Boys to Men Weekends

The Greater Washington Mentoring Network, an affiliate of the national Boys to Men Mentoring Network, has a great promotional website for their October 2007, Rites of Passage Adventure Challenge Weekend. As you move through the pages you'll see many pictures that offer you a glimpse into the activities that occur on a boy's initiation weekend. You'll also find some answers to common questions men have about involvement in the weekend experience and the on going mentoring of boys.



Check out their website and then check in with yourself to see if something in your hardwiring hasn't been touched in an important way. This group, and many like it would love to have you involved.

If you need a little more inspiration, check out the two powerful video clips on the Boys to Men Mentoring Network website. Real boys, real stories, a powerful call to action.

"As adolescence ends—if there is no effective initiation or mentorship—a sad thing happens. The fire of thinking, the flaring up of creativity, the bonfires of tenderness, all begin to go out."
– Robert Bly

Pathways to Manhood Camp

One of the solid organizations I profiled in the Man-Making book is a group out of Australia called Pathways to Manhood. They were recently written up in The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper with a fine description of their Boys to Men retreats.

The article discusses the shift that they want to see happen on these adventure weekends. The movement ". . . from boy psychology to man psychology. Boy psychology is: It's all about me. I want acknowledgment, I want power, I'm the center of the universe. I don't take responsibility for my actions and I want a mother. Healthy man psychology is: 'I have a vision, I do something because I believe in it, power is for the good of those around me, it is for sharing. I'm part of the universe, I take responsibility for my actions and I'm looking for a relationship with the feminine."

Follow this link to the article. If you've never been part of this kind of experience, it will give you a limited peek into the process, and probably set you up to want something like it for your self!