“Don’t be deceived:
“Bad company and poor examples ruin good morals." ~ 1
Corinthians 15:33
Dionne had trouble remembering the
days when men jumped to their feet when a woman entered a room, or when they
skipped ahead to open the car door. “It
was a matter of respect,” she told her 10-year-old grandson, Ayden. “Unfortunately, these days with single or both
parents working, and such busy family schedules, the emphasis on manners has
faded.”
It’s even more difficult when the kids don’t have role
models at home to look up to. Not having
positive role models can lead kids to figure things out on their own, which
often ends up with them making bad decisions that could hurt them in the long
run.
Over the past several months, Ayden and dozens of his 5th
grade classmates attend a popular after-school program and learn how to
properly shake hands, open doors, make eye contact and address someone older
with respect.
Raymond Nelson, a support specialist for at-risk kids,
started the “Gentleman’s Club” to provide attendees with life lessons on
etiquette. To emphasize the point, the
students show up each week for the meeting in suits and ties.
The purpose of creating the club was to instill in the boys
the principle of “look good, feel good, do good.” He teaches the boys not only how to look
and feel good; but to be respectful to each other, their classmates, and
teachers.
Many of these boys don’t have a dad living with them so Raymond
became a father-figure to them. He earns
no extra pay for this; only the joy of seeing the improvements in their self-esteem and discipline. It
doesn’t hurt that the girls frequently comment on their style and manners too.
Due to its popularity and
success, the idea quickly spread. Nelson
renamed it “Boys With Purpose.” However,
the family environment and encouraging lessons haven’t changed.
Gentlemen’s Club Pledge
Today
I pledge:
·
To be the best me I can be, to demonstrate
integrity in all that I do, treat others with respect, remembering always that
I must respect myself first.
·
That I and I alone am responsible for making
good choices.
·
To demonstrate those behaviors that are
consistent in following my own dreams and aspirations.
·
To be grateful for this opportunity to be led
by those I admire.
Please do your part
in teaching our children the manners that God our Father would want all of us
to display in our living. Remember,
“Today our children are our shadow . . . tomorrow they’ll be our
reflection."
Father God, O God, help me never to allow any habit to get such a grip of me that I cannot break, especially those that would injure my body, my mind or my relationship with You. Help me keep my body fit and healthy and my mind clean and pure. Amen
