March 29, 2006
Countering the Influence of Gangs
Martin Johnson
Pres. And Founder Isles, Inc.
Andre Thomas
Career Development Manager for Isles, Inc.
Minutes of the 26th Meeting of the 64th Year
President Haynes called the 80 attending members to order for the 26th meeting of the 64th Old Guard year. John Marks led the invocation.
Jim Harford's minutes captured the previous week's charming talk by Professor Caryl Emerson of Princeton University on "Being a Tourist in Russia 2006."
Joe Bolster introduced a visitor, Everett Pinneo, and a visitor who would be part of the day's program, Andre Thomas.
Bill Bonini announced that Apr 12 would be Old Guard picture day, for the first photo since 1946.
Joe Bolster introduced the day's program. The speakers were Martin Johnson, the President and CEO of Isles, Inc. and his staff member Andre Thomas.
Marty Johnson graduated from Princeton in 1981 where he played football and basketball and majored in anthropology. But he didn't take the usual graduate path. With a few other students, he founded the inner city non-profit Isles, with a determination to find a more cost effective, sustainable approach to the classic problems than he had seen in organizations then in the field. The Isles mission would be focused on self-reliance, to foster self reliance as the path to a healthy, sustainable community.
Starting out in 1981, Isles had no money and no track record. Today, it has a staff of 40, a budget of $4 million, and serves 15,000 residents annually in Trenton. For his initiatives, innovations in his field, and his unique leadership, Marty has received numerous national and local awards. He is on several Boards. He has been a visiting faculty member of the Woodrow Wilson School, and is currently a member of the Princeton Univ. Board of Trustees and its Executive Committee.
Andre Thomas is Manager of Isles's "YouthBuild" Program. He was an "at-risk" youth, having served 5 years in prison. His presentation expressed the confidence he felt in the edge that this experience had added for his work now. The "YouthBuild" program incorporates job training, education, and character building programs, several in partnership with the Public School Board and with the Juvenile Justice Commission. One has 65 youths in school for one-half day, then working a half day, rehabbing homes that go to first-time home owners in the community.
Isles applies the concept of "Fostering Self-Reliance" to all of its programs, including those of financial literacy, home ownership, environmental/health initiatives, and youth education.
Isles has been responsible for building or rehabbing 425 homes, for restoring valued Trenton buildings for public use, for 160 public gardens, and for numerous small parks, all in a city that is so disadvantaged that it does not have even one supermarket.
Marty Johnson counts 700 gangs in the state of NJ, including a continuing crises situation in Trenton. He pointed out the newer trend of gang migration to the areas surrounding the inner city, i.e. the Ewings, the Hamiltons, Lawrence, Princeton. Demographics show gang membershp starting at ages 14, 15, phasing out at 23, 24, with Hispanic numbers declining, Asians down, whites up.
Reasons given for joining gangs do not come as a surprise. They include loneliness, peer pressure, fear of recrimination, lack of jobs, lack of family infrastructure, the need for the feelings of brotherhood and community.
Pretty good reasons, aren't they, to join a gang - - - - , or to do just about anything to escape such an environment??!!
And more credit to Marty Johnson for the character manifested in his having chosen to do what he does!!
The meeting adjourned at 11:30 AM.
Respectfully submitted,
J. H. Johnson
Jim Harford's minutes captured the previous week's charming talk by Professor Caryl Emerson of Princeton University on "Being a Tourist in Russia 2006."
Joe Bolster introduced a visitor, Everett Pinneo, and a visitor who would be part of the day's program, Andre Thomas.
Bill Bonini announced that Apr 12 would be Old Guard picture day, for the first photo since 1946.
Joe Bolster introduced the day's program. The speakers were Martin Johnson, the President and CEO of Isles, Inc. and his staff member Andre Thomas.
Marty Johnson graduated from Princeton in 1981 where he played football and basketball and majored in anthropology. But he didn't take the usual graduate path. With a few other students, he founded the inner city non-profit Isles, with a determination to find a more cost effective, sustainable approach to the classic problems than he had seen in organizations then in the field. The Isles mission would be focused on self-reliance, to foster self reliance as the path to a healthy, sustainable community.
Starting out in 1981, Isles had no money and no track record. Today, it has a staff of 40, a budget of $4 million, and serves 15,000 residents annually in Trenton. For his initiatives, innovations in his field, and his unique leadership, Marty has received numerous national and local awards. He is on several Boards. He has been a visiting faculty member of the Woodrow Wilson School, and is currently a member of the Princeton Univ. Board of Trustees and its Executive Committee.
Andre Thomas is Manager of Isles's "YouthBuild" Program. He was an "at-risk" youth, having served 5 years in prison. His presentation expressed the confidence he felt in the edge that this experience had added for his work now. The "YouthBuild" program incorporates job training, education, and character building programs, several in partnership with the Public School Board and with the Juvenile Justice Commission. One has 65 youths in school for one-half day, then working a half day, rehabbing homes that go to first-time home owners in the community.
Isles applies the concept of "Fostering Self-Reliance" to all of its programs, including those of financial literacy, home ownership, environmental/health initiatives, and youth education.
Isles has been responsible for building or rehabbing 425 homes, for restoring valued Trenton buildings for public use, for 160 public gardens, and for numerous small parks, all in a city that is so disadvantaged that it does not have even one supermarket.
Marty Johnson counts 700 gangs in the state of NJ, including a continuing crises situation in Trenton. He pointed out the newer trend of gang migration to the areas surrounding the inner city, i.e. the Ewings, the Hamiltons, Lawrence, Princeton. Demographics show gang membershp starting at ages 14, 15, phasing out at 23, 24, with Hispanic numbers declining, Asians down, whites up.
Reasons given for joining gangs do not come as a surprise. They include loneliness, peer pressure, fear of recrimination, lack of jobs, lack of family infrastructure, the need for the feelings of brotherhood and community.
Pretty good reasons, aren't they, to join a gang - - - - , or to do just about anything to escape such an environment??!!
And more credit to Marty Johnson for the character manifested in his having chosen to do what he does!!
The meeting adjourned at 11:30 AM.
Respectfully submitted,
J. H. Johnson