"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



"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

 


"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

 

 



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

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.
 

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.

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.
 

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.



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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North Bay - info@ymuw.org, South Bay - southbay@ymuw.org
(800) 719-9302