Hampton Rhodes Academy 1

By Running Bare

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This story is intended for adults only. It contains depictions of forced nudity, spanking, and sexual activity of preteen and young teen children for the purpose of punishment. None of the behaviors in this story should be attempted in real life, as that would be harmful and/or illegal. If you are not of legal age in your community to read or view such material, please leave now.

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Series: The Hampton Rhodes Interviews 1

HAMPTON RHODES ACADEMY
An interview by Running Bare

I recently had the opportunity to visit with Dr. Jennifer Holmes. Dr. Holmes has a PhD in international education and specializes in gender appropriate school programs. She was appointed in 2009 by a group of upper middle class parents living in New Hampshire and charged with developing a “junior” school for boys. The charter group of parents were concerned the public schools and most private and parochial schools in the area were not designed to offer the appropriate curriculum and discipline to their children. What they had agreed upon was developing a new educational experience for boys between five and thirteen years of age (K-8), using the best practices from other countries.

The parents and Dr. Holmes approached Jeffery Rhodes a local multi-millionaire with an interest in boy academic and discipline causes who offered the money to open a low tuition private school to as he put it “assist the community with its youth”. He made it clear that the program had to be daring and provocative for him to continue to fund it. He also offered a tuition support program for families who weren’t able to afford the program, but were willing to give of their time and talent.

Dr. Holmes organized a planning board which was made up of eight women, four of whom had potential students for the program, two grandmothers of potential students and two single women who represented community interests one of whom was a clinical psychologist, and three men one a father of boys, one a grandfather who was a retired pediatrician and a retired district attorney with grandsons. For good reason he had avoided appointing educators to the board. He felt they would be to attached to the way things are in the schools and that could interfere with creative solutions.

During the first meeting of the board, three committees were developed—curriculum, discipline and rules, and facilities. My interest was with the first two, particularly the second. So, Dr. Holmes reviewed the minutes of the meetings during the planning process. I’ll share my interview with her.

RB: Dr. Holmes, could you just briefly discuss what drove these parents and grandparents to hire you to plan and alternative school?

DR. HOLMES: Well, over the years we’ve seen a degeneration of the transfer of knowledge from teachers to kids. This is particularly true with boys. What these people wanted was a conservative return to strong discipline and stringent studies for their boys. It was kind of a no holds barred approach to correcting the situation. When I spoke with them, they were convinced the answer to a more comprehensive approach could be found in both historical approaches and in international practices of today. It was our goal to take the best ideas from both.

RB: When you say historical approaches, what exactly are you referring to?

DR. HOLMES: Well, take discipline. Not so long ago, teachers would take the disruptive child out of the classroom, or sometimes do it right there, pull his pants down and stripe the child’s, usually boy’s, bare backside with a strap, paddle or cane which was really just a refined switch. What we all know is kids generally behaved well to avoid that. When homework wasn’t done or class work wasn’t finished there were unpleasant consequences as well. Looking at today, kids are in control. If they misbehave, there aren’t consequences. If they don’t finish assigned tasks, there are no consequences. We moved to change that. Another impressive idea came from Russia, Europe, and Japan—school uniforms. All these things were important to developing better discipline with the boys. So we blended historic American proposals with those of our more successful competitors from overseas.

RB: Well, I’m intrigued with some of the ideas that you got from all of this. What exactly did you folks decide upon in all those areas specifically?

DR. HOLMES: All the boys attending Hampton Rhodes Academy, that’s the name we’ve adopted, will wear a uniform that was designed by a group of women from the area at an apparel factory that specializes in boys clothing from a therapeutic approach.   It’s called Strings and Sacks.

RB: I’m familiar with those ladies. In fact, Sir Cum Sizemore wrote their story in another column a year or two ago. Didn’t they dress their sons rather provocatively? I mean in mesh thongs.

DR. HOLMES: Call it what you will. It worked. Anyway, the design accepted by the board was a bit more conservative than male thongs. The boys will be wearing blue wool blazers with the school crest, green wool shorts hemmed a minimum of six inches above the top of their knees, white long sleeve shirts, green ankle socks and a green regimental tie with quarter inch blue stripes. Little Russian boys have been wearing suits and ties to school for a long time. The thinking is they are dressing for work, their “office” so to speak. It makes the kids think of school as formal business rather than recreation.

RB: Why so short? The shorts I mean.

DR. HOLMES: I’m tempted to answer that with another question. “Why not?” Most members of our planning board were pretty clear on the fact they loved looking at little boys’ legs. The fathers on the board liked the idea that long pants were a “right of passage”, and the boys had to earn the right through nine years of school age experience, to wear long pants. The only flaw is most of the boys liked wearing shorts all the time anyway. They won’t like how short they are, but that’s not their call. Aside from that, our research showed the more skin exposed the less movement and the longer time in their seats. On the other hand, three of the mothers and the grandmother liked seeing their little legs. For that reason in the winter, and it does get a bit chilly up here, they will keep the same uniform. Their bare legs will stick out from under the optional navy blue pea coats their parents may choose to purchase as outerwear.

RB: Sounds a little bit torturous.

DR. HOLMES: Not really. Kids in European countries and Japan have worn shorts year round for centuries. They survived. Our pediatrician on the board suggested it would strengthen the immune systems and we should find the boys to be much healthier as well. At least that’s been the experience in Japan where some children attend naked schools.

RB: Naked schools?

DR. HOLMES: Yes, they aren’t really naked per se. They just wear short shorts without any other attire at school. They attend bare chested, bare legged, and almost always barefoot (while at school), year round—rain, snow, wind and hail. In February of 1994, Life Magazine did a short article with photographs about naked kindergartens in Japan. There was a huge picture depicting young children going to school in the snow wearing nothing but short, short-shorts and boots. No hats, shirts, coats or other clothing was worn. Later there was an Australian education journal that did an article on naked schools in Japan complete with photographs of nine and ten year old, mostly boys, naked except for very short shorts in the classroom.

RB: Girls did this too?

DR. HOLMES: In some cases, girls too. In both articles there were girls participating, more so in the kindergarten group than the nine or ten year old group. Mostly it’s for boys. It’s interesting. The reasoning was to “toughen up” the kids. What they found was it increased work production in school, cut out a lot of absences due to sickness, and the kids truly seemed happier. Go figure.

RB: Suppose some kid balks at the Hampton uniform or the dress code. Say he shows up out of uniform. What will happen?

DR. HOLMES: First, I hope any kid who thinks he can dictate the rules is straightened out by his parents. But should they not, and he arrives at school inappropriately dressed, the rules prescribe the punishment. That way the parent knows from day one. If your boy shows up out of uniform, he’ll spend the day out of uniform, completely out of uniform. We’ll strip him naked and so goes the rest of his day. By the way, his classmates will be allowed to swat his bare backside whenever they get the whim to do so for the entire day as well.

RB: Ooouuuuccchhh. Guess I’d remember to be in uniform. What other things did you learn in your international research?

DR. HOLMES: We learned that some Scandinavian schools required naked time in saunas during the school day. This was particularly true in Finland. It’s healthy and calming to the students. So, we wrote that into the curriculum. Basically, our boys will strip naked and sit in the sauna with their classmates for thirty minutes, three days a week. Classes may be held while they are in there. That will be followed by a cold shower and/or a naked romp in the snow if there should be some available. Invigorating just thinking about it, isn’t it?

RB: Yes, it certainly does sound invigorating, punishingly so. Doesn’t the fact they’re expected to be nude bother people? I mean it seems like it might be problematic.

DR. HOLMES: No. If you don’t want your boy spending naked time at school don’t send him here. If you don’t trust our staff to do what’s best with their bodies, don’t send them here. Actually, they will be naked or near naked for a good part of the day. They will swim nude in the school pool at all times. They will often go to physical education completely nude. Part of the idea is to give ample freedom of movement, but the other is to dump the current trend toward over modesty. After all, little boys shouldn’t be so modest, now should they? These changes are based on thorough research and just general observations of the view of boys’ bodies from the nineteenth through the early to mid twentieth century.

RB: Yeah, I remember my grandfather talking about how boys used to swim nude at the various community centers—the Y, the Boys’ Club, scout camp and the like. Dad used to swim nude at the school pool too. Boys weren’t so shy back then were they?

DR. HOLMES: No. I feel we need to get back to those days. Not only were they less shy, they were more humble and more compliant to adults. All those things made for more successful upbringing.

RB: Let’s talk about compliance for a few minutes. How are you going to correct the trend toward insolence so prevalent in today’s kids?

DR. HOLMES: The old fashioned rod.

RB: The rod?

DR. HOLMES: We know boys tend to learn respect by establishing a pecking order based on physical prowess. In other words, who is more physically powerful? When they insult or show disrespect toward superiors and the usual modern response is talk, and, I’m convinced, boys see that as a win. What will happen at Hampton when they choose to buck authority is they will be stripped naked bent over something and their bare backsides will be striped by either a cane, under the old English model, or a strap as under the old American model. These spankings will be performed most often in a public forum like the classroom or auditorium so the other boys get the message as well. Contrary to modern belief, a little bit of fear of the consequences is not such a bad thing. Mothers and social workers—and it truly is a motherly social worker thing—have been protecting boys from appropriate male correction for too many years now. It’s time to get back to the “pioneer woman” in the area of raising boys into men. Firm rules with predictable consequences and when necessary strong physical consequences need to return to childrearing.

RB: What about the curriculum? I mean what will be different?

DR. HOLMES: We are returning to the old reading, writing and math curriculum. That is with the addition of science and physical education, as we noted earlier. Boys need the P. E. just to satisfy the need to move and develop physical skills. Remember the pecking order thing? It makes P.E. a critical component of curriculum. Not to mention there’s little to no room for obese boys, or girls for that matter, but what we’re about here is boys. You’ll note how many public schools have discounted physical education and recess.

Anyway, the basic curriculum will be demanding and the boys will have to meet the challenge. If they don’t perform they’ll get a reminder to their backsides to complete assignments. Momma will not protect them here. They either do the work or pay the consequences.

RB: But some of them won’t be able to do a lot of the academic work without help.

DR. HOLMES: We’ve discussed that. What we are proposing is a system we call junior matrons. In each classroom they will have two female role models. These girls will be of similar age and chosen based on their study habits. They will provide role models and tutoring. They will also be assigned a position at the top of the social pecking order in that they will often be in total charge of the boys in their assigned class. Of course, during P.E., the sauna times, and other times the boys will be nude, the girls will be clothed, but they will still be in-charge. I think we’ll have to do some public spankings for defying the girls in the beginning to impress their authority, but eventually the message will sink in. We can’t have boys not developing proper respect for the girls. And, the girls must maintain gender appropriate levels of modesty as well as being in control.

RB: Won’t that cause some inappropriate contact between the boys and girls? I mean all those little penises and such within the grasp of the girls?

DR. HOLMES: We hope so. It will definitely cause the boys to respect the females and offer times for the girls to humiliate them in good ways. If a junior matron wants to examine a boy’s package, he better just offer it to her. There will be times the girls will be in-charge of wielding the implements of punishment as well. The teacher can opt for the junior matron to apply the hairbrush, strap or cane as their surrogate. The girls will be protected from retribution.

RB: Just how much authority are these little girls going to wield?

DR. HOLMES: The Board spent some time debating that issue. Basically, junior matrons in grades 3-8 will have the power of an adult classroom aide. If they tell the boys to sit down, they will have to comply. If they choose, to give additional academic work during tutoring, the boys will have to complete it. If they tell a boy to strip naked, he will have to comply. If they want him or them nude for the entire tutoring session, the boys will comply. If a matron chooses to whip the tar out of some boy’s bare backside, she can do it. Initially, I see the JM or junior matron having to notify the teacher of her intent to discipline a boy before she does, but I don’t think they’ll ever be told they can’t.

RB: Won’t letting kids discipline kids be a little unsettling to the parents?

DR. HOLMES: (Chuckling). I think it’ll be more unsettling to the boys. But, no, mom and dad will have to sign a contract that indicates they have thoroughly read and are willing to comply with the school’s published rules. Punishment here isn’t going to be arbitrary. For most all offenses the punishment is stated. Talk back and you get a bare butt whipping. Come late to school and you have to make up triple the time on Saturday. Disrespect is punished with the belt, brush, or cane and so on and so on. It’s all stated in the chart at the back of the manual. The authority of the JM’s, and the thinking behind it, is prominently outlined on page 34 of the manual. I think I can round up a copy for you to take with you, if you’d like. If parents or boys have a problem with our discipline, they will be invited to choose another school. After all, if they have a problem with trusting JM’s, and we have chosen the most mature young ladies for the position of junior matron, they probably will have difficulties trusting everything else.

RB: How do you run the competitive sports if it’s all skins during P.E.?

DR. HOLMES: (Chuckling). Why didn’t I see that humor coming? Well, we have a very creative P.E. staff. Miss Mary Gentry is a brand new physical education teacher, right out of college. She decided we could buy vests for one side to wear during competitions. She’s committed to making the boys participate totally naked except for athletic shoes during her classes, but she is also committed to providing competitive experiences.   She has chosen a young girl who graduated high school last year as her assistant. This young lady was a noted high school athlete in basketball and volleyball. One of the great things is Mary Gentry’s background in swimming. She was also a member of the college volleyball and soccer teams. So she’ll also be an excellent soccer coach for the boys.

RB: With all of this nudity do you think parents will still opt for the program?

DR. HOLMES: My dear boy, we have waiting lists in all but the fifth and eighth grades. And those are almost full.

RB: Wow, who would have thought?

DR. HOLMES: The parents would have thought. They’ve been screaming for a tougher no nonsense approach for years. Many have gotten tired of and abandoned the medical diagnoses for their kids’ misbehavior and learning habits. Instead of pills they want humiliation and discipline and we’re committed to meeting that need.

RB: What other innovations do you see happening?

DR. HOLMES: After the sauna experience we discussed earlier, the boys will either be massaged by the junior matrons or they’ll be told to massage each other. This is based on researching the effects of skin stimulation on boys. What we’ve found is it tends to calm them down. It cuts their rambunctiousness.   So, you see their physical interventions aren’t all painful.

RB: Again, doesn’t that kind of encourage fondling?

DR. HOLMES: And again, we hope so. They’ll be encouraged to include the genitals in their massages. Of course, the seventh and eighth graders may experience “a happy ending”, but we’ll deal with that if it happens. Actually, the junior matrons for those boys will be taught how a well placed flick to the scrotum can be used to deflate those penises. The board felt, if they’re erect, it’s evident they’ve been stimulated. Not just their penises, but the heart rate and blood pressure as well. It’s good for them. Not to mention the fact that it will help get them in touch with their own sexuality.

RB: When do you see the program opening?

DR. HOLMES: In about two weeks. We’re ready to go on September 8^th. Staff’s in place and junior matrons have been selected. Building is finished. Uniforms are being fitted as we speak.

RB: So the kids are being indoctrinated?

DR. HOLMES: I guess if you want to call it that. Basically, they’re coming in for appointments for tours, physicals, and uniform fittings.

RB: How’s that work? I mean the indoctrination?

DR. HOLMES: Well the parents bring the boy to the school. They are escorted to a station in the gym, the boys are stripped nude and given a physical. Then they are taken, naked, on a tour. Of course some of them had no idea they’d be naked for the day as their parents wanted the element of surprise, but after that physical and tour, they attend a luncheon and get to socialize a bit with their future classmates.

RB: Are the junior matrons there too?

DR. HOLMES: Of course, they’re classmates aren’t they? Anyway, after the socialization the boys are ushered to the fitting session where the uniforms are ordered. The ladies from Sacks and Strings and their daughters measure each of the boys for their uniforms.

RB: Getting back to the junior matron thing. Are they aware of the conditions before they meet the boys? I mean isn’t it awkward?

DR. HOLMES: They are brought to the physical exam room and serve as assistants to the nurse practitioners doing the exams. The nurses are told that the girls should be given at least one task during the exam that brings them into literal touch contact with each boy’s genitals. The idea is to desensitize the boys to their female classmate’s touch. Parents are made to accompany the boy through the exam so they can demonstrate their acceptance and lack of concern about such things. I mean the parents know the girls and the staff will have access to their boys’ penises, testicles, and backsides throughout the school year. This is just a way to help boys and parents get over the initial hump, so to speak.

RB: Don’t get me wrong. I’m completely on board with the theory and all, but I’m just really surprised so many parents are on board with the nudity and fondling.

DR. HOLMES: Why?

RB: With the overstress on perversion in this country it seems like people would be pointing fingers at this practice.

DR. HOLMES: Two things. First, our parents are committed to the development of healthy body images in their boys. They realize the modesty which has evolved over the last thirty or forty years has done more harm than good to their boys. They also trust we won’t tolerate any sexual assault on the boys. We only allow healthy doses of exposure and some planned therapeutic touching.   Let me ask you this, say Miss Gentry is teaching a boy to swim. If she supports him in the water by cupping or grasping his boy parts, do you feel that’s an assault or do you see that as just an innocent part of the instructional process?

RB: Well she’d be just supporting the boy’s body.

DR. HOLMES: Exactly. What we have to get over is the idea that the boys’ bodies are dirty or nasty. We need for them to see themselves the same way. Just because they’ve been taught by society their penises, scrotums or backsides being exposed, touched or rubbed is bad, doesn’t make it so. They need to learn those parts are okay and are beautiful and play important roles in their development. We need to demonstrate to that same society how those parts hold the key to discipline and self-control. Like I said before, Hampton Rhodes isn’t for everyone. If what we do concerns you, send your kid elsewhere.

RB: How do you get around the state’s rules about the nudity and touching? Aren’t you afraid the place will be raided and the staff arrested for child abuse?

DR. HOLMES: Let’s take the nudity first. The law states that prepubescent children aren’t subject to the indecent exposure rules. Those don’t take effect until they reach puberty. As far as the touching, all is done in public places. If we were going to accost the kids inappropriately wouldn’t we want to be in a closet somewhere? That being said, all the touching and activities we promote have been thoroughly supported through medical and developmental research. But, just to make things better, we, the board and I, have had what you might call discovery with the law enforcement agencies involved. I’d like to thank Dick Hempstead, a board member who is a retired DA, for his help with this. In short, no, I’m not the least bit concerned.

RB: I guess I’m at a loss for more specific questions. I do appreciate your invitation for me to visit during indoctrination sessions.   I imagine it’ll be interesting to do some follow up work with the boys and their parents.

DR. HOLMES: Well, sir, I invite you back in a few months. Bring your camera crew and we’ll host a documentary if you wish. We should be in full swing by then.

RB: Can we film P.E. as well?

DR. HOLMES: Certainly, seeing those little penises, both hard and soft, flopping around during strenuous running and activity would definitely pique the interest of many in the community particularly the proud mothers of little boys. I think, you think everyone is uptight about boy genitalia, but we haven’t found that to be so. Most of the mothers are very happy to see their boys being forced into nudity and “handling” if you will. The fathers are happy to see the boys getting back to the old fashioned butt whipping and having to run around naked with each other.   I hate, that after all this, you still question such things. The boys’ bodies are public while they are here, and, in most families, their bodies will be exposed after going home as well.

RB: Really? What makes you predict that?

DR. HOLMES: The manual outlines the rules and the research and thinking behind every aspect of our program. Most parents, who’ve read the manual, comment on the tie between the boys’ bodies and behavior and learning. They never knew the research presented in the manual. I can’t tell you how many parents, mostly moms, who’ve asked if the same kinds of things would work at home. Our response is, of course they will. I’ll bet at least thirty of the boys have been made to run naked at home this past month or even longer just because of the work we’ve done here. I know for a fact there are four little boys, ages 5 to 11, in the same family who were nude close to 24/7 this summer. They live next door to me and will be at school here this year. I also know firm spankings have been administered to several of our in-coming students since previously misinformed parents have been freed to do what needs to be done with their out of control boys.

RB: Would you be adverse to me talking with some parents? I’d kind of like to get their perspectives.

DR. HOLMES: Let me suggest a couple of folks. First, there’s Bill and Mary Ann Andrews they have a nine year old son named Teddy. His older brother Jack spent a couple of summers and other times out of school nude almost 24/7. Teddy was also made to be nude, so there won’t be much in the way of embarrassment for him. You should talk with the parents and get their reasoning. In fact, some of the treatment those boys got from Mary Ann’s sister and their cousins was a bit much for me, but, what the hell, they’re the parents and they took the bull by the horns. Their number is 555-2323 right here in town.

Another couple you might want to talk with is the Sam and Amanda Carson. They have worked very hard at getting their boy, Kevin, over the self-consciousness and false modesty he had been experiencing. They were under a doctor’s direction throughout the ordeal. What really helped was making him camp naked with his Cub Scout pack. They allowed his sister and her friend a lot of latitude in playing with his penis and testicles. I believe he’s another who has spent a whole lot of time naked. Their number is out of town (988) 555-9904.

Anyway, both boys will be starting in our program Teddy in the fourth grade and Kevin in sixth.

Hope that helps.

RB: Well, thank you, ma’am. I’ll plan to be back to work on the “documentary”. I’ll also bring a photographer to record the goings on for posterity. Thanks again.



It is my intention to interview some of the boys and their parents and teachers sometime soon. I hope I can talk with a couple of JM’s as well. When and if I do, I’ll share the interviews with you.

(The End)