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| Chaim Dunbar: Where are the men? |
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NW Area Steward Corner
(Message from Steve) |
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I-Groups are the core of our work and community. In our groups we develop a support network of men we know will encourage us and push us to be better human beings.
In the next few months we will be checking in on how I-Groups are working and offering support for groups ranging from I-Group kick start tools to guest magicians or ideas for how to utilize Zoom formats in different ways.
We have invited men to open the door to a new way of being a man in many different ways over the past 2 years. We have several men who have done the online trainings, we field inquiries every day from men who want to join a group and we have a large queue of men who are waiting for an NWTA.
How can we serve these men?
One way is to invite men to our groups and begin to integrate them into our work.
- Is your group able to support new men?
- Is there resistance to bringing in new men?
These are questions we will be exploring over the next year as we work to involve men who are wanting to connect and experience the magic of the I-Group environment.
Keep your group strong, push the edges of your mission and together let’s keep building a strong and welcoming community.
Steve Newcomb, Area Steward,
Initiated at Camp Adams in 1996 |
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| Our Willamette Valley NBE (New Brother Engagement) team
This relatively new team is tasked with creating and promoting an environment of support both in the North and South Valley to hold space for men who have committed to attend the Warrior Training but must wait for any reason. This involves prior weekend support in the form of pointing a man towards a circle to sit in and holding a sending off ceremony to post weekend support involving a Welcome Home and finding a circle home. The team hopes to then follow with a post-post weekend support event, 6-8 months after returning from the weekend, similar to or just like the Afterglow effort that was toyed with 4 or 5 years ago. For now, with the NWTA trainings being suspended, the team will be creating space for these men who are in need to sit with us in our community.
To that end see the next fun filled fact-
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our newest Open I-group:
Garage Band
This new I-group consists of uninitiated and initiated men in Eugene, OR. This meeting is in person and on zoom depending on demand and safety. The goal here is that this new open group for committed men will support them until the NWTA’s start again and when it does these men will train together, return to us and continue with this Circle then be the seed for another “Garage Band” Circle and on and on and on….. |
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Message from Kelly Staines, NW Area I-Group Coordinator.
Brothers,
I want to send a quick introductory letter about who I am and what I’m doing for our area and in our local community.
I’m Kelly Staines, a Brother from down in Eugene. I was initiated at WaRiKi February 2011 (second coldest weekend ever!) I took over the Pit Coordinator position from Jeff Martin in 2019 and put a couple together before the pandemic turned our lives upside down. In addition to coordinating the PITs, I’ve been on staff for several and I am an MKP recognized PIT Co-leader. I’ve been helping Jim Drews facilitate an Open Circle for the past four years and we’ve introduced dozens of men to this work.
As some of you know, I developed an “I-group Jumpstart Guide” as a tool for reinvigorating your i-group. Together with Tom Lundberg, Wes Flynn, and Jim Drews, we ran a seven week training using the “Guide” and it was an incredible success. Use it as a resource.
https://www.wvmkp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Willamette-Valley-I-Group-JumpStart-Guide-June-2021.pdf
Last December I stepped into an Area position, taking on the i-group Coordinator position for the Northwest. It is a position that stretches me and brings up fear, but I know my passion for the work and my desire to push my growth edges will serve me well. My duties in this position will include: contacting each i-group (110) Rep in the Area, joining monthly nationwide calls, doing a yearly census, and doing what I can to improve the strength of Area i-groups. I can do this by bringing new ideas and energy to the Area. I hold a powerful passion for i-groups in my heart. I will bring this passion to our local Willamette Valley and to the Northwest Area. Look for updates about what is happening in our Area and nationwide in the coming issues of the Communication Letter.
I look forward to working with all of you.
Kelly Staines, Golden Retriever
Area I-Group Coordinator,
Initiated at Camp Wa-Ri-Ki in 2011 |
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Calling All I-Groups
A Call to strengthen and organize our Willamette Valley I-Groups |
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| Boost Your I-Group
At the North America I-Group Reps meeting, participants were asked to answer the following question “What are some ways to strengthen or re-energize i-groups?”.
These are some of the answers.
- Invite men from Open Groups or uninitiated men to your I-Group
- Plan for succession of leadership in your I-group and in your community.
- Create, staff and/or attend PIT trainings,
- Schedule local I-group facilitation and process trainings,
- Have a group call with I-group Reps and give a health report on groups
- Use the I-group jumpstart guide to help men with facilitation skills,
- Create virtual open men’s groups
- Create ways for men to interconnect between I-groups.
- Have i-group rep and backup rep attend the monthly I-group rep meeting.
- Set up regular mentoring support connections with each man.
What do you see for yourself and for your I-group in what these men shared?
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Let’s organize our I-Groups!
Update your circle information on MKP Connect. Step by step instructions can be found on our website.
https://www.wvmkp.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/MKP_Connect_How_To.pdf
Please go on MKP connect for your particular I-group to make sure the list is accurate. If there are adjustments that need to be made, please reach out to your I-group admin and or I-group REP for corrections. To view your I-group, login at https://mkpconnect.org, then click the Willamette Valley button. I-groups are listed on the left. |
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Our community is in need of men who are willing to help start up new I-groups as many I-groups are now full or over capacity.
Leadership is asking for any volunteers to help with starting groups until those groups are fully established.
Please reach out to Steve Newcomb or Kelly Staines if you are called to help our newly virtually trained members.
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| Looking for a growth opportunity
MKP has a number of training opportunities. A sampling is below.
To see the entire list, go here |
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Readers’ Questions Answered
(Please send your questions to be answered to info@wvmkp.org |
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| Q: What are the contributing membership funds used for?
A: Membership funds are used to keep the organization going.
- That includes funds for developing online courses,
- funds for NWTA expenses (once they get going),
- tracking inquiries and working with areas to place men in I-group.
We have over 200 men here in the NW who are waiting for NWTA, or have done one of the online training or are sitting in group. The online offerings have been developed since the pandemic started and are key to MKP engagement efforts.
If you are not already a contributing member, you can sign up here.
https://mkpconnect.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=63
Note: Choose Northwest
If you would just like to donate, you can do so here
http://mkpconnect.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=62
Note: Choose Northwest – MKP USA Area in the ‘Select Area’ drop down menu, and then select Northwest General Donation or Northwest Scholarship Fund in the ‘Select Contribution Type’ drop down menu.
Thank you for the question, please continue to send in questions for future editions.
info@wvmkp.org |
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