Hi everyone,
Hope the winter was kind on you and if you were overseas that you got over the blues of coming back.
Things are heating up for the International Men's Open Day. A new website is coming along beautifully, and retreats are coming up as well.
International Men's Open Day
This is our 3rd year running the Expo-style event to showcase what is available for men, building an annual focal point for community building, forming new groups and networking existing ones with the services and professionals that deal with men's issues.
International Men's Open Day
16 November 2024
from 12pm to 6 pm
Victory Community Hall
Breaking News
Christchurch has its own Int Mens day event too now!
Bear Heart who did the yoga workshop on last years event in Nelson, has taken the idea to Christchurch. Good on you , Bear!!!
Ideas and Input from You
There is still time for you to suggest topics that are of interest to men as well as professionals/practitioners who might want to contribute.
This event is meant to represent all of us who are in men's groups or affiliated. It is very important that you guys can identify with the event and make this your event. So please come forward, talk to us, critique previous events, suggest format changes, content ideas etc. We could really use more guys to help us put it together, too. More directly: we need help! Especially if we want to grow the event in the future, maybe make it family friendly, appealing to the broader community. If you liked the last event, why not contribute this time?
Other than general organization, there are specific roles to cover like
- Food manager (enlist foodcarts and make sure all works on the day)
- Poster distribution. Can you spare an 1-2 hours hanging posters in your town?
Urgent, Fun, Controversial, just what you want!!!!!
We will have a billboard in Bishopdale and we want to attract as much attention as possible, we need some guys for a photoshoot. This time it will be an indoor shoot and you will be in your boxers hiding your innocence behind a banner that says “Underneath? Good Men or Just Guys. Who is man enough? Please come forward we need a big guy (prob me), an old guy a young guy, a professional looking one, a scruffy one. Which one is you? Txt me now! Your partner will love you for it
021 213 2299
Funding
We haven't got any new funding for this event. We have left-over money from last year, the event is safe . But! There is a shortfall. We need another grand at a minimum. So here is our appeal:
Donate what you can towards the cost of this event (no wages, just expenses). One committed man has put $100 in the kitty. If that is a level that doesn't hurt you, please consider it. But any amount is welcome. The event is free and provides 6 hours of program. How much is that worth?
Maybe your group wants to donate collectively.
The money is for all our benefit, but especially for attracting new guys who will hopefully join a new or existing groups, or find the services they need.
Send donations to:
ANZ Nelson
06-0705-0232506-00
Hardy Bachert
The new website
Alek has created a beautiful brand new website that will provide more usability and flexibility to allow other regions to join.
Now is the time to utilise it.
We would like to showcase as many groups as possible on the website. This will show the men out there what we do and what we look like, plus it allows us to contact each other and attract new guys when we have vacancies.
Please submit a photo of your group and a blurb describing how long you've existed, how many men, how often do you meet, whats your unique culture or way of doing things, are you open to new men? Please add a means to contact you (ph, email)
Please make it concise, up to 200 words as a rough guide.
The more we post on it the more interesting the website will be. So if you have an event you like to advertise or some news to announce, let us know.
If there is someone out there who would like to organise the content of the site, come forward. If we have the manpower we can publish/link podcasts, articles, in the future we could have forum discussions even.
Nationwide Network – Funding
Our funding for forming a nationwide network has been declined. That project will be for now on the slow burner. We still would like the regions to be connected and using our website. If you know groups around the country let us know. As far as working with facilitated groups of men with hard backgrounds, we will for now concentrate on our own region.
The forum
The forum is a periodic get-together (every 2-3 months) of men from the groups who will discuss matters that concern us and give their input into the projects we are organising. It's our way of making sure that we represent the groups in our region. If your group isn't represented yet, you are welcome to join.
Events
Labour Weekend Rotoiti Men's Retreat
25-28 October, Rotoiti Lodge
Nelson Int Men's Open Day
16 November, 12-6pm
Victory Community Center
Christchurch Int Men's Day Otautahi Christchurch
17 November
3 McCormacks Bay Road, Mount Pleasant, Christchurch 8081, New Zealand
you need to register free
Waitangi Men's Weekend
14 to 16 Feb 2025
St Arnaud Deer Stalkers Lodge
This retreat is geared for newer men, there will be more time spent introducing our concepts. Guys in newer groups, who may have joined a group recently or are interested in joing one are welcome. So are men who have experience who will model our approach in the circle . Otherwise this event is the same as the other Rotoiti retreats
Group Facilitators workshop
Probably may 2025
Let us know if you are interested to participate
This event is aiming at presenting to men who want to form and possibly facilitate or “uncle” a new group. We will spent time each day on talking about how to attract men how to create safety in a group, how to deal with difficult situations, how to model sharing that is respectful and enquiring into the roots of one's issues. How to support empathetically and challenge respectully. What makes our approach unique and differs from cults , church groups, professionally led groups like AA groups and therapy groups and the wellnes industry? What are the variations in our culture?
The format is circles where we all participate sharing our stories and discuss what how we handle the situation. No professional distance! There will be short spurts of presentations and discussons as well. But the idea is to explore men's group culture it while doing it.
Name Your Group
The first new names for groups are established. I'd like to welcome the
Maverick Collective (formerly the New Tuesday Group, formed after Int Mens Day 2023),
The Twisted Sticks (formerly the Tuesday Groupies, formed after Int Man's Day 2022)
(who have joined forces this winter to become the Twisted Mavericks)
The Nelson Men's Circle (formerly Murrays Group, the oldest existing Nelson group)
There you go. Your group can have a recognisable identity, too. What describes your group best?
Other interesting events (not directly linked to us)
Photos
We are looking for engaging photos of men doing their thing, group photos, mens group activities, events etc to use on the website and possibly for promo on posters. Would you have some? Is your group ok being visible for the purpose of promoting our work? (please make sure everyone is happy with it)
Newbies
If you know someone who is looking for a men's group. Put them in touch with us. We've been very successful in placing dudes in groups.
If you want any announcements in this newsletter and/or on our website like events, vacancies in your group or whatever, contact us. We will however decide if its relevant here. We don't want to spam people.
Hardy
021 213 2299
Victor
022 326 4157
Nick (Motueka)
0210333574