b'GIVING BACK: A BLACK FRATERNITY MAKESTHE MOUNTAINS MATTER FOR TODAYS YOUTHBy Hon. Gary M. Jackson, Denver CountyTheteenagerswereimpressedthatthe Court Senior Judge and Gregory L.Moore,Blackbillionaire,DenveriteRobertSmithYouareaccomplished. former editor of the Denver Post who spends summers at the resort, ownsYouwanttoachieve,and much of the 150-acres and has investedyouwanttobeleaders, Thebeautyofthemountainsisanheavilyinrestoringthelandscape,Spikessaid.Thereis experiencemanyColoradanstakeforremodelingbuildingsandincreasingtheroomforeverybodytobe grantedwithweekendsojournstogorecreationalactivitiesincludingplanningextraordinary. He also told hiking, fishing, snowboarding, and skiing.an equestrian training center there. theincomingfreshmento Its a rite of passage for new arrivals andwork hard. All-nighters, he natives alike. Itwasfun,saidDavonLand,whoisstressed,aregoingtobe attending Buffalo State University this fall.requirediftheywantto For far too many Black teenagers, however,I had never been up here and never doneget ahead. The people you the mountains are something to wonderarchery before.look up to, thats what they aboutbecauseofthedistance,costofhad to do. Thats what I had recreation, or the lack of transportation. MylesChapman,anotherfreshmanto do.attendingMorehousethisfall,asked Butfor11Blackyoungmenadmittedkeynote speaker Anthony Spikes, anotherHeurgedthemtostickto intotheDeltaEtaBoulFoundationsDelta Eta Boul member, what advice hetheir dreams, even if others LeadershipDevelopmentprogram,beingwould give to a local student attending agive up and fall back. That inthemountainsonasunnyJuly27thcollege out of state. Get yourself four oronlymakesmoreroomfor wasanewandrewardingexperience.five good friends and create a communityyou to get to the top. If you Theprogram,supportedbytheBlackwith them, he responded. I had a few veryare good at what you do then professionalfraternity,DeltaEtaBoul,close friends at Colgate, and we formed atherecognition,respect, brings its new leadership class to Lincolndinner club and together we explored thepower, which doesnt happen Hills Fly Fishing Club every summer to getouter reaches of Manhattan.tobemything,andthe a taste of the mountain high life. rewards will come, he said. ThatshowIlearnedaboutgreatAfter that, it is time to give During the all-day excursion, a rounding outrestaurants in Manhattan, Spikes added.backandleadothersdown of sorts for these burgeoning leaders, theyBut they gave me a support system andtheir path to help them realize learn about water ecology, are instructedwe are friends to this day. I have been totheirdreams.Dontjustsee in archery, and embark on a history hikeJapan two times to visit one of them, a veryyourselfasapersononan about the resort as a long-ago getaway forgood friend to this day. You want to makeisland. Lean on the memory of the Black intelligentsia from metro Denversome very close relationships that last forthat one person who believed andothersaroundthecountry.Counta lifetime.inyou,andwhohelpedyou Basie, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Zorarealizeyourbigvision.Like Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, WhitneySpikes, who grew up near the 2d hole atthe men in this fraternity are Young and other Black luminaries regularlyCityParkGolfCoursealongwithSmithdoing.Rememberthatand vacationed and recreated at Lincoln Hills,and together they often visited the resortreach back to help others.40 miles west of Denver in wooded beauty.as kids, won a golf scholarship to Colgate, attended the University of Colorado LawThe students were joined by TheattendingfreshmenenteringSchool and receivedhis MBA from Columbia10 members of the fraternity Morehouse, University of Colorado, BuffaloUniversity. The first Black member of thetohearSpikesinspiring State, Colorado State, Northwestern, andtonyCherryHillsCountryClub,Spikesmessage.Themountain theUniversityofSouthernCalifornia,founded his investment firm, Sapphire Hillexcursion,organizedby allwon$15,000scholarshipsfromtheGlobal Partners, in 2009 after a whirlwindretiredDenverJudgeGary fraternitytoputtowardtheircollegecareerinbanking,corporatelawandM. Jackson, also a fraternity educations as well as the promise of 1-on- learning the ropes at Goldman Sachs onmember,capsaselection 1mentoring,internshipassistanceandWall Street. andorientationprocess professionaldevelopment.Thefraternityfor the leadership class of commitstoassistingtheseyoungmenHesaidheislivingproofthatordinary2028. Applications for next through college and their early careers topeoplecandoextraordinarythings,andyears class will open after become leaders in their professions andhe urged the young men to never acceptThanksgiving.Formore communities.The foundation has awardedno when pursuing their dreams. As theyinformation to apply, please nearly $1 million in scholarships in its 26- ascendintheircareers,headded,theyemailinfo@deltaetaboule.year existence. have an obligation to give back to theirorg.community. 9 BOCNEWS.COM'