Women cannot teach boys how to become men ? men must take on that responsibility.

Sport also plays a vital role, as well as a Department of Education that uses its resources wisely.

And, most important of all, there is God. Every boy must start life from a strong spiritual basis.

The way forward for the Island?s youth was presented at a seminar on Thursday night at Sandys Middle School.

It was the fourth meeting on finding strategies for developing Bermuda?s boys. About 30 men, women and children attended.

The three panellists were Mr. Maybury, director of Child and Family Services; Wayne Caines, captain of the Bermuda Regiment and a prosecutor; and Dr. Stanley Roberts, educator. Wendall ?Shine? Hayward was unable to join the panel because of prior commitments. Mr. Austin Warner, guidance counsellor at Sandys Middle School, acted as moderator.

Mr. Maybury said men were key to the future for boys.

When asked what would he suggest to all the single mothers out there he said: ?Men in the community need to step in.?

He added: ?We don?t need strategies on developing boys. We do that very well.

?We need to focus on strategies for developing men. Those are the strategies we should be talking about. We need men to become more involved in the lives of boys. We have too many boys making babies.?

Mr. Maybury cautioned mothers: ?We need to teach our women when it is time to get out of the lives of their boys.

?Too many women never let go and as a result we end up with big boys.?

He also called on boys to be taught the ?way they learn best?. And he suggested a more hands-on approach.

?We also must give them a strong spiritual basis,? he added, prompting a chorus of ?Amens? from the crowd.

Mr. Caines emphasised the importance of love.

?If you can?t love, you can?t have a family, you can?t have a community, and you cannot have a country.?

He added: ?We must unite our boys mentally and physically and challenge them.

?Sport is an excellent way to develop holistic attitudes in young men.?

Mr. Caines also highlighted the importance of having a spiritual base. ?If we teach our men these values we will regain the fabric of our country.? Dr. Roberts discussed different learning styles in boys.

?Boys learn differently than girls. In a classroom boys are uncomfortable and fidgety. They are nonconforming.

?Boys can be visual, tactual, and kinaesthetic.?

Dr. Roberts agreed with the other panellists that boys should be taught the way they learn best.

?If he wants to lay on the floor and do his homework, let him.?

Members of the audience gave suggestions as to how the Department of Education could do a better job and shared personal stories.

They also stressed the importance of having God in one?s life, quoting Biblical passages.

Some people urged parents to take a stand for their children that have different learning styles.

And they directed their frustration towards the Department of Education over a lack of help and resources in educating those that learn differently.

This was the last seminar on developing boys.

It was organised by the Community Education and Development Programme which was sponsored by the Ministry of Community Affairs and Sport and the Ministry of Education.