James Rhone is 70!  He has a deep and commanding voice that resonates with both firmness and warmth. He is known to many (at least half the city of Philadelphia it would seem) and answers to many names: Jay, Jim, James, Mr. Rhone and Brother Rhone.

 

It also seems that James knows people in practically every area of the United States. If he travels to a city where he doesn’t know someone, by the end of his trip he has made friends.  When he speaks, people listen.  He has something to say — especially to adolescent males.   

 

James Rhone began his teaching career as a Mechanical Drawing teacher with in Philadelphia, and later became an assistant principal. Throughout his life he has been active in his church, the Nazarene Baptist Church of Philadelphia, and is currently the Chairman of the Trustees and an administrator in Camp Nazarene’s summer program.

In 1996, James “retired” from the School District and, among other things, became a mentor with Across Ages, a national mentoring program that is coordinated by Temple University’s Center for Intergenerational Learning. The program recruits older adults to mentor middle school students. 

 

Almost ten years later, James continues mentoring — as the Outreach Coordinator for other Center programs, as the area representative for Urban Ministries, Inc., and in his work with many community organizations.  

 

Over the past ten years, James has mentored 20 boys who have grown into mature, responsible young men under his tutelage.  The oldest of them, George, is completing his B.S. degree at Temple University in 2006.

When James met George as a sixth grader, George had a notorious reputation throughout the school and was constantly in trouble.  Although a smart kid, George was failing most subjects because he didn’t pay attention in class and never did his homework. 

 

James didn’t have to come down hard on George because what George was craving was positive attention from a male figure and someone who could help him navigate the treacherous waters of adolescence.

 

James mentored George all through middle school and high school, helping the boy decide what courses to take and how to study and take tests.  When it came time to think about college, James took George to look at schools and helped him complete applications.  George started at a two-year technical college and did so well he realized he wanted to go farther — and could — and did! 

 

James also befriended George’s family, especially his mother, who herself was inspired to return to school.  Today, James is treated as a member of the family. 

 

It’s a variation on the theme of the impact James has had with so many others: Harold, Michael, Neil, Aaron, Taha, Carzell and at least 15 other young men.

Why does James Rhone take the time to get involved in the lives of young people not even related to him?  When asked that, he quoted William Penn:  “I shall pass this way but once, therefore any good I can do let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.”

 

Many might describe James Rhone as “an outstanding volunteer,” someone who believes in service to others and cares deeply about giving back.  Social scientists would describe him using a more technical term — they would say he was an example of a truly generative individual. 

 

What is generativity and why is it important — and why is it especially important, as we get older? 

 

In 1950, the psychologist Erik Erikson introduced the concept of generativity as the seventh of eight stages in his theory of human development and the life cycle. Before Erikson, there was a widely held belief that childhood and adolescence were the periods of greatest intellectual and emotional growth.

 

This way of thinking suggested that young adulthood was a time to solidify one’s knowledge and skills by becoming established in a profession and developing a social network.  It also held that by middle age not only were adults slowing down mentally and physically but most had lost interest in the world around them and were “shutting down” in preparation for death. 

In sharp contrast, Erikson was the first social scientist to describe adult development in terms of growth potential rather than loss of capacity.  He wrote that growing older could be a time when adults value the opportunity to share what they have learned over the course of a lifetime. 

 

He defined generativity as the “concern for establishing and guiding the next generation,” for passing on cultural traditions and leaving a legacy. As he described it, generativity is “I am what survives of me.”

 

Erikson’s landmark work, published as Childhood and Society, argued that each of the eight stages of human growth that he defined had both a positive and negative aspect to it.  The positive aspect promotes intellectual and emotional growth, expansion and goal realization, while the negative aspect suggests failure and disappointment.

 

The seventh stage in Erikson’s model is “generativity versus stagnation,” which he associated with the middle adult years. In Erikson’s view, generativity is important because generative activity positively affects the eighth stage where the task is to develop a sense of well-being and wisdom strong enough to withstand the physical decline and challenges of old age.  

 

People who are not generative are often self-absorbed, isolated and disappointed in their personal relationships, and they are frequently lonely and bitter in their later years.  Many researchers have found that nurturing, giving and serving others contributes to personal happiness and overall well-being. 

 

A long-term study conducted by researchers at Harvard University interviewed several hundred people every ten years between 1940 and 2000.  They found that generativity in mid-life contributed significantly to joy and satisfaction when people reached their 70’s and 80’s.

The stories in our Philadelphia Area Volunteers: Profiles in Sharing offer inspiring examples: 

 

Mira Tryon worked as a legal secretary for over thirty years and became a professional yoga instructor and massage therapist in her mid-fifties. She now uses her new skills as a volunteer for Neighborhood Hospice, a non-profit organization that provides end-of-life care and bereavement support. 

 

George Beach was struck with rheumatoid arthritis at 38. He responded well to treatment, but in dealing with his disease, he found another facet to his life: giving of himself as a volunteer. For a video profile of George, click here. (link to interstitial to come).

 

Pearl Carpel’s inspiration for volunteering came from the many demonstrations she participated in as a child.  She has now become “the volunteer’s volunteer” according to the Philadelphia City Paper, serving others via a host of organizations throughout the city.

 

While generativity often begins in the child rearing years it is not limited to parenthood.  In addition to parenting, generative activity is mentoring, teaching, coaching and volunteering — in the workplace, schools, churches or other community organizations, and can also include citizen advocacy and political involvement.  

Generativity is both a developmental task of mid-life and an approach to life — a world-view that can guide our actions.

 

But generativity doesn’t “just happen” because we get to mid-life.  Children who are raised in families where generative concern, care and commitment are valued and acted upon, as it was in Pearl Carpel’s family, are more likely to feel a sense of responsibility for future generations and have the skills and resources to act.  Not surprisingly, children who begin volunteering at an early age are more likely to continue as adults.

 

Our nation will be experiencing a major demographic shift as the baby boom generation (b. 1946-1964) moves into mid and late life.  This means there is a huge population of adults who can be available as resources for their communities. 

 

The need to be generative is a powerful motivator for people at this stage of life because they are looking for productive roles, and want to provide leadership and guidance that will foster the development of the next generation. 

 

The ultimate “win-win-win” perhaps — good for the soul… good for those around us… and good for the world.