The Elks have a long and storied history of working with youth in communities throughout the United States, and many prominent African American attribute the successes that they’ve achieved to their early experiences in the organization. Indeed many continue their service in the organization, passing on that legacy to others.
Chester’s branch of the Elks has been active in the city for over one hundred and five years. In communities such as Chester, children, and youth crave experiences, mentorships, and creative outlets that provide focus, vision, and opportunities for a future free of negative influences. In this digital age, connecting with youth is a bit dice, but not at all difficult. Social media platforms appear to have taken the place of the personal connection… one-to-one conversation. This coupled with the phlegmatic attitude that youth seem to have regarding society, suggests that community organizations, stakeholders, and anyone with concerns about today’s young people should and absolutely must meet them where they’re at to deliver a message of hope.
Most online platforms present intangible communication, with content that spews half-truths or outright lies. Our children need to have conversations around how to positively leverage the content on these platforms to their advantage as opposed to just blindly absorbing content. We need to bring these conversations to our children and open a dialog so they know how to utilize these systems to achieve maximum outcomes in their lives.
Thank you for reading Lorraine Lavender-Sams’s article on scoopusamedia.com. For more on “Elks visit Chester Boys and Girls Club in efforts to engage our youth,” please subscribe to Scoop USA Media. Print subscriptions are $75.00 and online subscriptions (Print, Digital and Vizion) are $90. (52 weeks/1 year)
