News in this Edition
- A report of Warren Farrell's reading of his new book The Father & Child Reunion.
- The Gathering of Men meet this 2nd Saturday & have new topics for the coming year.
- The Bellevue Men's Breakfast group meets also meets this 2nd Saturday.
- The Seattle Men's Wisdom Council picked a topic for the April anniversary Wisdom Council by a democratic process vs. a consensus.
Events & Groups
Dr. Warren Farrell was brilliant, as usual! Warren Farrell flowed for about 45 minutes (without notes) about his new book, Father & Child Reunion. Then, in his usual equalitarian manner opened it up for questions.
Highlights: Who nurtures best-men or women and differences, joint physical custody best, single fathers scored higher in controlled tests because of more hang time/physical contact, father's bad-mouthed their ex less, mothers fear financial deprivation most and fathers emotional in divorce, fathers show love by being away at work, pop feminists maintain prejudice against men in courts/press, it's OK for women to have orgasm while nursing but not for fathers during feeding.
Best question & answer: What happen to the "men's movement"?
Warren: The men's movement is made up of Men's Rights, the Mytho-poetic and pro-feminists, which have been in competition with each other. The "battle of the sexes" is actually a war where only one side showed up! It is men's responsibility to stop being mute and/or patronizing women. It's time to take the risk of being "cut off " from nurturing and intimacy to stand up for male magnificence. It's time men and women stopped blaming each other in this "lose/lose" game and take responsibility for themselves to create harmonious complimentary relationships.
Warren proposes his book is a constructive dialog among all groups (feminists, men's rights etc.) to end this acrimony.
Please support this brilliant, caring man by buying his book for the sake of both men and women!
A lot of the veterans of the men's movement and some new young energy were there. It was a awesome networking experience! Warren took us to a late night place for some wonderful bonding and sharing after his reading.
Web Sites
Men's Voices: an eclectic site with information and support for men to find their voices and speak their truth. Articles, stories, book reviews, poems, on-line bookstore, links. Topics-men's movement, psychology, therapy, healing, gender justice and health.
Father Love: support and awareness for father's importance to their children.
FRTC: Father's rights group, including message boards.
New Warrior Training Adventure: The Mankind Project
National Men's Resource Center
Men's Center: Discussion forums.
Man-to-Man
"My experience of the Seattle Men's Wisdom Council (Divine Masculine)" by Robert Marcus Mauzay
The SMWC started as rescue mission by Robert Carlson of a seminar called "Men's Patterns Of Intimacy" that I asked George Parks to give in January around 1985 at the Church of Religious Science (now CSL at Sand Point). I say rescue mission because George's seminar was snowed out!
The first all day workshop included 12 speakers (mostly therapists) and was an exhilarating experience. The name Divine Masculine was a spin off from CORS's Divine Feminine Group. Divine Masculine was changed to the Wisdom Council and we moved to Seattle Unity a few years later.
"Highlights of 15 yrs": support for Seattle Men and its Newsletter (Bert Hoff), the incorporation of the "talking stick"-donated by George, Robert's expert and gentle facilitation, the inclusion of small groups, sending a delegate to the Wingspan Conference (George) a peak of over 200 men around 1995, a $10/person Vision Quest retreat at Camp Gordon, the new and excellent facilitation of Roger Easterbrook, Tony Long, Lu Leland, Carl Merner, Art and Colin; the creation of the "Elders."
Paradoxically, the Seattle Men's Wisdom Council has become a matter of quality over quantity. The future seems to be in the hands of these committed and caring men. Please write in and share your experience of the SMWC, any other group, retreats, etc!
Save the males
Higher suicide, drug abuse, heart disease, shorter life span.
Men's Wisdom Council
Fourteen years old, the MWC meets at the Seattle Unity, 200th 8th North in Seattle on the first Sat. of every month, 9a to 12:30p.
Topics: August: "Young Men in the council" - Nurturing males/obligation to share survival information and wisdom to all. September: "Friendship"- the value of good friends and true wealth=one's mate is also a good friend. October: "Transitions" - coping with cancer, life phases, mortality, aging, homicide careers - intense sharing. November: "Sexuality" - aging and less reliance on sex for masculine identity/honesty and sexuality. December: "Spiritual Awakening."
The Council of Elders met on the third Saturday of November and December. We shared our visions of being an elder, spirituality, wisdom, an ad in the Seattle Weekly, etc.? New topics were chosen (Creativity, Fear and Courage, Anniversary Celebration - "Change, Evolution & Maturity").
Interesting note: The February Council used a democratic process instead of a consensus to pick a theme for April's Anniversary Men's Wisdom Council.
Greenlake Men's Reading Group: Affliction - an ex-high school star gone to beer fat/machismo. Saturday, 10a-12p, at the University Unitarian Men's Group.
Men & Women's Wisdom Circle: John, Bob and Diana - 206 824 7120 - needs good hearts and minds! Second Sunday, 1:30pm, Seattle Unity. We use compassionate communication ("Giraffe" - honest, empathetic listening with accountability vs. "Jackal" - blaming, critical language.
September we talked about procedures and topics. We will choose a topic at the beginning of each meeting. Suggested topics: healing between men and women, Bly and Woodman encounters/tapes, continuing the work of the late-Danaan Perry's "Essential Peacemaking" and Paul Shaner's MERGE, MWWC potential. Bring topics. Respect differences, celebrate similarities.
A Gathering of Men: Edmonds, WA, second Saturday, 8:15am-12p, Mytho-poetic story-telling, drumming, singing. A scared space for men to become aware of their being. The Sacred Circle (August retreat) - "Laughter of Grief & Tears of Joy" - 206 517 2948, Mike. Future topics: February - "Flowers Among the Thorns," "Prepare For Deepening," "Journey Men Retreat."
"A man who feels secure in the world is a man who trusts and loves his being." Michael Gurian.
Bellevue Men's Breakfast: Second Saturday 8-10:30am at Bellevue Unity, $5. Vic, (425) 455 5320. Heart-felt sharing/meaning of spring. September - Marshal Rosenburg-(206) 382 8576 - "Compassionate Communication." Thoughts proceed emotions? October - transitions-retirement bliss, plan(?), goals, critical choices with life's 300k waking hrs.
Men in Spirit: Center for Spiritual Living - Gary Mantz (206) 444-0405 for meeting dates. September - About 40 good-hearted and smart men that shared power throughout the meetings. Spiritual groups. October - Men in Spirit created strong bonding at their "Ropes Course." Discussion of the group's identity, management, commitment.
Men's issues
We have lost among many others Danaan Perry (earth stewards/essential peacemaking), and Paul Shaner (M.E.R.G.E - men and women together) two very special, caring, brilliant men. Will you continue their pioneering work? We still deal with prejudice in the courts. What ever happen to men's rights and liberation from stereotypes. Married men are liable for $400k/child despite DNA proving he is not the father. Call/email legislators?
What do you think? - Post your comments on the Equalitarian Forums.
|