A Father and Daughter program, which was developed to support the father’s vital family role as Teacher, Counselor, and Friend to his daughter or daughters. For the past 60 years Y-Adventure Princess Programs have offered thousands of 5 to 12 year olds and their parents' opportunities to laugh, love, grow, and learn together. Y-Adventure Princess parent and child pairs meet in small groups called Circles to hold meetings or conduct outings that incorporate a variety of recreational and educational activities. The programs are built around an American Adventure theme that provides new experiences for parents and children and reinforces their awareness of nature, community and family ties.  

Y-Adventure Princess members participate in small groups called Circles, which usually consists of five to ten father-daughter teams. The Circle meets once a month in the member's homes on a rotating basis. Meeting dates, times and activities are determined by the Circle to fit into everyone's schedule. Council meetings provide a forum for spending time together, telling stories, playing games, making crafts and other activities. Circles can also participate in outings together such as picnics, field trips, campouts and more. 

All the Circles together form the Northern Lights Expedition. The Circles elect a Navigator and other officers, who meet each month at a "Base Camp meeting" to exchange ideas and plan events in which all Circles may participate. Then, the Circles join together each month for one of the planned outings or events. See the Calendar for this year's activities. Companionship is the purpose of Adventure Princess program and participation is rewarded not only by the quality time spent together, but also with patches. Father and Daughter each wear their Adventure Princess "brag vest" to outings which proudly displays patches they've earned from previous Expedition outings. You can visit our Photo Gallery to see some of the pictures and patches from this year's outings. The Northern Lights Expedition Base Camp meetings are conducted at 7:30 PM on the 2nd Wednesday of each month during the school year at the Campanelli YMCA in Schaumburg. All members are welcome to attend.

The YMCA Adventure Guides Compass Points

At the forefront of the program are the Compass Points, which give members a sense of direction and an inspiration for activities. These points are broad enough in scope to allow for variety and creativity in designing activities.

The four cardinal directions on the compass are the essential components of the program.

• The Family is True North—the focal point of the program.
• To the East, Nature and the camping experience are integral parts of the program.
• The Southern spirit of the program is experienced through belonging to a  Community, called a Circle.
• Fun is the Western magic of the program.

The YMCA Core Values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility make up the ordinal directions. Along the journey, our dads should model, teach, and demonstrate these values as well as give our children many opportunities to practice and celebrate them. Initially, these four values provide guidance in helping our children select activities, make decisions, and choose appropriate courses of action—both in the program and in their lives. As our children grow, these values become their own internal compass.

The Compass Points allow you and your Circle members to personalize rituals, activities, and events. You can develop Compass Point activities relevant to your own members, Circle, and Expedition.