University of Virginia Library

'Get Me A Counselor'

The kids and their parents do not take Mr.
Hall's intellectual approach to the value of the
program. Almost unanimously, they think the
project is "great" because it allows the kids to go
places that their parents cannot take them.

"Every hour for the past couple of days a
little boy has called me to ask when his big
brother is coming," related Mrs. Jane Beck, who
has worked with the Trinity Church Referral
Program for many years. "Kids run up to me on
the street and yell 'Jane Beck, Jane Beck! Get me
a counselor.' Having a big brother, or 'counselor',
as the kids call him, really means a lot to them,"
she added.

This emphasis on travel and entertainment is a
major source of frustration that big brothers
face. Counselors often feel "used" by the kids,
become disillusioned with the program, and
sometimes resign.

Third-year student, Mary Smith, a participant
in the now defunct Circle K Big Sister Program
two years ago, quit in exasperation because "I

CD/Dan Grogan

Big Brother/Big Sister Program: 'Exposing The Child To A Variety Of Activities'

never felt as if I helped her. I was just a status
symbol for her and a source of gifts and
expensive entertainment."

Another source of frustration is age. The
idealized little brother appears very receptive,
affectionate, and perhaps even a bit infatuated
with his counselor. A younger child, especially
under ten, will very likely respond in that way,
but an older child is less likely to be so warm and
open.