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CHARLESTON, S.C. — A group of young boys in South Carolina are learning more than just reading and writing at school — they're also learning the art of being a gentleman.
Raymond Nelson and teacher Kenneth Joyner work at Memminger Elementary School in downtown Charleston. Nelson is the school's student support specialist and was trying to think of a creative way to teach at-risk boys at the school fundamental life lessons, WCSC News reported.
"I was thinking maybe if I have the boys dress for success," Nelson told WCSC News. "When was the last time you saw someone fighting in a tuxedo?"
That's how A Gentleman's Club was born this past January, with Nelson and Joyner at the helm. Their motto? "Look good, feel good, do good."
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Posted by Boys with a Purpose on Thursday, March 10, 2016
The club meets once a week and already boasts 60 members between the ages of 5 and 11. They focus on teaching social skills, like how to shake hands, open doors, make eye contact and talk to adults, according to their Facebook page. Nelson even has extra jackets, vests and ties on hand for students who can't buy their own.
"I know a lot of them struggle because a lot of them don't have men at home, so I just want them to grow up and think of the things that I teach them," Nelson told WCSC News.
March 2nd was a special day for us as Keyshawn (teal shirt) and the rest of our #boyswithapurpose welcomed our FIRST...
Posted by Boys with a Purpose on Thursday, March 10, 2016
Nelson and Joyner have since rebranded the name to "Boys with a Purpose." The club has gained national attention after being featured on the local news and they were invited to the "Steve Harvey Show" in Chicago on Thursday.
Prepped, pampered and ready to go meet Mr. Steve Harvey!
Posted by Boys with a Purpose on Thursday, March 10, 2016
Nelson and Joyner may be helping the boys in more ways than one. A study in the Journal of Applied Psychology shows that your perception of yourself can change with the right set of clothes:
"Results show that participants who were dressed formally used more formal adjectives than casual ones to describe themselves. The opposite was true in participants wearing casual clothes. In addition, formally dressed participants responded faster to formal than to casual adjectives, while this difference was reversed in casually dressed participants," the article states.
What you wear can also influence your thinking skills, hormone levels and heart rate, Scientific American reported. Studies have also shown that good manners can improve well-being, physical and emotional health and help your ability to cope with stress, according to a Psych Central report.
A GoFundMe account* was established by local South Carolinians after dozens of people flooded Memminger's Facebook page asking how to help. The page reached its goal of $1,000 to help with activities and extra dress clothes in less than 24 hours.
The public is invited to keep up with their weekly activities and accomplishments via Boys with a Purpose's new Facebook page.
*KSL.com does not assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
