Youth Daycamp
Spring Camp - 2008    Summer Camp - 2008.
About the Terre Haute Family Y Character Beads
The Terre Haute Family Y has incorporated the four character traits of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility into our programs. The Character Beads are part of an incentive program geared toward the Y’s summer day camp participants to help promote character development. Campers are challenged to go beyond just knowing what is right and wrong to having the courage to do the right thing, especially regarding peer pressure and relationships. When a counselor and other Y staff sees a camper doing the right thing the camper is nominated to receive a colored bead corresponding with the character trait observed.
The four character traits are assigned the following colors and meanings:
Red - Caring: To love others, to be sensitive to the well-being of others, to help others.
Blue - Honesty: To tell the truth, to act in such a way that you are worthy of trust, to have integrity; making sure your choices match your values.
Gold (Yellow) - Respect: To treat others as you would have them treat you; to value the worth of every person, including yourself.
Green - Responsibility: To do what is right, what you ought to do; to be accountable for your behavior and obligations.

When campers are awarded a bead in each color they become eligible for a drawing at the end of summer for a free bike donated by Wal-Mart. During the summer of 2007 two bikes were awarded. The rules for this incentive are simple:
1) A camper must be observed doing an unsolicited act of caring, honesty, respect or responsibility.
2) The camper cannot do the act expecting to receive an award.
3) Once a bead is earned it cannot be unearned.
4) Each day is a new day. The actions of yesterday have no bearing on the ability to earn or not earn a bead today.

It is very rewarding seeing the kids honestly strive to earn all four beads. It is even more rewarding when parents comment on how their child incorporates the four values into their home life. The Character Bead Incentive Program is the first step in building strong kids, strong families and strong communities.