Elder Circle
When a New Warrior approaches his fiftieth birthday, he may choose to begin the process of claiming his eldership.
MKP UK&I Elder Circle
Membership of the MKP UK&I Eldership Circle is open to any man from MKP who is 50 or over. There are no other requirements to join this Circle, which is an opportunity for older men to hang out, with a programme that provides ways to explore what getting older means for us as individuals and as a group. We do so primarily through Elder Circle Gatherings (lately mainly online), and exchanges via email on the Eldership Circle email list.
Membership does not give a man the right to call himself an Elder, but we are exploring and developing ways for a man to live with consciousness, which in turn provides the opportunity for an older man to receive the gift of being more aware of how he lives his life, and perhaps be more able to give something more to those with whom he shares his life. We call this the Conscious Elder Journey and members of the Circle who wish to try this approach are invited to embrace the principles of
Making a commitment to do something conscious that will stretch the man and help his personal development;
Having an intention to be in service in some recognisable way;
agreeing to have a specific companion who is his equal and his friend on the Journey;
Promising to participate in the elder community by attending Elder Circles with some regularity, and where that is not possible to explain this;
Agreeing to use the Elder Circle Values Statement as something to aspire to and to test his life and decisions. The Values Statement states:
‘We create loving and supportive spaces for men over 50 to nurture our emotional wellbeing and pursue our life purpose, in a safe circle where we are held, heard and accepted and know that we are not alone. We raise ourselves up and inspire others by listening deeply to the needs of each other, and the needs of all the Life of the planet, so we can reach out in service with courage. We do so in the context of the Values of MKP UK&I which are Accountability, Authenticity, Compassion, Generosity, Integrity, Multicultural Inclusivity and Respect; we believe that these apply to our behaviour as regards our fellow human beings and all the Life of the planet.’
Watch out for further developments and how a man can go about receiving recognition as an Elder within the MKP UK&I community (which is different to the role of the Ritual Elder on the MKP UK&I Adventure).
The current Elder Circle Chair is David Salamons who you can contact about these and related matters at davidsalamons@gmail.com
If you wish to join the Eldership Circle e-mail list then CLICK HERE
Eldership Circle Events planned for 2024 include:
12th to 14th April The Conscious Elder Weekend @ Unstone Grange, Derbyshire (Cost £200 for the weekend) An opportunity to explore with a small group of men on what does it mean for you personally to step up into your own elder journey.
Please contact John Quill @ quilljohn51@gmail.com for more information.
21st April Periodic National Elders Gathering on Zoom (10:00 to 12:30) A national check in across UK and Ireland
Please contact David Salamons davidsalamons@gmail.com for more information.
31st May to 2nd June Elders Annual Gathering @ Unstone Grange, Derbyshire (Cost £175 for the weekend) An annual gathering open to men across the UK and Ireland age 50+ who have completed an NWTA. This is much more "lover" than "warrior" in nature. It is an opportunity connect with men of a similar age, have conversations, be nurtured and have some fun. All with aim of strengthening us as older men.
To register please email kenneth.moore@mankindprojectuki.org.
19th to 21st July Elder events @ Silver Sky Festival (Celebrating 30 years of MKP UK&I)
Please contact Mark Farmer @ markdlfarmer@gmail.com for more information.
27th July Physical One Day Gathering at Dorset Wharf, Hammersmith London
Please contact David Salamons davidsalamons@gmail.com for more information.
