An Inter-Generational Retreat
6th Annual Southern Oregon Elder/New Warrior Retreat
Location: YMCA Camp DeBoer
(Located on the shores of Lake of the Woods)
SEPT. 16-18, 2022
This year’s Southern Oregon Elder Retreat is open to both Elders and Younger Men. As elders, we understand the importance of mentoring, yet we also recognize that we need to be open to learning from younger men. These were the motivations behind our decision to open this year’s retreat to men of all ages.
Traditionally, our Elder Retreat gatherings have been rich with connection, community, vulnerability, emotion and….fun! We look forward to an even richer experience this year as elders and younger men meet, bond and share.
Master Storyteller Extraordinaire, Will Hornyak has been invited back to be our keynote speaker. We have asked Will to explore with us the skills we can use in these times of uncertainty. Will’s stories have archetypical themes that are interesting, engaging, and never fail to touch each man deeply in some way.
COST: The cost for our 2022 Retreat is $195, which includes meals, lodging, and insurance.
FOOD: Food for the weekend is always a treat. A food list will be provided and attendees will be assigned a food item to bring for the weekend. Our meals are prepared by our outstanding Men-of-Service (MOS) team.
ACCOMODATIONS: Camp DeBoer is a brand-new YMCA facility. Each cabin sleeps 15, with its own shower and toilet and there is a large shower house. The facility also has a large lodge & dining hall, outdoor amphitheater & firepit.
REGISTRATION: Open now at https://mkpconnect.org/
QUESTIONS & INFO: Contact Ross Pelton at (541) 601-1492 or rosspelton70@gmail.com
Lifting Up the Sky
Myths, Poems, Songs and Rituals of Healing, Renewal and Vision for Difficult Times
A Men’s Retreat for Elders and Youth
Times of great environmental and cultural upheaval are the most challenging to individual and collective life. To embrace, rather than deny them, requires a steadfast trust in the inexorable cycles of life. Such times can seem like a descent into darkness or a long walk upon the road of ashes. As trying as these times are, they are also ripe with the potential for personal and societal growth, renewal, and rebirth. But, how do we maintain vision, hope, and perspective during times rife with confusion, darkness, and despair?
The great and wise Rabbi Bai Shem Tov said of such epochs and eras: “There are times when the bonds that hold heaven and earth together are strained to the point of breaking. At such times as that, not even prayer can help. Only a story can mend it.“
The world’s myths and oldest stories were borne during times of upheaval and radical change. They can thereby recall to us the nature and quality of inner resources we carry at such times and help us to make meaning of the most tragic and trying events. Poems, songs and rituals are often forged as well from the heat of transformation and change. Like ancient Cedar trees they have endured fire, drought and pestilence. And yet they continue to give forth abundantly, sheltering multitudes and recalling to us our own enduring, mythic nature. These times of great risk and difficulty can also remind us of the stories we carry and the gifts we bear for the renewal of ourselves and our communities. Among our greatest resources at such times is imagination, artistry and creativity. What is the unique nature of the medicine we carry and the genius residing within us as individuals? What seeds of vision do we carry for the future?
During this retreat we will gather as a community of men in the forests of the southern Cascade Mountains to consider those questions and more. We will tell stories, listen, discuss, dance, sing, celebrate, bless and renew our connections to one another and the great web of life. We will support each other by exploring and sharing practices for meeting these challenging times with creativity, compassion and courage.
Registration is now open at MKP Connect.