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NATIONAL DRUMBEATS

Volume 3, Number 7 - Oct./Nov. 2001

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INDIAN GUIDES . . . 1926-2001

END OF A GREAT PROGRAM

Many years ago, the search for an ideal YMCA program by Harold S. Keltner

was memorialized . . . "Other programs were tried in addition to the father

and son banquets, but only one proved to be effective: an outdoor program

for fathers and sons including Indian heritage and folklore."

After 75 successful years, the prodigy of Mr. Keltner's wisdom will succumb

to disfiguring changes that will metastasize deep into its soul. The YMCA's

clinical diagnosis. . . political incorrectness. The Y's cure. . .

amputation of all things Indian - name and theme! The reality . . . the

national Y-Indian Guide Programs are tragically coming to an end. Despite

the promise of future YMCA prosthetics, the new program is expected to bear

little resemblance to that of the old.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED . . .

During their September meeting, the National Board of Directors for the YMCA

of the USA approved a request to implement drastic changes to the Y-Indian

Guide Programs' name, program format, and program material. The request

came from one of the board's committees, the Program Development Committee.

The national board also approved the creation of a task force, the

Association Resources Committee, to help shape the future of the program.

As a temporary measure, the board approved the dropping of the word "Indian"

from the national program name, until a more appropriate name could be

recommended by the Association Resources Committee.

WHAT TO EXPECT. . .

Although Y staff have previously stated that the task force will have no

preconceived ideas as to what changes will take place, the Y has apparently

changed its position. National staff admitted in the National Advisory

Committee's meeting on November 8 that the YMCA will insist that the task

force go forth on the elimination of the Native American theme. This will

be in addition to the Y's plan to remove all Native American references from

programming material, such the "Friends Always Manual" and patch logos.

Y staff have emphatically stated that they are not trying to "kill" the

program, but are only trying to modernize its outdated and politically

incorrect aspects. Staff have stressed that the core of the parent/child

programming will remain and have hopes that the same "magic" of Indian

Guides can be recreated in their new program. They have additionally stated

that there is a possibility of some Native American storytelling and lore

being retained. However, program volunteers feel that this is less likely

to occur now that the Y has decided to proceed with the elimination of the

Native American theme.

The YMCA of the USA released the following statement:

"In June, the program committee of the YMCA of the USA's (Y-USA) national

board accepted recommendations from a task force of YMCA CEOs to change the

name and thoroughly review the Y-Indian Guides Program. It further

recommended that until the review is complete and a new name or theme is

chosen, Y-USA and local Ys use drop the word "Indian" and use the names "Y

Guides," "Y Princesses," and so forth in program promotions. The

recommendation was approved by the national board in September. Meanwhile,

some local YMCAs have already changed the names of their programs.

The recommendations were prompted by a need for Y-USA to show leadership and

integrity in being respectful and responsive to Native American concerns and

to act consistently with the YMCA National Diversity Initiative.

Specifically, the recommendations are:

* To maintain YMCAs' commitment to family and parent-child programs and to

cultural diversity.

* To review best practices and recommend updated content and technical

support for YMCA parent-child programs.

* To eliminate the name "Indian" in Y-USA's and local associations'

promotions.

* To use instead Y Guides, Y Princesses, Y Maidens and Y Braves in the

interim, until a more thorough program review process is completed by the

task force described above.

Y-USA is dropping "Indian" from the program identity logo and from all other

uses of the program name. An Association Resources task force of the

national board has begun to carry out a comprehensive change process,

including a review of program content and consideration of a new name and

theme. In the interim, YMCAs are encouraged to continue offering

parent-child (Y Guides and Y Princesses) programs using the current

resource, Friends Always.

New program material will take a couple of years to develop and disseminate.

During the transition, this is a good time for local Ys to evaluate any use

of the theme using the guidelines from the technical paper, "Responsible Use

of the Native American Theme in Y-Indian Guide Programs," available on the

YMCA Intranet (see below).

For more information: The technical paper on responsible use of the Native

American theme is available from the YMCA Intranet,

<http://www.ymcausa.org/programs/family/yindian_guides_program.htm>

www.ymcausa.org/programs/family/yindian_guides_program.htm (user name is

ymca; password is 9622.). For a hard copy, contact Sue Jarocki,

sue.jarocki@ymca.net or 800-872-98622, ext. 8662. For more on the YMCA

Diversity Initiative, see page X in this issue. With other questions,

contact Barbara Taylor, YMCA of the USA, barbara.taylor@ymca.net or

800-872-9622, ext. 8407. "

# # #

Although the program is changing at the national level, the YMCA of the USA

has stated that local Y's will be allowed to retain their autonomy by

operating the parent/child program of their choice . . . even Indian Guides.

Local programs however, will have to realize that the continued use of the

Indian theme will make it difficult to find national programming support,

since national programming materials (manuals & patches) will be revised to

reflect a non-Indian program.

Despite such changes, some Y directors have shown little concern and have

vowed to remain true to the program's original format. Such Ys feel their

programs have become self-sufficient due to the lack of, or disinterest in

national support. Manuals such as the "Friends Always" are viewed to be of

little value since they are too cost prohibitive to be dispersed widely

among participants, or are seldom utilized when distributed. Changes in the

national patches are considered to have little impact since the majority of

patches used, are officer and event patches which are out-sourced.

WHO WILL DECIDE . . .

The Y has approved and budgeted $9,000 to allow the Association Resources

Committee to meet in a closed forum on December 1-2 in Chicago to draft

their recommendations for additional changes. Individuals selected to this

task force where based upon their geographical location, experience, but

most importantly their willingness to proceed with change. As of November

8, the roster for the Association Resources Committee was as follows:

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National Staff

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Carmelita Gallo . . . Y-USA's Director of Membership & Program Development

Group. Member of the national board's Program Development Committee.

Barbara Taylor . . . Y-USA's Associate Director of Program Development.

National staff representative to the Guide programs' National Advisory

Committee (NAC).

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Local Staff

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Norris Lineweaver . . . Indianapolis.

CEO/President of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis who initiated the change

process nationally, as well as within his local program. Chairman of the

CEO Task Force which began the formal change proceedings, nationally. The

task force is a subcommittee of the national board's Program Development

Committee.

Pam Adkins . . . Dallas, TX.

Associate V.P. of Program Services for the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas where

their program recently went through the change process.

Paul Bianchi . . . Orlando, FL.

Executive Director for the Golden Triangle YMCA. Orlando's Central Florida

Metro YMCAs are the originators of the alternative program, Y-Family Guides

and are interested in the change process.

Vince Cassaro . . . Los Angeles, CA.

Senior V.P. for the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles where their program is

interested in the change process.

Mary Hoshiko . . . Santa Clara, CA.

Director of Programs/Training for the YMCA of Santa Clara Valley who was

responsible for their program's change process.

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Volunteers

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Bob Eilenfeldt . . . Fort Worth, TX.

National Chief for the Guide programs' National Advisory Committee (NAC).

Member of the Airport Area YMCA which recently went through the change

process.

Dave Krona . . . Seattle, WA.

Program volunteer for the Seattle program which went through the change

process several years ago.

James Stefanile Montclair, NJ.

Federation Chief for the YMCA of Montclair Guides & Princess Programs which

is considering the change process.

A last minute invitation was extended to Rich Escutia for his experience as

a Network Consultant for the Y-USA. Invitations may also be extended to a

Raleigh, NC. volunteer (to be named) and a staff or volunteer from an area

of the Midwest known as the Great Lakes Zone. The Y originally offered to

have a Native American representative in attendance, but rescinded since it

felt that no individual could speak on behalf of all Native Americans.

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A LOOK BACK AT INDIAN GUIDES

The Indian Guides Program was founded in 1926 by director Harold S. Keltner

at the South Side YMCA in St. Louis, Missouri with the help of his longtime

friend Joe Friday, a Canadian Ojibway Indian. Mr. Keltner had known Joe

Friday from frequent trips to Bear Island in Ontario, Canada where Joe

served as a backwoods hunting/fishing guide. (For a transcript of

Keltner's recollection, see National Drumbeats' Vol. 3, No. 2 "A Bit of

History - the Keltner Tape.")

In St. Louis, about the year 1921, Lansing F. Smith of Ridgewood, NJ. and

Frank Cheley of Denver, CO. compiled the "Father and Son Library." These bo

oks stimulated wide interest in the father/son relationship and made clear

the need for a program that would bring dads and their boys into greater

companionship. Mr. Keltner was greatly influenced by this and the work of

outdoor-enthusiast Ernest Thompson. While in Buffalo, Mr. Keltner had tried

many different programs including father/son banquets, but none had seemed

to be successful or long-lasting.

In 1926, while establishing YMCA Camp Lakewood on former trout ponds in the

Ozark Hills, Mr. Keltner asked his old friend, Joe Friday, "to teach the

boys how to paddle a canoe . . . set traps . . . and learn much of the

Indian lore of the forest." Joe Friday accepted and on one occasion, after

speaking to a father/son banquet, was surrounded by so many fathers with

hunting/fishing questions, that the young boys were unable to gain access to

Joe. Mr. Keltner quickly recognized that Native American culture was a

common level of interest between father & son, and would be ideal in linking

it to an outdoor program.

And so, the Indian Guide Program was born. In 1926, Mr. Keltner organized

the Osage tribe in Richmond Heights, MO. and was its leader for six months,

until William H. Hefelfinger Sr. was elected as their first chief.

News and appeal of the program quickly spread. In 1935, it was recognized

as a national program by the National Council of YMCAs (YMCA of the USA).

The program held its first national convention in 1938, and held consecutive

annual national conventions thereafter thru 1995 (except for

1989-90,1992,1994). By the early 1980's, the program was estimated to have

as many as 3/4 of a million members.

Joe Friday served as the Honorary Chief of the national program until his

death from bone cancer on February 10, 1952 . Harold Keltner remained a key

influence on the program until his death on August 4, 1986. The first

documented National Chief was Walter L. Purcell of Decatur, GA. who was

elected in 1961. (It's unclear if any chiefs were elected during the

interim.) There has been 36 additional national chiefs since then. (For a

complete listing, see National Drumbeats' Vol. 3, No. 3 "National Chiefs

1961 to Present.")

The post World War II era not only gave rise to further interest in the

father/son relationship, but spawned a desire for a complete parent/child

relationship as well. In 1951, the Y-Indian Maidens Program

(mother/daughter) was created in South Bend, Indiana by Youth Director

William C. Carmicheal and three mothers: Mrs. Cecil Foster, Mrs. Harlow

Kelly, and Mrs. Gordon Mitchell. In 1954, the Y-Indian Princess Program

(father/daughter) was created in Fresno, CA. by volunteer B. Dean Woods and

Fresno YMCA Director George Dyer. In 1980, the Y-Indian Braves Program

(mother/son) was recognized as a national program by the National Longhouse.

On May 24, 1972, the National Board of YMCAs and the Frank Phillips

Foundation Inc. dedicated the National Y-Indian Guide Center at the WOOLARAC

Museum near Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The "Indian Guide" portion of the

museum eventually closed several years ago, due to lack of Y support. (For

further details refer to National Drumbeats issue Vol. 2, No. 8 -

"Bittersweet News.")

In the program's 75-year existence, millions of participants have benefited

and enjoyed the Indian Guide Programs including such notables as President

Clinton and Disney's Michael Eisner.

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FROM OUR READERS

My name is Brian Schlotterback, I am the Sarasota YMCA Indian Guides

Liaison.

We will be putting on the State Powwow for 2002

(www.state-powwow.org/2002/).

Jimmy Sawgrass has been in contact with me on the matter of the name change.

He and other Native Americans are greatly concerned. There is a small group

(per Jimmy) and all they do is create problems such as this. Jimmy and

others say it would be a great injustice to change any part of our program.

I feel that maybe we should take a consensus of Native American Counsels and

see just how many this program actually offends. After the results are in

then I would consider a change.

Please suggest this to the National YMCA. They may be surprised at the

results.

Brian Schlotterback

A.k.a. Wise Panther

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IN OUR NEXT ISSUE

* Joe Friday's Niece Provides a Biography

* Arizona Programs Consolidate

* and more!

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Please E-mail your comments or requests to Editor Barry Yamaji:

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DISCLAIMER

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National Drumbeats is an independent newsletter and is not affiliated with,

or reflects the views/opinions of, any other individuals, groups or

organizations. It was created solely for the purpose of promoting the

Indian Guide Programs through information and education. Although we strive

to verify the contents of this newsletter, accuracy of the articles cannot

be guaranteed since in some instances, information is received by secondary

sources.

National Drumbeats

National Drumbeats, P.O. Box 266, Wadsworth, IL 60083-0266

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ONE NATION,

ONE VOICE,

UNITED WE STAND!

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* * * END * * *