Conference 2007

The Seventeenth Annual Redwood Men’s Center

Gualala Men’s Conference

Camp Gualala, California
Friday, May 25 through Monday May 28, 2007

Turning
Points

 

"Don’t ask yourself what the world needs.
Ask yourself what makes you come alive,
And then go do that.
Because what the world needs is
People who have come alive.”

 — Howard Thurman

Is every moment we live a turning point? Do we recognize them as they happen? Some are revolutionary — a catastrophe, falling in love, a sudden insight, a shattering loss. Some are evolutionary —schooling, career, parenting, depression, health, aging, changing of administration (inwardly and outwardly).

What transitions do we now each face in our lives? How might the community of men help us find the courage to fully embrace the direction that is required?
Our 17th annual men’s gathering offers an opportunity to retreat from our busy lives and further a chance to confer from the heart with others.

A man learns certain essential things while opening his heart to other men. There is both safety and power in being witnessed when a man speaks his truth. What seemed to be his own private struggles and dreams are truly shared by his fellows. The old burdens of isolation and shame begin to lift, and he may experience a renewal of his unique vision and feel support in realizing that vision.

The world no longer seems a place of obstacles but rather a land of allies. Finding our true selves again and again at the various stages of our lives is our real work.

For over sixteen years the Redwood Men’s Center has held an annual conference at Camp Gualala. We have sought to bring all of our resources, experience and love into creating an environment that will foster, promote, sustain, and honor a man’s ability to express the very highest in himself.

We have learned over the years that:

  • 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 creates in us a masculinity of tenderness, wisdom, and generativity.

This conference, welcoming and supportive of all men ages fifteen to a hundred, is very interactive and rich with dialogue. Many men return each year for the ongoing sense of brotherhood and community. This conference is most helpful for any man wishing to move out of the old wounding patterns which have shaped his life and relationships. Men in transition or undergoing significant life-passages often find meaning, strength and comfort.

Meeting in the beautiful redwoods of Camp Gualala along the Gualala River (2 ½ hours north of San Francisco), we will have time to explore the wisdom found in ancient tales, meet in small groups, engage in healing ritual, sing gloriously, play together, converse over meals, and sit in the silence of the trees.

Registration includes lodging, all meals and all conference activities. A price reduction is offered to those who register early, or for group registration. There are limited scholarships available to those unable to attend without assistance. Conference fees include three nights lodging in rustic cabins, nine delicious meals and all conference materials. A limited number of partial and full scholarships are available. Call (707) 823-3601 for details.

Open to Men of all cultures, ages and sexual orientations.

Space is limited.

Our brochure is also available for download in Adobe Acrobat format (you must have Acrobat Reader installed to read this.) The brochure is about 500K in size.

2007 Conference Brochure