Boysen Hodgson is the communications director for The Mankind Project. It provides weekend initiations and support groups for thousands of men in 25 countries. This is what I asked him:

1. As a boy, what and how did you learn about becoming a man? Young men tell me it’s mostly don’t be a …… Men’s movement leaders emphasize the harm of father absence.

2. Your education and career path. Why are more women in college than men except in Sub-Saharan Africa?

3. How you got involved in the Mankind Project. Its influence on your marriage and parenting? Why do women initiate 70% of divorces in the US? Men tell me they feel women have an advantage in emotional communication.

4. History: Based on the mythopoetic or New Age men’s movement of the early ’80, unconsciously the 3 founders (Bill Kauth, Ron Hering, and Rich Tosi) created an initiation ceremony in 1985 Wisconsin. They drew on Native American traditions and Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey: descent, ordeal (explain), and return. How is this different for men than women? Bill Kauth said he wanted an alternative to the “soft masculine,” a “sense of ferocity, hard masculine.” Explain. How does dancing fit?

Seems to emphasize doing service and accountability, and provide support groups.

5. The 4 components of the Mankind Project:

New Warrior Training Adventure weekend initiation (one-to-one staff) over 60,000 men—update from 23 countries.

Gateway New Warrior Training Adventure—which most participants? What’s RAW?

Integration i-groups with a series of rounds (1000 groups, peer-facilitated)

Training to staff the above.

Who is the average participant? Evaluations?

6. Despite the hazards of being male, why isn’t there a larger and more politically active men’s movement? “Movements fail because of the lack of mature bonding, the kind of connection that allows groups to overcome personal and psychological blocks and resolve interpersonal conflicts in a way that is energizing rather than draining to their efforts.”

Happy Marriages: 30 Global Couples Tell Their Stories

available from www.gaylekimball.info/bookstore

· 30 couples from around the world reveal how they resolve disagreements and stay happy.

· Experts teach their techniques for solving conflicts.

· Learn to create lasting satisfaction in your relationship, including sexuality.

· Includes men’s and women’s perspectives, as well as diverse cross-cultural and sexual-orientation marriages.

"The mysteries of marriage forever fascinate us. Our real-life experiences can take us from ecstasy to agony and back again. Gayle Kimball's wonderful book is full of helpful stories, professional expertise, and practical wisdom for couples who want to live fully, love deeply, and have a relationship that nourishes the partnership now, and forever. I highly recommend it.”   Jed Diamond, Ph.D., author of The Enlightened Marriage: The 5 Transformative Stages of Relationships and Why the Best is Still to Come.

“Experience may be the best teacher, but learning from other people’s experience is much easier. If you want a fulfilling marriage, this is a treasure trove—conveying in the depth that a brilliant interviewer can evoke—the experiences of 30 happy couples.”

Donna Eden and David Feinstein, Ph.D. Co-authors, The Energies of Love

"Most books on love and marriage synthesize all their couples' experiences and experts' wisdoms through the preconceived frame of the author. Not Happy Marriages. Couples dig deep into the complexities, contradictions, and dirty laundry that constitute love, making this one of the most valuable books on love, marriage and real life that you are ever likely to read."   Warren Farrell, Ph.D.

Author of The Boy Crisis and Women Can’t Hear What Men Don’t Say

Gayle Kimball, Ph.D. is the Nautilus award winner author of more than 20 books, including 50/50 Marriage and Everything You Need to Know to Succeed After College.

Award-winning Shubert's ice cream shop was founded in 1938 by Leonard Shubert. His nephew Charles Pulliam Sr. joined him three years later and bought the business in 1951. His grandchildren Kasey Pulliam-Reynold and Nathan Reynolds run the scoop shop and candy store today, including Kasey's two daughters and her husband. Her 10-year-old granddaughter is starting to help out---the sixth generation. Kasey is also a Chico City Council member, concerned about the unhoused and local business resiliency. Her favorite ice cream is chocolate chip and chocolate-covered nut candy, which she is making during the video.

Rob Fanno is the third Mr. Fanno to head Fanno Saw Works. His grandfather, A.A. Fanno, invented the pole saw to remove branches from his almond orchard. The store sells cutlery and sharpens tools. 

https://youtu.be/ZaLHVP8ZU3s

Susan McNeill Spuhler is a laser engineer and a leader in the US dowsing organization. Dowsing is a tool to focus intuition and "gut feelings." You've probably heard of water dowsing with a forked stick. For more information on dowsing and related topics see www.flagstaffdowsers.com.

Valeria Koopman Tellis, author, podcaster, and healing coach interviews Gayle Kimball about the meaning of life, happiness, and Gayle’s book “Calm: How to Thrive in Challenging Times.” Valerria’s blog is fitforjoy.org/blog

Nancy Wiegman's "Nancy's Bookshelf" features local authors, aired weekly on KCHO fm, NSPR. https://www.mynspr.org/show/nancys-bookshelf

In this episode she interviews Gayle Kimball about one of the Visionary Scientists' trilogy, "The Mysteries of Healing: Dialogues with Doctors and Scientists."

Radio host Donna Seebo interviews Gayle Kimball about "Mysteries of Reality: Dialogues with Visionary Scientists, part of a trilogy incluidng "Mysteries of Healing" and "Mysteries of Knowledge Beyond Our Senses."

A 10-year-old explains the five social groups in 5th grade and gender orientation, as well as his attitudes towards school.

The author of "Climate Girls Saving Our World," Gayle Kimball is interviewed by Susan and Steve Tzudi about her interviews with young women climate activists from around the world.