Hi everyone,
I hope your holidays were relaxing and an opportunity for connection.
Up front I'd like to say: Please engage with us. Praise us, critique us, contribute to discussions, bring up ideas, offer your active support. We are all part of a bigger picture. Your group is part of a culture. Feed it 🙂
In this edition:
Waitangi Men's Weekend
Tui Men's Gathering
Workshop on Erectile Dysfunction
Advisory Group
Name your Group
Group Facilitation and Start-up Workshop
Events Calendar
Links
"Cultivating the Wild Indigenous One"
Inward Men's Gathering
request for photos
New member enquiries
Waitangi Men's Weekend
2- 5 February 2024
Deer Lodge in St Arnaud
cost: $ 40 per night
The Waitangi Retreat is not far away. We'd like to invite new guys, men who haven't experienced a retreat as well as experienced guys to take this opportunity for deeper work. A 3 hour group meeting can only go so far, while a weekend retreat with repeated circles can allow you to explore your current issues and possibly the deeper roots of ongoing patterns in your life at much greater depth.
The Waitangi Weekend is designed with newer guys in mind. We take a little bit more time in introducing the concepts and techniques of larger sharing circles. Inexperienced guys will benefit from the skills of men who are versed in holding space, create safety and provide constructive challenges to allow you to explore your story.
There is understandable nervousness around standing in front of 20 men for the first time and be vulnerable. We will make this experience as safe and welcoming as possible.
Timeframe
Acknowledging that it's a long weekend and you might have family and Waitangi-specific commitments, the retreat starts on Friday ( arrive when you can from 3 pm, dinner at 7pm) . We are booked until Monday lunch which is the recommended time for you to leave . However you may choose to leave Sunday as late as you can for your own reasons. Shorter would be pointless.
Venue
The Deer lodge is opposite the DOC info center in St Arnaud.
Deer Lodge location info here.
There is 100% no camping or sleeping in vehicles. They will not allow us back if we try.
Food
This is self-catering. We cook and share dinner, bring food to contribute to large meals or make a dish to share. There is a decent kitchen. Lunch is shared or individual, as you prefer. Breakfast individual.
What to bring
Everything to make you comfortable for the weekend. Bedding, clothes, toiletry, walking shoes/boots. There are bunkbeds (marae style matresse on the floor is possible for some )
Program
Circles morning and evening, the afternoon is free to do walks or have workshops. If you like to offer a workshop on something that complements our work, please do.
Talk to us if you can't afford the weekend.
Do share transport. Any questions? Contact Hardy or Victor below.
Workshop on Erectile Dysfunction by Dr Courtney Clyne
24 February 2024 , 10 am – 12 pm
at Victory Community Center
cost $ 20
Booking by email to drcclyne@rocketmail.com
You make Courtney’s job a lot easier if you book it in advance. She is making a great effort for us so why not honor that and telling her you are coming, so she doesn’t arrive thinking she might be running an empty class.
This is Courtneys message:
Hi! My name is Dr Courtney Clyne, and I'm a clinical psychologist and sex therapist working in the Nelson region. I recently gave a talk on erectile dysfunction at the International Men's Day, and it went so well that I'd like to do it again! I also feel there is more to say on the topic, especially what to do about it, so I decided to run another seminar. If you'd like to learn about prevalence, causes, symptoms and treatments for erectile dysfunction, please sign up to the seminar by emailing me on drcclyne@rocketmail.com.
We could organise other workshops, if there is interest out there.
Any suggestions?
“The Scholars” - Advisory Group
The Scholars are tasked to keep the work we are doing outside the groups themselves connected to the groups, making sure we represent the group's philosophies.
We had a first meeting before xmas and have started a discussion about where we are heading with our projects. We are defining what a men's group is, which might sound like a no brainer, but isn't. There are many groups out there who don't meet our standards when you think of it. (Man Up , church based groups, AA groups...)
Steve Henry has joined our ranks and we now represent most groups in Nelson/Motueka.
Names for Groups
There is a “2022 Tuesday Group”, a “2023 Tuesday group”, a “Monday Group” and three “Wednesday groups”. Is that as good as it gets when it comes to naming our groups. Am I doing my group justice by calling it the “Wednesday group”. Or “Murray's group”?
I'd like to suggest the unspeakable, let's give ourselves names. Any name will do, but we might develop a theme or a style. Of course you can forever be the weekday group.
Be the first group with a name and hit reply to this email 🙂
Group Start-up and Facilitation Workshop
We are planning to run a workshop retreat to train people to facilitate groups. Facilitation means holding space until a group is independent. There is a constant stream of people interested in joining groups, and we need guys to run these groups for a while.
These workshops are for anyone who is interested including professionals who want to run groups applying our principles (principles document currently in process). This will be some time this year. Developing principles is a complex undertaking, as we work to define what our principles are. Where are our boundaries, what is negotiable? These discussions have been going on for a long time and will never end, since we inevitably evolve.
If you like to contribute to this discussion, there is a Google doc here.
It starts with Hillary's contribution, which serves as a starting point. Add your thoughts, point out flaws, pose questions to discuss using the comments feature in Google Docs.
Events calendar
Our events
Waitangi Mens Weekend 2-5 February , Deer Lodge St Arnaud
Rotoiti Men's Retreat 31 May to 3June, Rotoiti Lodge
Rotoiti Men's Retreat 25-28 October, Rotoiti Lodge
Other events
Inward Men's Gathering 1-4 February, Tui Treefield
Workshop on Erectile Dysfunction 24 February, 10am-12pm, Victory Community Centre
We are supporting this event run by Courtney Clyne
Tui Men’s Gathering 6-10 March 2024, Tui Events Park, Golden Bay
Courting the Wild Natural One 27 March– 1 April, Jaime Howell, see below
Links
Cultivating the Wild Indigenous One
Jaime Howell has formed a trust that runs events
Cultivating the Wild Indigenous One
“I have founded a charitable trust and I work with men helping them to find that wildness, the aliveness that has maybe been shut down. Here is a retreat I am offering in March 2024.”
Inward Men's Gathering
Inward Men's Gathering is a transformational gathering, a chance for you to stop looking outward for what a man is supposed to be, and to unfold the man you are and the man you want to be. Men over 18 years old from all walks of life, of any religion and any sexuality are welcome.
The next Inward Men's Gathering is from the 1st to the 4th of February, 2024 at the Tui Events Treefield in Wainui Bay. More info here.
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)
New Members
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.
Finally...
If you want any anouncements in this newsletter and/or on our website like events , vacancies in your group or whatever, contact us. We will however decide if it's relevant here. We don't want to spam people.
Looking forward to welcoming you at our upcoming events!
Hardy and the team at Nelson Men's Groups.
Hardy
021 213 2299
Victor
022 326 4157
Nick (Motueka)
0210333574