The conference theme this year is “Walking the Path, Fording the Stream.”

The path we’re on stretches before us.  How do we regard ourselves, the people we meet and the universe around us?  How well are these perceptions working?  How do we choose to react to the inevitable discord and conflict we encounter upon the path, and how do these choices define us?  Using experiential activities and exercises, creative expression and reflection, we invite you to explore with us the paths we’re on, our role in creating them, and the freedom and power that arises from the graceful dance with conflict.

Registrations must be postmarked by no later than September 30th, and early bird registrations postmarked by no later than September 15th. All registrants will receive a confirmation letter with more details about the conference.  This year confirmations will be sent only by Email (rather than postal mail) unless specifically requested otherwise. Registration is limited to 90.  Should we receive more than 90 registrations, they will be accepted on a first-received basis.

Click on Fall Conference Registration Form to download the registration.  The form is an Acrobat PDF form that can be filled out on your computer and then printed (or you may choose to print it out and fill it in on paper).  Regardless of how you do it, send the completed form along with your check made out to “New Mexico Men’s Wellness” to:

Shell Goldman
700 Pinon Drive
Santa Fe, NM 87501

For more information or if you have questions, contact either:

• Michael Wilkinson (Conference Leader) at (970) 259-2445 (lookfar99@gmail.com) or
• Shell Goldman at (505) 471-6479 (shellgoldman@gmail.com)

We look forward to seeing you!!

• Friday, September 17th – in Albuquerque at Phil Davis’ chapel, 4207 San Isidro St NW
• Friday, October 1st – in Santa Fe at Gaylon Duke’s house, 46 Old Agua Fria Road West

Both meetings will begin with pizza at 5:30 pm, then start at 6:00, and go until 8:00. Directions can be easily obtained by putting the address into the search box at http://maps.google.com.  If you have any questions about the meeting, please contact us at the Email addresses below.

Registration materials for the conference will be available (sent out to the Email list and posted on the website) by no later than August 15.

We hope to see you at the meetings.

Michael Wilkinson (lookfar99@gmail.com) – Conference Leader
and Shell Goldman (shellgoldman@gmail.com)

President: Scott Dow

Secretary: Jim Connolly

At-Large Board Member: Phil Davis

Thanks to all who participated in the election.  The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be during the Fall Conference (Oct 21-24) at Ghost Ranch.  We will publish more information about the schedule and agenda as we get closer to the meeting.

Please keep an eye on the “About NMMW” section of this website (on the menu along the top of the page).  We will be augmenting and updating the information there to include by-laws, organizational goals and other material.

Click on this link to download your ballot.

To make sure you download a copy (rather than just open it in your web browser), be sure to Right-click or Option-click on the link, and save the link to a file.

Any male who has attended any NMMW Event (Spring Retreat, Father-Daughter, Summer Gathering or Fall Conference) in the last two years (going back to Father-Daughter in 2008) is eligible to to vote.

If anyone has any problem dealing with opening, completing or printing the ballot, please contact Jim Connolly (the Webmaster) via Email (jrc347@gmail.com) or cell phone (505 550-2433) for assistance.

1. There will be nine Board members, with 5 constituting a quorum for major decisions (must include the President or designate).
2. The nine members include President, Vice President, Past president, Secretary, Treasurer, current fall conference leader, and three at large members.
3. Seven Board members will have 2 year terms with a maximum of 3 consecutive terms. The outgoing president will also serve an additional two year term as past president following his tenure as President. The remaining Board seat will change with each fall conference leader.
4. The elections are staggered, so that 3 board members will change one year, then 4 the next year.
5. Those eligible to vote include any male who has attended any of the yearly conferences within the last two years, including Fall, Spring, Father Daughter and Summer.

THIS YEAR WE ARE VOTING FOR PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY AND ONE AT LARGE MEMBER.

Barry Cooney will asume the post of Past President for the next two years.
Gaylon Duke will remain as Vice President for one more year.
David Pease will continue as Treasurer for one more year.
Charles Fisher and Vittorio La Cerva will continue as at large members for one more year.
Michael Wilkinson is the current chair for the fall conference, and he will be repalced by Shell Goldman as a Board member at the fall conference.

• There are many issues that the new Board needs to address, some old, some new. These include:
• The future of Man, Alive!
• Establishing a more formal Liaison to Ghost Ranch
• Creating a Conference leader book (basic instructions) to be passed down.
• Reaching out to young people and men of color.
• Strengthening the mechanism by which we support exisiting men’s local support groups, and encourage the creation of new ones.
• Fund raising & special projects (with tax-exempt status)

PLEASE SEND NOMINATIONS FOR THE THREE BOARD POSITIONS BY JULY 21.

FEEL FREE TO NOMINATE YOURSELF!

ELECTIONS WILL OCCUR THE FOLLOWING WEEK.

Send nominations with their contact info to Vittorio by July 21: heartsongs3@msn.com
or to him by snail mail to Vittorio La Cerva, 52 Zambra Way, Santa Fe, NM 87506

Thank you!

Pre-registration for the Summer Gathering is closed, however the openness of the site allows for some last minute participants. These final pre-Gathering instructions are included here on this web page for those who chose to come but were unable to pre-register.

To help build on the theme of “Intuition and Inspiration”, here are some things to think about before you come:

• Think about a particular time or times when you trusted your intuition about a person or situation and followed up on it. Did it turn out positive or negative? Was it beneficial or a bummer to you? How did you feel about the outcome?
• Who or what is an inspiration to you now or in the past?

Some things you need to know for the weekend:

• Please bring:
  • Your own paper or notebook for taking notes–there will be extra pens if needed.
  • Tables — we don’t know if we will need them for the communal meal but you might want to bring them for your personal use.
  • Water — enough for drinking and washing your dishes.
  • Trash bags — you will need to haul your own trash out.
  • Drums or musical instruments to play (if you are so inclined).
• Communal meal Saturday night.  Delicious food will be supplied by Scott Sharot.   Help will likely be needed with setup and prep.  There may (or may not) be enough food for those appearing without preregistration (but we’ll have enough time to figure that out). You are on your own for all other meals.
• Groceries — There is a supermarket in Cuba in case you forgot something. We will be supplying firewood for communal fires but you can also buy your own for personal fires.
• Workshops for Saturday afternoon:
  • If you have the desire to conduct a workshop you will have a chance to announce your intention on Friday night or Saturday morning.
  • Saturday afternoon is also open for free time if you choose.
• Click on this link to download a detailed Acrobat PDF map and directions.

  We’re looking forward to seeing you at the Gathering.

  NAMASTE
  Love & Peace

  Dennis, Leo, Rich and Christopher
  Summer Gathering Leader and Committee.

  ---

  The 2010 Summer Gathering will be moving this year to an area in the Santa Fe National Forest just east of Cuba, NM.  This site away from the crowds and has been used for prior NMMW gatherings.  The change was required because we could not secure parts of the group campground at Jack’s Creek in the Pecos that we require to assure the privacy of our gathering. Regardless of the location, this will be a great gathering and one you won’t want to miss.  A big plus for the new site is that we are no longer limited to 30 men, and we can be more flexible about “last minute” attendees.

  We will explore and share our experiences of intuition and inspiration, and I’m sure many more things will be brought forth in the process. I know that we will be inspired by the beauty of the mountains and the green valleys of this beautiful place.

  This will be a time to share of ourselves with other supportive men in an environment of understanding and acceptance.  There will be morning meditations, talking circles, music and drumming, a couple of meals together, a sweat lodge and an event to lead us to intuition and inspiration.  Besides all that we will have free time to do with as we choose.

  The 2010 NMMW Summer Gathering Registration Form (as an Adobe Acrobat PDF form you can fill out on your computer) is available now.  This form now refers to the new location.  All who register will be sent detailed location information and directions well in advance of the gathering.)

  Please join us…it won’t be the same without you.

  – Dennis Brown, Summer Gathering Leader

  

  Registration materials (including useful logistical information) are available by clicking here.  Registration is easy — download the form and fill it out on your computer, print it and send it in with your check for $45 and you’ll be sure not to miss out on this great weekend.  Because of our change in location, we can no more easily accommodate late registrations and folks who can only attend for part of the weekend.

  Please Note that we have prepared a detailed map of the site location that includes detailed driving directions and Latitute/Longitute coordinates for the GPS-enabled.  Click Summer2010-Jemez-Directions to access the printable Acrobat PDF of the map and directions.

  For those of you who are traveling the back roads near Cuba (the one in New Mexico) heading to the summer gathering and you come to a fork in the road perhaps you will see a sign similar to the one pictured at right. For those of you who have an engineering degree perhaps no further instruction is necessary, but for the rest of you the arrow to the right is suggesting that you turn right. If the arrow should be on the left, you would be wise to turn your ride to the left and so on. We have only lost 3 or 4 guys on the road to the summer gathering in the past so the odds are in your favor of a safe arrival.

  Because our campsite is not an organized and reserved camping area, any men who could come on Thursday would be very beneficial in holding our space at the campsite.  The regular start of the Gathering will still be Friday evening.  Because of recent rains in the area, campfires are currently allowed in the National Forest.

  For Information Contact:
  Gathering Leader Dennis Brown (Phone: 970-728-0512; Email is brown.dennis123@gmail.com but phone calls are more reliable)

  (Email messages may be sent to Jim Connolly – jrc347@gmail.com — who will get them to Dennis.)

  

  (Photos from previous Summer Gatherings courtesy of Uwe Schroeter)

Cross Country Ski Weekend Retreat at Cooks Cabin in Southwestern Colorado

• February 18 – 22, 2010
• Contact: Lawrence Cook (rlcook44@msn.com or 505.898.2206)

Spring Retreat at Hummingbird Music Camp (Jemez Springs, NM)

• April 23 – 25, 2010
• Theme: Intimacy
• Leaders: Uwe Schroeter (uweschroeter@comcast.net or 505.352.9258) and/or Rees Bevans (rees@dataterminal.com or 505.345.1611)

Father Daughter Gathering at Ghost Ranch (Abiquiu, NM)

• Was originally Scheduled for June 4 – 6, 2010
• Has been canceled for this year because we have been unable to get conference leaders for the event.  If you have participated in this event in the past, and can contribute to planning it for 2011, please contact your webmaster, Jim Connolly (webmaster@nmmw.net).

Summer Gathering in the Jemez Mountains (east of Cuba, NM)

• July 30 – August 1, 2010
• Theme: Intuition and Inspiration
• Leader: Dennis Brown (brown.dennis123@gmail.com or 970.728.0512).  Your input into the planning of this gathering is welcome!

Fall Conference at Ghost Ranch

• October 21 – 24, 2010
• Theme: Walking the Path, Fording the Stream
• Leaders: Michael Wilkinson (lookfar99@gmail.com) assisted by Shell Goldman (shellgoldman@gmail.com)

Mark your calendars now!

April 23-25, 2010

An Exploration of Intimacy
led by
Uwe Schroeter and Rees Bevan

Is it any wonder that for millions of men the only intimacy is physical, silent, and predictable?
–  Phil Donahue

The value of the personal relationship to all things is that it creates intimacy… and intimacy creates understanding… and understanding creates love.
–  Anaïs Nin

Please send in your registration form (an Adobe Acrobat form you can full out and print) as early as you can.  Due to space limitations, we allowed for 25 participants, which will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis (with a waiting list beyond that).

A variety of accommodation options are available depending on individual needs:

Full (2 nights, 5 meals, retreat)                  $110.00
Only Accommodations (no meals)               $80.00
Camping (with 5 meals)                                    $65.00
Only Camping (no meals)                                $35.00

Three meals are served on Saturday and two on Sunday.  Men are encouraged to bring some snacks to share on Friday and through the weekend.

We’ll get started on Friday, April 23, arriving after 4:00 pm with opening session at 7:00 pm. and go through 1:00 pm on Sunday, April 25.  Hummingbird Music Camp is located in the Jemez Mtns approximately 5 miles north of Jemez Springs.  Hummingbird’s website has a map with driving directions.

For questions or comments please contact us:
Uwe Schroeter (uweschroeter@comcast.net)  (505) 352-9258
Rees Bevan (rees@dataterminal.com)  (505) 345-1611

(Photos are from recent Spring Retreats.  Click on “thumbnails” for larger versions)

Natural beauty, camaraderie, sharing, solitude, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, merry making, reflection,  companionship in a safe, supportive men’s environment

Join us at COOKS’ CABIN in the Blanco Basin in SW Colorado
for the 20^th Annual NMMW Winter Gathering

Our 3500 sq. ft. log home with spa can accommodate twenty or so.

The cost is $25 per person per night. Please pay at the weekend.

The essence of the weekend is in the spirit of camaraderie.  We continually enjoy proffering to others the opportunities to be at peace in the blanketed Blanco Basin.  Please bring what you wish to share via poetry, songs, stories, queries, games, talking sticks, drums and other musical instruments.  The time can be as laid back or structured as you wish to make it.

For further information, contact Lawrence Cook at 1503 Lucyle Pl. N.W., Albuq. N.M. 87114-8819 or (505) 898-2206 or rlcook44@msn.com

Click Ski Weekend 2010 for a printable flyer (with bit more information than this announcement).

Pat Sauer started assembling this volume for the 20th Conference with the core being Michael Hopp’s interviews of the first conference leaders (through 1998). Five years later, the project (with the help of many others mentioned by Pat in his Dedication and Acknowledgments section linked below) has blossomed into a celebration of the last 25 years with an implicit challenge for us to continue and expand what we have started into the next 25 years and beyond.

A hundred volumes were printed, and about half of those were snapped up at the conference. This means we have some available for those of you who were not at the 25th Fall Conference. They are available for $25 each (just slightly more than printing costs).

Books may be picked up from Pat Sauer in Albuquerque or David Pease in Santa Fe, or they can be mailed to you (with another $4.95 to cover postage and handling costs). To give you some idea of what is in store for you in this great book, some sample PDFs are linked below for your reading and viewing pleasure:

• Ourselves Not Alone
• Dedication and Acknowledgments
• Just the Facts (Victor La Cerva)
• Ho, Yo, Bro & Woe
• Circle of Leadership 1985-2009
• From Michael Hopp’s Interviews of Conference Leaders (Conducted Summer 1998):
  • Barry Cooney (1992, 1993)
  • Juan Velasco (1994)
• Questionaire & Freeform Responses from Conference Leaders:
  • Michael Hopp (1998)
  • Phil Davis (2001)
  • Howard Kaplan (2004)

This is just a small sample of what you will find in this book. Some of the additional material included are excerpts from Man, Alive!, newspaper clippings, poetry, stories, history and tons of photos from Winter, Spring and Summer gatherings.

Be sure to get your copy soon. There are a limited number available, and if there is a next printing the price per book will have to go up (since we got a deal on this first run).

The book is available for pickup in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. In Albuquerque, contact Pat Sauer by phone at 505.559.6040 or via Email to pasacom1@yahoo.com to make arrangements. In Santa Fe contact David Pease by phone at 505.438-8906. Cost is $25 by check payable to “New Mexico Men’s Wellness”.

To order a copy by mail, your check, made out to “New Mexico Men’s Wellness” for $29.95 should be sent to:

David Pease
2503 Calle De Rincon Bonito
Santa Fe, NM 87505

Don’t miss out on this unique and memorable volume.

Posted to NMMW.NET by Jim Connolly (webmaster@nmmw.net) on 11-Nov-2009

]]> http://www.nmmw.net/?feed=rss2&p=298 0 http://www.nmmw.net/?p=265 http://www.nmmw.net/?p=265#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:59:29 +0000 Lawrence Cook http://www.nmmw.net/?p=265 See comment on this post for Evaluation Meeting summary!

Celebrating the NMMW 25^th Fall Conference

October 22-25, 2009

Ghost Ranch, New Mexico

My heart is full; the conference flowed oh so well!  Thanks to all who made it so!

The Roots & Wings banner was hung.

Conference T-Shirts and NMMW caps adorned our bodies.

We, 75(+/-) men, gathered together Thursday evening and weaved a web of intentions by throwing balls of string across our circle.  We then chose which clan we would each be in based upon ideas related to Earth, Relationships, Service, Self-worth, Spirit and Creative Expression.  We met in these groups throughout the weekend to share thoughts, reactions & stories to increase our connections with ourselves & others. Thanks to each of the Clan Leaders and their co-leaders. The selection process was highlighted by lining up by the number of conferences each man had attended, initiating the process of celebrating the roots of New Mexico Men’s Wellness.

Throughout the weekend we sang, (thank you, Charles, et al) drummed (thank you, Cliff for the use of your big drum) and connected via various Dances of Universal Peace, led by Maboud and Spirit.  We also had opportunities to “just be” in the enchanted area that is Ghost Ranch.

Friday morning’s directed activity around Forgiveness was an extremely powerful experience for me.  We paired up and connected via issues of forgiveness needed for ourselves and/or others.  The exercise was initially done without words.  Barry Cooney skillfully led us into deep feelings that we were able to convey in silence to the other man, taking turns being the “speaker” and the “listener.”  The man I was paired with expressed a deep sense of “being blown away” by the energy I conveyed.  I came away with a sense that we each have tremendous abilities we don’t allow to be manifested as often as we could.

Friday afternoon’s opportunity to make, decorate and fly kites was “out of this world” for me.  (Thanks be to Joseph Woods and his committee!) I have no memory of ever having successfully flown a kite before.  (My father and uncle made and flew box kites when I was too young actually to participate in the activity.)  I took my kite out into the field to fly it; then promptly crashed it.  I took it back in for repairs; the man who helped me fix it “became Dad” for me.  I tearfully accepted and expressed appreciation for the assistance.  The rest of the afternoon was a blissful time; an ideal wind flew our kites within sight of the sandstone cliffs.  The wings were soaring.

Friday evening was highlighted by playing “The Wild Wind Blows” in our clans, an opportunity to connect via sharing life experiences by stating, “The wild wind blows for anyone who . . . .”  Done in a style of musical chairs, anyone who also had that experience gets up and goes to find another seat, with another ending up in the center of the circle.  The types of pronouncements range from the ridiculous to the mundane to the serious and profound.  Everyone is given opportunities to find connections with others.

Saturday began before breakfast with the annual Grief Ceremony that provides opportunities for men to share senses of loss over loved ones who have died.  This is also a time to honor all veterans with a ceremonial hand washing experience and to share any sense of grief that can benefit from healing.

The Saturday morning session, wonderfully led by David Coffey, focused on dealing with the range of emotions that come up for each of us in our lives.  Each clan produced and presented a tableau of feelings in the form of a human sculpture.  A member of my men’s group recently spent an hour & a half with Michael Angelo’s David, connecting in a significant manner that was brought to mind for me during this activity.  Once again, I experienced the realization of the powerful opportunities we could have if we activated senses that we often allow to lie dormant.

Saturday afternoon included ceremonies to honor Elders and to form a Circle of Sages, the latter to honor twelve men seventy or older.  My dear friend Manuel Tafoya conceived of the idea of recognizing the wisdom of the eldest members of our community.  Thanks be to him, John Gervers and their committee. This activity for “a few” benefited the sense of connectedness of us all.  A special honoring occurred for Man, Alive!’s first editor Chuck Cocklereas, who died just nine days prior to the start of the Conference, and his dear friend, octogenarian Harvey Frauenglass. In the evening we brought together the various decades, honoring all ages of our lives.

“Clans Alive” highlighted Saturday night’s activities as each clan made presentations celebrating the connections made in our groups, most, but not all, bordering on the outright hilarious and ridiculous. The Relationships Clan reprised “The Wild Wind Blows” in a performance that demonstrated the powerful energies that connect us when we allow ourselves to share our heartfelt needs and desires.

The traditional Sunday morning activities of a “Talking Circle,” the clan farewell & intention setting gatherings and the Closing Ceremony completed the flow of the weekend.  I pronounced that the man who opened the conference on Thursday evening was not the same man who was closing it.

My NMMW journey actually began eighteen years ago at my first Fall Conference where I started the process of learning how to be myself as a man with other men.  Never having wanted to be the Conference Leader, I was led into and through a process that indeed celebrated Roots & Wings: The Connectedness of All for me and all who were present.  Thank you, brother Joseph for your connection with Spirit and creative energies that fanned & nurtured the theme.

A marvelous history, New Mexico Men’s Wellness Fall Conference 25^th Anniversary 1985-2009, compiled by Pat Sauer and edited by David Johnson, was made available.  I feel especially honored to be the man that completes the circle of leaders of the first quarter century of fall conferences.  Having relatively easily hosted the annual NMMW Cross-Country Ski Weekend since 1992, I was brought to a further level of leadership that was so buoyed by all who were on the planning committee that began the process with a retreat at Cooks’ Cabin in May.  Special thanks to Michael Wilkinson, my co-leader; I couldn’t have done it without you.  I know the 2010 Conference will continue the legacy of gatherings connecting men’s hearts and souls.

Also, I now realize, at a deeper level, how instrumental so many men are to making each Conference the special event that occurs each Fall. Gaylon Duke is the linchpen.  Thanks be to “All-Ya’-All!”

I am writing this summary while on a solo retreat at the Cabin, working to balance the energies of recuperation and dealing with the tasks of sustenance to continue the process of hosting gatherings that continue our life long celebrations of Roots & Wings.

Lawrence Cook, aka Flows w/ Fish Creek 11/2/09