Dartmouth's Big Brother Big Sister program celebrated its 40th birthday with ice skating, board games, tee-shirt design and raffles in a celebration that took place at Occom Pond and Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority last Saturday. About 12 sibling pairs attended the party.
Tee-shirt design was a party favorite, according to BBBS co-chairs Sander Duncan '09 and Hanna McLaughlin '09. Little siblings decorated the shirts with handprints and messages to each other or to their big siblings.
"The nice thing about planning events for kids is that it doesn't take too much to please them," Duncan said.
Duncan was pleasantly surprised by the turnout, as "attendance is a constant struggle," he said. Students' busy schedules make event planning difficult, he added.
The celebration was organized by the six BBBS chairs along with Bethany Marsh, the Tucker Foundation's AmeriCorps VISTA member for local service. The purpose of the event was to facilitate socialization among sibling pairs. Big sibling and little sibling duos rarely spend time with others in the program, Duncan said.
"We try to hold events every two to three weeks to bring the [BBBS] team together," he added.
Student mentors are required to spend four hours per week with their little siblings, but can tailor their schedules as they see fit, a time commitment McLaughlin believes is fair, she said.
McLaughlin said the mentor program allows her to draw upon her own life experiences.
"I'm at time where I've learned enough so that I can start helping people take their first steps," she said.
The opportunity to be a role model is extremely valuable, according to Dunan, who said he mentors two brothers who have no constant male figure to give them guidance.
"You get to play a positive role in these kids' lives," Duncan said.
McLaughlin hoped that Dartmouth students involved in the program would connect more, she said. Working to promote a connection between mentors, McLaughlin has considered purchasing BBBS tee-shirts to promote the organization.
"It helps encourages people to talk about the program," McLaughlin said.
BBBS maintains a relationship with several nearby school districts and Listen Community Services, which refer children to the organization.
"We are the link between the matches and community resources for the volunteers," McLaughlin said.
Dartmouth's BBBS began in 1968 to help young boys overcome social and academic problems. Originally called "Project Buddy," the program boasted twenty student members, a number that has since grown to about 200 students. BBBS at Dartmouth is not affiliated with the national Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.
