The Pledge
“I will live my life as though generations depend on me, and I will teach and encourage all of mine to do the same.”

Silverback Ways of the World

(Working with others for maximum effect)

1. Give respect to get respect.

2. Teach by example.

3. Give your word only when you know you can keep it.

4. Use your time to improve something.

5. Treat everyone like you will need them tomorrow.

6. Become an expert at something.

7. Let your light shine for others.

 

Bringing Together Many Talents For One Purpose

We gather to insure that every boy in elementary school has an opportunity to meet his future, face to face before he is challenged with the opportunity of high school and further learning.

 

Our purpose is to supply the next generation of women and children with men who will have the “capacity” to contribute to better living for those who depend on them. In doing so we believe that the men we inspire and support in their “coming up” will have satisfying and fulfilling lives and will not have to resort to violence to feel respected by their peers or their women and children, and that their sons will inherit male capacity and responsibility as normal male behavior and their daughters not starved for a man’s love will expect the same and measure and handle men accordingly.

According to research done by Dr. Shelia Webb, former Health Department Director for the City of New Orleans, African Americans survived slavery and had formed families, but after the dual calamities of Jim Crow discrimination which denied many black men meaningful employment, and welfare which would not assist a family if the man was in the home, fatherless homes produced sons who lives had taught them that men don’t take care of children.

 

 

By parading successful men who are proud fathers before them we offer our boys the opportunity to feel how we feel about ourselves and what we can do for those who rely on us for support. Also by bringing to them resources to help enhance their school experience we model the very behavior we want to inspire in them, men making life better for children.

Elements of Silverback Society’s Success

 

Scheduled for PE period – a very flexible opportunity that doesn’t interfere with core subjects.

 

Consistency – show up six week in a row and you own them.

 

Volunteerism – gives us leverage and makes the boys accountable for the love they receive.

 

Tag Team approach – one presenting the other helps keep them focused.

 

Flexibility - Switching from group mode in the class, to one on one mode on the yard. 

 

Delivery of Resources – when the boys know that we are willing to help them have or do something they need or want, we prove that we are who they want to be, unlike the men who have promised over and over and not delivered.

 

Key Roles – Signup Form

 

The Silverback Society approach is planned, based on the boys emotional needs and is repeatable and trainable. If the military can turn hip-hoppers and punk-rockers into Marines in 12 weeks surely, we can open boys eyes to their futures in a school year, and we’ve done it and its not even hard, it just takes time, and consistency.

 

MENTORS - Two “Silverbacks” who are fathers or grandfathers are needed for each troop of 15-16 boys (one class). These will be called the “Mentors”.  We will train Mentors in the class room techniques that worked. For instance we know that in the beginning, you must have two men or in emergencies the period teacher can be used as a “second” for class management to work when the only leverage you have is love.

 

ROLE MODELS - We then need another twenty five to thirty “Role Models” who will rotate through the troops to provide a different perceptual opportunity for the boys. We will train and, with the help of the creative resources we can tap within the youth who are and will be part of us, we can assist “Role Models” in crafting their presentations for maximum impact, so we need a “creative team”.

 

CREATIVE TEAM – persons with the skills to help create flyers and presentations.

 

Participants will be coordinated by email, so we need a “logistics team” to be sure Role Models know where to go and when as far ahead of time as possible.

 

LOGISTICS TEAM – persons to do the scheduling of Role Models at different schools and communicating with them effectively.

 

ANGEL - And yes, we need a few “Angels”, folk who will help us with resources to provide incentives and special events and or travel expenses for the boys. Our current policy is to subsidize school sanctioned activities or events, eliminating personal liabilities and making most of the donations directly tax deductable.
Use this link to join our effort
 http://www.silverbacksociety.com/silverbacksupport/?p=subscribe

© 2009 Lloyd Dennis