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Men’s Group Project meeting report
Neil met with TerryChung and DorothyLockhart to hear more of Terry’s vision for his community project.
Terry’s idea is based on a model used in Tasmania. Tasmanian Men’s Health and Wellbeing Inc are known as “Tasmen”. A non political, non religious organization. This organization has been running men’s groups for more than a decade. The following is from their web site. Men facilitate and lead regular men’s groups. There will be opportunities for men to sit and experience some of the magic that can happen when people sit together, listen, and share their stories. There is no script. At first, there is silence then a question asking each person, if they wish, to say in briefly how they are feeling. This is tough for many men who have sometimes spent their whole lives suppressing their emotions and feelings. Each person is listened to in silence, without judgement, and no-one offers suggestions or ideas of what he might do differently in his life.
By a show of hand or a spoken word, each person agrees that they will not divulge or share with anyone else what they hear.
GWUC has Gomer’s coffee group for older men. We have men’s fellowship for older men. Terry would love to see groups for men across the ages with meeting opportunities outside normal work hours. He sees it as a time to build support and friendship. He sees opportunities for older men to mentor and share life experience with younger men. Many are under pressure at work and at home.
Dorothy had investigated the Glen Waverley Men’s Shed. The men’s shed is open 6 days a week. There is a shed for general activities like playing cards, a shed for carpentry and a shed for metal work. The Men’s Shed offers quarterly seminars on health issues eg. Mental health issues. The Men’s Shed has a paid coordinator.
Terry sees it as important to have a camp to get away from all the usual stresses and demands at least once a year. The camp is a time for sharing, not competitive or to do with status, but a chance to be re-energized.
If we are not able to offer a group like this we could promote other men’s activities in the area.
Terry is willing to put some time in this with others if there is interest to develop something.
He is not sure about cost. We would need trained facilitators for the camp. The camp could be self funding.
This could grow in small or big ways. We could have weekly coffee group, monthly or quarterly gatherings/seminars and an annual camp. Could this be part of our UnitingConnections partnership?