Finding Meaning and Direction in the Midst of Chaos:

The 2024 Annual Men’s Conference

May 24-27, 2024
Mendocino Woodlands Camp 2
Mendocino, California

Challenges surround us—outer turmoils of injustice, political upheaval, war and climate change; inner turmoils of mood swings, addictions, meaninglessness and yearning for a direction in life. Within the shaking, how do we find and claim the always dynamic and alive balance of steadiness? What does it mean to be an “individual in community” while at the same time being  “one in oneself?”

Over the 31 years of this Conference, we have gathered as men to be explorers of Soul. We have learned that to find and trust our way in this world we must tolerate uncertainties and fears; and we have found a way to do this together. In fact, the only way to do it is together. Some truths we have learned over the years are:

• • Men have much to offer each other through their differences—be they cultural, racial, sexual, political, spiritual, generational or personal.
  • Beauty and creativity, art and music, ritual and poetry are sources of inspiration, healing, and deep pleasure.
  • Communication, relationship, and understanding among men form the foundation for a politics of peace and justice.
  • We must continue learning how to creatively deal with conflict.
  • The wounds of our fathers and their fathers have impacted our lives.
  • Entering and grieving [those wounds] our personal wounds and the wounds of the world creates in us a masculinity of tenderness, wisdom and generativity.
  • Owning our own shadows is an essential step on our journey toward wholeness.

By harnessing our imagination through world myths, story, journaling, art, poetry, and song, we come to the Redwoods again to talk, listen, and reflect on all that is important, vexing, and joyful in our lives and the greater culture.

Our Brotherhood allows for us to explore that which can sometimes frighten or overwhelm us as individuals. Reminding ourselves, we are not alone, we open ourselves to communicating that which offers us deeper understandings, greater perspectives and heightened clarity towards authenticity.

We do this for each other, and in doing so we bring ourselves closer to one another, our communities, and, one hopes, the whole of humanity. The exploration of our individual and collective soul and its hunger for our imagination is the rich work that we do together.

We are pleased to announce that Registration is now open.

Please join us on Memorial Day weekend, May 24th – 27th, 2024 at the Mendocino Woodlands Camp #2 and Lodge. We also invite you to view a short video of men speaking on the Conference experience, about the safe container we create deep within the redwoods, and the changes that we carry back out into the world from there. 

We encourage you to bring a friend, including young men, fifteen and older, who would benefit from this conference. Scholarships and workerships are available. Please pass this announcement on to other men, or invite them to visit the website at redwoodmen.org to learn more about the Conference and our community. You can also click here to add yourself to the Conference Information mailing list to receive updates (no spam, and we do not let anyone else use the list.)

Organizers:

• • Gregory Guss: LCSW, Psychotherapist, Community Organizer
  • Jay Jackson: Solar guru, drummer, artist, father, man in awe
  • Conrad Larkin: LCSW, Psychotherapist for all ages
  • Hari Meyers: Author, Teacher, Storyteller, Literary-Mentor 
  • Richard Naegle, Phd: Therapist, teacher, leader of the Noah Project
  • Gordon Pugh: Craftsman, Improv Artist, Life Coach
  • Barry Spector: Author, ritual leader, producer of Rumi’s Caravan 
  • Andy Riffel: Engineer, father, wholehearted man
  • Sean Morris: High-School Teacher, Father, Husband, Friend
  • Michael Kelleher: public servant, empath, father and friend
  • John Horrell:  Retired, practicing forgiveness. 
  • Garth Gilchrist: Shares joy in storytelling, nature awareness and open-heartedness.