Fathers’ Group: Gentle…Man Speaker Series ft. Mark Shriver

Gentle…Man Speaker Series featuring Mark Shriver
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. via Zoom

The first 50 families who sign up will receive Mark’s latest book … ” 10 Hidden Heroes “!

About 10 Hidden Heroes
In this fun-filled and inspiring seek-and-find book, New York Times bestselling author and president of Save the Children Action Network, Mark K. Shriver highlights the various ways children and adults can be real-life heroes in their everyday lives. Little ones learn to count the individual heroes who shine a light on the importance of helping others whether it’s through teaching, caring for animals, protecting the environment, or keeping others from harm. Adults who read along can help their children make connections to the unseen acts of compassion that occur in their very own neighborhoods.

About Mark Shriver

(c)2009 Laurence L Levin

Mark K. Shriver is Chief Strategy Officer at Save the Children. Shriver joined Save the Children in 2003 and developed the agency’s domestic early childhood and school-age education programs, which today reach children in more than 200 underserved rural communities. He also created Save the Children’s domestic emergencies programs to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children before, during and after disaster strikes.

An advocate for children throughout his career, Shriver led a national coalition that convinced Congress to create the National Commission on Children and Disasters. He was appointed to the Commission by Senator Harry Reid of Nevada; he was elected chairperson by his fellow commissioners and served in that role for the life of the Commission (2008-2011).

In 2013, Shriver created Save the Children’s political advocacy arm, Save the Children Action Network (SCAN). SCAN seeks to build bipartisan solutions and generate voter support for policies that ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to succeed. With a grassroots network of 375,000 supporters across all 50 states, SCAN is working to ensure that every child in the U.S. has access to high-quality early childhood education, to protect migrant children arriving at the southern U.S. border and to promote girls’ empowerment around the world.

Shriver was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1994 to 2002. He was the first Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families, and was appointed Chair of the Children and Youth Subcommittee of Maryland’s House Ways and Means Committee. He was repeatedly recognized as Outstanding Legislator of the Year by prominent advocacy and civic organizations.

In 1988, Shriver founded the innovative Choice Program, which serves delinquent and at-risk youth through intensive, community-based counseling. He subsequently created The Choice Jobs Program, Inc., which trains, places and supports former Choice clients in jobs, as well as The Choice Middle Schools Program, a model for keeping at-risk middle school children in school.

Shriver received his B.A. from The College of the Holy Cross and a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University. A bestselling author, his latest book, 10 Hidden Heroes, was published in March 2021. He is also the author of Pilgrimage: My Search for the Real Pope Francis and A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father, Sargent Shriver.

Shriver lives with his wife, Jeanne, and their three children, Molly, Tommy and Emma, in Maryland.

About the Gentle…Man Speaker Series
Where the way through adolescence to adulthood was once unencumbered, nowadays it seems as though it has never been more challenging to be a young man. Today, growing up has become more multifaceted and ambiguous. An embedded self-consciousness lingers for our boys these days and thus understanding what a good man looks like is anything but straightforward in 2020 – 2021.

Dare we aim to give our boys the permission to look into their respective hearts with their eyes wide open versus with their eyes “wide shut”? The BC High Fathers’ Group is proud to herald in the “Gentle … Man Speaker Series”. Our aim is to broaden what it means to be a man in the present day and beyond. The journey to manhood is set in motion when male stereotypes are shaken.

By shifting the paradigm the BC High Fathers’ Group seeks to explore what it means to be a man in 2020 – 2021. Perhaps one’s greatest strengths can be found within gentleness and vulnerability.

It is ok to be different.
It is ok to stand out.
It is ok to show emotions.
It is ok to exhibit some doubt.
It is ok to be vulnerable.
It is ok to be kind.
It is ok to put others before me.
It is ok to reach out if you are feeling left behind.
It is ok to be aware or to outwardly care.

The BC High Fathers’ Group wants to put a “pause” between the words ‘Gentle’ & ‘Man’ so that our young men of BC High can arrive at a deep process of awareness. Let’s put contemplation and reflection to the forefront for our boys as they seek to emotionally identify with where they stand in the world today. Let’s unstiffen the culture for them. Let’s salute the fact that there is greatness to be gained in softness and there is magnitude to be achieved in gentleness. Giving our boys permission to be gentle should be part of life’s narrative. The BC High Father’s Group wants our boys to be good men to their inner hearts. To do that, though, they must be allowed to look into their compassion. They must be allowed to look into their soul. They must be respected and appreciated as they question. They must be lauded as they dare to be bold.

If you have any questions please email Stephen Pecevich at [email protected]