As you make your back-to-school plans, put Y Guides on your list! This father-child program begins in September, with more than 1,000 brand new Y Guides participants attending our First-Year Dads Trainings. But before we get to those trainings, there’s a lot for first-year dads to accomplish; most importantly: Tribe Formation.
The Y Guides program begins in first grade and continues to the end of the third-grade year. Each tribe has approximately 6-10 father-child pairs and is organized by age and gender. First-years are encouraged to have already formed their tribes before attending the First-Year Dads Trainings in September.
So how do you form a tribe? Don’t worry! We’ve got some tips to get you started.
PEOPLE YOU ALREADY KNOW MAKE GREAT TRIBEMATES
For the majority of new participants, forming a tribe is fairly straightforward. Think about the families you know through your neighborhood, school, church, sports team, camp, or other shared activity. Are there other dads with kids who are the same age and gender? There you have it! That’s your tribe!
If you need more support in finding your tribe, the Y Guides team has created three resources to help you connect with potential tribemates.
COMPLETE THE FIND A TRIBE FORM
Check out our page for joining a tribe to add your information to our database of first-year dads who are looking for tribemates. We can sort the database based on zip code, age and gender to help you find some dads that might be a good fit. After you've completed the form, we will be in touch with more details. We try to place people in tribes by the end of August.
JOIN THE TRIBE FORMATION FACEBOOK GROUP
The Y Guides staff has created a Facebook Group for dads trying to connect with potential tribemates. Whether you're a new participant looking to join a tribe OR you're part of an existing tribe that's hoping to add new members, visit the Facebook Group to connect with others.
ATTEND A REGIONAL MEETUP
NEW in 2019 - The Y Guides team will host regional meetups at YMCA branches throughout the triangle for first-year dads who are looking for tribemates. These meetups are scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 11 from 5 - 6 p.m. at the Poyner YMCA (Downtown Raleigh), Taylor YMCA (Cary), YMCA at Meadowmont (Chapel Hill) and Kerr YMCA (Wake Forest/Northeast Raleigh). Please let us know if you’re planning to attend one of the regional meetups.
NEXT STEPS
Once you’ve determined your tribemates, fill out the Y Guides registration form and have your Chief turn all of your tribe’s forms in together at the First-Year Dad’s Training with payment attached. Leave the “Tribe Name” blank on your registration form. You’ll have the opportunity to decide your tribe name later.
As always, if you need additional support, contact YGuides@YMCATriangle.org. We’re looking forward to meeting all of our new participants soon and seeing everybody during the fall season!