For those men who have not experienced the Conference before and are curious about what goes on (and for those men who have and want to be reminded of the depth of their experience and connection to the other men,) below is the schedule of activities from a previous Men’s Conference (this is NOT the current schedule.)
Day 1 – first night:
6:00 dinner
7:00 welcoming drumming, singing, and poetry.
Introduction of theme for weekend + staff
Trust building mixers leading to formation of Small Groups for weekend
Individual introductions in Small Groups
Walk to meadow, beginning of an ancient tale followed by opening ritual under the stars.
Day 2:
7:00 Temple of Melodious Sound: optional singing
8:00 Breakfast
9:00 Somatic experience of old wounds/healings in our bodies
10:00 Silence while individuals wander in Nature
11:00 Introduction to “beliefs we hold” exercise Small Groups meet to discuss
12:30 Box lunches in Small Groups in meadow
Afternoon free
4:30 Community meeting: issues and personal sharing
6:30 Dinner
8:00 Guided work in journals regarding defining moments in our lives how have we been defined? how might we live without old definitions?
9:15 Ritual closure of evening: self affirmations and offerings of beauty to the Gualala River
Day 3:
7:00 Temple of Melodious Sound: optional singing
8:00 Breakfast
9:00 Drumming, dancing, singing, poetry, community meeting: issues and personal sharing
11:00 Story telling, poetry followed by Small Groups
12:30 Lunch
Afternoon free
4:00 The meaning of knight’s shields art experience: creating one’s own shield with symbols and motto, placing them on community altar
6:00 Drumming and dancing
6:30 Dinner
7:30 Telling of a dramatic story but with unfinished ending. Small Groups create and present alternate endings in movement, song, and pantomime, drumming and dancing
Last day:
7:00 Temple of Melodious Sound: optional singing
8:00 Breakfast
9:00 Community meeting honoring of Memorial Day issues and personal sharing
11:00 Small Groups meet for closure
12:00 Ritual closure of workshop on beach, thank you’s, singing, farewells
12:30 Lunch
Departure.