7 Dec – Making Ornaments at Paw Paw Pavilion

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Oakwood Adventure Guides (OAG, aka “Oakwood Nation”) provides opportunities for fathers and their kids to learn, bond, socialize, and have fun. Taking a broad definition of a father, adult participants include grandparents, legal guardians and potentially others.

OAG members work together to plan and implement monthly events throughout the Oakwood school year (and some in the summer) that our children will learn from and remember.

Members can get as much or as little as they want from OAG. Dads and their kids may attend as many or as few events as you wish and remain in good standing. That said, we really hope you’ll find as much value in OAG as our families have, which motivates us to carve out time to attend as many many events as possible.

OAG is chartered through the YMCA and affiliated with the Dayton South Branch YMCA in Kettering.

OAG membership is open to Oakwood fathers and their children from Kindergarten through 6th Grade. Mothers and siblings are welcome at many of our events as well. Membership in the YMCA is not required.

Events we are planning for the 2025-2026 school/membership year include Spring and Fall campouts at Camp Kern, opportunities to  participate and serve in Oakwood holiday events (such as decorating a spot on “Scarecrow Row” and a float for “That Day in May”), bowling, swimming, pinewood derby, family movie night, and a canoe trip. Activities are coordinated at monthly Meetings for OAG fathers. These meetings are usually held on the first Wednesday of each month at Kramer’s Tavern, located at 1018 Irving Ave, Dayton, OH 45419. See our schedule page for details.

Our most popular event is the Camp Kern weekend campout, which happens twice per year in the Spring and Fall (usually early October and early/mid May). https://campkern.org/  Camp activities include archery, fishing, hiking, climbing, model rockets, horseback riding, ga-ga pit and evening campfires. Cafeteria meals are provided and sleeping arrangements are in heated and air-conditioned cabins. Family size, number of overall camp participants, and health concerns are accounted for to make cabin assignments, which happens at the Dad’s Longhouse Meeting preceding each campout. Oakwood Nation has a tradition of preparing a special meal for fathers on Saturday evening. Camp time is largely unstructured and you are free to choose activities as you wish. Sometimes the best times are spent not participating in any events, but just spending time with your children. Fall camp includes our naming ceremony (initiation) for new members on Friday night. Spring camp hosts an outdoor/scientific-based presentation, which in the past included topics such as astronomy, reptiles, birds of prey and camouflage.

Scholarships to Oakwood Nation are available on a financial need basis. Please email oakwoodnation@gmail.comfor further information.