PHILIPSBURG:--- October 24th 2013, several fathers took time off for their personal emotions to flow out in a gathering of about 60 Fathers at the University of St. Martin. This Project Jointly organized by the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise and Sundial School.
This was the First Phase of discussion of Active Parenting for Fathers which involved some community figures to talk about their personal feelings on how they were involved in raising their children and what were the good things and the drawbacks they faced.
Among the Panelists were a Doctor, Businessmen, Member of Parliament, Principal of School & office Manager. Each Panelist were asked different question and had to answer in their own personal level and the truth. The room was filled with only men and there were many emotional moments across as for many fathers it was a realization that such things can happen, or "oh I never did this" and "oh god I have to do these changes in bringing up my kids".....So people, friends all of us have to make sure that we be part of raising our kids for them to have a better life then ours.
In today's society men seem to have a difficult time settling into life. Many struggle with a 'Peter Pan syndrome'. They do not want to grow up, and yet they realize they were created for a higher purpose than endless play in never-never land. How sad it is to see men at the end of their lives, estranged from their families, still unsure about spiritual realities, still questioning the reason for their own existence, and still wondering if they have succeeded in growing into manhood. Just as sad to see are the countless families whose sons fall into the predictable traps along the road of life because they don't know what a man is, much less how to become one.
It is clear that the lack of an intentional transition into adulthood creates a variety of problems for men of all ages. In an attempt to compensate for the lack of a transitional event, some teenage males unknowingly create their own rites of passage by resorting to violence, alcohol other drugs and sexual conquest. In the corporate world some men in leadership positions use the authority of their job titles to prove they have arrived, threatening others into submission.
While the two concepts, manhood and maturity seem very similar, they are as different as night and day. Manhood is bestowed upon a young male by the trusted elders (fathers, grandfathers, uncles, pastors, coaches, and teachers) of his society during a rite of passage. Maturity is gained as a man grows in knowledge, wisdom and character. Manhood is a gift that we adults give to our sons. Maturity is the gift that they give back to us.
If you fathers want to set yourself as a good example to your kids and give them some valuable time please try to attend the Phase II Project which will be coming shortly by our own Rodney Davis, who is a parenting expert and life-skills coach. He is a social worker by profession, and has spent all of his adult life working with young people in various capacities.
The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise meets at Air Lekkerbek Restaurant every Tuesday mornings at 7:00am for fellowship and breakfast. For more information on the club visit us at sxmsunrise.org or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., we are also on Facebook: Rotary Club of Saint Martin Sunrise and Twitter: @RotarySunSXM