Young men in Suffolk had a productive discussion about respecting both women and themselves on Wednesday.

The Golden Fold Youth Academy Program held its monthly mentor event Wednesday at Taylor Bend Family YMCA in Chesapeake. Women of the Chesapeake-Virginia Beach Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. partnered with the program to arrange an open conversation about treating women with respect.

“It’s about respect, being valued and pretty much just knowing how to treat a young lady,” said chapter president Andrenette Ingram.

The Golden Fold is a male mentoring group sponsored by Suffolk’s Alpha Iota Graduate Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Young men ages 13-18 practice positive life skills in the program, such as critical reading habits, leadership qualities and supporting the community.

“We mentor them on how to become better men in society,” said committee chairman Keith Wilson.

These men and women met in a YMCA classroom for a candid conversation about “how to R.E.A.C.H. women in 2017 and beyond,” a session handout read. The acronym stands for respect, effort and empathy, attention, chivalry and honesty.

Golden Fold members listened to the sorority members in captivated silence and responded with questions in turn.

“You could tell they wanted to be here,” said Daphne Kenon, chapter chairperson of the program planning and development committee.

Relationships were discussed with frankness and insight. The young men were advised to practice chivalrous basics such as holding the door open, putting yourself between a woman and traffic when on the sidewalk, and giving her your undivided attention and due respect.

“You can easily not intend to be disrespectful, but it can come off like that,” said sorority member Anjelica Harris.

This respect is also necessary for men themselves. Handling rejection after putting yourself out there for someone was also talked about, as was balancing both your needs and those of your partner.

“You’ve got to find a balance,” Ingram said. “That’s everything in life. You don’t forget yourself when you’re juggling.”

Fraternity mentors echoed that sentiment.

“You’re going to find that what you’re chasing is not what you want, because you’re going to lose who you are,” said mentor Edward Smith.

Marcus Green, a 14-year-old eighth-grader at John Yeates Middle School, appreciated what the speakers said about respecting yourself when you are interested in somebody.

“You have to sometimes meet their standards, but you have to make sure you don’t go too high,” Green said. “Some girls might not be interested in you for who you are, they just might be interested in what you have.”

Kenon was impressed by how engaged and eager the young men were for the whole evening.

“They were looking for ways to become the best young men they could be,” Kenon said. “They were eager to grow and learn and mature.”

One of those eager young men was Lamond Johnson-Taylor, a 16-year-old junior at Nansemond River High School. He said that women like Ingram, Harris and Kenon can teach men like him how to prosper and prepare for the future.

He has been with the Golden Fold for two years and has already benefited greatly.

“It’s prepared me for the reality of life,” he said. “It’s teaching me to stand up, be mature and make more adult decisions.”