Royal Brotherhood teaches Queen Elizabeth Secondary boys leadership, mentorship and positivity

The Royal Brotherhood at Queen Elizabeth Secondary is a mentorship group for Grade 8-12 boys, teaching leadership and instilling confidence in male youth. The origins of the group go back 20 years and across several Surrey secondary schools, inspiring students to volunteer with local charities and give back to their communities. (Photo courtesy of Sukh Rai)

A mentorship group at Queen Elizabeth Secondary is providing Grade 8-12 boys with positive role models and guidance as they develop leadership skills in supporting their friends, families, schools and communities.

For the past six years, the Royal Brotherhood has taught male students to become leaders in their youth and young adulthood through fundraising efforts, local events and acts of charity for the better of the community. Named after the school’s sports team the Royals, the group’s origin stems back almost 20 years and across several other Surrey secondary schools.

“Years ago, myself and another administrator were teaching at Princess Margaret Secondary, and more than 95% of the kids’ leadership positions at the school were filled by girls,” said Queen Elizabeth Secondary vice-principal Sukh Rai. “There were far more girls enrolled in student council, athletic council, grad council.

“When boys transitioned to secondary school, there was this feeling that these positions weren’t something they should do or something that’s valued – that was the impetus for us to act on this. We tried to find an avenue to get the boys to see the value in service and try to mentor that with them.”

Over his teaching career, Rai said boys’ attitudes toward leadership positions was the same at different secondary schools, prompting him to start boys leadership groups at Princess Margaret, Frank Hurt and Lord Tweedsmuir before moving to Queen Elizabeth.

Now, the Royal Brotherhood has grown to nearly 40 students who meet weekly and regularly volunteer with food banks, assemble care packages for the less fortunate and local resource facilities, and serve meals at kitchens such as the Salvation Army Harbour Light.

“We take them to a camp, do leadership activities, plan the school year and run events to bring the community together,” said Rai. “A lot of it is student-driven, they come up with ideas and then we follow through with them.

“In the culture I’m from, it’s about Sevā, which means service. We talk a lot about Sevā and service to the community, that’s the premise of what we’re trying to do.”

Most recently, the QE boys helped answer the phones at a ConnectFM radiothon for Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen, a food service that feeds those in need in the Downtown Eastside. The radiothon raised nearly $150,000 towards the kitchen’s goal of remaining open seven days a week instead of the current two.

“Two of my students had the idea of volunteering at Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen last year, so we went down on a Saturday and worked there serving 400 meals in the rain,” said Rai. “We got acquainted with them and how they were doing this for the community, and that led to other volunteer opportunities. The students networked and made these connections that led to helping out at the radio station.”

Rai said the Royal Brotherhood has also helped some at-risk students turn their lives around and left a lasting impact on those who’ve volunteered in the past – so much so that some alumni return to continue helping out the community while mentoring younger generations.

“Leadership groups are something that keep us grounded and connected and allow us to empathize with others and come from a place of understanding,” said Rai. “There are students who graduated two or three years ago who still come back to connect with the younger students. It’s good role modelling and mentoring for them and they get to see the whole thing full cycle.”

The Royal Brotherhood at Queen Elizabeth Secondary is supported by the Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund, guided by the district’s Advancement Department. Anyone who wishes to make a donation to support Surrey Schools’ extracurricular programs and services can find more information HERE.