Pathways Foundation, Tasmania

Full or part scholarships to Pathways to Manhood camps on Bruny Island

2007-07-14T08:37:00.003+10:00

No-one need miss out on Pathways to Manhood camps. There are full or part scholarships available by contacting the organisers. The next camp runs from Tuesday 24th - Saturday 28th November 2009 on Bruny Island. Apply in good time!

Our boys need help making the emotional shift from boy to young man. Traditional societies recognized that the future health of their communities depended upon having healthy men instead of overgrown boys. The traditional pathway for this transition is known as a “Rite of Passage.”

Our contemporary Rite of Passage is a safe, carefully designed program for boys into manhood on a 5 day bush camp for boys aged 13 – 15 and their fathers or male care giver.

It helps teenagers evolve from ‘boy psychology’ to ‘healthy man psychology’. Boy psychology is characterised by the individual seeking acknowledgement, thinking he is the centre of the universe, will live for ever, is ruled by his emotions, won’t accept responsibility for his actions and wants his mother. Healthy man psychology is characterised by the individual charting his own course, recognizing the world doesn’t revolve around him, realizing he is mortal, understanding and taking responsibility for the consequences of his actions and seeking to establish equitable relationships with women.

Fathers and mothers find that their relationships with their son improves. Their teenagers mature and grow into young men almost, it seems, overnight.

The normal cost to attend a camp is $1600 for father and son. However, corporate sponsorship allows us to adopt a policy that no one will miss out on this important program for financial reasons.

To register or enquire about scholarships phone 1300 850 766 or download a registration form at www.pathwaysfoundation.org.au/

For program information contact Alan Raby, Tasmanian Regional Co-Ordinator 03 6248 1690 or 0411 038 717.
Email: stas@pathwaysfoundation.com.au .

Son "blossomed" and got a job

2007-07-10T13:26:00.000+10:00

Just wanted to give you some feedback. Bryan* got his school report today and most of his teachers mentioned a marked improvement in his attitude (effort, care with work, attention etc) midway through the first semester. His religious studies teacher said he had "blossomed"! I assume this was due to Pathways. He still has some way to go (teachers say he is not performing to ability) but this has been the best report he has received for 3 years. We are really pleased and encouraged! Please could you pass this positive feedback on to Ranald and the other leaders. I am very grateful to everyone at Pathways.

In the last 3 days Bryan has come across a great second hand keyboard that he wants. Since realising that we are serious about not forking out the entire $1500, he has also decided to get a job! For the first time that I can remember he is using real initiative and effort to achieve this end.

Best wishes
A grateful mother

*Not his real name.

Last camp - one man's view

2007-06-14T11:58:00.000+10:00

We had introduced ourselves sitting in a circle in the community hall. That was before we left the women behind. I had been moved to tears by the man who runs the farm where we camp. His story brought back memories of my own father's closeness.

Over 30 pairs of hands were now erecting our own ceremonial marquee. It was to be a special place where many personal stories were to be told.

Every man brought something to the the group. A skill, a story or just experience. Or we just hung around together and did whatever came naturally to us.

By the time of our return, I knew everyone so well. We had opened our hearts in so many ways. This, our last meal together, was eaten in a circle, as the women who had prepared it for us, looked on from a distance.

My role on the staff had been to help things run smoothly. As I post these pictures so many memories flood back. Alan Raby

Sharing in the sun at Margate - Building Connections Day

2007-06-12T08:49:00.000+10:00

Sheep wandered up and down in the paddock nearby as a group of about 20 of us sat in Tim, Leanne and Ben Turner’s backyard in Margate. (This was our first Building Connections Day on Sunday 29 July). We opened up with the “Hey mate, what are you doing” game. (Thanks to Richard Bladel who taught us this during the May camp!)
A barbecue and soccer, then some real sharing between couples took place around the themes of family relationships styles, and keeping teeangers safe. Families shared concerns and how they had worked through them. A grandmother added her thoughts, young men contributed their perspective, and so it went on until we had lost the warmth of the sun.
With that we moved to the camp fire and stood around talking as many drifted off home. The five hours had passed so quickly.

The day had focussed on supporting families post-camp and resources handed out included a list of useful books and webs, and copies of the poster Rainbow Alert Scale that can be used to assess whether a teenager is at risk. The poster is on the web site of Victorian family therapists Ken and Elizabeth Mellor at www.biamenetwork.net/TeenageAssessment.html . The list of resources is available from this Blog.

Parenting Resources

2007-05-10T09:46:00.000+10:00

This list is provided by Pathways Tasmania and we welcome further suggestions.

There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings. Hodding Carter.

General Resources

Rainbow Alert Scale Poster: Teenage Safety-Risk Assessment. Safety information and obtainable at www.biamenetwork.net/teenageassessment.html

Online Parent Information http://www.biamenetwork.net/ Select ‘’Parenting…Hands on Parenting”

Kids Free 2B Free. http://www.kf2bk.com/ A rich source of parenting information and research on a website that also tackles the exposure of children to inappropriate sexualized imagery on a bid to sell products.

Suggested Reading - Parenting
Teen Stages: How to guide the journey to adulthood; Mellor, Ken & Elizabeth, Finch Publishing, 2004 (Available online www.biamenetwork.net/ Select ‘Parenting”)

Parent Craft: A practical guide to raising children well; Mellor, Ken & Elizabeth, Finch Publishing, 2001 (Available online www.biamenetwork.net/ Select ‘Parenting”)

Puberty Boy - Geoff Price. 2005. ISBN: 1741145635

Raising Boys: Why Boys Are Different - and How to Help Them become Happy And Well-Balanced Men. Steve Biddhulph

Suggested Reading - the journey to manhood
Betwixt & Between - Patterns of Masculine and Feminine Initiation. Louise Carus Mahdi, Steven Foster and Meredith Little

Crossroads - The Quest for Contemporary Rites of Passage. Louise Carus Mahdi, Nancy Christopher and Michael Meade

Additional Reading List
Manhood: An Action Plan For Changing Men's Lives. Steve Biddhulph
The Circle of Life. Rituals from the Human Family Album. Cohen, David, Ed. Harper San Francisco 1991

Boy into Man. A Fathers Guide to Initiation of Teenage Sons. Weiner, Bernard. Transformation Press. 1992

I Don't Want to Talk About It. Real, Terrence. Newleaf 1997

Iron John. Bly, Robert. Element 1990

The Wild man's Journey. Rohr, Richard. St. Anthony Messenger Press. 1992
Real Boy's Voices. Pollack, William. Random House. 2000
A New Psychology of Men. Pollack, William.
Death of a Hero, Birth of the Soul. Robinson, John C. Ph.D. Council Oak Books 1995
King, Warrior, Magician, Lover - Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine. Moore, Robert & Gillette, Douglas. Harper Collins. 1990
Rock & Water, Skills for Physical-Social Teaching with Boys. Ykeema, Freerk. Gadaku Institute.

Video
Video: Rock and Water. Basic Exercises Skills for Physical-Social Teaching for Boys. Ykeema, Freerk. Gadaku Institute.

Web

Pathways Foundation web http://www.pathwaysfoundation.com.au/ Information about Rites of Passage