BIG BROTHERS AND BIG SISTERS PROGRAM FOR CPAE GIRARDEAU COUNTY HAS PROMISING POTENTIAL

In affiliating with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater St. Louis, organizers working to bring such a group to Cape Girardeau County couldn't have chosen a better partner.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters groups have proven successful throughout the nation in providing youth with positive role models and mentors. Having the organization active locally will prove a fine addition to the community.

KFVS news anchor Dave Courvoisier, Cape Girardeau police officer Charlie Herbst and Community Caring Council director Shirley Ramsey launched the effort to bring Big Brothers and Big Sisters to the area. That trio plus the many others who have joined them deserve much credit for their efforts.

Rather than forming an independent chapter, the national organization recommended local organizers join the St. Louis group. It is a wise course of action.

With the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater St. Louis organization to guide the local efforts, there is a high degree of confidence that the Cape Girardeau County program will be a success. The national group considers the St. Louis chapter, which annually serves 3,000 to 4,000 families, the best in the nation for its quality service and management.

The established chapter officially welcomed Cape Girardeau this week with open arms. And the St. Louis-based organization even plans on changing its name to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri to reflect the addition. A local advisory board will oversee operations here, and two representatives from Cape Girardeau County will join the parent chapter's board of directors, ensuring local input.

Mentoring programs have proven effective influencing children to stay on the straight and narrow path. Bringing in an organization with the track record of Big Brothers and Big Sisters should pay big dividends for area youth.