Manhood: Boys need father figures to help them become good men

The Father-Son Summit held at Refuge Temple Church this past week served as an example of how men are supposed to serve as mentors to boys. Many of society's ills can be traced to a lack of leadership by fathers and the resulting missteps that boys often make in trying to become men on their own.

It is easy for a boy or young man to take the wrong road if he has no guide, no older male to show him the ropes. The summit was aimed at addressing those missteps and helping create an atmosphere in which boys can look up to men, even if they aren't their biological fathers.

We hope the summit becomes an annual event, as organizers plan. It is one step in the right direction for our community, an actual "boots on the ground" effort to show boys that there are men who are willing to spend time with them, to show them how men are supposed to act.

It is only one small step, but it can have huge consequences.

Published in Editorials on March 28, 2017 9:14 AM