"Thanks for your work. My grandson Zach benefited from the weekend. His face showed lots of changes and feelings as he was stranding before his father at the end. When he got home, he immediately got a second job to save for his college needs!"
L.K., grandparent of YMUW graduate
"Thank
you for the awesome weekend my son had to the Boulder
Creek initiation. I thought the first program he attended
was amazing, but this one really put a lot of struggles
behind him (and need to). You've all proving once again
that actually does take a village. I and many other parents
are very grateful that you are there for these young men
and us. Thank you!"
JG, parent of YMUW graduate
"I just want to say THANK YOU!!!!!! There is such a wonderful shift in my son. He enjoyed the weekend from beginning to end, and he is proud of his warrior role. You guys do fabulous work."
L.T., mother of YMUW graduate
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"My
21 year-old son did the Weekend when he was 16 and it
changed his life. He now has and honors a family of his
own."
L.M., parent of YMUW graduate
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"Before I attended the YMUW I struggled with setting my lifelong
goals, including what I wanted to do for a living and
what I wanted out of life. At the Weekend I learned that,
even though I'm not always sure where my path will lead,
I have to trust my intuition. Now, three years after my
weekend I have a good career and I am content with my life,
relying on my intuition rather than questioning it."
B.M., YMUW graduate,
Age 22
"My 15 year old son has attended 2 YMUW initiations, and both were great for him. It has helped him think things through way more carefully. He is excited that he has now earned a place with the men as a volunteerin future YMUW iniations."
K.W., father of YMUW graduate and YMUW volunteer
"Everything
I do revolves around the values that I gained from the
YMUW. Now it is a way of life for me. It has given me
a purpose. Today my life is about what I can do for others.
Since my Weekend, I have helped produce six Young Men's
Ultimate Weekends. I also mentor young men on a daily
basis. I am making sure that we, as a society, don't forget
about young men."
Nick B., YMUW graduate
"My nephew grew up primarily without a father and a mother who tried overcompensaating for the same. He was angry, confused and lacked focus in school. Since my nephew did his Young Men's Ultimate Weekendour relationship has greatly improved and we are able to find a common ground between us to enhance our communication. I won't say things are always perfect, but we are better off since his experience at teh YMUW."
R.P., uncle of YMUW graduate
"This
experience was unbelievable! This is the best way to get
in touch with yourself and become an honorable man."
JoJo, Age 20
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Purpose
of the Weekend
Why Young Men Need an Initiation
Dates of the Weekends
Weekend Agenda
Benefits of the Weekend
Registration
Download
a Weekend Flyer
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Purpose
of the Weekend
To provide young men with a weekend filled with incredible
fun and challenges, while building a foundation for a confident
and successful adulthood, through learning the importance
of teamwork, developing a sense of accomplishment and acquiring
leadership skills.
In the best of circumstances, every adolescent male faces
a vast array of stressful changes: new relationships, greater
expectations from family and community, a rapidly changing
body, the need to communicate clearly and an uncertain future
simmering in a stew of testosterone. He faces the formidable
foes of alcohol, drugs, gang violence, anxiety and depression.
All
of these challenges often occur in the absence of
a full-time father or a father figure. Is it any wonder
that studies state many young men, regardless of socio-economic
background, feel sadness and even fear at the prospect
of becoming adults? Research shows that adolescence
is a critical stage for a young man's future success
and happiness. Unfortunately, most young men are not
being mentored and are being misguided by their friends
and the media.
The
Young Men’s Ultimate Weekend directly resolves
the root cause of these problems: the lack of initiation
and mentoring. We’ve helped over two thousand young
men become respectable and responsible for themselves
and for others. |
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Why
Young Men Need an Initiation
For thousands of years, cultures gave young men the right
learning experiences to learn how to handle the wins and
losses of life and how to fulfill their potential. At a
formal initiation, they were guided by adult men of integrity
who showed them how to become confident and independent.
The women and children supported the men and eagerly anticipated
the completion of this milestone episode.
This
time-honored activity fulfills the most fundamental need
of a young man: to know his rightful place in the universe
and his community. Through this realization a young man
knows that he is a unique and special creation who is responsible
for the safety and wellbeing of his community.
Societal
reverence for this inherent role was a powerful source of
identity, self-respect and direction for young men. Without
the training and esteem of the community for acting in this
gallant, protective capacity, young men can become apathetic
and confused. It is the responsibility of the community
to give young men the opportunity to be at peace with themselves
and the world around them.
The
young men who attend our Weekend come from diverse socio-economic,
racial and cultural backgrounds. We do not inquire about
their sexual orientation. We are non-sectarian; we do not
espouse any institutional religion. More than 50% of the
youth attending the YMUW originate from divorced homes,
however, our program is intended for all young men, ages
13-20.
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Dates
of the Weekend
August 2-4, 2013 (South Bay)
Boy Scout Reservation Camp
250 Scout Ranch Road, Boulder Creek, CA
Click Here for Directions
September 27-29, 2013 (North Bay)
Camp Tamarancho
1000 Iron Springs Road
Fairfax, CA
Click here for Directions
Download
a Weekend Flyer
|
Weekend
Agenda
When the parents drop off their sons on Friday night they will be strongly encouraged by our staff to attend the Ultimate Parenting Weekend, which starts on Saturday and finishes on Sunday, before the YMUW ends. When parents attend the UPW at the same time their sons attend the YMUW, their family has a much greater chance of transforming their household into a place of respectful and resourceful relationships, founded on cooperation rather than competition.
Friday Night
The young men form teams and select their team leaders. Everyone participates in the fire lighting ceremony, sharing the experience of awe and reverence for this great mystery of life. We end the evening by practicing the values of Gallantry and Humor with late night competitions and fun.
Saturday
All day, the young men practice the discipline of working
at peak performance levels for the development of self-confidence.
They are given opportunities to develop organizational and
listening skills by leading their team or leading events.
They participate in sports competitions,
open forum discussion groups, ropes course training, community
service, drum circles, and ceremonies that are designed
to enhance teamwork and personal growth.
Saturday Night
The young men are given the opportunity to
release their anger, sadness and other unresolved emotions
from childhood in a secure environment. Through this intense
physical process, their wounds of childhood scar over and
serve as lessons for future life mastery. This ceremony
releases them from their past burdens, allowing them to
live with more freedom and be safer to themselves and others.
Sunday
The young men and the mentors use the sweat lodge to pray in their own way for
the strength to become more respectful of themselves so that
they can better serve our families and communities. At midmorning the young men organize their belongings and clean up the site as a community service.
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By noon, the mentors challenge the young men in sports contests, with shared celebration of fun and competition reaching a crescendo! Afterwards the young men enter their final ceremonies preparing them for the sensitive transition back into their everyday lives.
Parents arrive at the site 1 hour before graduation
to learn how to effectively support their sons to become more independent. The Weekend
concludes in a heartfelt ceremony reuniting the young
men and the parents with a heightened awareness of
the importance of family and a greater appreciation
and respect for each other. |
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Registration
Young men are welcome to register any time before the weekend or on the Friday that the weekend begins. Whether registered before the weekend or at the weekend, all young men must arrive between 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM on the Friday their weekend begins.
Tuition is $250.00. No personal checks accepted within 7 days of the event and tuition must be paid in full prior to participation. No refund policy within 7 days of the start date but can be credited toward any future YMUW events. An additional $25 will be charged for returned checks. If paying by credit/debit card, you can do so at www.YMUW.org or contact us for a credit/debit payment form.
Special arrangements for late arrivals will be considered
on a case-by-case basis with the parent or guardian before
the weekend.
To Register for either Weekend, August 2-4, 2013
or September 27-29, 2013
1. If paying online by credit or debit card (the best way!),
please: Register Here
2. You can download the *Weekend
Registration Form and fax or mail back to the appropriate
office listed on the form (PDF file may be completed electronically
then printed out). Please note that signatures are required.
3. If paying by check or money order, please mail it with
the registration form. If you fax the registration form,
you can mail the payment separately. Make checks or money
orders payable to "YMUW".
*Note:
Form is in PDF format which requires that Adobe's "Acrobat
Reader" be installed on your computer. A free copy
is available at www.adobe.com. |
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Home About Us The
Weekend Family Services Volunteer Donate
North Bay -
info@ymuw.org, South Bay - southbay@ymuw.org
(800) 719-9302
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