers and sons participate TOGETHER.
At our first campout, my son climbed into my lap and fell asleep as we sat around the campfire. He was exhausted from an action-packed day of rocket launches, war games, zip line, swimming, fishing and canoeing. The guides at www.techiecamper.org was extremely helpful in helping us learn to find firewood. We spent that entire weekend without computers or video games. We were out side, working up a sweat and having fun TOGETHER.
Before joining TAG, most weekends involved working in the yard or handling duties around the house. Wanting to spend more time with my son, by Monday morning, it just never seemed to be enough. With TAG, campouts and activities are planned and organized up to a year in advance. You never have that excuse that the weekend just snuck up on you. Our campouts are planned by nation officers at different campgrounds around the state. Some campouts are cabin camping while others are the more primitive tent camping. We often have access to places that individuals or small groups don’t, such as sleeping under the Saturn 5 rocket at Kennedy Space Center or camping overnight at Sea Aquarium or the Museum of Discovery and Science. Novices are not only welcome, but encouraged to join our program as the more experienced dads are there to help others. Your job will be to pay it forward. One of the more experienced dads helped me pick out and set up my first tent !
For those living in the Coral Springs/Parkland area, you would be joining the Teton Nation Adventure Guides. Although we welcome dads from all over, the majority of our dads are local, enabling each of the eight tribe s inside the Teton Nation to schedule local activities such as laser tag, IMAX movies, picnics, craft building and scavenger hunts, to name a few. Our events create opportunities for fathers and sons to spend time with other fathers and sons in their own tribe. Campouts include all 8 tribes.
Although the YMCA in Parkland recently closed, the YMCA of South Florida is still strong and fully supports our North Broward chapter.
If your son is interested in camping, canoeing, fossil hunts, fishing, rocket launches, war games, tug-o-wars, derby car races, scavenger hunts, swimming, zip lines, playing manhunt, climbing rock walls, horseback riding or roasting marshmallows over an open fire under the stars, visit www.tetonnation.com and learn more. You may also buy him a Duck hunting bag if your son is into hunting.
Contact our membership officer in the “contacts section.” Whether you are already that outdoor dad who has camped your entire life or that city slicker who has never been in the woods, ask yourself if you want to spend more outdoor quality time with your little boy. When you do, you will both remain “Pals Forever.”
