The Sanford Berenberg Experience: Message of the Day - Preparing Our Future Generation for Success

Good Morning,

Earlier this week I sat in on an ETHICS (The Enrichment Through Helping Individuals and Communities Succeed) Society meeting run by the Steward's Staff (www.stewardstaff.org). The ETHICS Society is an organization driven, governed and led by youth. It focuses on leadership development, social awareness and personal responsibility.

I have been on the Advisory Board of the Steward's Staff for nearly and year and have been very impressed with the products of their programs. Their focus is on youth enrichment. By visiting one of their sessions, I got to see HOW they create such powerful results, like 100% graduation rate of all participants.

John Mark, the Executive Director of the Steward's Staff, engaged the students in an environment of respect and support. All participants were open to participate and all participants were respectful of each other as they all interacted. What impressed me the most was the straightforward honesty shared in the meeting. And nearly every one of the society of nearly 20 teenagers participated.

With this group, there were no punches pulled in communicating with each other, yet at the same time, there was a sense of community and respect as well. So all communication was respectful even if it did get boisterous from time to time. The students shared their feelings giving the good and the bad, and John Mark did the same. The topics covered ranged from the very program itself over the last year, to historical events, to current events impacting the local community and the nation at large.

In a country full of political correctness and contstant attempts to hide from the truth, it was most refreshing to see this ETHICS Society fully embracing truth and respect with each other and everyone else at the meeting. It is the products of these organizations who I DO look foward to as our future generations of leaders. People who can openly and honestly share ideas and thoughts in calm and respectful ways.

As I mentioned earlier, I was a guest for this meeting, but I was not the only guest. Five alumni also came to visit after their first year of college ended. Each of the Alum eagerly shared with the current ETHICS Society how this very program has made major impact on their lives and helped them take a step upward in their paths to eternity.

The passion and the love for this program and becoming productive citizens of our nation is most refreshing.

For many of us reading this message, the future generations who will someday be at the helm of the various stations of society often scare us. We see the 'Instant Gratification' generation and wonder how they will navigate the realities of life.

We can assuage those fears, though, by rolling up our sleeves and helping our youth. We can embrace them and help them learn the fundamentals of honesty, integrity, and respect as well as equipping them with skills to help them hit the ground running when they enter the big leagues of what we call life.

Organizations like the Steward's Staff are leading the way by being equipping our future to lead us. It is our job, our obligation, to join them and others to help prepare the future today.

Enjoy!

Sanford Berenberg
Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
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