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The Men's Center of Los Angeles
Beverly Hills/Woodland Hills
in Association with
Sacred Path Productions
Newsletter for July 2006
Voicemail: (818) 348-9302
Web Site: www.menscenterlosangeles.com
Contact: info@menscenterlosangeles.com
Our Mission:
"Bringing good men together and bringing out the best in
them"
Our Approach:
Helping develop a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment for
men by fostering vision, passion, authenticity and intimate connection
to self and others
Our Services:
Psychotherapy for individuals, families, and groups, as well as
our Sacred Path and Call to Adventure Retreats,
Workshops, Seminars, and Monthly Men's Gatherings
HELEN
KELLER PARK EVENT A SMASHING SUCCESS!
IN THIS ISSUE:
A Message from the Director
Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar
- July 29 - Ed Munter: Soul Journey
- Ongoing Men's Groups
Mitch Roth: Helen Keller Would Be Proud
Nick Rath: Good or Bad?
Yvette Atkinson: A Letter of Appreciation to Nick Rath
"Mr. Dad's" New DVD: Essential Advice for New
or Soon-to-Be Dads
From the Daily Om: Fathers
Roger Ebert: Review of "An Inconvenient Truth"
Greywolf's Native Spirit Lodge In New Larger Quarters
Men's Teams
Important Web Links
CD's by Sacred Path Members Available
Sacred Path Alumni Yahoo Group
Contribute to the Newsletter
A Message from the Director -
Dr. Stephen Johnson
 July
3, 2006
Greetings,
On Saturday, June 17th, several of the men, including family
members, from the Men's Center/ Sacred Path Community attended
The Helen Keller Park pre-father's day event. The day featured
entertainment, tasty food, speakers, and a drum circle led by
Christo, a story offered by Strongbear, a classic car show and
games for the kids.
Cameron and Marvo greeted us with big hugs and an enthusiastic
expression of their gratitude for our attention and caring offered
to their community. Cameron was thrilled to meet LeVar Burton.
He almost couldn't believe his eyes when he saw LeVar step from
his car, grab his drum and head in his direction. Cameron extended
his hand to LeVar and told him that it was "a dream come true."
He went on to say that when he was a youngster he had been bussed
to a school outside of South Central and that there was a lot
of racial strife. It was during the third episode of the TV
saga Roots that Cameron made a pledge to himself to make
a positive difference in his own life and to one day make a
positive difference in the lives of other boys from his community.
It was Kunta Kinte that initially taught Cameron what it meant
to Man Up to the challenge of manhood.
What does it mean to be a good father? What are the challenges
that fathers face these days, and especially what are the issues
that African-American men confront that causes 70% of them to
leave their families and their children without a father in
the home? The men from the Men's Center are honored to support
their brothers to be good husbands and fathers and accountable
to the responsibilities of being the head of a household. We
all need to unite to make a positive difference in the lives
of boys seeking to understand what it means to be a good man...
what it means to Man Up. I'm most grateful to all the individuals
that came together that day to support the HKP event.
On another note, I had mentioned last month that we would be
holding another retreat for men and women in Utah this August.
As it turned out, after speaking with Richard Bizzaro and Mike
Todd it became apparent to me that most of the Utah men were
mostly interested in doing a men's sweat lodge and there was
not the impetus to hold a retreat for couples. Since I had spoken
with Los Angeles based couples about doing an event and had
gotten a positive response, Rich, Mike and I decided it was
best to create separate events. So, I will be conducting a couples'
workshop or retreat in Los Angeles in August or September. For
those of you who are interested, please let me know. And, for
those of you interested in what may be transpiring in Utah you
can contact Mike Todd at mikestarrtodd@gmail.com
Our fall retreat (October 21-23) will be upon us before you
know it. We'll be sending out brochures in August. Individuals
have been pre-registering, so if you want to make your reservation
now you can contact us at info@menscenterlosangles.com
The fall Sacred Path Retreat is a men's retreat, and we anticipate
that more men from South Central, who are invested in mentoring
youth, will join our community. We want to focus on the importance
of men stepping up to shepherd boys who can benefit from the
support of good men in their lives.
The fall men's retreat is offered for men to work on themselves
and to prepare for the spring Call to Adventure retreat that
includes the boys as we create a rites of passage experience
for them to experience initiation into conscious manhood. Therefore,
all men are invited to attend and brush up on your fathering
and mentoring skills. In fact, it's a great opportunity to Man
Up to your relationship responsibilities to self and others.
We will have a variety of breakout sessions on topics of interest,
including conflict resolution and anger management, healing
your father wound, creating more love and satisfaction in your
relationships, yoga, martial arts and meditation, just to name
a few.
Wishing you and your family a terrific 4th of July.
In the Spirit of brotherhood,
– Stephen
Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar
Ed Munter: Songs
of the Soul and Soul Journey
Find the Love You've Been Looking For... Look Inside!
Can art save the world? A Christian, A Muslim, and a Jew
performing in a revolutionary new musical seem to believe
it just might be possible. In this critical time, when mankind
seems to be divided into warring factions and we seem to be
balanced on the brink of a Holy War, Soul Journey
presents a completely different perspective that is inspiring
and universally accessible. Soul Journey, currently playing
at the Earth & Sky Performing Arts Center, plays like
a funny and touching spiritual fable of the soul's adventure
through the human experience.
As an audience, we are led through a soul-discovery process
to the moment of enlightenment that opens up to a joyful celebration
of our commonality. This collective discovery cuts through
global politics, religious beliefs, doctrine, dogma, spiritual
rhetoric and current world conflicts to arrive at a deeper
connection within us all.
Join Ed Munter, Christo Pellani, and Rashid Lanie
in this revolutionary theatrical experience.
Saturday, July 29, 8 PM
Earth & Sky Performing Arts Center
5521 Grosvenor, Playa Vista
(310) 281-6601
405 to 90 freeway / Centinela exit / left on Centinela
to Jefferson / right on Jefferson
Tickets are $20.00 in advance, $25.00 at the
door
Weekly Men's Groups
are available in Woodland Hills and Beverly Hills. Both Stephen
Johnson and Dan Franklin have room availiable in their weekly
therapeutic support groups held in Beverly Hills and Woodland
Hills. More information at: info@menscenterlosangeles.com
Mitch Roth: Helen
Keller Would Be Proud
Blind, deaf and dumb, yet a light unto humanity. The spirit
of Helen Keller lives on at a municipal park reclaimed from
a modern plant genus, Gangbangus Fatalis, a weed sprouting
from the seeds of disaffected youth in our inner cities. What
is that, you ask? It's a weed, a scourge, that threatens to
overrun our common welfare. But, it turns out, that in the
light of her spirit, this weed shrinks and shrivels, creating
space for beauty.
The Call to Adventure retreat in '06 hosted a group
from Helen Keller Park. Those boys and men added to the experience
for all of us, and,
apparently, we had an impact on them. They took "man up" back
home and with missionary zeal are busy speaking the concept
to those who would respond to the challenge.
A group from the Men's Center attended the first annual Juneteenth
and Father's Day Celebration at Helen Keller Park. It
was a community event infused with the spirit of brotherhood
and sisterhood.
A rousing rendition of "America the Beautiful" sung in gospel
style by a wonderfully husky-voiced woman began the theme
of sound as soul medicine. The drum circle brought by the
Men's Center guys continued the theme, spreading a heartbeat
of joy and abandon. Then a band of talented musicians took
over.
The children at the event, resonating to the rhythms of the
village, smiled, laughed and generally had a great time. Smiles
mirrored smiles on the faces of the young and old alike. About
50 lovingly restored and maintained classic 50's cars and
trucks, modeled the "Zen of motor vehicle maintenance," and
became the proof text for the proposition that whatever men
bring their love to shines and illuminates. Food was lovingly
prepared to satisfy those with appetites.
The bridges to this community of men that we began to build
at the Spring retreat were shown to be standing on sound footings.
This was evident in the hugs and embraces offered and received
upon leaving the day's festivities. The aqueous nature of
life was once again revealed. We can hardly walk upon its
surface without causing a ripple effect that spreads out and
touches the hearts and lives of others.
– Mitch Roth
Looking Close to Your Nose Might Not be
the Best Idea
There is a Chinese story about good and bad. In the story
a man has a son, and the son and father have a small farm.
One day the father sends the son to town with a wagon load
of vegetables. On the way home the wagon breaks a wheel and
falls on the son, breaking his leg. A neighbor calls the father
and the son is taken home. The leg is set and for the next
few weeks the father has no help on the farm.
 "This
is bad," the father says.
The next day a group of soldiers comes to the area and conscripts
all the able-bodied young men into the army. They don't take
the son with the broken leg.
"This is good," the father says.
"Which is it?" the son asks. "Is it bad that I broke my leg
or is it good?"
Years ago, when I was young, my father gave me the job of
cleaning out the barn. Each day when I came home from school
it was my job to shovel the excrement from the cow, the horse,
twenty chickens, four pigs, and one rooster from the barn.
I was to put it all in a wagon, haul the load out to a certain
spot and add it to the pile. It stank and I hated the job.
I thought it was a bad job.
One day my Dad took me with him as he worked around the farm.
We hooked a device to the back of our tractor and went to
the pile. We shoveled from the bottom of the pile into the
spreader we had hooked behind the tractor. Then we drove to
the family garden and spread a two- or three-inch deep layer
of the stuff from the pile. We tilled the stuff and the garden
together. My Dad waited until we were done and asked me, "What
was the stuff we got from the bottom of the pile?"
"Poop!" I answered.
"Nope. It was poop when you put it in the pile. If we had
brought it here directly from the barn it would kill anything
we planted. We waited. It changed. When it is poop it is bad
for the garden. A couple months later it isn't poop anymore,
it's fertilizer. Fertilizer helps whatever we plant to grow.
So that stuff you haul out of the barn, is it good or bad?"
"It starts out bad and turns good."
"Remember that," he said.
I guess I did. As a parent I heard kids say things like,
"That's bad." "That's good." I was reminded of the two stories.
How do we decide good or bad? In the barn I was taking the
short view. Poop on the barn floor was bad. It invited flies.
It smelled bad. It provided a breeding ground for bacteria
and illness. When I added the poop to the pile it began a
long term process called composting. The bacteria, water and
other stuff in the pile helped the poop to transform into
fertilizer. Now it was good for our garden. It fed the tomatoes,
peppers, watermelons, corn, string beans, snap peas and whatever
else we planted.
Summer is a time of growth. On the farm the crops and the
animals mature and grow. This requires three things. They
need enough sun, enough water, and enough fertilizer (food).
Is the sun good? Enough sun is good. Too much or too little
isn't good. Water? Too much and the plants drown. Too little
and they parch.
What about families? They need the sun, water, food, nurturing,
and a spiritual connection to flourish. Too much isn't good.
Too little isn't good. When the balance needed for each person
to grow is present the whole family flourishes. Parents are
gardeners. We need to be observant to see what the people
in our garden need to flourish. We can assist each person
to grow.
If you were going to plant a garden and you were 100% serious
about having the best possible results you would do certain
things. You would write down the needs of each plant (person).
How much sunshine, how much water, how much nourishment, how
much laughter, how much touch, and how much spirituality?
You would create a plan to make sure that each plant (person)
got what they needed.
Your family is your garden. Take the long view. Remember,
you aren't raising children, you're raising adults.
Yvette Atkinson:
A Letter of Appreciation to Nick Rath
Hello Nick,
You don't know me, I am Walter Atkinson's daughter-in-law.
I am married to Tom, my son is Benjamin, who has been to some
of the retreats with my husband and his uncle Charlie, and
I have a 10 year old, Matthew.
Your article in the June newsletter really helped me think
on how I should handle some things differently with both of
my boys. I am trying to understand where Benjamin is coming
from at times. He will be 15 this year and the changes are
so difficult some of the time. He is a great boy with a good
head on his shoulders, but I wonder where he comes up with
these ideas.
I love reading your articles. They remind me of Walter in
a lot of ways. It is hard to believe he will be gone 2 years
this year. I really miss calling him and talking to him about
the boys and life. A lot of times we don't realize what we
have till we lose it. I just wanted to thank you for your
wonderful words.
Thank you,
Yvette Atkinson
[In a further letter to Sacred Path concerning publishing
her message to Nick in our newsletter]
Hi Rich,
I talked with Benjamin and Matthew and asked them if it
would be okay to publish this and they said sure. I wanted
to ask my boys since it did talk about them a little. I was
very skeptical about this whole boy-to-manhood retreat thing.
I had no idea what it was or any understanding about it, but
I have seen a great change in Benjamin since he did the retreat
with Walter, Tom and Charlie. Benjamin was almost 13 at the
time, and I knew in my heart this was Walter's last retreat.
I knew if Benjamin did not go to that retreat he never would
have been able to share that experience with Walter, and it
meant a great deal to both of them. I am so glad that he was
able to experience this. He has turned into a wonderful young
man, and I have to think that the retreat made a difference
in his outlook in life. I just wish Matthew could have shared
this with Walter also.
Thank you for all you do with helping these young men.
Sincerely,
Yvette
"Mr. Dad's" New DVD:
Essential Advice for New or Soon-to-Be Dads
[Ed. Note: This information came to our attention recently,
and it seemed to be so chock full of good advice that we decided
to print it in its original form for the benefit of those
brothers who are about to become fathers or those who have
just attained fatherhood.]
Armin Brott, known worldwide as Mr. Dad, has earned his reputation
as America's most trusted dad. His six best selling books
cover every stage of fatherhood. Now, just in time for Father's
Day, Brott offers his begin-at-the beginning guidance for
fathers on DVD. Because babies don't come with instructions,
Brott's new DVD, "Toolbox for New Dads," is a must-have for
every new and expectant father.
"Toolbox for New Dads" covers everything dad needs to know,
from feeding, crying, diapers and sleeping, to his critical
role in breast feeding. This unique DVD also acknowledges
that many new fathers experience changing emotions, fears,
and anxieties; they may even share their partner's post-partum
depression. "Toolbox for New Dads" helps fathers make sense
of this.
"Becoming a father has a real impact on men," said Brott.
"But there just isn't much out there that provides solid information
and practical advice that a first-time father can use to jump-start
a successful parent/child relationship."
In the San Francisco Bay Area and a few select US cities,
many new and soon to be dads have had the opportunity to work
with Armin by attending his "Expectant Fathers Only" workshops.
In his "Toolbox for New Dads" DVD, fathers nationwide can
sit in with Brott as he walks them through pregnancy, their
child's first year, and beyond. Not simply a childbirth class,
"Toolbox for New Dads" includes conversations with actual
new and expectant fathers, question and answer sessions, engaging
visuals, and interviews with Brott discussing the issues that
most concern fathers.
Hailed by Time Magazine as "the superdad's superdad,"
Armin Brott has helped millions of men around the world become
the fathers they want to be. His six best-selling books, including
The Expectant Father, provide tips and advice for every
phase of fatherhood. He reaches millions more concerned parents
– fathers and mothers – each week with his nationally
syndicated newspaper column (Ask Mr. Dad), syndicated radio
show (Positive Parenting), and daily podcast (The DaddyCast).
With his well-earned credibility and lively advice, Armin
has been a guest expert on fathering on hundreds of television
and radio shows as diverse as "The Today Show," "Politically
Incorrect" and the "O'Reilly Factor." The father of three,
Brott lives with his family in Oakland, California.
"Toolbox for New Dads" is $29.95, and is available now at
www.mrdad.com/dvd/
From the Daily Om: Fathers
The idea of fatherhood is both personal and universal. We
all have ideal concepts surrounding fatherhood, and we also
have our real fathers – fathers who were there or not
there for us, fathers who provided financial support for our
families or failed to do so, fathers who loved or neglected
us, fathers who were our role models or gave us someone to
rebel against. Our father may have been there for us sometimes
and not there for us at other times. The process of reconciling
the ideal father that resides in our minds with the father
that we actually have is a fertile one that can teach us a
great deal about ourselves
Our relationship with our father will often affect our relationships
with the other men who will come into our lives. You may have
learned to behave and think in certain ways because those
were the ways that your father acted and thought. Certain
talents that you possess may have been passed down to you
by your father. There also may be personal issues that you
inherited by virtue of who your father is. Understanding how
your relationship with your father has influenced you can
help you better understand yourself and the life that you
have created.
In a time when mothers, the sacred feminine, and female energy
are being honored, it is important not to forget the importance
of fathers. Father energy and mother energy are the two complementary
energies necessary to bring a healthy human being to fruition
in the world. Many of the ideas surrounding fathers are changing
in the wake of more modern parenting styles and the more egalitarian
roles that are evolving between the sexes. More men are embodying
the mother energy these days, and a woman can provide father
energy for her children. Either way, we can all benefit from
thinking about our fathers and how they have influenced who
we've become and the ways that we walk through this world.
Let us remember to honor our fathers.
Roger Ebert: Review of "An
Inconvenient Truth"
Rich Manners' note: I was so moved by viewing Al Gore's
revelatory film on global warming that I felt it was imperative
to write a review in which I begged every man who cares about
the survival of his family and the planet as a whole to see
it. This is not an easy film to watch, but the facts must
be seen, heard, and embraced if we are going to prevent an
inevitable planet-wide catastrophe. We humans have a wonderful
ostrich-like ability to bury our heads in the sand and pretend
that what we don't want to hear doesn't exist. We hope that
if we hide from it long enough it will go away. This situation
will not go away; it is a ticking time bomb.
After reading Roger Ebert's review of the movie, I felt
that it far outshines anything I could have written. It is
not so much a review as it is a plea for us to sit up, take
notice, and do something to prevent the culmination of a process
that has already begun. Here is what Mr. Ebert has to say:
I want to write this review so every reader will begin it
and finish it. I am a liberal, but I do not intend this as
a review reflecting any kind of politics. It reflects the
truth as I understand it, and it represents, I believe, agreement
among the world's experts.
Global warming is real.
It is caused by human activity.
Mankind and its governments must begin immediate action to
halt and reverse it. If we do nothing, in about 10 years the
planet may reach a "tipping point" and begin a slide toward
destruction of our civilization and most of the other species
on this planet.
After that point is reached, it would be too late for any
action.
These facts are stated by Al Gore in the documentary "An
Inconvenient Truth." Forget he ever ran for office. Consider
him a concerned man speaking out on the approaching crisis.
"There is no controversy about these facts," he says in the
film. "Out of 925 recent articles in peer-review scientific
journals about global warming, there was no disagreement.
Zero."
He stands on a stage before a vast screen, in front of an
audience. The documentary is based on a speech he has been
developing for six years, and is supported by dramatic visuals.
He shows the famous photograph "Earthrise," taken from space
by the first American astronauts. Then he shows a series of
later space photographs, clearly indicating that glaciers
and lakes are shrinking, snows are melting, shorelines are
retreating.
He provides statistics: The 10 warmest years in history were
in the last 14 years. Last year South America experienced
its first hurricane. Japan and the Pacific are setting records
for typhoons. Hurricane Katrina passed over Florida, doubled
back over the Gulf, picked up strength from unusually warm
Gulf waters, and went from Category 3 to Category 5. There
are changes in the Gulf Stream and the jet stream. Cores of
polar ice show that carbon dioxide is much, much higher than
ever before in a quarter of a million years. It was once thought
that such things went in cycles. Gore stands in front of a
graph showing the ups and downs of carbon dioxide over the
centuries. Yes, there is a cyclical pattern. Then, in recent
years, the graph turns up and keeps going up, higher and higher,
off the chart.
The primary man-made cause of global warming is the burning
of fossil fuels. We are taking energy stored over hundreds
of millions of years in the form of coal, gas and oil, and
releasing it suddenly. This causes global warming, and there
is a pass-along effect. Since glaciers and snow reflect sunlight
but sea water absorbs it, the more the ice melts, the more
of the sun's energy is retained by the sea.
Gore says that although there is "100 percent agreement"
among scientists, a database search of newspaper and magazine
articles shows that 57 percent question the fact of global
warming, while 43 percent support it. These figures are the
result, he says, of a disinformation campaign started in the
1990s by the energy industries to "reposition global warming
as a debate." It is the same strategy used for years by the
defenders of tobacco. My father was a Luckys smoker who died
of lung cancer in 1960, and 20 years later it was still "debatable"
that there was a link between smoking and lung cancer. Now
we are talking about the death of the future, starting in
the lives of those now living.
"The world won't 'end' overnight in 10 years," Gore says.
"But a point will have been passed, and there will be an irreversible
slide into destruction."
In England, Sir James Lovelock, the scientist who proposed
the Gaia hypothesis (that the planet functions like a living
organism), has published a new book saying that in 100 years
mankind will be reduced to "a few breeding couples at the
Poles." Gore thinks "that's too pessimistic. We can turn this
around just as we reversed the hole in the ozone layer. But
it takes action right now, and politicians in every nation
must have the courage to do what is necessary. It is not a
political issue. It is a moral issue."
When I said I was going to a press screening of "An Inconvenient
Truth," a friend said, "Al Gore talking about the environment!
Bor...ing!" This is not a boring film. The director, Davis
Guggenheim, uses words, images and Gore's concise litany of
facts to build a film that is fascinating and relentless.
In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review,
but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film.
If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain
to them why you decided not to.
Am I acting as an advocate in this review? Yes, I am. I believe
that to be "impartial" and "balanced" on global warming means
one must take a position like Gore's. There is no other view
that can be defended. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Chairman
of the Senate Environment Committee, has said, "Global warming
is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people."
[ Ed. Note: This is the same enlightened individual who,
during last month's Senate hearings on a constitutional amendment
barring homosexual marriage, showed a large picture of his
family and said, "I'm proud to state that my family has
had not one divorce or one homosexual!] I hope he takes
his job seriously enough to see this film. I think he has
a responsibility to do that.
What can we do? Switch to and encourage the development of
alternative energy sources: Solar, wind, tidal, and, yes,
nuclear. Move quickly toward hybrid and electric cars. Pour
money into public transit, and subsidize the fares. Save energy
in our houses. I did a funny thing when I came home after
seeing "An Inconvenient Truth." I went around the house turning
off the lights.
A new group will be forming in the Venice/Pacific Palisades
area. For more info on joining and meeting times, contact Nick
Rath at (310) 454-2965, or e-mail him at: nrath@adelphia.net
The West Hills Group is now filled to
capacity. For those interested in adding their names to the
wait list, contact Mitch Cohen at (818) 631-4175, or e-mail
him at freehand@earthlink.net
The West Side Men's Group meets every first Thursday of the
month in addition to our required monthly gathering on the third
Thursday of the month. In July, the West Side Men's Gathering
will get together again on Thursday, July 6th as well as Thursday,
the 20th, location to be determined. For more information or
to join the group, call Mark Kreher at (310)581-6616 or e-mail
him at: mark.kreher@verizon.net.
You can also contact David Sacks at (323) 650-8239, or e-mail
him at: dasacks@yahoo.com,
The Thousand Oaks/Calabasas Men's Circle is currently meeting
monthly. If you live near this geographic area and have an interest
in participating in a men's group, contact Matthew at (818)774-1000,
or e-mail him at: matthewburke@singerburke.com
for more information.
David "Stongbear" Myers is heading up a team in the
San Gabriel Valley. If you're interested in joining, talk to
Strongbear at (818)541-9499, or e-mail him at: dj0814myers@earthlink.net.
Important Web Links
ALBERT MARREWA, counselor, instructor of martial arts,
consultant, lecturer, and workshop facilitator. Access Albert's
web site at www.albertmarrewa.com
for biographical information, lists of services, and calendar
of events, or e-mail Albert directly at albertmarrewa@aol.com.
HIS SIDE, the weekly radio program on KTIE 940 AM hosted
by Glenn Sacks. Go to www.hisside.com
to find out about future programs, sign up for the weekly newsletter,
listen live via streaming audio at 5 PM every Sunday, and contact
Glenn directly.
MEN ALIVE, the web site hosted by Jed Diamond, psychologist,
author, and speaker. Jed spoke at our first monthly gathering
and again last November, outlining his new book, "The Irritable
Male Syndrome: Managing the 4 Key Causes of Male Depression
and Aggression". Go to: menalive-on@lists.mcn.org
to receive Jed's weekly newsletter online, and contact Jed directly
at: jed@menalive.com.
CHRISTO PELLANI, Sacred Path's Master Percussionist.
Stay current with events featuring Christo and his friends by
logging onto his web site: www.soundformation.com.
ED MUNTER, originator and star performer of Soul
Journey. Find out about the latest performances of this
soul-stirring experience, as well as CD ordering info and more
about Ed himself. Log onto www.innerpathproductions.org
INTERFAITH INVENTIONS, an organization dedicated to
enriching the lives of children and adults through programs
that promote respect and understanding between people of diverse
faiths. They are developing a national network of summer camps
to bring together Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Native
American, and other faiths' children to have fun and to form
lasting relationships. The camp experience includes developing
a relationship with the natural world around them; sharing family
stories, food customs, drumming and music; exploring shared
values of compassion, reconciliation and respect for others
through sacred texts and stories from their traditions as well
as art projects, games, camp fires, and informal play time.
The summer program includes following up activities to help
forge lasting relationships between the children and their communities.
For more info on this highly worthwhile organization, contact
Phil Dichter, President of Interfaith Inventions, at: www.interfaithinventions.org
CD's by Sacred Path Members Available
You can purchase the excellent CD's by Sacred Path brothers
Ed Munter, Tommy Holmes, Christo Pellani, Rich Manners
and Albert Marrewa.
Ed's CD's, Tracking Down the Soul and Soul Journey,
are available at www.innerpathproductions.org
Tommy's self-titled album can be ordered from www.TommyHolmes.com.
Christo's second album, Soundscape Pyramids – Resonance
Forms, is available at info@soundformation.com
Rich's CD, Speechless, featuring the voices of Mimi
Manners, is available at jyngleman@sbcglobal.net
Albert's Relaxing Into Now is available at www.albertmarrewa.com
In addition, talks by the Director of the L.A. Men's Center,
Dr. Stephen Johnson, are available on the LA Men's Center web
site, as well as several CD sets of past retreats. Go to
www.menscenterlosangeles.com
Sacred Path Alumni Yahoo Group
What does Sacred Path do to support men after they have completed
their retreats? The Sacred Path Alumni Discussion Group is one
answer to that query. It provides a means for our community
of men to have ongoing e-mail contact and discussions with their
fellow Sacred Path Retreat graduates. Membership is restricted
to graduates of a Sacred Path retreat. The simplest way to sign
up is to send an e-mail (its content is irrelevant) to: Sacred_Path_Alumni-subscribe@Yahoo.groups.com.
You can also join from the Sacred Path Alumni's home page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sacredpathalumni.
Once you have become a member of the discussion group, you
can begin using our Sacred Path Alumni Yahoo Group immediately.
Members are able to use any or all of the following features:
Contribute to the Newsletter
 Does
your creativity need an outlet? Here's a chance for your unique
words to appear on the printed page (or at least a computer
screen)! Send us an article, an anecdote, a poem, a joke; whatever
tickles your fancy. Please address your e-mails to Rich Manners
at: jyngleman@sbcglobal.net.
Bribes will be cheerfully accepted!
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