Like many fathers, I got involved in the Y-Princess Tribe (formerly known as Indian Princess) organization with my daughter. How could I not; it's one of those things we're always told our daughters will never forget, from the frost-bitten toes at winter camp (apparently because dad forgot thick socks) to the rolling out of the cot and under the tent into the cold of night (definitely not my fault; at least I dragged her back in before it started pouring).
Beyond the memories it creates, I ended growing as much as my daughter through the experience. I started off as an over-protective father (nicknamed "Marlin" by the tribe...as in Nemo the movie) who evolved into kind-of a normal dad. Two years into the tribe, we came to an impasse: we couldn't find a dad that would volunteer to be chief the following year. As any good marlin would do, I volunteered for chiefdom the next year.
We needed an easy ornament to make for our Girl Scout Troop, which would hold up in the outdoors, to decorate the Christmas tree in the Girl Scout Tree Grove. We loved the result so much we have made it every year since, using different wood shapes, and making an extra one to keep for our own trees.
