How it all began...
The
Y-Indian Guides program (as it was formerly called) was developed in a
deliberate way to support the father's vital role as teacher, counselor,
and friend to his son. Although the program began in High Point
in 1957, its roots trace back to 1926, when Harold S. Keltner, then director of the YMCA in St. Louis, organized the first
tribe of the Y-Indian Guide Program in Richmond Heights, Missouri, with
the help of his friend Joe Friday, an Ojibway Indian, and William H.
Hefelfinger, chief of the first Y-Indian Guide tribe.
Inspired by his experiences with Mr. Friday, who was his guide on
fishing and hunting trips into
Canada, Mr. Keltner initiated a
program of father/son experiences that came to involve fathers and sons
throughout the United States.
While Mr. Keltner was on a hunting trip in Canada, Mr. Friday said to him as they sat around the campfire one evening, "The Indian father raises his son. He teaches his son to hunt, to track, to fish, to walk softly and silently in the forest, to know the meaning and purpose of life and all he must know, while the white man allows the mother to raise his son." These comments struck home, and Harold Keltner arranged for Mr. Friday to work with him at the YMCA.
The Ojibway Indian spoke before groups of YMCA boys and dads in St. Louis, and Mr. Keltner discovered that fathers as well as boys had a keen interest in the traditions and ways of Native Americans. At the same time, being greatly influenced by the work of Ernest Thompson Seton, great lover of the outdoors, Mr. Keltner conceived the idea of a father-and-son program based on the strong qualities of American Indian culture and life, which involved dignity, patience, endurance, spirituality, feeling for the earth, and concern for the family. Thus, the Y-Indian Guide Program was born 80 years ago. Though Harold Keltner died in the summer of 1986, his presence is felt today, and he will continue to affect the lives of fathers and children for years to come.
The Y-Indian Princess Program was an outgrowth of the Indian Guide Program. It enabled fathers and their daughters to participate together in a variety of activities that nurtured mutual understanding, love, and respect. The first Y-Indian Princesses were formed in the Fresno, California, YMCA in 1954. Today, as then, the Princess program affords an unusual opportunity for the concerned and busy father to facilitate growth in a daughter's development and an understanding of the world around her. The father's role helps her in developing self-esteem, confidence in her peers, and discipline.
In 2004, the official name of the program became Y-Guides and Y-Princesses. Although the word "Indian" was dropped, the Native American theme was not, and as always, our focus is on the father/child relationship. Though there have been several other changes, the program's quality has been maintained, and the number of participants has grown substantially over the years.