Yomechas offers family bonding opportunities

WOODRIDGE – The Yomechas Federation has scheduled a slate of parent-child events for the 2014-15 season.

The group serves several towns in the western suburbs, including Woodridge.

According to the Yomechas Federation, the program features parent and child activities such as camping, service-learning projects, arts and crafts, music and storytelling.

Federation Scout John Seelander of Woodridge said, unlike a group like Boy Scouts, the Yomechas is meant for a parent of each child to participate.

“This is one-on-one,” he said. “It really is building a strength and bond between a parent and child.”

There are three age groups: the Pioneer program for preschoolers, Guides and Princesses for kindergarten to fourth grade and Trailblazers for fifth grade and older.

Seelander said the Guides and Princesses is the most popular group with about 1,300 members in the area. He also estimated Woodridge residents make up about 20 percent of the members.

Some of the activities planned for this year include campouts, a fishing derby, bowling event, roller skating event, pumpkin hunt and Christmas party.

Seelander said he participated in the program with his father and has been active with his children for 21 years. He said the Yomechas has made it easier for him to plan activities with his children.

“If I’m going to camp out, I’m not really going to be able to organize something like that on my own,” he said. “It gives you all these things fixed. It’s almost like your opting out not to go. Sometimes you just need to be pushed.”

Seelander said members can attend as many or as few events as they want, but, for him, the more he got involved, the more he wanted to participate.

“You enjoy it so much, you want to make time for it,” he said.