Willamette Valley ManKind Project
March 2022 Newsletter
Newsletter narrated by NW Area I-Group Coordinator, Kelly Staines
“You wouldn’t plant a seed and then dig it up every few minutes to see if it has grown.
So why do you keep questioning yourself, your hard work and your decisions?
Have patience, stop overthinking and keep watering your seeds.”
 – Steven Bartlett
 
NW Area Steward Corner
(Message from Steve)
We have close to 200 men who have indicated interest in the NWTA or online trainings or Joining I-Groups. If you think back to the weekend – we line men up at the door and say “go knock on that door and when it opens and you go through, your life as a man may never be the same.” The door has been closed for 2 years now and men are waiting. I believe it is time to open the door to the NWTA and keep the door open into our I-Groups. I need your support and help to do that.
 

Look inside and see if you are ready to step up and help by supporting your community leadership. In the next month there will be a concrete proposal to restart our NWTA’s this summer and invite men to go through the door. We on the other side of the door need to be ready to support these men on their journey with pre-weekend circles, welcome home events and I-Groups.

 

I invite you to go back to your weekend experience and remember the Wildman – Gift story and remember what it felt like when the adventurer showed up in the village that had been afraid to go out in the forest for fear of the monster that lived out there and ate men for breakfast. That adventurer had only one question for the sovereign – “Is there anything around here a man really shouldn’t do?” And when the sovereign spoke of something dangerous and sketchy he said “that’s exactly what I want to do!” And later in the Gift story when the sovereign, the little boy and the adventurer are reunited the words are “you are the gift” Pass it around and feel it.

Now is the time to step into your and my gift and reach out for the next man.…they are waiting at the door.

 

…and yes we might be knocked off course by the pandemic but I that won’t stop us forever. I believe it is worth it to hit the restart button and fire up the machine. We together are one of the most capable groups of men I know. Men are waiting!
MKP Brother, Ingram Alder expressing his gratitude and checking out with our community as his journey takes him to the East coast

Message from Kelly Staines, NW Area I-Group Coordinator.
 

What is the heart and soul of the Project for you? For many men, it’s the NWTA. The NWTA is the foundation of our work and there is so much more.
Dig in with a training opportunity, either Zoom or in-person. You’ll find a full list of training and programs here: https://mkpusa.org/training-catalog/. It’s got programs for both NWTA grads and non-grads. The Core Series is a training series to enhance a man’s leadership skills relative to his I-Group. Good stuff!
Here is another link: https://youtu.be/eDQm7s2mgOk This is a YouTube video of the offered trainings portion of the latest IGC meeting.
If there is enough interest in a particular training in an area, in person trainings are a possibility. Contact me for more information regarding this. Things are beginning to change.
Is there was a path where a non-grad could become a Warrior? The answer is a no, a man can become a Brother, but not a Warrior. That can only be achieved through completion of the NWTA.

Circle Safety – https://www.wvmkp.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Circle_Safety_MHRT.pdf
 
QPR Institute Training
As a gift with your MKP USA Membership contribution, you’re invited to take the free online suicide prevention Training called

QPR: Question / Persuade / Refer.
This is a powerful tool to have when working with men.
 
To register follow the link below:
 
In service,
 
Kelly Staines
Golden Retriever
 
 

Inspiration of the month

Have you ever considered viewing our impact on others?
We encourage you to look at it from perhaps a new perspective
I’ve lived as a man & a woman — here’s what I learned
Paula Stone Williams
 
Know an uninitiated man who might be interested in men’s work?
These could be for him:
The Men’s Work
3-week Online Live Course
https://mkpusa.org/themenswork/
Impact: For Men Under 40
Rising to the Challenge of a New World – Together
https://mkpusa.org/impact/
 
Raymond Albano recently took time to attend the Men’s Work and provided his thoughts on his experience. The full review can be found on our website.
Here are a few excerpts:
 

the Men’s Work
review by Raymond Albano

I have been supporting the Open Men Circle since it started. And, I’m standing for every man having a circle to be a part of, who wants one. A circle where a man is safe to speak authentically and is heard without interruption. the Men’sWork https://mkpusa.org/themenswork/  is a great pathway for men.

When I first heard about the online training the Men’sWork, I checked it out. It is an introduction to men’s work, where a man can ‘get his feet wet’.  The training is facilitated by MKP men, takes place over three 90 minute online sessions, one week apart. And costs $75

….

The training is professional. In my training there were 5 other men from locations including Pittsburg, San Diego and Maryland. Two Co-facilitators and a facilitator in training. We got honest with each other fast and experienced a similar intimacy as I do in my I-Group. I also got paired up with a buddy to connect with during the week.

….

the Men’Work is an inexpensive and powerful introduction to men’s work. It is also a good ‘restart’ for MKP brothers who want to get the juice going again on their personal growth journey. 

Raymond Albano
Cougar (taking cold showers)
 
“Instead of working so hard to make ends meet, work on having fewer ends”. 

– Courtney Carver
Upcoming Trainings for I-Group Vibrancy

We continue to look for men who want to takeI-Group Facilitation Training.  Please have men sign up at the waitlist on that page or email Ken Shultz, kenshultz10@gmail.com.
MKP has a Mental Health Resource Team (MHRT)

MHRT is available on MKPConnect when men share that they’re in crisis or needing more support.
https://mkpusa.org/mental-health-resource-team/
What is Grief?
 

“We define it quite broadly as the nexus of emotions, pains, woundings, traumas and more from our present, past and even future events.”

There is so much to grieve! Loss of a loved one, pain and illness, national and global crises, isolation, mass shootings, loss of a dream, environmental devastation, loss of place, anxiety-producing government and corporate pronouncements.
 

Does this resonant with you? 
 
Consider if releasing your pain in a village setting is right for you.

 

GRIEVING CEREMONY

(hosted by Cascadia Quest)

APRIL 9 – 10, 2022
Eugene

 
 
Looking for a growth opportunity

MKP has a number of training opportunities. A sampling is below.
To see the entire list, go here
Sessions
start Mar. 27th, 2022
Learn More
Sessions
start Apr. 5th, 2022
Learn More
Sessions start Apr. 6th, 2022
Learn More
 
 Vulnerability sounds like truth, feels like Courage. Truth and Courage are not always Comfy but they are never weaknesses.

– Brene Brown

When is the Next NWTA?
 
In recent emails from MKP USA Chair Darryl Hansome, he expressed his commitment to getting us back to NWTAs, and to to keep talking to us about in-person events weekly until we come to our first live NWTA.
 
“Unless a new or more dangerous variant comes forward, it looks like we’ll be back in action during the late spring / early summer in most places.” “We need to be able to ensure that a basic standard of safety can be met.” “I’m probably as impatient as anyone in the project about all this. I understand how much this matters to so many of you, and also understand how much this matters to me.”

“We have several trainings scheduled for April and several for May. I’m hopeful that many of these can now go forward.

I’m remaining tenacious as I continue to talk to you about all of this. I understand how much this matters to so many of you, and also understand how much this matters to me.”
 

 
We are planning three NWTAs in the Northwest in 2022. We are confirming dates in July, September and December. More info will be forthcoming. 

In the meantime….
Our Canadian MKP Brothers are calling:
 
Are you interested in being part of the next NWTA in BC?
This is your invitation to apply to Staff or MOS for their annual Father’s Day NWTA.

Chilliwack Lake, BC, June 16-19th, 2022

Chilliwack Lake is a truly spectacular site, off grid, 2 hours east of Vancouver. Applications to staff and MOS are open now.

Men are ready, waiting, and hungry for this work. There are already 15 participants registered. This weekend will fill up, with a waitlist. Now we need to start building the container for the men who are coming.

The deadline to apply is midnight, Friday, April 15th, 2022.

All Staff / MOS applications are now submitted online at: https://www.mkpconnect.org

If you have any questions, reach out to the weekend coordinator – Matthew Carroll at matthew.finn.carroll@gmail.com
OPEN MEN’S CIRCLE
Password: 202020