Colby Howe '39: Finding the True Meaning of Fraternity

Colby Howe '39 of Tiburon, Calif., has been named 1985 Big Brother of the Year by Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, the national organization which provides the unique service of matching one-to-one, adult volunteers with school-aged children in need of mature friendship and guidance. It's a singular honor given Howe: the Big Brother selected from more then 100,000 volunteers across the country who best represents the Big Brothers/Big Sisters commitment to youth.

Howe was honored during an official ceremony held at the BB/BSA National Awards Banquet in June in Cleveland, Ohio. Former Chief of Naval Operations and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. (Ret.), BB/BSA National Development Council cochairman, made the presentation to Howe. It was the highlight of the week-long national conference, attended by hundreds of delegates from more than 460 agencies, local and national dignitaries, and representatives of corporations supporting the conference and the youth-service organization.

Howe's deep commitment to 14-year-old Alan and his record of involvement with both Big Brothers of Marin, Inc. (Calif.) and Big Brothers of America brought him this highest honor accorded a BB/BS volunteer. To his match with Little Brother Alan, Howe brought vast experience as a Big Brother to three previous youngsters, welltended interests, an indomitable spirit, and a great affection for children.

The Big Brother of the Year describes his motivation for volunteering in 1969 as "natural." "My children had grown, and I found myself looking around for another kid," he says simply. The impulse to help a fatherless boy led to his role in founding the Marin County Big Brothers program and launched his 16-year involvement with BB/BS.

Howe retired as San Francisco district sales manager for Bethlehem Steel in 1976, ending a life-long career with the company, interrupted only by Marine duty in World War II and Korea. He and his wife, Pat, have two sons, a daughter, and a foster daughter.

Alan was enrolled in Big Brothers in 1981 by his adoptive mother, Peggy Weber. Alan, who formerly lived with a foster family, is an appealing child who struggles with a language learning disability. As Alan's adoption finalized, Howe was recovering from a laryngectomy and began the arduous task of regaining speech with the aid of a prosthesis and a therapist, by chance, Peggy Weber. Howe and Alan met informally through Ms. Weber and in February 1983 were officially matched.

Alan's mother credits Howe with boosting her son's self-esteem, saying, "Colby has made a tremendous difference in our whole family. He's been the most consistently positive male role model Alan's ever had. His sincerity and spirit have been a vital influence on my son."

The pairing was perfect, as Howe taught the youngster about limitations, patience,and perserverance by his own learning and practice. Little Brother Alan, currently an eighth-grade special education student in Sebastopol, Calif., is socially adjusted and content in a public school environment with the help of his Big Brother. Howe consulted with Alan's instructors to gain further insight into his Little Brother's needs and aptitude and then focused those talents within Alan's ability.

Noting Alan's artistic bent and manual dexterity, he carefully chooses projects Alan can successfully manage, such as building a workbench or making small household repairs.

Little Brother Alan received his first set of tools from his Big Brother, and he wields them like a pro. "He's a great mechanic," his mother boasts; she proudly lists his other accomplishments - acolyte for his church, artist, and den chief for his Boy Scout troop. Earning Boy Scout merit badges is laborious but possible with the help of his patient friend and Big Brother. Alan, too, has received Howe's instructions in etiquette for situations ranging from a golf game to a camping trip to lunch at the yacht club - valuable lessons and exciting, new experiences for a young boy.

Colby Howe mentioned a certain "social consciousness" in explaining his inclination to help others, an obligation stirred as a youth by his mother's gift of layettes to disadvantaged young families in his hometown of Philadelphia. His contributions to Big Brothers/Big Sisters have been constant for nearly two decades. Marin BB/BS Agency Executive Director Starr Ingalls dubbed him "Mr. Big Brother in Marin County" and noted his 1969 election to the agency's board of directors, his two terms as board president, his current membership on the Merger Study committee, and Howe's ongoing energetic campaign to recruit more volunteers. Howe also served on the national board of directors from 1974 to 1976, as a regional president, and as an atlarge director and later as advisory board member from 1972 through 1978.

The national Big Brother of the Year has a community spirit that benefits many other organizations and individuals as well. The certificate in social service he obtained in 1969 from the University of California signaled his career in volunteer service, including the founding of a Girls' and Boys' Club in southern Marin and an active role in several projects sponsored by the Belvedere-Triburon Rotary Club. As a Rotary director, Howe furthered two low-income housing projects for the elderly. For a year, he has met monthly with a San Quentin inmate as a participant in the "friends of prisoners" program.

Colby Howe waves away praise for his remarkable record of support to Big Brothers/Big Sisters, saying, "I've been honored just to be a Big Brother to these boys and a part of something special - Big Brothers/ Big Sisters' one-to-one service.

"If any man has considered becoming a Big Brother, my advice is to do yourself a favor and become part of the program. It may be the richest experience of your life. A man doesn't know what he's missing if he hasn't been a valued friend to a boy in need of his time and concern."

Colby Howe '39 was chosen from more than 100,000 volunteers as the 1985 National BigBrother of the Year for his work with his Little Brother, 14-year-old Alan Weber.