YEARS 100
NATIONAL NEWS
®
Guide Right Celebrates 100 Years in St. Louis, Missouri Experiential Learning is a Theme Throughout the Centennial
By Damon Peebles
and that was just inspiring. The kids were motivated, and they were excited. They also asked great questions, he said. One workshop he noted was that of Brother Derek Greenfield where he en- gaged the young men, had them working in groups on fun breakouts, and evoked emotion from them when they shared some of the things that were troubling them. “It was a very emotional and movie presentation by Dr. Derek Greenfield, and the openness that he brought out of the young men and their willingness to share their vulnerabilities and their concerns with each other was just touch- ing…it was just inspiring (and) it felt great.” The overwhelming support and de- sire the young men had to be together to learn from each other impressed Burnett and all the mentors present. Comparing the racial climate of 1922 and the need for a program like Guide Right during that time, with the need for it 100 years later, Burnett said, “Things like mentoring, guidance, counseling were really not well known, and kind of foreign in 1922 and even in 1932. To start Guide Right and to reach out and help young people was just foresight. There are still problems, still issues. Still obstacles in front of young people, and with the pandemic, with the pressures of society today, they (still) need support. They need this program, and they need guidance more than ever. Closing the celebration, Burnett had high hopes for the young men as they re- turned to their respective cities. He said, “I hope they take away from this experi- ence, one, the power of networking and getting to know one another, (and) know- ing people from other places. We also want them to be able to think critically and to be able to express themselves. For Guide Right, the best is yet to come.
Kevin Burnett National Guide Right Committee Chairman
A s the National Guide Right Committee, led by Chairman Kevin Burnett, began plan- ning it’s 100-year celebra- tion, St. Louis, Missouri was the most obvious city to host it. Guide Right celebrated 100 years in July 2022. “Its history started right here in St. Louis, (and) what better place to start off the next 100 years than in St. Louis?” said Burnett. “We have some amazing broth- ers that participated in this, and it's our deal to guide right, and we're going to continue to do that.” Initially targeting 300 young men and their mentors from the various chapters nationwide, the outpour- ing of attendance doubled, totaling a little over 600, and it was amazing, recounted Burnett. “The young men had a great time. There was a lot of learning. We had great speakers that came in. We had Lieutenant General Charles Hamilton come in and speak,
Kevin Burnett, National Chairman of the Guide Right Program ensured there was a mix of classroom and experiential learning throughout the Centennial Celebration. More than 600 young men participated in the conference.
16 | FALL - WINTER 2022 ♦ THE JOURNAL
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