Hello Bermuda! Earlier this week I read with concern about the inability of Big Brothers and Big Sisters to find role models for young people, especially males. I am convinced that other charities and organisations are in the same predicament, whereby they simply cannot get male volunteers to help in various capacities. Why is this phenomenon occurring and what can we do about it? More on this after the top 20.Immovable at #1 is Turn Me On by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, one of the hottest dance tracks on the circuit. Still at #2 is Rack City by Tyga, a former essential new tune and arguably the hottest rap track at the moment.In the #3 spot it’s Hangover by Taio Cruz featuring Florida. Improving to #4 is Someone Like You by Adele. International Love by Pitbull featuring Chris Brown, improves to #5. Slipping to #6 is Dance (A$$) by Big Sean featuring Nicki Minaj.Improving to #7 is The Motto by Drake featuring L’il Wayne. Stumbling to #8 is Ni**as in Paris by Jay Z featuring Kanye West.Improving to #9 is the hot dance track by Chris Brown and Rihanna Turn Up The Music. You have to respect the hot tracks these two young people are dropping on a regular. Improving to #10 is Take Care by Rihanna and Drake. Rihanna is a bonafide superstar, she has hits every year. Down to #11 is Good Feeling by Flo Rida. I’m hearing this one all over the place; on both sides of the Pond and in the middle.Holding at #12 is a former essential new tune, Stronger, by Kelly Clarkson. At #13 is We Found Love by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris. Improving to #14 it’s Give Me All Your Luvin’ by Madonna featuring Nicki Minaj and MIA. Falling to #15 is The One That Got Away by Katy Perry. Slipping to #16 is Hotel Nacional by the Latina diva, Gloria Estefan. Sliding to #17 is Rain Over Me by Marc Anthony and Pitbull.Down to #18 is Love On Top by Beyonce. This is just simply a beautiful song, well produced, well performed. Falling to #19 is Without You by David Guetta featuring Usher. Tumbling to #20 is Sexy And I Know It by LMFAO.New at #19 is this week’s essential new tune, Glad You Came, a massive dance hit by British-Irish boy band The Wanted.Entering at #20 is Starships by Nicki Minaj. This track bangs and I have to give Nicki credit for blowing up on the pop scene. I can see why Lil Kim was jealous; Nicki is on the way to being more like Rihanna, with tons of crossover appeal, and will go much further than Lil Kim did. I saw her perform this track on ‘Good Morning America’ a few weeks ago and she tore the place up; had the New Yorkers on the street dancing and gyrating like maniacs. It’s a hit no doubt.Now back to this week’s topic: Where are the male role models? Why is there a dearth of them and what can we do about it? Well, it seems that there are more women on the rock than men. Single people say that there are two or three girls available for every guy.I suspect that there are more men incarcerated than women. I suspect that there may also be more men who simply don’t have the skills, desire, inclination or self-confidence to be a role model. So what do we do about it? Well, it takes a whole village to raise the children in the village and I encourage those of us men who know that we can and should be doing more to do more.I’ve signed up as a mentor with the high schools so I’m doing my part. Being busy is no excuse. I don’t care how important or how senior you may think your job or life is, you have a duty to make time for young men and mould them into being the best men they can become.Now, here’s another perspective. In the absence of ‘hands-on’ role models, young people should find one of their own and learn from that person’s success, activities, etc. Colin Powell was a person I used as a role model for a minute. Nelson Mandela was another. I’ve read their books, studied their lives and taken what I could learn from their lives and attempted to chart my own course to reach my own full potential. US President Barak Obama is yet another, who I’ve studied of late in an attempt to learn, grow and develop.We should all be able to find 30 minutes or even just an hour or two each week, to link up with and mentor a young brother.I would like to use this opportunity to salute two giants of men who did this for me and many other young men Arnold Francis and Richard Hector.These cats were definitely interested in my growth and development and I know that they did this for other young men as well. I try to do it and encourage other adult males to do the same.The at-risk group is young black males up to the age of 21. We have to mentor this segment of the population or Bermuda will never get back on the right track.Someone once asked the question what are you doing with your dash? The dash, for the unenlightened, is the dash the period between birth and death. The implication is, what did you do with your life?Hopefully, a number of young men will say that I helped them to become better men and to reach their full potential, or something positive like that. Then one day, I hope to hear the words from my creator, master and friend, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; well done”.Then I can rest in peace. AMEN! ... DJLT.