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
