Gmen July 2014

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