DATE: Wednesday, April 30, 1997             TAG: 9704300578

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY NIA NGINA MEEKS, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: PHILADELPHIA                      LENGTH:   73 lines

VOLUNTEER SUMMIT CLOSES WITH A CHALLENGE: SPREAD THE MESSAGE BACK HOME

The three-day Presidents' Summit for America's Future came to a close Tuesday afternoon at Independence Hall with an orchestral fanfare and challenges from organizers to take the message back home.

The closing program featured the Philadelphia Orchestra and rang of patriotism and the duty for delegations, including the 10 members from Virginia Beach, to return and mobilize their communities.

In the ceremony, organizers recognized those involved with the planning and execution of the summit, which was dedicated to mentoring, protecting, nurturing, teaching and allowing young people to give back through volunteering.

Mentoring, often mentioned as an important goal of the summit, received a final endorsement from Felton Booker, an 18-year-old from South Central Los Angeles.

``We, as an American people, must never forget to be generous in our love, generous in our compassion and generous in our time so that many more young people can get the love and support that changed and in many ways saved my life,'' Booker said.

He was not the only young person to address the thousands who assembled.

Youth delegates had lobbied the summit organizers for a chance to address the attendees on the final day. Many argued that in this summit devoted to bettering the welfare of 2 million young people by 2000, the youth delegates did not receive an equal voice.

Retired Army Gen. Colin Powell, the summit's general chairman, said it was ``only fitting that we allow them to speak. Not allow, because they demanded it. If this campaign is going to be successful, we've got to mobilize youth.''

Rasheed Newson of Indianapolis reiterated that point as he took the microphone for his peers.

``We want to do our part to make sure America's promise is kept,'' Newson said.

His oration received a standing ovation, as did Hillary Rodham Clinton's.

``Those of you who came as delegates have a big job in front of you,'' the first lady said. ``The real work will be done on the front lines.''

The Virginia Beach delegation was already united in that purpose and was hoping to enlist others in that grunt work when they return.

Like others in attendance, the Beach team labored over the next step they should take as a team and a community. They created an outline for conveying the summit's theme to the folks back home and set about figuring their next meeting date.

A state summit already is in the works for June in Charlottesville. That forum will allow the message to be passed on to Virginia communities that were unable to make the trek to Philadelphia.

Gov. George F. Allen, who attended the summit, said that his office is working on establishing a database cataloging all the volunteer programs already in place in Virginia communities. He said he hopes the information will be accessible by the end of the year.

The database would serve as a networking resource as well as a tool to avoid duplication.

The work sessions in Philadelphia provided the Virginia Beach team a chance to share ideas with cities of similar size and with their fellow Virginians. Delegates said the experience not only gave them ideas, but made them realize that in many ways, the city already has a good start.

Mentor programs are in place. School campuses are open before and after regular hours. Youth recognition and volunteer opportunities are in place.

But more could be done, delegate and Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf said. One objective is to catalog and expand successful programs instead of allowing new-found zeal to cause duplication of existing services.

They hope to galvanize the rest of South Hampton Roads behind the summit's mission, said Paula Barclay Cook, a delegate who is executive director of Volunteer Hampton Roads. The delegation wants to plan a regional summit this fall.

``What better opportunity of regionalism than the issue of children?'' Cook asked. ``Half of us didn't know each other before we came. We've found a common ground. If we can do this, we can do tenfold back home. We've got the process to carry on, and it's going to just get bigger.''

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