Conference 2008

The Eighteenth Annual Redwood Men’s Center

Gualala Men’s Conference

Camp Gualala, California
Friday, May 23 through Monday May 26, 2008

Sanctuary:
In the Kinship of Men


 

 We all long for real connection. For men, that urge for relationship often is masked by competition, by fear, by the pressure to be “what a real man is supposed to be.” Beyond these old guises of warrior and hero lie our authentic selves. At this conference, we will gently uncover, look each other in the eyes, rediscover our genuine natures, and celebrate the beauty and truth that we find in the sanctuary of our kinship.
We are at the edge of our Soul’s evolution.  Nothing new or wondrous can happen without our conscious engagement.

Could it be that we each already are enough?  Could it be that we each already belong? Could it be that this is what our troubled world is waiting for? Come prepared to touch the urgency of your life as a man.

For over seventeen 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.

Click here for a Conference Brochure in pdf format.