FAQs

The fun continues with Trailblazers! The YMCA's Trailblazers program is a continuation for older children of the Y Guides programs. Trailblazers offers children, fourth grade and beyond, more challenging and varied experiences, while teaching leadership and responsibility.

Service to the community and the YMCA is an important aspect of the YMCA Trailblazers program. Some dads and children actually stay in the program long enough for the child to drive their dads to camp!

Popular outings for the Trailblazers program is the the Fall Outing weekend to Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain, NC, the winter ski trip to Wintergreen Ski Resort and Spring Outing at Camp Sea Gull.

Through all of these activities and events, Trailblazers continues to help strengthen the family and foster the relationship between father and child.

Joining Y Guides is easy. Simply visit the join page of this website to learn more.

The Y Guides program is ACTION-ORIENTED! Fathers and their children form tribes. Tribes contain anywhere from 7-10 fathers and their sons or daughters. One father is selected as tribal chief, and the various tribal positions are delegated to the fathers.

Tribes meet twice a month in a member's home with fun activities including: games, crafts, stories and tricks. The tribes also organize monthly outings such as: a camp out, community service projects, hiking, cookouts, etc.

In addition to the activities of the tribe, all Y Guides tribes can participate in various Nation events throughout the year. Nation events include a Fall Outing at Camp Kanata in Wake Forest, Winter Inning show at Memorial Auditorium, Polar Bear swims at local YMCAs, Kite Day, local Park Clean-up Day, and the highlight, Spring Outing weekend at Camps Sea Gull and Seafarer in Arapahoe, NC, complete with activities such as archery, riflery, zipline, searching for sharks teeth, scavenger hunts and swimming. And don't forget about a great evening campfire with songs, a ghost story and other fun surprises!

Father and child attendance together is mandatory for participation in meetings/outings/activities.

Through the Y Guides program, the YMCA provides the following benefits to both father and child:

1) Foster companionship, understanding and set a foundation for positive, lifelong relationships between father and child
2) Build a sense of self-esteem and personal worth
3) Expand awareness of body, mind, and spirit
4) Provide a framework to meet a mutual need of spending enjoyable, constructive, and quality time together
5) Enhance the quality of family time
6) Emphasize the vital role that parents play in the growth and development of their children
7) Offer an important and unique opportunity to develop and enjoy volunteer leadership skills
8) Opportunity to meet other families with children the same age