The Mankind Project of Houston

Dec Graduation

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:58:08 GMT

Dec Graduation
Start Date: 18-Dec-08 6:30 PM
End Time: 18-Dec-08 9:30 PM
Location: MKP Houston Center
Speaker:

Event Details:

MKP Houston Center

Mission Service Project

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:15:40 GMT

Mission Service Project
Start Date: 13-Dec-08 8:00 AM
End Time: 13-Dec-08 12:00 PM
Location: College Park Memorial Cemetery
Speaker:

Event Details:

Renovation and lawn maintenance.

Contact Lamont Grogan, 713-806-7844. Team meets on-site.

College Park Memorial Cemetery

NWTA

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:58:09 GMT

NWTA
Start Date: 12-Dec-08 5:30 PM
End Time: 14-Dec-08 5:30 PM
Location: Land Of My Grandfathers
Speaker:

Event Details:

Land Of My Grandfathers

Thursday Staff Meeting

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:56:44 GMT

Thursday Staff Meeting
Start Date: 11-Dec-08 6:30 PM
End Time: 11-Dec-08 9:30 PM
Location: MKP Houston Center
Speaker:

Event Details:

MKP Houston Center

Lamont Grogan Elder Meeting

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:07:20 GMT

Lamont Grogan Elder Meeting
Start Date: 6-Dec-08 8:30 AM
End Time: 6-Dec-08 5:30 PM
Location: MKP Lodge, Houston, TX 77092
Speaker:

Event Details:

MKP Lodge

6950 West 43rd Street

Houston, TX 77092

December Monday Staff Mtg

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:55:16 GMT

December Monday Staff Mtg
Start Date: 24-Nov-08 6:30 PM
End Time: 24-Nov-08 8:30 PM
Location: MKP Houston Center (Lodge), Houston, TX 77092
Speaker:

Event Details:

MKP Houston Center (Lodge)

6950 West 43rd Street

Houston, TX 77092

Nov Graduation

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:53:42 GMT

Nov Graduation
Start Date: 20-Nov-08 6:30 PM
End Time: 20-Nov-08 9:30 PM
Location: MKP Houston Center
Speaker:

Event Details:

MKP Houston Center

NWTA

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:54:23 GMT

NWTA
Start Date: 14-Nov-08 5:30 PM
End Time: 16-Nov-08 5:30 PM
Location: Land Of My Grandfathers
Speaker:

Event Details:

Land Of My Grandfathers

Thursday Staff Meeting

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:52:13 GMT

Thursday Staff Meeting
Start Date: 13-Nov-08 6:30 PM
End Time: 13-Nov-08 9:30 PM
Location: MKP Houston Center
Speaker:

Event Details:

MKP Houston Center

Open Circle

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:28:40 GMT

Open Circle
Start Date: 8-Nov-08 9:00 AM
End Time: 8-Nov-08 11:00 AM
Location: MKP Houston Center (Lodge), Houston, TX 77092
Speaker:

Event Details:

MKP Houston Center (Lodge)

6950 West 43rd Street

Houston, TX 77092

Mission Service Project

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:23:02 GMT

Start Date: 31-Dec-08 7:00 AM
End Time: 31-Dec-08 9:30 AM

The Way Station

Mission Service Project

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:23:02 GMT

Start Date: 29-Dec-08 7:00 AM
End Time: 29-Dec-08 9:30 AM

The Way Station

Mission Service Project

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:23:02 GMT

Start Date: 24-Dec-08 7:00 AM
End Time: 24-Dec-08 9:30 AM

The Way Station

Mission Service Project

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:23:02 GMT

Start Date: 22-Dec-08 7:00 AM
End Time: 22-Dec-08 9:30 AM

The Way Station

Mission Service Project

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:23:02 GMT

Start Date: 17-Dec-08 7:00 AM
End Time: 17-Dec-08 9:30 AM

The Way Station

Mission Service Project

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:23:02 GMT

Start Date: 15-Dec-08 7:00 AM
End Time: 15-Dec-08 9:30 AM

The Way Station

Mission Service Project

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:23:02 GMT

Start Date: 10-Dec-08 7:00 AM
End Time: 10-Dec-08 9:30 AM

The Way Station

Mission Service Project

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:23:02 GMT

Start Date: 8-Dec-08 7:00 AM
End Time: 8-Dec-08 9:30 AM

The Way Station

Head, Heart and Soul

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:06:40 GMT

Start Date: 4-Dec-08 7:00 PM
End Time: 4-Dec-08 8:30 PM

MKP Houston Center (Lodge)

6950 West 43rd Street

Houston, TX 77092

Mission Service Project

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:23:02 GMT

Start Date: 3-Dec-08 7:00 AM
End Time: 3-Dec-08 9:30 AM

The Way Station

From the Board Chair

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:45:00 GMT

From the Board Chair
by Dave “King Snake” Steitz

Drumming…faint….distant at first. Then louder, more frequent. Different tones….different pitches. Short bursts…longer phrases…extended solos. Urgent, insistent…inviting....questioning. Men in conversation. Planning... committing…taking action…celebrating. The forest is alive with the voices of passionate and committed men.

For the past few months, my cell phone has been buzzing with e-mails from and about the Men of The Mankind Project –Houston…Men in Mission. The electronic forest is alive and buzzing. Now, at all hours of the day and night, men are in conversation, and more importantly, in action; serving, creating and celebrating our community. The recent Mission & Service Team event at The Beacon is a tangible example. See the article about the event further down on this page.

In February, our new Board of 32 Brothers began to focus on the issues and initiatives that will continue the growth and prosperity of our community set in motion by last year’s Board, under the able leadership of Mel Taylor.

The 2008 Board has been structured and defined to reflect the broad range our Community needs, from the practical of Finance and Facilities to the expansive vision of Mission and Multi-Culturalism. Using our shared Weekend Adventure experience as a model, we have formed Teams, listed elsewhere in this issue, to accomplish objectives and achieve results to the benefit of the whole. To our knowledge, this level of clarity and accountability has never been attempted before. The time is now.

And as with our Weekend Adventure, it takes every man, not just leaders and coordinators, to complete the circle. We invite men to step up in each area to participate in the building of MKP-Houston. Listen to where your passion lies and commit to being part of this adventure. Call or email a team leader and ask how you can help.

Your drum is welcome to the symphony of the forest. Add your voice and your passion today.

In Service,
Dave “King Snake” Steitz
January 2001

28-Mar-08 11:45 AM

From the Editor

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:45:00 GMT

From the Editor
by Mike “Lionman” Leone

There aren’t that many current movies that I really get curious about. Still, occasionally I’ll hear about one or another film that will grab my attention, sometimes in spite of myself. Such was the case with the recent film Beowulf. Letting go of my original resistance to see it at all, I finally gave in, and not without first deciding to get ready for it by first reading the eighth-century poem that the film is based on and which is relatively short.

There were certainly details of the story line of the film that were different than the poem, the treatment of Grendel’s mother, for example, and the fact that Beowulf allowed himself to tell a lie, something no self-respecting mediaeval hero would have ever been caught dead doing, at a crucial point in the story. The writers of the film have given some justification for these plot changes and they do make sense. Not that this matters; every generation has taken the great legends and made them their own. So I disagree with those purists who have decried the plot changes.

What amazed me is how much the film was true to the spirit of the original, down to the fleeting references to a religion that was still fairly new at the time, even if the references are somewhat more sophisticated in the film. I read one essay on the poem that indicated that its principal theme is that of the importance of achieving fame or glory, that achieving renown among one’s fellows is the only way that one’s name will live on after death. Even this theme is alluded to briefly in the film.

There are no coincidences, and it’s probably not a coincidence that the earliest surviving literature—a lot of it was lost or destroyed—of most western nations that has come down to us consists of the epic poems, which were finally written after being conveyed orally for centuries, and that these poems celebrate the exploits of a hero such as Beowulf, be it El Cid for the Spaniards, Roland for the French, or Siegfried for the Germans. Every generation needs its heroes; or in the modern parlance “idols.” In fact, this issue of the DRUM reprints an article from 2002 that shows, through the character of one Gavin Knox Lodge III, how important it is to us that we have heroes.

I think what has changed since those days of the epic heroes is that the heroes of today don’t usually seek fame for themselves. They just become heroes in the eyes of others through their deeds, as was the case with Gavin. Certainly the men of the ManKind project who have been participating in our missions of service are heroes in their own right although I doubt any of them would consider themselves as such.

This issue of the DRUM shares the story of the our first mission of service, at The Beacon. It also gives details of upcoming service projects and other ways that you can get involved in this new direction in which we are going.

This issue of the DRUM also features an article by Dave Steitz, the new Board Chair, discussing the new teams that have been set up and these teams and their goals are also set forth. There is also another article in our new “Elder Voice” series.

I’m still looking for your stories of your personal adventures and growth or whatever else you wish to share with the New Warrior community through the DRUM. You can send them to me at lionman499@yahoo.com or else just leave them for me at the lodge.

I hope you enjoy this issue of the Drum, and I look forward to talking with you again next issue. And nurture that hero who is inside of you!

28-Mar-08 11:45 AM

The Elder Voice

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:30:00 GMT

The Elder Voice
by Luis Bautista and Lamont Grogan

“An Elder’s work is to synthesize wisdom from long life experience and formulate this into a legacy for future generations.” Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

“What is our legacy?” is the question asked in the new 2008 Elder Action Plan which was presented to the elder body in a March 1st meeting. One of the suggestions put forth is to have elders visit existing I-Groups as guest magicians to personally inform the groups of the elders’ role in the MKP Houston community. Messages being explored are: what is the difference between being old and being an elder?; the elder body is not an exclusive circle and is open to men of all ages in the community; the elders are looking to increase the ranks of the elder community, participate in volunteer programs such as Ken Rogers’ “Men in Mission,” and welcome men to elderhood by offering training that prepares a man for genuine elderhood. Elders who have stepped up for the visiting magician program are Don Burton, Jim Rosborough, Bernie Rogers, Sonny Elliot, Lamont Grogan and Luis Bautista. We are looking for more elders to join us. If you are interested contact Luis Bautista.

Elder Thoughts: Some of the men in our Houston elder community are taking a look at what is missing in their lives and in the life of our community, and they are considering how elders can continue and extend the work that so profoundly affected us all on the weekend. Some elders believe that what is missing is spirituality. Our personal lives and our communal experience could be more spiritual and less profane. Being closer to death, as elders are, moves men to consider what is really important in their time remaining on this earth. When elders imagine themselves on their death bed, and speculate at what their regrets will be, what will they speculate? Will they regret not working more, not making more money, not driving nicer cars or not living in bigger homes? Regrets will probably center on the quality of relationships. The feelings of love not spoken, the time not taken with children, wives, family and friends, and the lost opportunities to live a more authentic life, will probably be the sources of regrets.

Elders are in the question of what is missing and the answer for many is spirituality. How can a deeper connection to “spirit” improve our lives, our values, and our communal life? What can elders do to prepare themselves to assume the traditional elder role in their community? How can elders prepare themselves to be worthy of being elders in the traditional way?

The Houston elder community recently constituted a group called the Spiritual Elders. Five men stood for positions representing the four directions and the axis mundi. These men were selected by the elder community at large, and have undertaken training from Luis Bautista in prayer, blessings, and meditative practices. They have incorporated spiritual practices into their daily lives. It is believed that this training will move men to reconsider what is important to a life well lived and influence men to place more value on sharing and community.

In the future elders will conduct workshops and contribute in other ways to elevate awareness of the importance of spirit in our daily lives. Spirituality in this context transcends religion, as we generally experience it. In this context spirit is thought to be the life force in each man that is connected to every other man and the universe at large. It honors the idea that all people are connected, that everything is connected and sacred. Men are born into this world to discover their gifts and deliver those gifts to the world. Native American beliefs and ritual are helpful to us in exploring “spirit,” especially the continuous expression of gratitude, humility, and service characterized by traditional native life. Through this effort elders seek to enrich their own lives and the life of our community. For many elders this is a time of questioning, learning and a call to invite more fulfillments into their lives and the life of our warrior community. Stay tuned for further developments.

Future Plans: The elders have begun holding quarterly meetings at the lodge; for the remainder of 2008, the meetings will take place on June 7, September 6, and December 6. These meeting will further the business of elders such as the fall retreat. Additionally the meetings will feature programs of singing prayer and a fulfilling shares experience. Meetings will be open to all initiated men of any age. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend.

28-Mar-08 11:30 AM

New Training Committee Formed at MKPH

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:30:00 GMT

New Training Committee Formed at MKPH
by Keith “Healing Bear” Liles
MKPH Training Coordinator

New at MKP Houston for 2008 is the emergence of the Training Committee, and attached to that group of volunteers is the hope for a powerful year of both required and special interest trainings for the Houston Community.

Historically, Houston has planned many educational trainings, such as Basic Staff Development Training, Leader Training I and Leader Training II, and others, with the best of intentions. Sadly, many have had to be canceled due to lack of registrants. At the close of 2007, John Gaughan suggested that MKPH select a Training Coordinator who would step in to oversee a community-wide training initiative that would best ensure the necessary efforts toward scheduling, marketing and enrollment, so that the trainings materialize.

I decided to take on this challenge and feel amazingly fortunate to have a committee of Board members and other men in the community who have agreed to come together in 2008 to design and implement a training program that will meet both the certification requirements of the leaders in training, as well as expose Warriors and other Houstonians to special interest speakers on topics related to our work.

Special accolades and thanks to this year’s Training Committee: Steve Crowder, Russell Miller, Tommy LaFon, Tom Flaherty, Alex McDougald and Josh Tannery.

The first training success for the year was the recent Basic Staff Training Development workshop that was held the weekend of March 7-9. Twelve men attended the training which was facilitated by MKP Leaders Gene Perry and John Gaughan, and coordinated by Josh Tannery.

Stay tuned for more exciting training announcements. If you would like to be involved on the Training Committee or share with the team a speaker you would like us to feature, please contact me at klbaylor80@aol.com.

28-Mar-08 11:30 AM

Upcoming Service Opportunities

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:30:00 GMT

Upcoming Service Opportunities

Sat April 5: College Part Cemetery Cleanup 7:30 am to 4:00 PM.

We need 25 men to help clean up a historic black cemetery in partnership with young probationers. With thanks to Lamont Grogan. To learn about this exciting project, click here: http://www.thinkingpartners.com/MKP/MemorialPark.htm

Sat April 26: Homeless Outreach 10:00 am to 2 pm

SEARCH serves more than 10,000 homeless people annually, providing them with the tools to work and achieve self sufficiency. With thanks to Lamont Grogan. We need 25 men for meaningful work projects on this Saturday. Click http://www.thinkingpartners.com/MKP/Search.htm for more information.

Sat May 24: Homeless Meal Service 9:30 am to 2:30 pm

The Beacon Christ Church. With thanks to Tom Oldham

To volunteer up for any of these projects email Bruce@thinkingpartners.com, or if you have questions on this announcement call Bruce at 713/882-5285.

For questions on Men in Mission call Ken Rogers at 713/501-4773.

28-Mar-08 11:30 AM

Teams and Team Goals for 2008

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:30:00 GMT

Teams and Team Goals for 2008

The 2008 Board has taken an unprecedented step by setting up teams to accomplish particular goals to benefit our community. Following is a list of the current members of each team and the goals for that team. Please take a look at the teams, find one that speaks to you, and come help us accomplish these goals. The time is now; the place is here.

Communications: Team: Adam Nisenson (chair), Wade Quinn- (legal), Bruce Anderson, Mike Leone (DRUM), Tuong Ngo, John Sturtevant (writer and website), Lenny Hoffman. Goals: establish guidelines for brand identity and communications consistency; establish media communications policies.

Development: Team: Scott Cole (chair), Tom Oldham, Tony Randazzo, Tom Flaherty, Elliot Rose (Gala), Steve Boon. Goal: generate $300K outside of the MKP Community.

Enrollment: Team: Eduardo Somoza (chair), Jan Christiansen, Myke Smith, Greg Gondron, Tom Halloran, Frank Elizondo, John Gaughan. Goal: initiate 280 men by December 31, 2008.

Facilities: Team: Joe LaFico (chair), Steve Boon, Ken Newberry, Bryan Siegel, Kevin O'Neal, Alex McDougald, Danny McDougald. Goals: complete LOMG repairs and updates; generate $20K of facilities rental income; reduce annual facilities spending by $5,000.

Finance: Team: Jerry England (chair), Jack Pointer, Lamont Grogan, Joe LaFico, Tony Randazzo, Steve Boon, Eduardo Somoza, Mari Guas, Frank Elizondo. Goals: refinance the MKP-Houston Center; conduct an internal audit; generate $300K funds (dues, internal fundraising, host events, and alternative sources of revenue); create a functional accounts receivable system.

Integration: Team: Thomas Flaherty (chair), Russell Miller, Chris Cefalu, Tommy LaFon, Keith Liles, Alex McDougald, Mari Guas. Goals: update I-Group curriculum; establish a retention goal; create a guest magician directory; evaluate facilitators and their competencies; develop protocol for open I-groups or transitioning an existing I-group; establish up to 10 open I-groups; develop a database of the I-groups, meeting times and locations.

Mission and Service: Team: Ken Rogers (chair), Ernest Patterson, Alistair Livingstone, Bruce Anderson, Eduardo Somoza, Lamont Grogan, Joel Ferguson, Elliot Rose, Bryan Siegel, Ken Newberry, Thomas Flaherty, Tom Halloran, Wade Quinn, Joe LaFico. Goal: hold six events involving 100 men.

Multi-Culturalism: Team: Lenny Hoffman (chair), Vaughan Counts, Patrick Vachon, Russell Miller, Tommy LaFon, John Gaughan, Prentiss Jones. Goal: Put on six multi-cultural functions (including at least one “Isms & Issues” (I&I) training).

Training: Team: Keith Liles (chair), Thomas Flaherty, Russell Miller, Tommy LaFon, Alex McDougald, Chris Cefalu. Goals: establish a database of people who needs specific training; hold at least four specific trainings (BSDT, LT-1, LT-2 and LT-3).

28-Mar-08 11:30 AM

Clothing Drive

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:15:00 GMT

Clothing Drive

One of the charitable agencies that Men in Mission is scheduling for volunteer service is SEARCH, located downtown. They provide a wide range of badly needed services, some of which are beyond our capacities, but many of which we can provide.

An immediate need is the need for used clothing, specifically men’s, though women’s would be welcome.

This is an appeal to you men to bring your retired clothing. They are looking specifically for trousers, jeans, shirts of all kinds, jackets, sweaters, and even shoes.

Be sure that what you bring is clean and serviceable. The drop-off point is the Seeker Room of the Lodge. A Men in Mission team will deliver the clothing when it is accumulated.

Box:

Donation of Retired Clothing
In Particular: Shirts, Pants, Jackets, Sweaters, Shoes
Where: The Lodge, Seeker Room
When: Now

MEN IN MISSION

28-Mar-08 11:15 AM

Modern Hero

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Modern Hero
by Joel Reed

[Editor’s Note: The following article originally appeared in the March/April 2002 issue of the online DRUM.]

On Sunday, October 8, 2001, I attended a Lectio Divina service and heard a passage that was read that day in many other congregations that follow the Christian tradition. This passage came from the prophet Habakkuk in the ancient Hebrew scriptures:

“O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and thou wilt not hear? Or cry to thee ‘Violence!’ and thou wilt not save? Why dost thou make me see wrongs and look upon trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. . . .

“And the LORD answered me, ‘Write the vision; make it plain upon tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail, but the righteous shall live by his faith.’”

The previous day, Saturday, October 7, 2001, I had sat with my brother New Warrior Elders in council near Wimberley, Texas, for our quarterly meeting. During our check-in, hearing much expression of emotion summoned up by the recent terrorist attacks, I thought back to my relationship with Gavin Knox Lodge, III, the first initiated New Warrior I had ever met. Gavin, a truly just man, worked for me in Denver in the mid-1980s, some years prior to my New Warrior initiation in November 1993.

Gavin Lodge worked in my office as an investigator, facilitator, mediator and litigator. He was big and profane and, despite having taken a law degree from Vanderbilt University after his Vietnam yes, described himself as a “dumb jarhead” Marine. Gave was a man who could curse with the vitality and music of the Marine he still was. And he also shared that music by singing in the choir of the little Methodist church where we were later to hold his funeral service. At that service, the entire choir turned out to sing his requested favorites; and, at his wife’s request, I read his eulogy.

This was a man who had no fear of death. “Hell, Reed, I already died, at least twice!,” once when he had been blown off a ‘track’ and severely burned in the field in Viet Nam, and once on the table in surgery, at Brooke Army Hospital in San Antonio. It was there he met his wife-to-be, Marsha, a nurse at the burn center. Because of his injuries, he remained a walking scene of desolation. Where he wasn’t scarred from the burns, he was scarred from the skin graft donor sites. He constantly had to shave the ears and the nose they built him because the tissue came from somewhere on his backside where he grew hair. The fingers that were burned down to the bone were fused into grotesque claws, with which he could type more than 120 words a minute, at the same time continually breaking keyboards. He put drops into his eyes continually and wore an eye patch to sleep, because what remained of his eyelids wouldn’t quite close.

When he was diagnosed with cancer, they did the surgery at FitzSimmons Army Hosiptal. Despite having been given three months to live, Gave toughed it out for almost two more years. “Damn it, Reed! Who knew dying could be so hard or take so long!?”

Driven by his desire for truth and justice, Gavin continued to come to work as the recurring, inoperable tumor grew inside his skull. He eventually lost his ability to walk, and had to resort to a walker and later to a wheelchair, until our bosses required him not to report for duty.

He lived from his faith. Before his death at age 34, we used to sit and talk of things spiritual. Gave said he never experienced any epiphany, no voices nor visions of things to come. Rather, his spirituality was simple. He loved his wife, Marsha, and his boy, Gavin IV. He loved his friends. He loved his life and lived it to the full. He loved me, enough to cuss me out or kick my butt, when that was the kindest, most loving thing he could do. He loved peace. One of my fondest recollections of Gave is of him speaking of his hatred for war.

In fact, he hated anything that even reminded him of war. I remember one time, in earlier days, when he went elk hunting with us. He was the first one out of the sliding door of that old VW bus and into the brush, in pursuit of several mule deer that crossed the road in front of us. But he never went again. He said it was too much like jumping from a helicopter after little guys in black pajama uniforms.

Despite his contempt for war, he volunteered for the Viet Nam conflict and led his “ROKs” (Marines from the Republic of Korea) out of a sense of duty, honor, country,” and family tradition. He lived a hero, and he kept the faith. He lived out his faith, and he lived in love. My last image of the greatness of this giant’s love was seeing his ravaged body on a gurney at FitzSmmons with ice-filled latex surgical gloves on his eyes, in order to preserve the corneas for donation.

“The Just shall live by Faith. Not out of Justice, but from his faithfulness, holding to his faith.” The prayer that arises in my heart with these musings is to have in my own life the love, the hope, and the faithfulness to my mission, my spiritual path, that I witnessed in Gavin Knox Lodge, III. And to be able, as I watched Gave do so long, to wait.

The prophet is enjoined to write down his vision. Now I have expressed onto this paper the vision which came to me in a circle of men, a circle engaged in centering prayer on the day American warplanes began bombing Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan. And while justice and accountability are important, and while my tax moneys go to contain terrorism and deprive terrorists of the means to destroy more innocent lives, I must keep faith with my best self and with those who trust us not to become what we abhor. I must, like Gavin Knox Lodge, III, be motivated by love and by a caring which is willing to wait. Semper Fi, Gave.

28-Mar-08 11:00 AM

Song of the New Warrior

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Song of the New Warrior
By Mark “Accepted Deer” Joslin

I have walked this field before.
It is the field where my father walked,
and his before him.
But today this field seems fuller than ever, alive with the motion
and vibration of life.
The grasshopper’s play and the spider’s dance are illumined
by the eastern sun.
And today I step differently, embracing the chaos, unwary and
unfearful of serpents lurking beneath
my feet. The southern fire guides me onward.
My walking brings me to the old,
stagnant pond.
Lingering there I notice the decay and
film of years of neglect and abuse.
The vision is painful,
hard to accept.
But the surface shows my
reflection to me, broken by ripples
From movement below, reminding me that life is alive,
and living is living,
Even in the murk of the forgotten.
The circling hawks above me float
on the north-blown air,
Giving testimony that life does, indeed,
come from death.

And so I turn.
Westward – sun glinting off determined,
passionate tear in my eye.
With solid pace, I return to the journey,
my feet firmly trusting the wisdom of Mother Earth.
And as I move through shadows
of forests unknown, I hear
The song of the new warrior.

28-Mar-08 11:00 AM

Dance of Life

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Dance of Life
By Kim Sawyer

Dance wildly your freedom.
Fingers and toes tingle your passion
With reckless abandon.
Play!

Soar on wings of your envisionment.
Ascend on swollen thermals of oneness
With All, whose spirit ignites
And fuels that searing spark
Of Soul
That, in each and All, serves to conduct
the mad, swirling, wondrous
Dance of Life.

Drink deep draughts of your joy –
Rolling invincible waves on the Soul-sea surface.
Lifted on massive heart-beat swells –
from far below.

Stop, look, feel, be – All.
Then toss back your head
And laugh!
Frolicking freely in the field
Of All possibilities.

28-Mar-08 11:00 AM

Hearing Things Differently.

noemail@mkphouston.org — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 13:00:00 GMT

When I got home Sunday night after the November New Warrior Training Adventure, my wife asked me the usual question: “How was it?” “Humbling” I told her. Like all training weekends, there was magic happening everywhere at the training site. Among the staff, among the initiates, and around the circle. But this weekend was different. Among the 32 new initiates, 9 men were deaf or hard of hearing. Two staffers were deaf, and 4 were hearing men who served as interpreters. Throughout the weekend, men who can hear saw a world of expressive communication most had never seen before. And the deaf and hard of hearing men experienced an acceptance ¬– no, something more – an embracing love many had thought didn’t exist. It was humbling. But it took a while to find that feeling. Like most of the other staffers on the weekend, I checked in with fear at the first staff meeting. Actually, that fear began back in September. When I learned the weekend...

Tom Grass - Realtor

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 19:00:00 GMT

I believe in being the best in my field. Service - Knowledge - Integrity - are first.

Recognized as a Houston Area Top Producer Year After Year by Houston Area Organizations and Publications.

Experienced in All Areas of Real Estate From Residential to Commercial.

Strong Listing Agent and Buyers Agent.

Give me a Call!

10 % of earned Commissions Donated to the Scolarship Fund. Love Referrals !

Tom Grass
Tomgrass1@aol.com

550 S. Post Oak

Houston, 77027

(713) 503-5954

The Center for Health & Healing

Thu, 10 May 2007 20:45:20 GMT

In 1983, the founder Dr. Nellie Grose, through a personal journey, realized her vision for a new kind of practice. Patients would become healthier through an extraordinary integration of traditional medical treatment and complementary therapies.

At The Center, health is regarded not as a mere absence of disease, but as a positive vitality: a balance of mind, body, and spirit. Here, we treat the person with the illness, rather than treating the disease itself, and treatment is a doctor-patient partnership, rather than a dictatorship.

One size does not fit all. Dr. Grose and her associates help each individual to achieve a new level of health and well-being. Treatment may mean a fresh outlook on a health problem that other physicians have said will be life-long. Or it could mean an easing of dependency on multiple medications that doctors have previously prescribed as the only option, since the mere treating of symptoms does not deal with the root of the problem.

Whether you are interested in holistic wellness, disease prevention, a new approach to your chronic health challenges, holistic pediatric care, and / or prevention of premature aging, The Center offers quite a few alternatives to consider.

Call (713) 660-6620 today for an appointment.

Dr. Nellie Grose
nellie.grose@tchh.net

230 Wescott

Houston, Texas 77007

(713) 660-6620

NuEnergySolutions.com

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:45:00 GMT

Our Renewable Energy Unit Program provides efficient solar power for homeowners in a simple, smart, and affordable way. As a NuEnergySolutions.com customer, you will benefit from:

•    No upfront investment
•    No installation costs
•    No maintenance fees
•    No permit hassles
•    No performance worries
•    No rate increases

If you can pay your electric bill, you can afford solar!

Jim Shaw
jshaw@nuenergysolutions.com

4545 Kingwood Drive

Kingwood, Texas 77345

(713) 545-5374

LPL Financial Services

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Thomas P. Williams, CLU, ChfC I have a full-service Financial Planning Practice that helps people develop and maintain sound Business Plans, Estate Plans, and Retirement Plans. I first entered the Financial Services Industry in 1973. I am a Graduate of Wake Forest University with a B.A. in Economics. I hold two advanced degrees from The American College in Bryn Mawr Pa., an accredited university. My Mission: To build a Financial Planning Practice based on the delivery of quality service and products, the development of long term client relationships, and the philosophy of serve first. I adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards. I am free to find the best products and services in the Industry for my clients assisted by Linscos strict Due Diligence Process. Free financial consultation. Please accept a free one-hour consultation to evaluate if I may help you achieve your dreams. Free monthly financial news. I write and publish a one page monthly newsletter on...

Extended Aftercare, Inc.

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Founded in 1988, Extended Aftercare has played an integral role in the recovery lives of thousands of men from across the United States.

As the largest private provider of extended care treatment for men in Texas, EAI offers Supportive Residential and Aftercare programming to clients suffering from alcoholism and drug abuse, as well as long term residential sober housing for program graduates.

EAI has built its success as a Sober Fraternity, focusing on the brotherhood of our recovering community and the depth of our alumni membership who remain connected long after their graduation from the program.

With a new executive and clinical team of dedicated Warriors, EAI is licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services, and contracted with the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, and the Veterans Administration.

Keith Liles
keithliles@extended-aftercare.com

5002 N. Shepherd

Houston, Texas 77018

(713) 695-8403

Thinking Partners, Inc.

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:00:00 GMT

We deliver results

Our work balances self-knowledge with bold action to enhance performance and organizational profitability. Leaders hire us to help develop awareness and design actions. They want to excel and make things happen.

Clients identify both our extensive business experience and our broad coaching skills as distinguishing benefits of working with Thinking Partners. Before becoming coaches, we held executive positions in Fortune 50 corporations, non-profit organizations, career transition consulting, energy, manufacturing, banking and entrepreneurial ventures.

Our clients often say that they can “talk shorthand” to Thinking Partners, who “have been there, done that.” We give frequent speeches and lead workshops at local, national and international coaching and business conferences.

Browse our site to learn more about how Thinking Partners can help you maximize your potential and your companies proftability.

Bruce Anderson
bruce@thinkingpartners.com

2311 Briar Branch

Houston, Texas 77042

(713) 882-5285

MBhomeloan.com

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 01:00:00 GMT

Meet Mike Biles:

Since 1989 I've been helping people make wise real estate finance decisions. As an experienced real estate broker, mortgage broker and active real estate investor for nearly twenty years, I have extensive knowledge in the business, which I enjoy sharing with all my customers.

Because we are a small shop with cutting edge technology, we are able to offer hundreds of loan products at the most competitive rates in the market. My reputation is my business. And I'm committed to honest, one on one, "I'll tell my friends about you" kind of quality service.

Active with MKP since August ’97.

You can reach me at:

Mike Biles
1601 W. 6th
Austin, Tx. 78703

512-771-8172
307-734-6453

www.mbhomeloan.com
mikebiles@aol.com

Mike Biles
mikebiles@aol.com

1601 W. 6th

Austin, Texas 78703

(512) 771-8172

MedPoint Search

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:00:00 GMT

Brian Stutt founded MedPoint Search in December, 2002, after 16 successful years in the healthcare sector of executive search.

A multiple award winner on the local, state, and national levels, Brian earned his CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant) designation in 1992, assuring his clients, candidates, and team members of his ongoing commitment to the highest standards and utmost integrity.

The proud father of two grown sons, Brian stays actively involved in his Yoga practice and his work with The Mankind Project.

"I consider it to be an absolute privilege when a national hospital group entrusts our firm to lead the search for the CEO of their new start up, or a Nurse Manager puts her career in our hands as she takes the next step upward. I could not imagine doing anything else. I consider myself a very blessed man."

Brian Stutt
brians@medpointsearch.com

P.O. Box 980043

Houston, Texas 77098

(713) 383-7252

True Light Resources

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 22:00:00 GMT

True Light Resources is a WebSite and Creative Design Studio with a unique flair. We believe that communication is the key component to providing our clients with a product that is completely representative of who they are. Our hands-on service model and client interaction are vital elements used to achieve this goal. We seek to learn the essence of our clients’ companies, their corporate culture, roots, personality, diversity of the people and goals. Using this collected data we create an electronic vision, producing web designs and marketing material as individualized as the clients we serve. True Light Resources maintains that a Website with emotion has far greater impact than a Website without emotion. Today’s Internet is saturated with a superabundance of data. A website must immediately grab the audience’s attention and hold it. At True Light Resources, we address this challenge by delivering information the audience seeks quickly and easily. We create...

England & Company- Certified Public Accountants

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 23:00:00 GMT

We are a full-service accounting firm dedicated to providing our clients with professional, personalized services and guidance in a wide range of financial and business needs.

ENGLAND & COMPANY
Certified Public Accountants

Since 1985, England & Company has been providing quality, personalized financial guidance to local individuals and businesses. Our expertise ranges from basic tax management and accounting services to more in-depth services such as audits, financial statements, and financial planning.

About Jerry England
Jerry works with small and medium sized businesses and individuals in the areas of tax, finance, estate and retirement planning. In addition, he provides retirement, profit sharing 401(k), and employee benefit plans (cafeteria plans)services. He specializes in the design, installation and administration of tax qualified pension and retirement plans.

Mr. England is presently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is serving on the Health Care Committee
and has served on the Litigation Services Committee of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, Houston Chapter. He has been Chairman of the Employee Benefits Committee of the CPA Associates International. Jerry has been a guest lecturer at the University of Houston.

Jerry England
jengland@england-cpa.com

4635 Southwest Frwy

Houston, Texas 77027

(713) 963-0060

Payments, Fees, Donations & Contributions

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:27:27 GMT

You can pay staffing fees and contribute to MKP Houston 2 ways: 1. Pay online with a credit card here. 2. Pay by check here. Donation Categories Staffing Fees - NWTA Weekend Staffing Fee - $100 MOS Staffing Fee - $45 Financial Assistance - You can offer financial assistance to men who want to attend a NWTA weekend. Any amount is welcome. IGroup Fees - Initial IGroup - $200 Ongoing IGroup - $5 per week or $20 per month Leadership Trainings Basic Staff Development Training (BSDT) - $250 Leader Training 1 - $250 Leader Training 2 - $250 Capital Campaign - Any gift is welcome toward helping to pay down our construction loan for the Mankind Center building. General Contribution - Any gift is welcome toward general operating expenses. Annual/Monthly Dues- Your Dues are an essential part of MKP Houston’s livelihood. MKP Houston is a non-profit organization, and your dues are...

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:25:10 GMT

To register online for The New Warrior Training Adventure, click the date below that you want to attend. 2008 Houston New Warrior Training Adventure Dates 07/25/08 - 07/27/08 08/22/08 - 08/24/08 09/19/08 - 09/21/08 10/17/08 - 10/19/08 11/14/08 - 11/16/08 12/12/08 - 12/14/08 2009 Houston New Warrior Training Adventure Dates 01/30/09 - 02/01/09 02/27/09 - 03/01/09 03/27/09 - 03/29/09 05/01/09 - 05/03/09 06/05/09 - 06/07/09 07/10/09 - 07/12/09 08/21/09 - 08/23/09 10/02/09 - 10/04/09 11/06/09 - 11/08/09 ...

Finances

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:27:36 GMT

Please use the following links to access online payment options:

Payment of annual donations, dues

Staffing & MOS fee payments

Contributions & Pledges

(Initial or Ongoing) I Group Fees

Commemorative Brick for LOMG

Mankind Center Houston

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:56:54 GMT

The ManKind Project® is a 501 c3, Non-profit, progressive mens organization striving to be increasingly inclusive and affirming of cultural differences, especially with respect to color, class, sexual orientation, faith, age, ability, ethnicity, and nationality. The ManKind Project offers trainings which support men in developing lives of integrity, accountability, and connection to feeling. Our trainings challenge men to develop their abilities as leaders, partners, fathers, and elders in order to offer their deepest gifts in service to the world. The ManKind Project is an educational organization committed to empowering men to missions of service. Except for those organizations listed on this page, MKP endorses, supports, and associates with no other organizations, therapies, programs, agendas, or philosophies. Any organization suggesting any other purposes or outcomes on their websites (or in their literature) for MKPs trainings is acting without MKPs consent or...

The Training/Retreat Center

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:55:01 GMT

Land Of My Grandfathers Located approximately 100 miles north of Houston and 160 miles south of Dallas, Land Of My Grandfathers is ideally situated for groups wishing to get away from the pressures and business of the city. Our center sits on eleven beautiful acres of rolling farmland, surrounded by 200 acres of farm land, affording space and privacy. Overnight accommodations are suitable for corporate meetings, workshops, church groups, and family gatherings. Cabins We offer heated or air-conditioned cabins. Each cabin houses persons comfortably in bunk beds with room for up to about 100 people. Dining Hall The large open dining hall seats up to eighty for meals and may also be used for a meeting room. The large porch off of the Dining Hall offers a pleasant view of the countryside. We also offer a large, modern kitchen and food service area. Meeting Rooms Versatile is the word that best describes the meeting rooms at Land Of My Grandfathers. We have rooms large enough...

MKP Houston Business Directory

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:46:30 GMT

Heres a great way to promote your business and help support MKP Houston. Click here to view the MKP Houston Business Directory List your business in this directory for only $100 a year. Youll help support MKP Houston and promote your business to more than 3000 people – every day, all year long! The MKP Houston Business Directory is Search Engine Optimized so your business will get the added benefit of typically higher average rankings in Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines. Your Business Listing includes a company description, contact information, and links to your website. Heres how to add your business to the MKP Houston Business Directory. Contact Thad Ware at mailto:thad@mkphouston.org or 713-629-1460 to make your MKP Houston Business Directory payment. Click here to view the MKP Houston Business Directory * Click on any business name to view a full description and contact information.* var sc_project=2463265; var...

FAQs

Thu, 08 May 2008 19:36:08 GMT

MKP Houston Board of Directors & TEAMS MKP Houston Certified Leader Body MANKIND PROJECT Brochure MANKIND PROJECT Companion Brochure What is the New Warrior Training Adventure? The New Warrior Training Adventure is a weekend process of initiation and self-examination designed to promote development of a healthy and mature masculine person. It is the Heros Journey of classical literature and myth adapted to our modern culture. A profound inward journey of self-confrontation: facing deep fears and old wounds that keep our lives from working the way we want. And, it is a gateway into a fellowship of men founded on rigorous honesty and a level of trust that most men never know. Who started it? The ManKind Project was founded in Milwaukee in 1984 by Rich Tosi, a former Marine Corps officer and corporate executive, Bill Kauth, a psychotherapist and social activist and Ron Herring, Ph. D., a clinical psychologist and educator who had...

2008 Board of Directors, Advisors & Teams

Thu, 08 May 2008 19:31:09 GMT

Men In Mission dba ManKind Project Houston 2008 Board of Directors 1 Steitz, Dave Chairman 2 Liles, Keith Vice Chairman 3 England, Jerry Treasurer 4 Gaughan, John Past Chairman 5 Oldham, Tom Secretary 6 Counts, Vaughan LKS 7 Flaherty, Thomas Integration 8 Grogan, Lamont Elders 9 Guas, Mari Leader Body 10 Crowder, Steve Leader Body 11 LaFico, Joe Properties 12 Halloran, Tom At Large 13 Cole, Scott At Large 14 Nisenson, Adam At Large 15 McDougald, Alex At Large 16 Vachon, Patrick At Large 17 Newberry, Ken At Large 18 Patterson, Ernest At Large 19 Boon, Steve At Large 20 Quinn, Wade At Large 21 Miller, Russell At Large Gondron, Greg Executive Director 2008 Advisory Board 1 LaFon, Tommy 2 Taylor, Mel 3 Elizondo, Frank 4 Hoffman, Lenny 5 Rose, Eliot...

2007 Ron Hering Award Winner

Thu, 08 May 2008 19:20:39 GMT

Keith Liles
Healing Bear
4200 Watson, No. 201
Houston, Texas 77009

Mission Statement: “I create a world of healing through hope, beginning with myself.”

My journey of healing began in 1995, when I changed my life and career to one committed to healing the hopeless, for I was one. By profession and personal quest, I touch lives daily and advocate for change by modeling my mission to audiences from inner city youth to the U.S. Congress.

Drum Online Read individual articles, or download the printed version.

Thu, 08 May 2008 19:16:34 GMT

Click here to read individual articles.

You may click an issue below to download a PDF of the printed Drum.

Spring 2008

Winter 07/08

Fall 2007

Summer 2007

Spring 2007

Lorem ipsum survey

noemail@mkphouston.org — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 18:32:28 GMT

Objectives:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diem nonummynibh euismod tincidunt ut lacreet dolore magna aliguam erat volutpat. Ut wisis enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tution ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis te feugifacilisi.

Duis autem dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit au gue duis dolore te feugat nulla facilisi.

Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci taion ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex en commodo consequat. Duis te feugifacilisi per suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex en commodo consequat.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diem nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut lacreet dolore magna aliguam erat volutpat.

Ut wisis enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci

Release Date: 29-Sep-06 1:32 PM
Expiration Date: 29-Dec-06 1:32 PM

Ut wisis enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci

Cole & man at LOMG

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:12:43 GMT