September 16, 1992...The Portland ()bserver...P;ige 7
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Portland Observer
Scripture o f tfie.
RELIGION
Poverbs chapters 18,19 & 2 0
•f
BY MATTIE ANN CALLIER-SPEARS
On Saturday, the Til th day o f Sep
tember, 1992, Mr. Bill Council, Vice
President of the B oardof Directors with
the Foster Parents Association o f O r
egon, spoke at the monthly Men’s Break
fast, which is held every first Saturday
o f each month, at the Schuyler Street
location of Mt. O livet Baptist Church.
Mr. C ouncil’s mission was to en
courage Black Christian men to play
active roles and to becom e more re
sponsible in the upbringingof all young
Black childrcn -cspecially the young
Black male.
In so many cases, the father is in
prison and the mother is on drugs or out
prostituting to make ends meet.
Mr. Council siiared success and
horror stories involving proper place
ment and improper placement. O ne of
the stories involved An eleven year old
Black male who had been placed in a
home with W hile Foster Parents, a l
though these persons were willing and
very eager to help, they were not quali
fied to meet the emotional and social
needs o f this child. The woman called a
friend and asked what could she do to
make this child feel good about him
self. The response and the action was to
take the child to W aves to get his hair
processed.
The processed hair, the flashy
clothes, the big wad of money and the
“Cadillac” arc all seen as negative in
fluences to our young, eager, wanting
so much to em u latc-B lack males.
Mr. Council was very adam ant
concerning the manner in which a young
Black male, especially, should be nur
tured and by whom.He admonished
jBL Ç aul (áííltsstiinar^
^Baptist (fllfurdj
8101 N. Fiske Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97203
Study Phone: 2 8 9 -1 9 1 1
Church Pho.te: 2 8 9 -0 1 4 7
Sunday Service
1 0 :4 5
Sunday School
9 :3 0
Bible Study
6 :0 0
E ven ing Service
7 :0 0 P.M.
Pastor. Rev. James CE. Faulkner
Th em e: W h atever you're going to do
fo r th e Lord, do it now
I Peter iv .1 1
that more Black men should lake active
roles in reaching out to the Black youth
of today.
Mr Council used him self as an ex
ample. He and his wife, Catherine, have
been foster parents for seven years.
“ We have this big, old house with
all these empty room s”, Council pon
dered, “ ...and there arc children out
there who are in need o f a place to stay”.
He and Mrs. Council have nurtured
12 to 13 Black Children. Until the twenty-
eighth day of July, the Council family
was increased by six b o y s-fo u r o f the
boy s arc brothers from the same parents.
The boys ages ranged from five to eleven
years.
“ I was happy we were able to keep
them together. Separation is so often the
problem when there are more than one
or two children from the same family.
This is usually the cause behind so many
run aways soon after placem ent.”
One of the boys had had some real
n o tic e a b le p ro b le m s in a c a d e m ic
achievem ent when he firstcam e into the
Council home; but, since Mr. & Mrs.
C ouncil’s firm and loving tutelage, this
child has had honor roll recognition.
“ It look a lot o f work and a lot o f
love”, says Mr. Council.
“We had the two oldest sons o f the
late Eldridge Broussard for one full
year”, Mr. Council shared. “ I am not
going to lie and say that it is going to be
easy because it is not. W henever you
really want to accomplish something
and do a good job, it will take a con
certed and laborious effort on your part.”
There are many Black male foster
children who arc just waiting for a good
home with love and understanding. Mr.
Council said that, “If I could only get
them at an early age like three or four
years old, they are young enough for me
to be instrumental in turning them away
form gang involvement. I have found
that once the boys reach the age of ten
and twelve; it is very hard to deter them.
Their minds are already set; and -- they
run frequently, unless you arc able to
generate and interesting and positive
activity that will hold them. Once they
reach the age of 10 and 11, it becomes
harder to place them .”
One of Mr. C ouncil’s concerns is
to develop a proposal that will unite a
select group of Black men, in the age
range o f 50 and over, who will take a
few days out o f the month to spend
some quality time with a young Black
male who is confused and needs to be
focused: take him on a trip or help him
with his homework or go to his sporting
event at school or be a consultant and
more. This would make a big differ
ence in the lives o f so many young
Black males. Then - we can be proud
to know that we, Black Christian Men,
did make a positive difference. Then -
- we can hold our heads up high and say,
“ Yes! Black Men are useful, produc
tive resources.”
“W ecan make a difference”, Coun
cil charged!
Mr. Council found that the young
male child responds very favorably to
the grandfather image. This proposal
will employ the services o f men who
are now retired and just taking-up space
in local establishm ents or just sitting at
home with nothing better to do. Each
man possesses a wealth of knowledge
which has been laying dorm ant since
retirement.
“I’m here to tell you that there is
much to be done.
Something has to happen before
these young Black males reach the age
o f sixteen and it’s too late.”
Mr. Council said that these young
men need a firm male figure in their
lives. Someone who will love them and
be concerned about them. This subject
has been brought up many times in one-
on-one interviews.
The Foster Parent Association of
Oregon held a “G ET Acquainted” Pic
nic at W ilshire Park on Saturday from
10 am to 6 pm.
All persons waiting to leant more
about how they can become a foster
parent should call 232-8383 and ask for
Monique McKinley.
f a n t i fies mown die fossi o f diem fo v e d o n e s .
o ffe y a ita d fo f/in s ten yea n s o fa y e a n d fien sisten
o fo tis /ia d fo ffin s , n in e yeans o fa y e .
There is...
More To Life
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d fe fite m fe n 8, 1992 on tfiein ara y to sc/ioof
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J ff ednesday dffefitem fen die / 6 d
a t òffe y f i ne Q /ffen io n ia f f f ani ferii 2 :0 0 f i n
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MT OLIVET
B aptist C hurch
H as m oved Sunday se rv ite s to
Stone Tower Church,
N.E. Sandy Blvd. & 30ih
God’s Love Is
Infinite
by
as
offenduta ffd/ons
Worship Services 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m
Church School 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m
Bible Study, Wednesdays, 116 N.E. Schuy1
10:30 a.m.''and 7:00 p.m.
M attie A nn C allier -S pears
Radio Ministry each Sunday, 8:00 a.m. on K.BMS
1 shall love thee
as my days arc long
1 shall love thee
through the words of a song
A Teaching Church With A Reaching Ministry-
Dr. James E. Martin, Senior Pastor
Church Office 116 N.E. Schuyler St
(503) 284-1954
1 shall love thee
when all else fails
But God shall love thee
when evil assails
*
G od’s love buffets
when the chips arc down
His love comforts
in the midst of many frowns
When your friends and loved ones
do n ’t seem to care
And the burdens you sustain
are too much to bear
<» *»«•»»*
Jesus Loves You!
Mien Temple
CME Ck urch
Psalm 34:3
,
4236 NE Eighth Avenue
(corner of 8th £ Skidmore)
Portland, Oregon 9 7 2 11
Then, when all hope
seems to be g-o-n-c
And you’re left
standing all alone...
(503) 287-0261
Phillio S. Nelson P rio r
With Tear-stained cheeks,
blurred eyes grim
Trying hard to focus
but chances arc slim
D E N IE C E WILLIAMS
Performing Wed..'Sept. 23,7:30 PM
look up!
D on’t despair
th o ’ it may seem odd
Just —
Stretch out your hand
and touch the ioving face of God.
K?.
f O
n ¿55 o N6 ,4 ,. jo W
PenD*’’
JOHNNY CASH Ä JUNE CARTER
Performing Fri.. Sept. 25,7:30 PM
Annual Fall
Fashion
Luncheon
fl
'’ «Won» n,,
pacific northwest
illy G raham C rusa D e
Civic Stadium,
Portland
Sept. 23-27,1992
ALL SEATS ARE FREE
The Episcopal Church W omen O f
St. Philip The D eacon Parish Will
Present Their Annual Fall Fashion Lun
cheon
The Episcopal Church W omen of
St. Philip the Deacon parish will present
their annual Fall Fashion Luncheon at
the Church, 120 NE Knott Street, on
Saturday, September 26, from 12 till 3
pm.
Phone the church at. 281-5802.
Aollery Avenue
Zhristinn Church
I s c l p l e s
o f
C
h r i s t
God's Presence promises
Power through Jesus Christ In
Good Times and Bad Times
A/lottfteuj 1 0 9 8
"Come to me all you uuho orc
weary and heavy laden and I
will give you rest"
9:45am
11 :C0am
7:30pm
Sunday School
Morning Worship
Tuesday Bible
Study and Prayer
Inter-racial Congregation
Donzse H Bell, Postor
126 N.€. Alberto t Portland, OR 97211 + (503) 288-51 73