The Harry Singer Foundation invites your school to become a charter member in a national effort to recognize the good things that are going on in America.
White Hats is a program to honor volunteers and to publicize the many good things that are going on across the country in our schools and local communities.
Student White Hats seek out the good news in their communities and feed it to local media outlets and urge publication. They also act as goodwill ambassadors, arranging banquets, picnics or other gatherings where they ceremoniously honor local "good guys" and dispense White Hat pins, and when appropriate, the Independent Sector's prestigious Give Five pin.
Anyone who has performed community service through an established national agency such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Scouts or through local efforts to help children, the elderly, homeless, AIDs victims, environmental groups and so forth, is eligible to wear a White Hats lapel pin. Students send application forms to the Foundation on behalf of local potential White Hats as they are discovered. Unusual organizations are listed in an annual book and the most unusual best-run programs are written up as a role model for others. The Harry Singer Foundation hopes to eventually sponsor a conference on the Monterey Peninsula where the best efforts in various categories would be displayed and hopefully, copied.
The Foundation will provide each School White Hats Chapter the following:
The manual describes benefits to school and student members; Foundation expectations for the program; hints on locating White Hats in your community and involving local chapters of national service clubs; an application form; suggestions on ways to honor new White Hats; ceremonies for student chapters; sample certificates of recognition for the general public, public officials and student members; a ceremony for members of the general public and for public officials who pledge to wear the lapel pin; a sample lapel pin and list of other support items available from the Harry Singer Foundation and from Independent Sector.
We hope to eventually draw sponsors from all walks of life but expect initial interest to come from youth leaders, Sunday School and regular classroom teachers. Already several classroom teachers have made the project part of school curriculum.
Individual student commitment would involve interaction with the community on weekends and/or evenings. Students would communicate one-on-one with local media as a rotating obligation. Little class time is anticipated; mostly planning and coordinating events. We hope the schools will honor participating students during assemblies.
When you are ready to join this positive movement let us know and we will send you the manual and pins by return mail.
If you require more information email:director@singerfoundation.org fax 831-624-7994 or call-in 831-625-4223 with your phone number and a time it would be most convenient for you to talk and someone will be glad to get in touch with you and answer any questions you may have.
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