We Are

We are a community of men who strive for and nurture positive and generative masculinity.
We gather monthly in our circle to drum, sing and speak from the truth of our personal experience.
Through storytelling we look for wisdom as a way of exploring deeper meaning in our lives.
We honor each other in a spirit that sustains us on our journey. Our circle is open to any man wishing to go on this path.

Centerpiece

The centerpiece is a symbol of our relationship with self, each other, creation, the Earth, the Cosmos, and Mystery.

Like the Native American medicine wheel, it contains four quadrants. The colors — yellow, red, black and white — symbolize the four seasons, cardinal directions and the lover, warrior, magician and king within us.

Story Telling

We use folktales from many cultures to inform our sharing. Each man hears the story differently, depending on his own life experience. Sometimes a member will share a story he has written.

Poetry, from a published source or from a member, is used on occasion instead of a folktale.

The way a man tells a story is a way of showing who he is.

Talking Stick

The tradition of the Talking Stick empowers a man both to speak and be heard as he shares his own personal life experiences. Whoever holds the Talking Stick may draw upon the power of the stories contained within it to speak his own story from the depth of his feelings.

Drumming

In drumming we celebrate the discovery and awakening of a deeper masculine pride and spirit. The sound of our drums calls us together as men to reflect on our lives in an environment of trust, confidentiality and honesty. Drumming expresses both our grief over isolation and our celebration and joy as brothers on the planet.

My Drum

I heard my drum today,
A sound of counterpoint,
Of dissonance and harmony.

I found my drum today,
And felt fear and shame,
Aloneness, aloneness.

I struck my drum today,
And found I had joined my brothers.Oh, God’s Joy!
I Heard my drum today,
It is my soul

By Roy L. Compton, Jr

Such A Place

And where is a safe place where men share openly from their hearts without being judged, or advised, or fixed?

And where is an honorable place where men listen with understanding to hear a man’s story, affirming him for his trust and honesty? Show me the whereabouts of such a place and I will be there.

For that place is sacred and special; its blessing I seek.

by Charles R. Davis