Men's Council
|
|
Men's Council |
In 1991, a group of men began gathering monthly,
in a place of serenity, creating community, exploring men's
issues, speaking to each other from the wisdom of personal
experiences.
We are all ages, and walks of life, our community is simply being
male. We honor each man's individuality. We make no judgement.
Our founder and elder is Dr. Wilbur I. Smith, A Clinical
Psychotherapist who has practiced Individual, Group, Marriage and
Family Counseling for twenty seven years, has embraced the men's
movement with a passion. He feeds our souls with poetry and music.
He participates as a man.
In 1999 we regrouped as a closed council to allow for deeper spiritual work, but open our doors to other men on a quarterly basis.
Stories are told... ancient ones, and our own
stories... and we remember our woundedness. We get in touch with
old ways of healing in the masculine path. In silence we remember
choices that led us to this place, this space, this behavior,
these feelings, and these ways of being selves.
We meet for soul work- through poetry, in drumming, in dance, in
sharing, in the joy of just being... without expectations or
judgement.
We use drums and percussion instruments of all styles and origin, to call us together as men, releasing our tensions, finding the inner self that longs to be free, to be wild, to be part of community, African Jimbes and Congas, Native American hand drums, bongos, cow bells, and even wooden sticks are combined to create an unstructured threshold forming a bridge between ordinary space and time to the serenity of a space safe enough or sacred enough for our sharing.
It is referred to as The Mythopoetic Men's
Movement, a freewheeling exploration of male spirituality and
male psychology. It encourages men to delve into their psyches by
reintroducing them to literature, mythology and art. (From
Wingspan, Inside the Men's Movement)
Our work is inwardly directed, encouraging men to find and follow
their individual path, that personal myth or mission that will
give meaning and form to their lives.
For our quarterly meetings we have no formal membership. A man simply shows up. We have established a mailing list to announce dates, topics, etc. We are a non political and non-sectarian, not for profit organization. Those who can, bring drums, poetry, stories, ... others simply bring themselves. We dress for comfort, we come to be ourselves, celebrate masculinity, find support and understanding, meet other men.
About From the Editor Reflections Poetry Page Stories Page Calendar Meetings & Events Links Further Resources Steering Committee Gallery Contact Us Discussion Board