A project at Dellwood Middle School designed to forge a stronger bond between young boys and their fathers is proving very popular after a second, successful event last week.

Male Observance Week saw different speakers - role models in the community - speaking to the M2 boys each day.

Paston Dwayne Simons, who has his own congregation on Sunday mornings at Northlands Primary School Auditorium and is a father of four, spoke for the second year on 'Male pride - Dressing, Acting and Walking like a Prince'. He encouraged the boys to dress with respect, carry themselves in a manner that exudes confidence and be submissive and receptive to authority.

The next day, Pastor Roger Bernard of the St. George's Seventh Day Adventist Church spoke on 'Goal Setting', challenging the boys to aim high and gave them strategies for achieving success.

Milton Richardson, an experienced teacher who works as a Behaviour Therapist for the Department of Education, taught the boys how to interact appropriately with girls their age under the topic 'How to Treat a Princess'. Mr. Richardson is the founder and sole mentor of De Boys Day Out Club which encourages young men to be all that they can be.

Gregory Todd, a Support Technician for Bacardi Ltd., spoke to the boys on 'Managing Your Money'.

The week culminated with the Father and Son Breakfast at the school on Friday with M2 male students, their fathers and role models in the community participated. Mason West, a teacher at Bermuda Institute was the speaker at the end of the breakfast.

Science teacher at Dellwood, Nick Hanson, who brought the idea of father-son bonding back to Bermuda when he returned here to teach after teaching for eight years in Lanham, Maryland, would be happy to see other local schools adopt the programme.

"Personally I want it to go out there because what is happening to these boys is common in all schools," said Mr. Hanson, a father of six children, including five sons ranging in age from 19 to 32.

"Boys are rebelling, they need to have their dads."

Mr. Hanson saw the impact that not having a father around had on young boys while he was teaching in the United States. He also saw the father-son programme making a difference to young boys.

"Lanham is about 15 minutes from (Washington) DC and we had a large influx of people leaving DC and going into Maryland. They brought their kids with them and their behaviour was terrible," said the teacher, who also taught for 15 years in Bermuda prior.

"One of the reasons these kids' behaviour was so bad was because they never had a father figure, some of them never knew their fathers and some of the mothers had four or five boys.

"We thought of what we could do to address the problem and came up with the idea of getting all the fathers together for breakfast - hence the idea - and we had such a success. The boys' behaviour got better, they started to dress better."

Mr. Hanson stressed the importance of fathers simply being their for their sons, who appreciate their fathers taking an interest.

"Even some of the fathers who were taking drugs would respond when we called them, they would come in and sit in class and sometimes follow the kids from one class to another," Mr. Hanson said of his experience with the project in the United States.

"The behaviour went up and we had less problem in the school. When I came back to Bermuda last year I could see some of the problems in DC were right here, which were not here before.

"We weren't seeing many fathers coming in, it was mostly grandmothers and mothers, so we thought it would be a good idea to have a similar breakfast to what we had in Maryland."

At Friday's breakfast, Mr. Hanson said spoke to an MP who vowed that the issue would be raised in the House.

"I told him it would be a good idea if we could have all the Middle Schools getting together and having something similar to what we have here," the teacher stated.

"Then we could start with the M1 boys and launch a big thing in Bermuda involving all the high schools and ultimately find all the fathers.

"Most boys tend to follow their fathers and if we can get the fathers to talk with their kids I think some of the problems we have can be addressed."

Mr. Hanson made it a point to introduce himself to as many of his students' fathers as he could.

"If the sons know that their fathers are going to walk into their classroom at any time, which I normally encourage, they (sons) are going to shape up, believe me," he assured.

"I met some of the fathers for the first time and these boys will stop acting up, believe me. I just have to say 'okay, I think I will call your dad'.

"In DC, many of the boys were at risk, which is happening here, too. Some of these boys are without fathers."

Timeco Richardson, chairperson of the Father and Son Breakfast committee, has seen the impact that an active father can make in his son's life. She has seen the close relationship her husband has with their five year old son.

"What we see as a result of a lack of male figures in these boys lives is a lack of guidance," said Mrs. Richardson.

"With my own son there are some things that are just common to males that a woman just doesn't understand. From a teaching point of view, male teachers tend to have a more difficult time with the boys in terms of discipline because the boys (in most cases those without involved fathers) are confrontational.

"They are the men in their homes and so 'how dare this other man try to tell me what to do'. We have an easier time as females because that is what they are used to. But once the male staff 'have' them they 'have' them and that is who they gravitate towards."

Mrs. Richardson says the reason the school doesn't have a father and son breakfast for the whole school is because of the size of the auditorium. As it was, there was standing room only for last week's breakfast.

"Mason West was also our speaker last year, he enjoyed it immensely and came back," she said.

"Last year we had roughly 90 (boys, fathers and role models) and this year I counted approximately 120."

Included in the males who attended this year were politicians Allan Marshall, Trevor Moniz, Cole Simons, Dale Butler (a former principal at the school), Michael Charles of Bermuda Union of Teachers and members of the Police Service.

Leonie Curtis donated her catering services free of charge while food was generously donated by Butterfield & Vallis, Dunkley and Pioneer Dairies, St. Paul AME Church Missionary Society, New Testament Church of God, The Modern Mart, The Supermart, Crow Lane Bakery and Windy Bank Farms.

"I called Leonie because she had played at a few functions for us at school and asked her to get a price (for catering)," said Mrs. Richardson. "She said 'because this is so wonderful I will donate my time'. She also got hold of the Members of Parliament and asked them to come. They were invited as mentors."

Mrs. Richardson urges fathers to "step up, be counted and be involved" in the raising of their children.

Dwayne Talbot was one of the several fathers who attended the breakfast and went to class with his son, Akeem, afterwards. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

"It was a refreshing feeling, especially seeing so many fathers there," said Mr. Talbot.

"Some of the words that the speaker spoke, and even the song that was sung by young (Lloyd) Holder, it touched me. I was very happy to be there. When I am able to attend functions at his school I can see the benefits for him. It keeps him on the straight and narrow and as the principal said that it was not in the words but the deeds.

"I just try to show him a good role model and hope that the things that I do bear fruit with him and he goes on to be a productive citizen."