"The mentor is like a relief pitcher in a baseball game. He has plenty of energy for short periods of time and preserves the fruitful work performed earlier by his teammates. If the parents have a mentor whose values and behaviors are those taught in the family, parents should routinely summon the mentor to display the principles and practices of the home"

~Corey McKinley, YMUW leader

 

A survey released in 2001 by the Search Institute examined adult involvement in the lives of young people outside their own families and found that just one in 20 adults is actively engaged in promoting young people's healthy development. The California Mentor Foundation says that mentoring a child is "the single most important action a caring adult can take to ameliorate America's social ills". The most neglected segment of our youth population is teenage boys. Even in healthy families, it takes effective modeling from other adults besides the parents to ensure that children learn how to live a fulfilling and productive life in their community.

Mentors are the catalysts that have been used throughout history to teach and model the codes of conduct that promote family and community cooperation. Mentors create opportunities for self-exploration without needing to be liked or thanked. They have the patience to participate in a relationship that takes the necessary time for a young man to feel free to express himself without fear of consequence for speaking what is true. Being around quality mentors, young men learn that they want the same things as all men; freedom of expression, fraternity, recognition and success.

0ur mentors are formally trained (Development and Trust Meeting) and are prepared to serve as guides to young men. They are men of integrity who trust themselves and do not need to "fix" the young men. Knowing that the young men are practicing becoming more independent, our mentors are mature enough to handle their physical, mental and emotional unleashing. No matter how much they are tested by the young men, the mentors continually model the RIGHT Way™, avoiding needless negotiation of these communal values.

At the Weekend the mentors hold the initiates to the high expectations that the young men already know they are supposed to live by, whether it be at their initiation, at home or in the community. By the end of the Weekend the mentors and the young men have revealed their hopes and dreams of a better world. They have bonded through the understanding that they all need each other to do the simple things and the great things in this lifetime.

Through partnerships with other honorable men's groups throughout the West Coast and through word-of-mouth, the YMUW has an abundant source of mentors. We often have a 1:1 ratio of mentors to young men. Our mentors undergo criminal background checks to ensure a high level of character.

To participate in this transformational initiation experience, contact us.

"Volunteering at YMUW weekends has provided me with the opportunity to relate to other men in a new and extraordinary way. Without effort or awkwardness, we bring out the best in each other, as the example for our young men - showing them the power and joy that comes with being in Right Relationship."

~Steve Fox

 

Honor what is R.I.G.H.T.  Respect, Intelligence, Gallantry, Humor, True
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