‘My Dad, My Mentor’ theme for Sando Boys’ Daddy’s Day

On a very wet and cold morning, in the middle of World Cup season, over 300 persons (boys and their fathers) were in attendance, eagerly awaiting the day’s proceedings.

It was quite evident that not even the inclement weather or World Cup could have deterred the fathers and sons of San Fernando Boys’ RC School from attending and participating in the fourth Annual Daddy’s Day Programme held at the picturesque San Fernando Hill on Monday, July 2. This year’s theme was My Dad, My Mentor.

This initiative aims at nurturing and fostering positive relations between fathers and sons through effective communication. This year, the focus was on making fathers aware of and recognise the importance of their emotional presence in the lives of their sons.

The fathers learnt that their emotional presence, more than just their physical presence, was the key factor in raising their sons and teaching them how to be a man.

The morning period consisted of an address by guest speaker, Ricardo Mitchell, and workshops facilitated by Richard Smith and Denzil Williams. The afternoon session was dedicated to team-building exercises with fathers and sons. This included outdoor fun activities coordinated by the Fire Service.

The Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Dr Lovell Francis made a guest appearance just before lunch and was indeed quite impressed with the attendance. He also applauded the principal and staff for the initiative and suggested that other schools follow suit.

The words of advice given and the experiences shared on this day by all speakers made the fathers realise that their role must be taken seriously. Despite the challenges and issues encountered daily by men and by families, all fathers learnt:

1. Success of your son or children depends on the parents, especially the fathers.
2. The quality of parenting must be of a high standard—set good examples, children learn through observation.
3. Discipline is evidence of respect—they go hand in hand.
4. Fathers raise their sons differently—when fathers are involved, there is significant positive difference in the child’s development.

It was indeed a day well spent and one which will leave an indelible mark on the lives of the fathers but especially the boys. –Danyela Daly