Serving others
Watson Chapel High School is home to the largest and most active gentlemen’s club in the city.
Recently, they met with the Rotary Club of West Pine Bluff. The Wildcat Society Gentlemen Club (WSGC) is actively engaged in community service initiatives, including visiting nursing homes, helping to frame the Ten Commandments for schools, and holding a student-led assembly in October focused on gun violence, where scholars signed a pledge against gun violence on the National Day of Concern. Additionally, because of the continued gun violence in this city, the Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration-Community Affiliate Network (PBICVR-CAN) challenged the gentlemen and others to write essays from a young scholar’s point of view regarding their concerns related to gun violence.
The gentlemen wrote five powerful essays to help reduce gun violence, worthy of community reading by other young men in Pine Bluff, on the theme: “The Price is Too High: Use Words, Not Weapons to Solve Problems/Conflicts.” This morning (Dec. 11), the Wildcat Society Gentlemen’s Club will visit two district elementary schools to read to students.
PBICVR-CAN is the primary sponsor, with support from the Woodson Center. More than 50 young men are enrolled in the Wildcat Society Gentlemen Club, and there is a waiting list. Through PBICVR-CAN, the young men are developing valuable leadership skills and an understanding of the importance of community service. On Thursday morning, Dec. 11, the gentlemen will answer the question posed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., through their community service: “What Are You Doing for Others?”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The primary goal of the PBICVR Community Affiliate Network is to focus on community service and to develop and empower young men to become leaders.
The Rev. Jesse C. Turner
Executive Director, Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Inc.