Bead Earning

Beads, Nature and Service Awards

The basic purpose behind these awards is to provide additional opportunities for every parent and child to work together and learn together, thereby building a closer relationship between parent and child. All other purposes are secondary to building this companionship.

Although many other worthwhile objectives can also be served at the same time (sense of achievement, increasing mental and moral development, eliminating self-consciousness, building interest in our adventure theme, etc.), we must never lose sight of our basic reason for being in the Y-Adventure Guide programs - to build a bond between ourselves and our children so that we might truly be "Friends Forever"!!

Presentation of the Awards

Beads and patches must be awarded on the same night the bead is earned, with a simple but solemn ceremony led by the Circle Compass Bearer. The Explorers work hard to earn them. They expect and deserve their awards while the thrill of accomplishment is still full. The child tries first, and if successful, the parent follows. If the child is unsuccessful, they both wait until the following meeting and try again. (The possibility of the parent missing is a remote one if he/she has truly spent sufficient time with the child on learning the bead’s requirements). Under no circumstances is any parent or child to wear a bead or patch that they have not earned.

BEAD AWARDS

Beads should be displayed on a leather thong attached to the member's vest.
The awards must be a joint parent and child effort, both learning and earning, neither trying for the bead until both are ready.
Both parent and child each must earn the award individually and on the same night.
A parent with two or more children must learn, earn and be awarded beads with each child in order that each of the children might get the full benefits of companionship with his/her parent. The parent wears the combined beads on his/her bead holder.

COLOR	HOW TO EARN THE BEAD	PRESENTATION
Personal Achievement
Crystal	Attend the Induction Ceremony These are always handed out at the induction.	"Welcome to the Yomechas Federation."
Black	Explain the meaning of the compass Answer: The compass symbolizes the purpose and goals of the Y-Adventure Guides – the explorer should be able to provide a reasonable explanation of the symbols	"The compass is something we all wear. It has significance beyond decorating our vests. It symbolizes the purpose and goals of the Y-Adventure Guides. In addition, learning how to understand symbols is a skill that is as useful today as it was hundreds of years ago to the great explorers."
Red	Recite the Y-Adventure Guides Slogan, Purpose, Pledge and Aims If the Aims are part of your opening/closing ceremony, this will come naturally. "Prompt" the children a little.	"The Y-Adventure Guides is a unique program -- one that invites parent and child to become a stronger team, and they both know the goals they are working toward. This knowledge should help them remain "Friends Forever."
Gold	Sing two "Y-Adventure Guides" songs. Any two "camp songs" should do – your circle song if you have one	"Part of being in Y-Adventure Guides is to learn the songs and rituals -- songs you will remember years later, long after you are no longer a member of this circle."
Yellow	Learn the program name and name of all your circle's members. (Just learning the Program Names of the children is usually enough of a challenge.)	"The bond between a Guide and a Explorer grows as they work together. In addition, when they learn the names of the rest of the circle, their bond with the circle grows stronger too."
Dark Blue	Father reports on an aspect of Folk Lore and child learns three dance steps. This could be the basis for an entire circle meeting!	"The great explorers and settlers developed a society that was rich in culture. This Parent and Child team you see before you have studied some of this culture and have shared what they learned with us. The circle thanks you for sharing with us what you have found."
Turquoise	Demonstrate the Aims of the Guides in Indian sign language.	"Today most people in America speak English. But the Native American’s had many spoken languages. Each tribe had its own language. In order to communicate among tribes, Indians used sign language. The signs that Indians made with their hands were understood across many tribes, even though the pronunciation or the word might be different when spoken by each tribe. Thus, an Indian living in one part of America could communicate with an Indian from a distant region." "This father and son/daughter have learned our aims in the sign language of the Native Americans, and they have shared it with us."
Brown	Pass the Krauss-Weber physical fitness test The YMCA Outfitter should be able to tell you more if you are interested.	"To keep our circle strong, circle members should maintain healthy and physically fit bodies. Guides and Explorers can earn a bead by using the Krauss-Weber exercise program and passing that test."
Personal Participation
Light Green	Attend an overnight campout. Guide and explorer must walk through the forest, fields or streams and report back to your own circle.	"The Y-Adventure Guides program offers parents and children rare opportunities. One of these is to camp out overnight together and with other members of your circle. Those who do this earn this light green bead. You have sought and attempted to preserve the beauty of the Great Creators's work in forest, field and stream. Congratulations."
Dark Aqua	Start your third year in the program. This should be awarded at the start of the year.	"You are now starting your third year in the Y-Adventure Guides program. This means that this Parent and Child have been working, playing, and caring together in our program for two years. Such members are important to our circle. We appreciate your participation and we look forward to having you with us again this year. Congratulations."
Amber	Attend 80% or more of the Expedition and Federation events during the year	"Being in Y-Adventure Guides means being actively involved with the life of your child or parent. To earn this bead, a parent and child must be active in 80% of the Federation and Expedition events. Those who devote this much time to each other deserve this special award, which they can only earn once per year for an entire year's work. Congratulations."
Ivory	Attend all Circle meetings during the year. Perfect Attendance at Circle meetings	"A circle grows strong through the dedicated involvement of its members. Those that give the most also receive the most. By your perfect attendance you have given a lot to this Circle. We hope you have received even more."
Circle Growth and Improvement
Purple	Recruit a new member for your circle Or a new member for any other circle or for the Trailblazers program.	"A Y-Adventure Guides Circle is strongest when it keeps the circle a healthy size. And the circle is healthier when it welcomes and makes friends with a new parents and children. A Guide and Explorer can earn a bead by inviting another parent and child to join the circle." "In giving you this bead, the circle thanks you for helping keep the circle strong, and also reminds you of your duty to help the new Explorer and the new Guide meet the other members of the circle and answer their questions."
Orange	Visit another Circle's meeting and report back to your own circle. Easy fun! And what a way to get ideas! Just call a navigator and ask!	"Y-Adventure Guides is a large organization. Not only does it include all the circles in our expedition, but it also includes many expeditions and federations throughout many regions of the United States. Circles exist from Maine to California." "Naturally, we like our own circle best, especially when it is active. But to help us appreciate the Y-Adventure Guides Organization, it is good for Guides and Explorer to visit other circles and report back to our members what they saw. From these visits we can learn new ideas that we can use to make our circle better. And the Guide and Explorer have a chance to make friends among the visited circle, which makes our Expedition stronger."
White	Build a craft project for the circle (treasure chest, banner, etc.) If the whole circle participates, give them all a bead. (If you add to a banner or centerpiece each year, you might count that.) This is supposed to be something active, but taking charge of buying something like a drum should qualify too!	"Making a craft project benefits the entire circle. It benefits the Guide and the Explorer who work together to make it. It also benefits the circle because they can share and use the project later. Our whole circle appreciates the project you have created and donated to our treasure chest."
Expedition Growth and Improvement
Pink	Attend a Federation or Expedition recruiting meeting, or help with a recruiting event.	"Thank you for helping with our recruiting event. By going to that event, you showed others that the spirit of the __________ Circle lives and is strong. You showed others that we are active in our Expedition. You helped lead others to join us in the Y-Adventure Guides. Therefore, the _____ Circle and the ______ Expedition give you this bead to show our deep appreciation.
Light Blue	Guide and explorer recite a different original prayer during circle meeting. This can be earned by helping conduct a worship service at camp, or by anything of that nature.	"Our program recognizes the role of the Great Creator in the things we do. We try to share our awareness of the Great Creator. You have helped with that sharing. Thank you."
Dark Green	Become an Honor Circle Honor Circles become so by continuous substantial participation in Expedition and Federation events during the entire program year.	"Everyone in this room should feel proud that they are a member of Y-Adventure Guides. You are able to be a member of this group only because either a father or son cares enough about you to want to spend time with you. But this year you have reason to feel doubly proud. The ______ circle has been selected to be an "honor Circle" -- one of the top circles of the entire _____ Expedition. This honor comes because this circle has had excellent participation in campouts, games, meetings, and special events. For this enthusiasm and activity, we all earn a patch and a green bead. Congratulations!"
Other
Coral	Social Service Project Perform or participate in a significant social service activity in the community.
Peacock	Conservation Project Perform or participate in a significant conservation project in the community such as a park clean-up, tree-planting, prairie renewal, etc.
Grey	Make and present one craft project or two different invitations to the YMCA to be used in Y-Adventure Guide programs and training or perform a service project for the Expedition, the Federation or the YMCA. Only the Federation Navigator makes this award.
Swirl	Outstanding Merit This is given for an explorer’s deed such as lifesaving, or for significant extended meritorious service to the Y-Adventure Guides program. Only the Federation Council makes this award.

NATURE AND SERVICE AWARDS

AWARD	HOW TO EARN THE AWARD	PRESENTATION
Fox Footprint on a White Felt Back	Animal Tracking Award This award will be presented for being able to recognize common animal tracks in the snow. Obtain the standard set of 20 animal track patterns from your circle navigator and study them. After the Guide and Explorer have learned which animals leave each print, they are tested by the Navigator. The Explorer must identify the first 10 footprints, and the Guide must identify the remaining 10.
Circle Adopts a Special Bead	Circle Bead The circles are requested when making awards to their members for some special circle project or occasion, to avoid duplicating the awards of the Federation Beads can be used for circle beads if altered by adding stripes or spots, but all plain colored and striped beads, including white and black, are reserved for Federation awards.
Green Felt Evergreen Tree on a white felt background	Annual Award Each program member earns an Annual Membership Award each year. This is composed of a green felt evergreen tree on a white felt background.
Red felt leaf on a white felt background	Nature Study Award Collecting six pictures of wild animals of this locality. The pictures should be mounted in a notebook. At the meeting, the Explorer presents the notebook and they must identify on sight the first three animals selected at random by the Navigator. The Guide must identify the remaining three. In identifying the animals, they must also give the kinds of food they eat, describe habitat, and other interesting facts. AND Collect and be able to identify by sight the leaves of ten native trees of North America. The leaves should be mounted in a notebook. To qualify for the award, the Explorer must be able to identify on sight the first five leaves selected at random by the Circle Navigator. The Guide then must identify the remaining five.
	Circle Organizer Award The Federation Navigator awards a special patch to recognize each Guide and each Explorer who act as new circle organizers.

The Expeditions are urged to make the earning of beads count toward earning honor circle points, since this encourages closer bonding between parent and child. Doing things together to learn more about our program, and participation in more activities provides positive growth for all of us. The recommended point amount is 25 points per average bead earned in the circle (a 20 member circle earning a total of 140 beads would get 175 points (140/20 = 7.0 x 25 = 175)). Only beads earned during the current program year should be counted for points. Each color of bead may be counted only once for points, although a number of them may be earned more than once.

Yomechas Federation is sponsored by the Indian Boundary YMCA, Downers Grove IL
Visit our web site at www.yomechas.org.