CBYGuides.org - Central Bucks Family YMCA Adventure Guides

Past Event Information

2007 Winter Campout
2006 Memorial Day Parade
2006 Gettysburg Overnight
2006 Skate 309
2006 Sleepover at Trexler Game Preserve
2006 Bingo Night at Neshaminy Manor
2006 Winter Campout

2005 Pinewood Derby
2005 Pinewood Derby
2005 Phantoms Game
2005 Service Event
2005 Town & Country Playhouse
2005 Blazers Deep Sea Fishing Trip
2005 Induction Ceremony
2005 Fall Rustic Campout >
2005 Orientation
2005 Pretzel Sales
2005 Trenton Thunder Campout
2005 Summer Campout

Winter Campout - pictures
by Mike Harvan

This year's campout started out on a chilly, fabulously clear winter night. Everyone was able to enjoy the blazing starry skies courtesy of an errant motorist who was skillful enough to take out a power transformer and darken all of Blairstown. The darkness didn't dampen any spirits as cries of "when are the lights coming on" and "hot sausage" rang through the night. It was a curious turn of events. Normally the guides are in the cabin bugging the dads to go out and start a fire, but this year the boys were by the fire bugging the dads to go in the cabin. Luckily the lights came on round about midnight, just in time for everyone to run inside, turn them off and turn in for the night.

Saturday was chock full of the usual events, BB-guns, the climbing wall, apple baking, archery, rifles, hiking and avoiding the lake because it wasn't frozen enough. A new event this year was the Golden Gobbler hunt. Sadly, polystyrene, paper and waste food sorting was not on this year's activity list. Just enough snow had fallen so that the kids could go sledding, although the cardboard sleds still needed a helping hand down the hill. The fire ring was sheltered enough to put all that hard work to the torch. Rumor has it that the more work that went into the sled, the faster it will burn. Or, maybe it's the more paint that goes on the sled the faster it will burn? Either way, the Apache sled was definitely reduced to nothing faster than any of the others.

The skits this year ran the gamut. Some were short and sweet, some were just short, some were just sweet, some were not so short and some were not so sweet. The most impressive had to be the rendition of all 7 aims. Several were bold enough to poke fun at the guide and blazer chiefs! (Someone please tell Chief Glidden to wipe off his nose.) The Golden Gobbler finally reappeared just in time to be awarded to a first year tribe, with no prior skit experience.

Everyone rose early Sunday morning to rub the sleep from their eyes, pack up the sleeping bags, search out those lost hats and gloves and take that long trek down the hill, fingers crossed that their car batteries survived the cold weekend. One final set of instructions on how to eat a meal at Camp Mason, a few last activities and one more Winter Campout patch was ready for those vests.

Memorial Day Parade
by Bob Darnell

It was an absolutely beautiful day for the annual Memorial Day Parade. I was a little concerned at first because I was the only one to show up at 9:30, then as time went on more and more Guides and Blazers showed up and we ended up with a great turn out. It would have looked scarce with just me and the boys walking. The Princesses put on quite the show this weekend with 3 floats, but the Guides decided to hoof it the whole way. We don't need to floats, we're men. Thanks to Dave Rogers and the Blackhawks for bringing their banner. I think next year, we need to design something to show off our "Guide Pride" Thanks again for everyone who turned out.

Gettysburg Overnight
by Joe Brennan

On the evening of April 29th, approximately 40 dads and Blazers embarked on a hauntingly enjoyable Ghost Walk through the history-strewn streets and alleyways of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Gettysburg is the site of one of the most famous and bloody battles of our nation’s tragic Civil War, where in July of 1863, over the course of three days, more than 50,000 men either lost their lives or were wounded. Today the battlefield is lovingly preserved for posterity and, according to local legend and many witnesses, filled with the wandering spirits of dead Union and Confederate soldiers who continue to fight a war long over.
We began our tour with Ms. Ann, our Spirit Guide who showed us many of the infamous sites throughout the town, like the Farnsworth House on Baltimore Street where over 150 bullet holes cover one entire side of the brick building and the ghosts of Confederate sharpshooters, on occasion, can be seen in the attic windows, still looking to end the life of unsuspecting Union soldiers up on Cemetery Hill; and the church where so many amputations occurred during the heat of the battle they had to drill holes in the floor to let the blood run out. While we walked throughout the town, some dads and sons took digital photos with their cameras, some picking up mysterious orbs of light. Were they the grounded ghosts of Gettysburg’s dead or just dust particles floating in the air around us? Some of the photos made believers of skeptics and only solidified the conviction of the believers.
After the tour ended dads and blazers departed, some going back to the hotel for a late night swim, some to dinner, some to the battlefields to try and have a ghostly encounter. The next morning we sat down to a great breakfast, courtesy of the Hampton Inn, and most of us headed back into town, to the Gettysburg Battlefield Visitor Center where, for a few dollars, you could see a half hour presentation of the light map, depicting the battle lines of the Union and Confederacy on those 3 fateful days and tour the museum where you could see artifacts from the battle, including furniture from the surrounding homes that were struck by bullets during the fighting. Some tribes chose to tour the battlefield with tour guides while others went on their own, visiting locations like Little Round Top, the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union's left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg; or Devil’s Den nearby; or the Wheatfield where by the end of July 2, 1863 the wheat would be trampled and the ground soaked with blood, forever hallowing the ground, surrounding woods, and the simple name of this place where Americans fought and bled and died. At several locations on this 6,000 acre plot of land one could stand atop an enormous lookout tower and survey every famous location of that battle that changed our nation’s history so long ago and, reflecting on what took place there, could not help but be moved.

Skate 309
by Joe "I'm Too Large to Skate" Brennan

It was an evening of spills and thrills when 95 Guides and Princesses, along with their moms, dads, brothers, and sisters hit the rink at Skate 309 on Friday, March 10th. The evening began at 5:00 PM and we had the run of the entire roller-skating rink for an entire two hours. There was heart-thumping music played by the D.J. while skaters of varying skills took to the floor, going round and round (some going down, up, then down again). The D.J got everyone to do the Chicken Dance — not an easy feat with wheels on your feet! At the far end of the roller rink there was a large “Fun Zone” where, for an additional $2.00 the kids were able to climb throughout a safe, netted obstacle course of multiple levels. When families weren’t skating to the tunes, they were playing in the fun zone, chilling out by the snack bar--enjoying dogs, pizza, pretzels, and a variety of Slushies and soft drinks--or hitting the cool arcade. Princess and Guides alike had great evening with their families and, luckily, bruises and bumps were at a minimum while fun was at the max!!!

Sleepover at Trexler Game Preserve
by Bob Darnell

Approximately 30 of the Delaware Nations finest attended the "Explore and Snore" event at the Trexler Game Preserve in Schnecksville, PA on Friday, March 4. It turned out that we had the entire preserve to ourselves and received a private, VIP tour of the place. The Guides were treated to not only to a private tour, but a live animal show and they were able to dissect owl pellets. They found mole and bird skulls, feathers and bones in the pellets. Very cool! Dave Rogers and Franco Salerno decided to do a little private touring on their own and found themselves on a very lengthy nature hike out of the boundaries of the park. We were almost ready to send out a search party when they showed up with a big box of cookies. After the live animal show, everyone was treated to a snack and a little open play time. Ecoman entertained all with a little impromptu concert. We were able to start a fire in the fireplace and get comfortable with some hot chocolate prior to turning in. As with most of our over-night adventures, we bring air mattresses with us for comfort. (With this group, you never know where you will end up sleeping, at the zoo, the Franklin Institute or the Aquarium.) Some of the more heartier dads chose to sleep directly on the hard floor. Hey Pete Luecke, did you call the chiropractor yet? As always there was a good deal of snoring and other mysterious sounds throughout the evening. Our wake up call came at 6:30 am. All the animals were out the next day and the Guides were able to help feed them and get a few pictures. Overall, everyone had a great time As we were leaving, my son saw a sign for an animal we must have missed. He wanted to go see the "Ampi Eater". After closer examination I was able to determine he was looking at the sign for the Amphitheater.

Bingo Night at Neshaminy Manor
by Bob Darnell

I’d like to personally thank everyone who attended the visit to Neshaminy Manor Retirement Home on Wednesday, February 22. We had approximately 40 Dads and Sons show up to help the residents with their weekly bingo night. We made up a poster size bingo card and had all the Guides sign it and we presented it to Rosie, the bingo caller, at the end of the night. The night started out with some initial trepidation from both sides, but the ice was quickly broken and we were interacting with the residents soon into the first game. The Guides helped find the correct numbers and call out the numbers from the winning cards. Doug Bowen from the Arrowhead prepared some snacks and became our official food service host of the evening. Everyone enjoyed the treats he brought. Many residents of a nursing home have the same routine every day. Many of them are deposited and soon forgotten by their families. A small effort to reach out to these people by younger members of the community is most welcome. These folks have lived a long, rich life and are anxious to share some of their life experiences. I know they enjoyed hearing about our program and speaking with the Guides. Many of them were entertained by a few knock-knock jokes and tales of our adventures camping. I would like to continue to reach out to these residents and do more with them. The activities director informed me we are welcome to come back anytime. They would love for us to hold tribal meetings at the home and possibly have some of the residents share their stores about Bucks County with our Guides. They are looking for hands on projects to do with the residents. My kids have found some new friends and it certainly tugged on my heart strings to see the smiles that were generated this past Wednesday night. Thanks again to all who participated.

Winter Campout
by Joe Brennan

There may not have been snow and ice, but there was fun aplenty at this year’s annual Winter Campout at Camp Mason, Hardwick, N.J. Fathers and sons arrived in waves Friday evening, January 20th, dads unpacking their gear, sampling snacks and various beverages, sons playing various games well into the night. There were echoes of “Ya-Ta-Hey” as tribes greeted each other the next morning which was unseasonably mild. After a hearty breakfast of French toast and sausages, tribes dispersed throughout the camp to go climbing on the rock wall, BB-gun shooting, crafting, or on a nature hike. After lunch there were even more activities: skating at the skate park, trying one’s skills at shooting rifles or arrows, and even pretzel and apple baking in the mess hall! At 3:00, the determined Delaware Nation, undaunted by lack of snow, carried their cardboard sleds to the top of the sledding hill where they were proudly displayed and judged by our Nation Chief, Bob Darnell. Once the parade of sleds was over, it was time to carry them one last time to the fire ring where they were offered up to the Great Spirit by way of fire. It took some effort to get the sleds to actually burn, but once they did—oh boy—did they ever burn!!

That evening in the mess hall, after an acid reflux-inducing meal of spaghetti and meatballs, we came together for our skits which were, as always, extremely entertaining for dad and son alike. There was Dognac the Magnificent, back once again to amaze young and old with his psychic powers. There were boys needing to go “Weeeee!”. There was a machete-wielding madman on the loose, and a boy named Marshall running through the hall in his skivvies. Pinewood Derby awards as well as Sled awards were given out and a stirring rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” was played by one of the Swiggum boys on his electric guitar! Back in our cabins, the night was a little more subdued from the night before, most lights out before 11:00. After breakfast on Sunday, as some dads and sons left Camp Mason for another year, some stayed behind for a little more skating time, or another crack at the rock climbing wall, or some more fun with BB guns. Even without the snow, this year’s Winter Campout was a great success! Oh, and just a quick note to remind those dads whose son won any of the Pinewood Derby heats but did not get an awards patch, please contact Mark Glidden

Pinewood Derby
by Joe Brennan

It was another hit, the second annual Pinewood Derby was held at the YMCA gymnasium and there were winners in every tribe and circle. The car designs told the whole story from the cruisers, muscle cars, hot rods, and dragsters with jet engines to dinosaurs, a pizza mobile, and King Tut! There was a lot of imagination and a lot of pride strutting around the gym. The boys were excited too. The cars arrived in protective boxes, towels, toolboxes and Tupperware containers. Onsite in the pit area there was an assortment of tools, weights, quarters, superglue, graphite, and yes…even duct tape.
The Grizzly tribe organized the event again this year and did a terrific job! They came with a new track built by our Nation Chief Bob Darnell, a computer tracking system, a scale to keep everyone honest at 5oz, a compressed air bull horn, and the best pizza party of the year. The cars were so fast this year on the new track that most of the races were a photo finish. Thank you to the Dad with the digital camera and quick trigger finger without which the winners would never have been determined. We might have to lengthen the track next year or throw in a few road hazards to slow the cars down.
Beyond the racing the Guides had fun playing in the gym with everything they could pull out of the Y’s storage room. The storage room was like a gold mine and the boys crowded into it jumping on everything they could find. Each year part of the December tribal event has been to donate toys for needy area children. Several were again collected this year.
Everyone in attendance was a winner. One winner that did stick out was the Herbie Replica Car which did win its division. At the conclusion of the evening you could hear several Dads strategizing over next year’s car design and build strategy including starting at least 7 days before the race. Again, thank you to the Grizzlies for putting on the event and we all look forward to it again next year!

Guides Winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd):
Overall: James Durkin, Jack Keiffer, Ryan Schmidt
Arrowhead: Benjamin Clark, Thomas Domanico, Matthew Clark
Blackhawk: Ryan Rogers, Carl Nicholas, Ben Evans
Blackfoot: Evan Giuliani, James Durkin, Tyler Roach
Eagle: Ryan Schmidt, Hunter Craig, Connor O'Neil
Furlong: Reed Sturza, Reese Sterling, Blake Peterson
Grizzly: Jeremy Wolfgang, Matthew Russo, Zach Potter
Hekawi: Jack Kelly, Nick Ferrentino, Zach Keiffer
Pawnee: Justin Marles, Stephen Abromowitz, Eric Luecke
Maiden: James Bolton, Max Kramer, Tom Kennedy

Blazers Winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd):
Overall: Eric Schmidt, Jackson McGlynn, Ryan Jacobsen
Apache: Ryan Jacobsen, Mike Harvan, Brandon Jacobsen
Hopi: Ben Ryder, Kevin Williams, Chris Potter
Mohawk: Stephen Giller, Eric Schmidt, Jackson McGlynn
Sioux: Eric Burdack, Steven Marles

Photos coming soon!

Phantoms Game

On Sunday November 20th the Adventure Guides got together for hot dogs, soft pretzels, water ice, cotton candy, nachos and soda. They waved their foam fingers in the air, chased flying t-shirts and yelled their heads off. Rumor has it they also watched the Philadelphia Phantoms hold off a late rush by the Norfolk Admirals to win 2-1. The game had a carnival atmosphere, with giveaways about every half hour, lots of music and cheering and great between period entertainment, which included t-shirts sling-shotted into the crowd and a Mites-on-Ice game. Proving that it is good to be the Chief, Bob Darnell snagged one of the flying shirts. And, before any nasty stories start circulating, it is not true that he was stepping on his son's shoulders to get some extra height.
The game started slow, but the first period ended with a flurry of activity as the Phantoms scored their first goal with only 6 seconds left in the period. The Phantoms added another goal at the start of the second period. The Admirals tightened things up, scoring midway through the second. The Admirals were unable to put the puck in the net during a late power play following a fight in the third period. They pulled the goalie in the waning minutes of the third and fired shot after shot, but were unable to tie the game. Rookie goaltender Martin Houle earned star of the game honors with his first victory in his AHL debut.
Thanks to Sandy McDonough of the Hekawi for putting the whole night together!

Photos

A Season For Giving
by Dave Rogers and Scott Peterson

The service event for the fall was packing bags of nonperishable food for needy families at the Tabor House, on Saturday, November 19th. 15 dad / son teams showed up for this event. Everyone had a great time organizing all the different foods into categories and then they formed an assembly line in which the son's went to each station and pack their bags with each food type. Afterwards, one of the social workers talked to the boys about what this community service was all about. The boys actually raised their hands and asked a lot of questions. This went on for about 20 Minutes! Overall this was a great experience for all that showed up and the boys received a community service patch on the spot from Chief of the Nation , Bob Darnell.

Blather, Blarney & Balderdash
by Dave Rogers

About 70 attended the Adventure Guides night at the Town and Country Players Wednesday, November 16th. We had the whole place to ourselves! Three wild and crazy leprechauns named Blather, Blarney and Balderdash help a tongue-tied shepherd Fin O’Grady learn to tell a story to win the hand of his one true love. Three tales are told including “The Hunchback of Knockgrafton”, The Griffin’s Feather” and “The Bird, the Mouse and the Cricket”. It was hilarious and had the audience rolling in laughter. At intermission we enjoyed an assortment of beverages and snacks. Following the play we were able to meet the cast members and many of the guides and princesses got autographs.

Blazers Fish the Deep Blue Sea
by Kevin Hahn

Sunday November 13th before the sun came up 13 brave souls gathered at the Warrington Burger King. Not for Whoppers and Fries as one would expect but to travel to the southern most part of New Jersey for the annual Blazer Deep Sea fishing trip. All left on time at, yes, 5 AM and headed for Wildwood, NJ to board the Atlantic Star for the 30 mile trip to the offshore wrecks we would be fish over for the day.
We arrived at 7 AM and met up with the Mark and Kyle Burdack and Kyle Hahn who had spent the night camping in the forests of southern New Jersey. There were no reports of Jersey devil sightings.

Our group along with 30 other fishermen boarded the boat. There was plenty of room for all as the boat holds 150 people. The day was beautiful with mild wind and waves with temperatures reaching 60 degrees.
After a 2 hour ride out to the area we were going to fish, the Captain set the anchors and we began to fish. Almost immediately we began catching sea bass and continued to catch bass all day. Many did not meet the size limit of 12 inches but many did as well. Quite a few well exceeded the minimum size also and probable weighed several pound. Our cooler which was split between the Burdacks, Weiners and Hahns had 63 keeper fish by the end of the day. Once filleted, each of us went home with a grocery bag full of fish filets. All families caught about the same amount of fish.

This trip is not like fishing in the summer where you might catch 2 or 3 fish for the whole day. On this trip you catch fish nonstop allday long. A big source of excitement for father and son alike.
The boat finally arrived back at the dock a little after 6 PM

2005 Induction Ceremony
by Joe Brennan

The weather for the annual Induction Ceremony couldn’t have been better this time ‘round. With clear skies above, a crescent moon and the steady glow of the planet Mars, both the DoDaWaNe and Delaware Nations of Adventure Princesses and Guides came together at Winding Brook Farm on November 5th. Boys and girls, along with the help of their families, set up their picnic areas, while the farmers built small campfires for the toasting of marshmallows and the occasional brush with pyromania. The Arrowhead and the Blackhawk tribes did a fantastic job of coordinating the event that included beverages, hot dogs, various snacks, and the best tasting soup this side of Camden.
As the sun dipped down behind the corn fields, which were soon filled with the happy sounds of children playing and the sight of flashlight beams bouncing wildly, a roaring bonfire was lit at the far end of the field, and the pounding beat of a drum summoned the Guides and Princesses to join in a circle around it. The Nation Chiefs, John Richards and Bob Darnell, with the help of several Guides and Princesses and their fathers, presided over the bonfire ceremony where dads, daughters, and sons took a pledge to be friends always. The ceremony was briefly interrupted by Farmer Brown who warned everyone to be on the lookout for an escaped gorilla that was on the loose due to a car accident while being transported to the zoo. There was a brief moment of tension in the air from the gorilla news, but it quickly passed and all of the attending families climbed aboard hay wagons and were whisked off into the dark night, for a hayride under the stars.
The night was crisp as children sang songs and watched for any signs of a ferocious ape. Riding around the cornfields and through the woods there were no signs of the primate, but just as the wagons returned to the parking area the beast was spotted, thumping its savage chest and piercing the night with its primal scream. Luckily, the animal’s keepers captured him and the ape now sits happily at the Philadelphia zoo, fondly recalling it’s time spent on the loose at Winding Brook Farm.

Photos

2005 Fall Rustic Campout

In what seems like the theme for this year's guides, the rustic campout saw a little bit of rain. Luckily one dad was still wired to the 'Net, so there was no doubt that it was still raining!
The group of guides that showed up proved to be real diehards, and did not let the damp weather dampen their spirits. They once again proved that a good fire beats dry clothes, television and a warm bed. Most of the talk revolved around renaming the event the "Apache Rustic Campout." Except for a brief appearance by Bob Karl from the Princesses, the Apaches were the only tribe to attend. Actually, the conversation was quite far ranging, from how the assembled tent city reminded everyone of pictures of New Orleans, to the relative foolishness (when it was dry) or brilliance (when it was raining) of those who didn't attend, to how much equipment one would be willing to leave behind in order to make a quick exit, to forecasting that "the heavy stuff won't be coming down for a while."
The rain did lead to a somewhat early bedtime, but after a peaceful night of raindrops pattering on polyvinyl, Sunday dawned bright and sunny. The guides and dads enjoyed a nice breakfast of pancakes and bacon, with coffee, hot chocolate and warm cider. The guides took a brief nature hike and then all headed for home.
Keep in mind that this means that only one tribe is still eligible for the 100% participation award this year. We'll see if that still holds after the TBD Frostbite Campout!
Photos

2005 Orientation
by Joe Brennan

On Saturday, September 24th, Nation Chief, Bob Darnell, and several dads, who are veterans to the YMCA Adventure Guide program, met in the YMCA gymnasium to welcome new boys and their fathers. The evening began with open play time for the boys and a chance for the new fathers to learn a little more about the Guides program from participating fathers and circle Navigators (tribal chiefs). Bob explained the program to the boys, discussing our 7 aims, describing the fun things we do throughout the year. And with the aid of the nation’s banner, an enormous compass that nearly reached the basketball net, Bob discussed the YMCA Adventure Guides compass points which give members a sense of direction and an inspiration for activities. The evening was concluded with an impressive video, illustrating a “Year in the Life” of YMCA Adventure Guides. This year we have about 25 new members and will be forming a brand new Kindergarten group!

2005 Pretzel Sales

Each Saturday a tribe or circle sells pretzels during the hours that the Y has youth soccer games.(9-12) This is a great experience for the kids and they gain a valuable lesson in fund raising. The proceeds go to charity.
On Saturday 9/17 the Guides and Princess worked together and raised $371 for Katrina Hurricane relief. This amount was matched by the YMCA!

The last pretzel sale at the YMCA fall soccer season for the guides was held on Saturday, Nov. 12th by the Blackhawk tribe. They sold a whopping 300 pretzels by noon and raised $101 to be added to the Nation’s fundraising coffers.
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2005 Trenton Thunder Campout
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2005 Summer Campout
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