Jan. 24, 2002 – Listen up, Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School dads, male guardians and other father figures! The school wants to see you and your sons at its Conference for Males next Wednesday morning.
"The objective is to have a relationship between the father, the son and the school," BCB Assistant Principal Earl De Windt said. The school wants the concepts it teaches in the classroom to be followed through at home, he added.
De Windt, the conference coordinator, said that these are tough times for the territory's youths. "We are losing too many males to the street and jail," he said.
One aim of the conference is to help keep young men in school and out of trouble. Among the issues to be addressed are values, respect, responsibility, positive attitudes, distinguishing between discipline and child abuse, and the criminal justice system.
De Windt said that when the men in their lives are involved in the educational process, children strive to do better. "Male students need positive male role models," he said.
While the East End St. Thomas school has held similar events before, this is the first time that a team from the V.I. Justice Department will be on hand to talk about the legal pitfalls for youngsters of sexual activity. "Once we arm them with positive information, they will be able to make good decisions," De Windt said.
The Justice Department team's centerpiece is Dale Richards, a 21-year-old who, instead of going to jail for having sex with a minor, is taking his story on the road to convince other youths not to follow his path.
Elma Brathwaite, a social worker in the Attorney General's Office, said that when Richards was 19, he and a 14-year-old girl had a baby. Since the girl, who is back in school, had no source of support for the infant other than Brathwaite, the Justice team felt it was better for all concerned if Brathwaite continued to work in order to support his child, rather than spend time in jail.
"He was paying child support and seeing the baby," Brathwaite said.
Other guest speakers at the conference will include the Rev. Wycherley Gumbs, Assistant Attorney General Douglas Dick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Azekah Jennings.
The program will begin at 8 a.m. and go until 10:30 a.m. For additional information, call De Windt at the school, 775-4222.