Boyz 2 Men visit the Ritz-Carlton

By Christopher Tobutt

Two yellow school busloads, one from Clifton Hunter and the other from John Gray High School, pulled up outside the beautiful fountain in front of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. They had brought this year’s cohort of Boyz 2 Men, a mentorship program aimed at helping teenage boys become young gentlemen. They were visiting the hotel for the morning to learn some important tips on fine dining etiquette, before being shown all around.

Boyz 2 Men was begun by John Gray High School Counsellor, Christopher Murray, more than ten years ago, when he felt that the boys he saw, many of them estranged from their fathers, could do with some positive male role models to help them avoid the pitfalls of negative peer pressure, as they navigate the choppy waters into successful adulthood.

Taking their seats in the Ballroom, they were given a presentation on the importance of etiquette by Marius Slazar, Director of Banquets, and Steve Ndegwa Food & Beverage Manager. “This is crucial. It’s a training we all wish we had when we were at their age,” Mr Slazar commented. “It’s going to be an amazing opportunity to learn what etiquette means, and how to apply that in society moving forwards. My hope is what they will be taking from this is little things, like how to behave when they go out for dinner, and how to behave when they have an interview, and what’s important, from how to dress up, eye contact, or just by being five minutes early, that shows respect.”

Mr. Ndegwa added, “We want to give them that mindset so that they feel empowered in order to know how to become a gentleman, and we are going to be showing them all the skills that need to transition for you to be a gentleman. We want to give them that mindset so that they feel empowered in order to know how to become a gentleman, and we are going to be showing them all the skills that need to transition for you to be a gentleman, so they are prepared for special dates, business meetings, important family events and job interviews.

Jerry Allen, 15, said that he had already gained much from joining Boyz 2 Men, “The entire program has showed each of us as how to excel as a man and how to grow properly, to be prepared for life as well as to have values. Having etiquette and learning different types of rules is a key,” he said. Andrew Baptist, also 15, said, “I learned the different things that the Ritz has like art gallery and ballroom. I think it is impacting me by showing me that there are other things to do in Cayman other than sit around.”

In the Ballroom, Jordon, 15, gave a toast with a glass of fruit punch. “We’ll grow together as one. We will eventually turn from boys to men. We will get rich and come back to this place, and represent boys to men,” he said.