For Boys
- Do you have anyone to talk to about what matters to you?
- Do you have men in your life who support you?
- Do you feel angry or frustrated?
- Are you being told that you’re worthless or weak?
- Do you know what you want to do in the future? After High School?
You will get to be a part of something special. You will have an opportunity to talk about what pisses you off, what scares you, what makes you sad. You can talk about the bully at school, the confusion that comes with dating, the times when you want to just pack it in and forget about everything.
If you take this opportunity, you will be listened to by strong men and boys like yourself. Your opinion and feelings will be valued, because you are valuable. You are unique and amazing as a person, and you are not alone! We can learn from each other together. We are all connected in some way, through our stories, our struggles, our successes.
Here’s the payoff… You will start to learn more about yourself… You’ll start making better choices that creates more happiness and less trouble… You can make friends that accept you for who you are not what you can give them… You will have people in your life that will support you, listen to you, guide you during the difficult times and praise you for being who you are.
When you talk about what’s going on and listen to others doing the same, you take a chance. It takes courage and bravery to open yourself up.
You don’t have to trust us. That decision is yours. How many adults in your life have tried to earn your trust? How many adults in your life trust you?
We create safe opportunities for everyone to decide for themselves who to trust. We share what we’re feeling, how we struggle with life, how sometimes we make decisions that hurt ourselves or others. When you hear other people talking about themselves in this way, you will know if you can trust them. That’s up to you and you alone. We call it setting boundaries, but you’ll learn more about that later if you choose.
ROPAW = Rite Of Passage Adventure Weekend
Do you know what an initiation is? Here’s what the dictionary says … “An event that serves to mark a passage from one stage of life to another.” Do you see where we’re going with this? You are moving from the boyhood stage to the manhood stage in your life. That’s a pretty big leap. Is anyone helping you make this change? Let me tell you something, it’s not easy trying to do this alone. That’s why there are initiations to help you figure out how to get to the next stage without hurting yourself or others too much along the way.
- We have simple processes that put you in touch with all of your feelings and emotions.
- We work to set up situations that let you experience your anger, fear, sadness and joy.
- We let you decide for yourself what values you want in your life.
- We teach and model accountability and integrity.
- We help you discover a mission to guide you on your journey.
ROPAW is a weekend, a mere 48 hours, which could quite possibly be one of the most important experiences of your teenage years. It will help you to connect with your gift (as everyone has one), and gain a sense of direction for your life.
ROPAW is also a lot of fun for all of us, as it’s a time for men and boys to be in community with one another in a way we can never do in mixed company.
Rites of Passage
