DG member applies lessons learned
Published 12:00 am Saturday, November 23, 2019
- Teenager Damon Meeker recently changed a flat tire for a woman in a convenience store parking lot.
LAPLACE — St. John Sheriff’s Office Gentlemen’s Club mentors strive to help shape the lives of young boys through life lessons. They were excited to hear a DG member’s mother share a story about applying lessons, stepping up as a leader and doing good deeds. These topics are often discussed by the club members and mentors.
Last week Damon Meeker, 13, was riding with his mother, Amanda, when they pulled into a convenience store and noticed a young woman in a vehicle with a flat tire. Eager to help, Damon volunteered to change the tire for the woman. After all, just a week before this incident, Damon learned how to change a tire during a DG session about vehicle maintenance. Damon also became the teacher as his friend, Morgan Hill, 13, who also is a DG Club member but missed the vehicle maintenance program, observed Damon at work. In a few minutes, the tire was changed.
The woman was grateful to the boys, students at the St. John STEM School. They didn’t expect a reward, but the woman did buy each boy a soft drink. Soon after, the woman’s husband arrived at the store. He thanked the boys for stepping up to help his wife and shook each boy’s hand. The young men did as their mentors had taught them during another DG lesson – when shaking hands look the person in the eyes and give a strong hand shake.
“I really was a proud mamma … and the mentors should be proud, too,” Amanda said.
Vehicle maintenance, service to others, and leadership are among many topics discussed during meetings of the DG Club.
In meetings, mentors meet with students and work to guide these young men in building traits of good character that will prepare them to be productive members of society as well as assist these young men in obtaining skills needed to become positive influences in the community. These skills are introduced and reinforced through lessons, experiences, and interactions that will deepen and broaden their knowledge to become distinguished gentlemen.
Sheriff Mike Tregre said the goal is to advise and to guide the members in becoming leaders and role models.
A mentoring program for young men in the parish has been a vision of Sheriff Tregre for a few years, and in 2017, he started the program.
