Mentoring kids in Conway through 100 Point Club

Nesbitt Perry has seen the power of the 100 Point Club.

Since her grandsons, Shyhiem Perry, 14, and Jakhil Perry, 11, joined the character-building group at Whittemore Park Middle School, she said she has seen the positive changes it has made in the boys' lives.

Perry described her sixth-grader, Jakhil, as strong-willed, saying she had to stay on him about getting in trouble in school.

"His attitude is really strong, and that's why I wanted to send him [to the club]," she said, "but it is changing a lot. He's not rambunctious and ready to fight somebody."

Perry said these days, Jakhil is focused on more important things. "He told me, 'All [the other boys] do is argue and fight. I don't have time for that. I've got other things on my mind.'"

"He got the point," Perry said. "The 100 Point Club came just in time."

Steve Richardson, Whittemore Park's head custodian, founded the club in 2003 to mold the Conway school's boys into successful young men. While some schools in Horry County have district-sponsored, character-building programs, the 100 Point Club is unique in that it was started by a support staff member and is maintained through volunteer efforts.

The club is a place where boys can learn life skills, learn about the world outside their hometown and find positive role models, especially for those who may lack parental support and male role models at home.

With a message of hard work and focus on success, students earn their way to a variety of incentives, and many of the boys have improved their grades, their attitudes and their prospects.

Jakhil and his brother, Shyhiem, love the club, their grandmother said, and despite one C grade, the boys also are bringing home grades of As and Bs. She said when Shyhiem first joined the club , he was excited about learning how to dress and present himself to other people in different situations.

"Shyhiem never got in trouble, but he didn't have too much to say," because of a stutter, said Perry of her eighth-grade grandson. "I asked Mr. Steve to work with him, and he's talking more now - sometimes too much!"

Don Hall, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of the Grand Strand, said mentoring is something kids sorely need these days. He said it helps them grow into productive adults and teaches them tovalue relationships and think about others.

"The whole idea we have is that there's always someone else you can help," Hall said. "It's especially important to see someone who's like you who is going to college, is on the way or is a successful adult. That's what's critical, having positive role models."

Youth who have access to structured and supported one-to-one mentoring programming have better grades, better relationships with adults and peers, lower juvenile arrests, higher self-esteem and higher attendance rates, according to Mentoring USA, which began in New York in 1987 to counter its alarming school dropout rates and teen pregnancy. It was the first state-sponsored, school-based, one-on-one mentoring program in the country and became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1995, providing mentors for more than 5,000 children since its inception.

Richardson started the after-school club in 2003 after consistently seeing a boy in the halls during the school day, so much so, he said he thought the boy had a twin. He took the boy under his wing - "You can't learn anything in the hall" - and others followed.

Robbie Watkins, principal at Whittemore Park, said currently, about 87 percent of the boys have maintained or improved their grades since joining the club, which has reached about 200 students, including some high schoolers who come back for meetings. There is also a club in Mullins where Richardson attends church.

"Somebody's got to help these kids," Richardson said. "

Richardson designed the club's program himself to deal with self-esteem issues, teach life skills, instill a "can-do" attitude and give tools for making wise choices, as well as an awareness that mistakes can be overcome. Hard work is part of the program, along with respect for authority and for each other. Members are given tasks and opportunities to prove themselves - from raking leaves to visiting nursing homes - and spend time talking, writing and reflecting on what they learn from different experiences and on attributes such as courage and responsibility.

"All they have to do is see him, and they straighten out," Watkins said of the respect the boys have for Richardson. "He is someone else here who has an impact on their lives. Their support is this group, and without it, I don't know that a lot of these kids would make it."

Fun and education are essential to the club, Richardson said. Peer pressure, as well as love for "Mr. Steve," go a long way toward keeping the ranks in line. When someone makes a misstep, a 500-word essay is required, which is then graded by one of the school's language arts teachers. Richardson said he reinforces the idea that it's important to know how to express yourself.

"I'll be moving to a higher level next year," said eighth-grader Nate Clark, 14. "The club has prepared me, and I'll be ready."

The club hosts two banquets each year, and students who excel earn spots on special trips, whether it's camping in Huntington Beach State Park or seeing the sites in Washington, D.C. Dining in nice restaurants and traveling outside Horry County are new experiences for many of the boys, who learn to put their lessons in action. Richardson said some of his sixth-graders were so well-behaved at a table of their own recently in a Washington restaurant, an impressed diner from a nearby table paid for their dessert.

The club receives no funding from the school district. All activities are funded throughdonations and what is raised through a variety of activities, such as a car wash, fish fry or yard sale.

"I never saw myself doing this," said Richardson, who said his inspiration came from his pastor, who urged his congregation to step out in faith, get out in the public and turn their beliefs into action.

Horry County Schools Superintendent Cindy Elsberry said that almost every school in the district has some type of character-development program, with 26 participating in Positive Behavior Intervention Supports. Training has begun for staff at the five Myrtle Beach schools for Stephen Covey Leadership program that will begin in the fall, and both Loris Middle School and Blackwater Middle School participate in the Jackson Scholars Program through the Jackson Center for Ethics at Coastal Carolina University.

However, Elsberry said the accountability the 100-point Club students show for their behavior and actions is not often seen in schools.

Richardson makes no bones about the fact that his takes a lot of work. Although there can never be enough, he has dedicated parents and mentors - including Arthur Hanna Sr., another member of the custodial staff - to help at club meetings and on trips. Richardson works long hours to meet the demands of his job, the club and to individually mentor boys, whether they fall outside the club or just have sensitive situations to deal with.

Terry Smith, a counselor who worked at the school for four years, also is a club volunteer. He has two sons who, despite attending other schools, are part of the program, and it gives them the added benefit of helping other kids. While the club is open to all boys, Smith said he was excited about what the club can do for black young men and for bridging the achievement gap.

"Here, there are African-American men who can be a role model for them every day," Smith said. "The more they see themselves doing positive things, then they can say, 'I've got someone I can be like.' "

Felecia and Lester McElveen's youngest son, Jordan, was a member and now attends the Academy for Technology and Academics. Felicia McElveen, a stay-at-home mom, said Jordan didn't have any problems but wanted to join because of Mr. Steve. Once they investigated the club, the couple began volunteering, and they haven't stopped since.

"You do it because you want to do it,'' said Lester McElveen, a full-time employee with Kraft Foods. "It takes some strong spirit and strong passion to try to mentor other people's kids because of what goes on with them outside the club, but we're not here to be the parent. That's [their] job. We're here to help them grow."