Men are known to enjoy talking about sports and exchanging opinions while getting a haircut at the barbershop.

Now a group of barbers and fraternity members plans to encourage barber customers, particularly black men, to turn the talk into action that will transform customers into mentors for young black males.

The barbers and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity members are urging barber customers to sign up as mentors for about 780 black boys in North Texas who are on a Big Brothers Big Sisters waiting list.

Fraternity members and Big Brothers recruiters will be at certain barber shops throughout Texas from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Five shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are recruitment sites: Ebony4U, 5840 Alpha Road, and L.A. Elite Cuts, 19009 Preston Road, Suite 117, both in Dallas; Tye's Barber & Beauty Salon, 910 W. Parker Road, in Plano; Ray's Barber & Beauty Salon, 1565 W. Main St., Suite 215, in Lewisville; and Choppa City, 6700 Brentwood Stair Road, in Fort Worth.

Big Brothers Big Sisters long has appealed for mentors, particularly for young black males. Alpha Phi Alpha members decided to help recruit because they see an urgent need for positive male role models, said Dale Long, a member of the fraternity and a dedicated 33-year Big Brother. He is leading a national campaign to recruit 10,000 black men to mentor 10,000 black male youths by December 2008.

The effort is particularly timely in Dallas as City Council member Dwaine Caraway and school board member Ron Price are pushing to get parents and local leaders to pay more attention to youth, particularly to help steer black male youths away from the sagging-pants fad that the leaders say is negative.

"We hope the socially conscious group of men in these shops will feel compelled to move from just talking to actually doing something," Mr. Long said in a news release. "In order to be a man, our young people must see a man."

To volunteer, call 1-888-887-2447 or visit www.bbbsnt.org.

ABOUT TOWN: The prominent Morehouse College Glee Club will perform in concert in Dallas at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at St. Rita Catholic Church, 12525 Inwood Road. The Atlanta-based choir has existed for 99 years. Glee Club member Aaron Mathews said alumni of Morehouse and historically black colleges and universities are especially urged to attend the concert. Proceeds will benefit a building fund for Holy Cross Catholic Church, at 4910 Bonnie View Road in Oak Cliff, where Mr. Mathews is a member. He also attended Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas. Tickets are $30 and available by calling 214-374-7614 and pressing 2.

• Organizers of this year's Lions Sight and Tissue Foundation's Humanitarian Awards wanted guests to be able to mingle and chat with the award recipients. So they have changed the awards presentation event from a dinner to a reception that will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Communities Foundation of Texas Mabel Peters Caruth Center, 5500 Caruth Haven Lane at Central Expressway. Former Dallas Cowboys great Rayfield Wright and real estate icon Ebby Halliday will be honored. Tickets are $50, and advance payment is required. Proceeds will benefit the Lions Sight and Tissue Foundation and its new Mobile Eye Care Coach that will be displayed at the reception. To inquire, call 972-733-3721.

• The former Dallas Association of Legal Secretaries is now known as the Dallas Association of Legal Professionals. The association will hold its annual gathering Oct. 27 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel, 8051 LBJ Freeway. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. Continuing education classes will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Among members are more than a dozen types of legal professionals, including paralegals, receptionists, court reporters, bookkeepers and process servers. The Dallas association meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at Belo Mansion, 2101 Ross Ave. For more information, call 214-210-2477 or 214-651-5299.

E-mail nwade@dallasnews .com or fax information to 214-977-8319.