T
his month we celebrate July the 4th. It’s the one day of the year Americans honor their unique values but most especially, independence. However, something has moved us further from that dynamic.
At one time, America was filled with manhood development programs such as Rotary, YMCA, Lions and Boy Scouts. However, gender neutralizing these groups has created a society where manhood isn’t mass produced.
Male specific groups like Kiwanis and Optimists existed years ago to assist in the proper development of men, and, our society saw a better economy and more ethical culture as a result.
When Men Were Men
A
bout 150 years ago,
Western men began forming and joining organizations that promoted a noble vision of manhood. Men’s clubs such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Optimist and
solved the world’s iodine
model citizens who were leaders
Lions gathered generations of
deficiency problem (Kiwanis),
in their communities. The positive
males and molded them into
and sent generations of youth on
peer pressure in these groups
gentlemen. Every time these men international exchange (Rotary).
that used to exist in our country,
gathered they were reminded to
And what U.S. city doesn’t have
propelled men towards
serve others – and serve they
a Lions Park? But even more
greatness! They included:
did. They built hospitals for
important than their good works,
children (Shriners),
men’s clubs produced good men
All-male schools and academies
Boy scouts, and similar
organizations
YMCAs High school boys’ clubs and sports teams
Service clubs
All-male social clubs,
They built the most
athletic clubs, glee clubs
prosperous economy in history
and lodges
and presided over an era of unprecedented peace! Yet for the
The military
past fifty years America has been These and others, created some of the finest men the world has ever known! We called them “the greatest generation.”
dismantling the very infrastructure that made these men great, in the name of gender equality.
A century ago, America knew the power of man on man socialization and training. The country was filled with groups that assisted men and young men in proper development and ethical behavior.
The Problem Begins About 50 years ago, allmale organizations began admitting women. Today, it’s hard to find an organization that remains male-only. Though this helped, these groups role as an
Societies have always
And this socialization must take
recognized that men need more
place in a male-only context. Put
socialization than women. The
females in the mix and the men
animal passions and physical
change. They become distracted.
strength invested in men can turn
They vie for women’s attention.
dangerous if not carefully
They step back and allow women
channeled.
to lead. This is why primitive
incubator of male character was greatly diminished. Today, it’s difficult to find male only programs. As a result, the country has become scarcer in its supply of men who are capable husbands, fathers and community leaders.
cultures
had elaborate coming-of-age rituals for young men. Adolescent
Where are the real men? Today’s women who ask that question should peer back into the past. Rites of passage rituals and male only programs taught men and boys to use their strength for the good of all.
boys were forcibly removed from the women and deliberately (often brutally) taught to use their powers for the good of the tribe. Women had no such coming-ofage rituals. There was no need. A more recent example; In the 1920s, high school fraternities were in their heyday, spreading
vice and foul behavior among the young men of America. Key Club was founded by a group of businessmen who intervened in these young men’s lives and set them on the right path.
Looking For a Real Man Who is really harmed by the dismantling of our man-building groups? Lower-class women. They can’t find decent husbands. Their sons lack healthy male role models. Their neighborhoods are deteriorating and tribalism
Feminists called these structures “the old boys network.” They Without the programs that develop men properly, we won’t see marriage rates rise, divorce rates drop and criminal society shrink. These were all fruits of a past America that saw the value of developing men.
gleefully destroyed them in the 1970s and 80s, unaware that they were consigning their sisters to loneliness, their sons to listlessness and their society to lawlessness.
is resurfacing among the men. Apart from the presence of strong adult men, boys create havoc! These same women ask, “Where did all the good men go?” Simple — we dismantled the structures that produced them.
Though feminists criticized these ‘old boy networks’ they produced better social dynamics than we see today.
In the past fifty years, Western
irresponsibility and predation.
The ancients knew what we’ve
society went from actively
The only large, all-male
forgotten: boys do not magically
promoting male responsibility to
character-forming organization
transform into men. They must
passively undermining it. In the
left in America is the Boy Scouts,
be molded. Chiseled. Their
absence of molding, the
but it’s under constant siege. The
character is forged as they
character of young men is
recent battle to admit gays is
interact with other men. Mixed-
eroding. They are reverting to
merely the first step in an effort to
gender programming has its role
their natural state: tribalism,
gender-neutralize the
– but it is not very effective in
brutality, passivity,
organization.
building male character.
Though we’re taught that young boys should look to their fathers to learn manhood, who do today’s millions of father absent families look to for the proper rearing of their boys?
This is the testimony of the men God providentially used as vehicles to preserve our nation's freedoms, men who fought against statism and for their families, countries, faith, and a way of life
W
hat is the godly legacy of the
fathers of World War II? Their story has not been told, until now! More than 406,000 Americans died during the Second World War, leaving an estimated 183,000 children fatherless. . Hundreds of thousands of other fathers did return from war, some who tragically never connected with their
children. But within the ranks of
eighties, these ancient warriors
the survivors and the heroic dead
return to the black sands of Iwo
were a remarkable collection of
Jima to disciple a new generation
men who made it a life mission to
in the art of Christian manhood.
speak the providences of God
Joining these men are sons
and the meaning of manhood to
whose fathers never returned --
the boys who would fill their
the brothers and ''Johnny Boy''
shoes. Through wartime letters
Butler -- all heirs to a treasure
and present-day pilgrimages to
trove of fatherly wisdom penned
the bloody battlefields of their
from the battlefield.
youth, the ancient warriors have spoken. Their thankful children rise to honor and surpass their legacy. They are ''The League of Grateful Sons.'' Meet tough-asnails Marine ''Colonel'' Bill Henderson, and P-51 Mustang flyboy Bill Brown. Now in their
will leave you grateful for Americas heroic fathers and motivated to surpass their legacy. The League of Grateful Sons is also an organization dedicated to preserving memories from the past, and in particular, the memories of fathers who fought during the Second World War, to pass the legacy of these men to another generation.
Shot on location on Iwo Jima, Guam, Hawaii, and in Texas, and directed by veteran filmmaker, Geoff Botkin, The
League of Grateful Sons
If you're a Christian man, father, or are running a men's group you should definitely watch The League of Grateful Sons
Within the ranks of the survivors and the heroic dead were a remarkable collection of men who made it a life mission to speak the providences of God and the meaning of manhood to the boys who would fill their shoes.
Bulletins Connect with us online by clicking here. If you’re interested in undergoing the commissioning process for 2014-2015 email Gmen@mobcc.org.
Events The next men’s meeting is on August 15th at 7 P.M. The next young men’s meeting is on August 15th at 6 P.M.
Scripture
Ps 44:1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work you did do in their days, in the times of old.
Thought Go home and say, “For your tomorrow we gave our today.” – Saying of World War Veterans