What Men Can Do For Boys

Here is a solid example of what committed man-makers can create when they put their minds to it.

Boys to Men is an organization focused on rite of passage weekends for young males that I have mentioned here previously. On the weekend of September 13-14th, a group of 8 men 12 boys from the San Diego chapter went on a overnight in a wilderness area. They had the intention of having fun and hanging out together. Having fun included the possibility of actives such as driving golf balls, playing football, cooking and sharing meals, hiking, napping, laughing, and then building a sweat lodge and sharing the hot, darkness.

All that came to pass. Joe Sigurdson (on the left in the photo), one of the founders of Boys to Men, described it this way. ". . . we had a glorious triumphant time together. We worked side by side building our lodge. Then we played some football, ate dinner, and spent hours sitting around the fire telling the truth. We got up the next morning, heated up some rocks, and did a powerful sweat lodge where boys and men honored their loved ones, forgave what needed to be forgiven, and released what was holding them back. All done with great conviction and sacredness."

Every time I hear about man-making weekends or men and boys heading off for time together, some old and primitive part of me is called up. I feel a hunger to be included and I get terribly jealous that I couldn't attend. I'm thrilled for all the men and boys who shared in these outings. The boys are lucky to have good men around them willing to make time for these fun but terribly important male adventures. The men, I know from experience, are also seriously gifted from the exposure to boy energy, playfulness, and challenges.

These men and boys, and thousands of other guys are also lucky that men like Joe Sigurdson and Craig McClain possessed the instincts and courage to stand up and start a movement that is transforming male lives all across the planet.

While these men are on my heroes list, you could be too. All you have to do to get started on the path is to see if a few men and adolescent males around you might like to go have some fun on an overnight some place a little remote. Masculine gravity will take care of the rest.

To learn more about this past weekend, email Joe. To learn more about the Boys to Men organization, visit their website.