Received: from evaki.its.uow.edu.au ([130.130.68.32]) by anubis.ad.uow.edu.au with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959); Sun, 4 Nov 2007 09:41:33 +1100 Received: from febris-nat.its.uow.edu.au ([130.130.68.210] helo=febris.its.uow.edu.au) by evaki.its.uow.edu.au with esmtp (Exim 4.63) (envelope-from ) id 1IoRgK-000273-Q7 for blane@uow.edu.au; Sun, 04 Nov 2007 09:41:32 +1100 Received: from servervs1.bosweb.local (eth3951.nsw.adsl.internode.on.net [150.101.126.110]) by febris.its.uow.edu.au (MOS 3.8.5-GA) with ESMTP id GHZ23366; Sun, 4 Nov 2007 09:41:29 +1100 (EST) Received: from servervs1 ([127.0.0.1]) by servervs1.bosweb.local with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959); Sun, 4 Nov 2007 09:40:44 +1100 Thread-Topic: The Masculine Journey Reply-To: Message-ID: thread-index: AcgeapHsAcUNORbCQiaojQVqu+Kibg== From: To: Subject: The Masculine Journey Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2007 09:40:44 +1100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_2486_01C81EC6.C56026F0" X-Mailer: Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000 Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message Importance: normal Priority: normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.3790.4133 X-OriginalArrivalTime: 03 Nov 2007 22:40:44.0403 (UTC) FILETIME=[91F2BC30:01C81E6A] X-Junkmail-Status: score=10/49, host=febris.its.uow.edu.au X-Junkmail-SD-Raw: score=unknown, refid=str=0001.0A090206.472CF81A.0136,ss=1,fgs=0, ip=150.101.126.110, so=2007-07-31 18:51:00, dmn=5.4.3/2007-10-18 Return-Path: info@fathersonline.org This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_2486_01C81EC6.C56026F0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Unable to read this email? Please click here Issue 272 - 5th November, 2007 Go to our website Here * Hello & Welcome Brian * Grandads * Laughter * Single Dads * Special Feature * Thought of the Week * All You Need is Love * News & Info * Dad's Prayer * Help Us Hello & Welcome Brian Last weekend I went to a 'Dad & Kids Campout'. We had about 20-30 dads and children altogether at the Wollondilly River Station for 24 hours with an overnight bush camp. No running water (except in the river), old style bush dunnies (toilets), plenty of ants and flies and lots of pure masculinity mixed with a good dose of adventure. We did all sorts of things: Playing with sparklers in the night Toasting marshmallows on the open camp fire Burning the damper to a blackened crisp Racing big wheel remote trucks Building catapults to throw raw eggs Trying to catch raw eggs with bare hands Lots of competition, laughs, tears and mayhem. Just what every father and child longs for but rarely gets A deeply spiritual time but prayers were rarely spoken The invisible transference of male spirituality - better caught than taught Not often understood but often deeply missed. John Eldridge, author of the worldwide best seller, 'Wild at Heart', tells the story well in his most recent book, 'The Way of the Wild at Heart' in a section titled 'Unfinished Men'. A boy has a lot to learn in his journey to become a man, and he becomes a man only through the active intervention of his father and the fellowship of men. It cannot happen any other way. To become a man - and to know that he has become a man - a boy must have a guide, a father who will show him how to fix a bike and cast a fishing rod and call a girl and land the job and all the many things a boy will encounter in his journey to become a man. This we must understand: Masculinity is bestowed. A boy learns who he is and what he's made of from a man (or a company of men). This can't be learned in any other place. It can't be learned from other boys, and it can't be learned from the world of women. "The traditional way of raising sons," notes Robert Bly, "which lasted for thousands and thousands of years, amounted to fathers and sons living in close - murderously close - proximity, while the father taught the son a trade: perhaps farming or carpentry or blacksmithing or tailoring." When I was young, my father would take me fishing early on a Saturday morning. We'd spend hours together out there, on a lake or a river, trying to catch fish. But the fish were never really the issue. What I longed for was his presence, his attention, and his delight in me. I longed for him to teach me how, show me the way. This is where to drop that line. This is how you set the hook. If you can get a group of men talking about their fathers, you'll hear this core longing of a man's heart. "My father used to take me with him out in the field." "My father taught me how to play hockey, out in the street." "I learned to frame a house from my dad." Whatever the details might be, when a man speaks of the greatest gift his father gave him - if his father gave him anything at all worth remembering - it is always the passing on of masculinity. This is essential, for life will test you, my brothers. Like a ship at sea, you will be tested, and the storms will reveal the weak places in you as a man. They already have. How else do you account for the anger you feel, the fear, the vulnerability to certain temptations? Why can't you marry the girl? Having married, why can't you handle her emotions? Why haven't you found your life's mission? Why do financial crises send you into a rage or depression? You know what I speak of. And so our basic approach to life comes down to this: We stay in what we can handle, and steer clear of everything else. We engage where we feel we can or we must - as at work - and we hold back where we feel sure to fail, as in the deep waters of relating to our wife or our children, and in our spirituality. You see, what we have now is a world of uninitiated men. Partial men. Boys, mostly, walking around in men's bodies, with men's jobs and families, finances, and responsibilities. The passing on of masculinity was never completed, if it was begun at all. The boy was never taken through the process of masculine initiation. That's why most of us are Unfinished Men. And therefore unable to truly live as men in whatever life throws at us. And unable to pass on to our sons and daughters what they need to become whole and holy men and women themselves. At the same time there are these boys and young men and men our own age around us who are all very much in need - desperate need - of someone to show them the way. What does it mean to be a man? Am I a man? What should I do in this or that situation? These boys are growing up into uncertain men because the core questions of their souls have gone unanswered or answered badly. They grow into men who act, but their actions are not rooted in a genuine strength, wisdom and kindness. There is no one there to show them the way. Masculine initiation is a journey, a process, a quest really, a story that unfolds over time. It can be a very beautiful and powerful event to experience a blessing or a ritual, to hear words spoken to us in a ceremony of some sort. Those moments can be turning points in our lives. But they are only moments, and moments, as you well know, pass quickly and are swallowed in the river of time. We need more than a moment, an event. We need a process, a journey, an epic story of many experiences woven together, building upon one another in a progression. We need initiation. And we need a Guide. Lovework Get together with some other dads and go bush with your children. Make sure you have some fun and enjoy your time together. You will be so glad you did. Maybe you still need to experience more of the masculine journey yourself. If you do, why not join met at the Wild at Heart Australian event at Stanwell Tops, NSW, 6-9 December 2007? I don't know about you, but I am always willing to learn more. Yours for the masculine journey Warwick Marsh PS That's right, John Eldridge is coming to Australia for a one of Wild at Heart event 6-9 December 2007. It's not cheap, but nothing really good ever is. People are flying from England to come to Australia for this bootcamp. There are still a few places left. Check out the details at: www.wildatheartaustralia.com.au ___________________________________________________________ Warwick Marsh has been married to Alison for 32 years. He is the father of five children, four boys and one girl, ranging in age from 26 years to 14 years. Warwick is a musician, songwriter, producer and public speaker who likes to think he can still laugh at himself. back to top Grandads But I remember once, when my brother and I were about six and four, sitting on the bed with Dad, one of us under each of his arms as he told us a bedtime story. I don't remember what the story was, but I'll never forget feeling there was something different about him that I'd never felt from Mum - something hard to describe, but definitely masculine, like a kind of brown ooze coming out of him and going into us little boys. Taken from 'Sons of the Father' by Gordon Dalbey back to top Laughter A man who just died is delivered to the mortuary wearing an expensive, expertly tailored black suit. The mortician asks the deceased's wife how she would like the body dressed. He points out that the man does look good in the black suit he is already wearing. The widow, however, says that she always thought her husband looked his best in blue, and that she wants him in a blue suit. She gives the mortician a blank cheque and says, "I don't care what it costs, please have my husband in a blue suit for the viewing." The woman returns the next day for the viewing. To her delight, she finds her husband dressed in a gorgeous blue suit with a subtle chalk stripe; the suit fits him perfectly. She says to the mortician, "Whatever this cost, I'm very satisfied. You did an excellent job and I'm very grateful. How much did you spend?" To her astonishment, the mortician presents her with the blank check. There's no charge," he says. "No, really, I must compensate you for the cost of that exquisite blue suit! she says. "Honestly, ma'am," the mortician says, "It cost nothing. You see, a deceased gentleman of about your husband's size was brought in shortly after you left yesterday, and he was wearing an attractive blue suit. I asked his wife if she minded him going to his grave wearing a black suit instead, and she said it made no difference as long as he looked nice. "So I switched the heads." back to top Single Dads Ed Dabrowski, Federal Director of the Shared Parenting Council said "As I have reflected and discussed in recent weeks, I have in my conscience and heart and soul and through every human fibre of love and compassion in my being, made a decision to stand for the Senate in the coming Federal Election". Now I ask for endorsement and signatures for my Summit climb to the Senate, needing at least 50 signatures to nominate me as a Senate Candidate for Federal Election 2007. Despite the odds and the constant messaging and propaganda from the major political parties, I put myself forward to stand for our children and their parents and grandparents and all traditional families. This is my undertaking to them, that I stand for their interests, their dreams and aspirations, not for some political machine with money and greed at its selfish centre. "WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR CHILDREN TODAY?" ... is what I am asking us all to consider deeply as our nation's priorities are deliberately misdirected and politicians ignore the plight of families. I AM FOR - happiness, wellbeing, and the joys of childhood and family life, the sanctity and privacy of the home. I AM AGAINST the wholesale destruction of families and our cherished way of life by the legal fraternity and Family Courts, AVO courts, easy and irresponsible divorce laws, and radical leftist feminist ideologies that seek to disempower and disenfranchise men from fatherhood. Any "ism" that is antagonistic to one gender, is flawed and I reject any ideological attack on men and women, mothers and fathers. I do seek balance and mutual respect for all, and that the proper dignity be afforded to the unique natures of men and women, different but perfectly complementary to each other. I AM STANDING FIRM ON OUR COMMON GROUND AND COMMON WEALTH, what should be an abundance and richness of personal income and wealth from personal effort, the wealth of commUNITY and inalienable birth right to shared joy in family life, to be lived by ALL CHILDREN AND PARENTS, but is being stolen by a corrupt and diabolical divorce industry. My heart cries out for the children who have had their CHILDHOOD STOLEN from them. I feel the pain of countless fathers denied the special and irreplaceable time of their children's childhood years, because Family Court judges choose to routinely segregate fathers from their children. I hear their stories daily - each day more casualties and children forced to exist fatherless. It is also a critical health issue as the developing minds of children are 'wired' in receptiveness to their mother and their father; without a relationship with both, children's development is irreparably harmed. The corrupt judicial cycle of parental alienation, vilification, exclusion and segregation of children from their natural parents, particularly their fathers, must end if our children are to enjoy a future and if parents are to succeed in transmitting their values and culture to their kids and the future generations. The silent segregation of children from one of their parents, done in secret in the Family Court and unreportable in the media, is no different to the segregation of 'coloured' persons, experienced and made visible during the civil rights campaigns in the USA in the 1960's. It is no different to the "re-assignment" of civilians in Auschwitz and the Concentration camps across Europe during World War II. By the time the world was awake to what was happening, in Auschwitz alone, 4 million people had been executed including the staggering figure of 1.5 million children. I have walked the grounds of Auschwitz - what happened is real; it's happening now - patterns repeat. The public doesn't know and whilst we enjoy our 'modcons', and escape to our Plasma and LCD TVs for entertainment, evil triumphs because good men do nothing. Make no mistake, the Family Courts across Australia, North America, Britain and Europe are the new processing centres for terminating parent-child bonds, the very fabric of families as we have know it for eons. It is also an industry that reaps billions of dollars off an endless stream of unsuspecting parents. The clich of respectability normally afforded to the law and those who claim to uphold justice, paints a veneer which hides the true horror of these courts. In all honesty, I am truly amazed and shocked that our so called modern democracies even tolerate such uncivilised behaviour and maltreatment of children. It is CHILD ABUSE, no less, and I and many around me cannot remain silent when our children are suffering. It's time the law was changed to affirm EQUAL PARENTING TIME after separation and divorce and got rid of the adversarial court that drives parents into despair, sickness and suicide. This system that says from the outset that children of split families can only have one parent, is fundamentally flawed and evil in its construction - I will work to end it, to close down the Family Court once and for all. And if elected I will personally expose, in the Parliament itself, those judges and officials harming children and loving mums and dads, until we are rid of the rot and decay and families can laugh and be free again. Ed Dabrowski Ed is a Senior Engineer at BHP Billiton; volunteer National Director, Children's Rights Council and Shared Parenting Council of Australia ~ www.spca.org.au director@creativitysummit.com dads_n_kids@bigpond.com 0409 917 345 back to top Special Feature WHAT ABOUT MEN'S HEALTH? To the next Commonwealth Health Minister Despite men's higher mortality and morbidity rates Australia does not have a National Men's Health Policy. You will be aware that since 1989 there has been a National Women's Health Policy. The Australasian Men's Health Forum supports the Women's Health Policy and is asking you, and your party, to develop and implement a National Men's Health Policy. This is by no means a "Me Too!" knee jerk reaction; rather it is an appeal for a population health and therefore evidence-based approach to men's health in our country. I support the Australasian Men's Health Forum's call for National Men's Health Policy, and I ask you to declare your support for a National Men's Health Policy which: - Provides for automatic prostrate cancer screening for susceptible age groups - Protects men from being denied access to their children - because of the serious depressive illness this causes . - Protects men from false allegations of abuse - because of the serious depressive illness this causes - Insists that all providers draw up plans to involve men and boys - Makes screening for men and boys' health problems part of regular practice - Calls on health services to make demonstrable efforts to deliver male-friendly health services. - Respects the diversity of men and boys' health needs and makes provision for Aboriginal men, CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse)men, youth, men living in rural and remote and disadvantaged urban communities as well as other groups such as recent immigrants who have difficulty in being accepted in this country and whose health suffers accordingly. Sincerely Simon Hunt email@dashlite.com.au (03) 5973 6933 back to top Thought of the Week The man becomes a boy The boy becomes a man Thirty years of age He's still playing with his toys And deep inside his life is dying For grace to know the one he needs And deep inside his heart is crying That Christ might reign in victory. 1984 Lyrics from 'Turning 30' by Warwick Marsh back to top All You Need is Love MARRIAGE AND YOUR HEALTH Marital Spats, Taken to Heart The New York Times, October 2, 2007 By TARA PARKER-POPE Arguing is an inevitable part of married life. But now researchers are putting the marital spat under the microscope to see if the way you fight with your spouse can affect your health. Recent studies show that how often couples fight or what they fight about usually doesn't matter. Instead, it's the nuanced interactions between men and women, and how they react to and resolve conflict that appear to make a meaningful difference in the health of the marriage and the health of the couple. A study of nearly 4,000 men and women from Framingham, Mass., asked whether they typically vented their feelings or kept quiet in arguments with their spouse. Notably, 32 percent of the men and 23 percent of the women said they typically bottled up their feelings during a marital spat. In men, keeping quiet during a fight didn't have any measurable effect on health. But women who didn't speak their minds in those fights were four times as likely to die during the 10-year study period as women who always told their husbands how they felt, according to the July report in Psychosomatic Medicine. Whether the woman reported being in a happy marriage or an unhappy marriage didn't change her risk. The tendency to bottle up feelings during a fight is known as self-silencing. For men, it may simply be a calculated but harmless decision to keep the peace. But when women stay quiet, it takes a surprising physical toll. "When you're suppressing communication and feelings during conflict with your husband, it's doing something very negative to your physiology, and in the long term it will affect your health," said Elaine Eaker, an epidemiologist in Gaithersburg, Md., who was the study's lead author. "This doesn't mean women should start throwing plates at their husbands, but there needs to be a safe environment where both spouses can equally communicate." Other studies led by Dana Crowley Jack, a professor of interdisciplinary studies at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., have linked the self-silencing trait to numerous psychological and physical health risks, including depression, eating disorders and heart disease. Keeping quiet during a fight with a spouse is something "we all have to do sometimes," Dr. Jack said. "But we worry about the people who do it in a more extreme fashion." The emotional tone that men and women take during arguments with a spouse can also take a toll on their health. Utah researchers have videotaped 150 couples to measure the effect that marital arguing style has on heart risk. The men and women were mostly in their 60s, had been married on average for more than 30 years and had no signs of heart disease. The couples were given stressful topics to discuss, like money or household chores, and the comments made during the ensuing arguments were categorized as warm, hostile, controlling or submissive. The men and women also underwent heart scans to measure coronary artery calcium, an indicator of heart disease risk. The researchers found that the style of argument detected in the video sessions was a powerful predictor for a man or woman's risk for underlying heart disease. In fact, the way the couple interacted was as important a heart risk factor as whether they smoked or had high cholesterol, says Timothy W. Smith, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, who presented the study last year to the American Psychosomatic Society. For women, whether a husband's arguing style was warm or hostile had the biggest effect on her heart health. Dr. Smith notes that in a fight about money, for instance, one man said, "Did you pass elementary school math?" But another said, "Bless you, you are not so good with the cheque book, but you're good at other things." In both exchanges, the husband was criticizing his wife's money management skills, but the second comment was infused with a level of warmth. In the study, a warm style of arguing by either spouse lowered the wife's risk of heart disease. But arguing style affected men and women differently. The level of warmth or hostility had no effect on a man's heart health. For a man, heart risk increased if disagreements with his wife involved a battle for control. And it didn't matter whether he or his wife was the one making the controlling comments. An example of a controlling argument style showed up in one video of a man arguing with his wife about money. "You really should just listen to me on this," he told her. What's particularly notable about the study is that the men and women filled out standard questionnaires about the quality of their relationships, but those answers were not a good predictor of cardiovascular risk. The difference in risk showed up only when the quality of the couple's bickering style was assessed. "Disagreements in a marriage are inevitable, but it's how you conduct yourself," Dr. Smith said. "Can you do it in a way that gets your concerns addressed, but without doing damage at the same time? That's not an easy mark to hit for some couples." Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company back to top News & Info Movember - Changing the face of Men's Health Movember the month formally known as November is a charity event held during November each year. http://www.movember.com/au/home Which ever way we look at it, men are far less healthy than women. The average life expectancy for men is five years less than for women. The obvious question is why? The answer is because men lack awareness about the very real health issues they face, have a "she'll be right" attitude and are reluctant to see a doctor about an illness or to go for regular medical checks. The aim of Movember is to change these attitudes, make male health fun by putting the Mo back on the face of fashion and in the process raise some serious funds for key male health issues, including: Prostate Cancer: because every year in Australia 2,900 men die of prostate cancer - equivalent to the number of women who die from breast cancer annually. www.movember.com/au/outcomes/malehealth/07/Prostate-Cancer Male Depression: because one in six men experience depression at any given time but most don't seek help. ____________________________ DIVORCE:Ordeal or New Deal THEY promised themselves it wouldn't get ugly. After all, the fact they were divorcing didn't mean they couldn't still be civilised. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22663117-5007146,00.html Children NEED to be Teased !! http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22665046-2,00.html _________________________________________________________ Dear Representatives & Sympathisers of Equal Parenting, Family & Fatherhood movements. My name is Ash Patil from Fathers4Equality. Many of you would know me, whereas to some I may be an unknown. I am however writing on behalf of Fathers4Equality , and you may be aware that as a group we were responsible for galvanising fathers from across Australia at the last federal election via the Parliamentary Megaphone , and encouraging the sending of 250,000 personalised emails to every politician in Canberra, promoting the issue of equal parenting time as a starting point for negotiations after separation. We made a definite and profound impression on Canberra, and are now well known to pretty much every politician who has a view on this issue. Strength in Numbers Campaign for the e-Election We are now beginning our new ' Strength in Numbers ' Campaign. This campaign is simply designed to encourage those disaffected with family law to 'register online' in order to receive an email list of father-friendly candidates (upper and lower house) just prior to the coming election. In short, although we will not be telling people how to vote, we will be highlighting those candidates at this election who share our views, in order to create an effective VOTER -INFORMATION SHARING- BLOC . Please assist this Campaign, and F4E will reciprocate. I think many of you would be aware that our respective movements could be marginalised significantly, and in fact set back decades if the coming election delivers control of both houses to those candidates and parties representing anti-father sentiments. I ask for your assistance therefore in widely distributing the below email to all your supporters/members/subscribers, in order to get sufficient numbers to make an impact. We would all be aware that one final Senate seat could be determined by a handful of votes, and that seat may end up holding the ' balance of power ' for 4 years. Let's not underestimate the importance of this election to our cause. In return, I will commit to reciprocating your support when convenient for you/your organisation, by likewise distributing your email/call for members/call for financial support/or any other important announcement, as a special announcement email to all those who have joined the campaign. Please be aware that the initial 'Strength in Numbers' email will be sent to all our previous Megaphone users/Petition signers ( numbering over 12,000 people ) , so the committed assistance you can offer towards our Campaign today may also result in significant benefit and exposure for your organisation down the line. Please consider showing your support for the Fathers4Equality-Australia , 'Strength in Numbers' campaign. Fathers4Equality promotes equal parenting where practical, as a starting point for child custody negotiations. http://www.fathers4equality-australia.org Fathers4Equality is determined to be a VOICE this coming election for all those disaffected with family law in this Australia. With 750,000 non-residence parents in this country, we can potentially make a genuine impact come election time. Join the ' Strength in Numbers ' Campaign NOW and receive: (i) your list of father-friendly candidates for your review and consideration just prior to the election. (ii) get immediate access to the 2005 Shared Parenting Parliamentary Survey - read what your local members said about shared parenting - in his/her own words. (iii) be in the running to win one of 40 prizes including free legal advise, support in writing Orders, support in writing Parenting Plans, custody time software, fatherhood books and cash. Remember, the more members we have, the LOUDER our voice. http://www.fathers4equality-australia.org The Megaphone is back, bigger & better, so please help us spread the word. Last time we ran the Megaphone, we managed to send a total of 250,000 emails to our federal politicians about our concerns on family law reform. We caused a great stir in Canberra and as a result Fathers4Equality was invited to inquiries, meetings, discussions etc, etc, etc. With the oncoming election, I am confident we can do better than 250,000 emails this time round, but I will need everyone's help. We have less than 3 weeks to go before the election, so start now. This time we have two Megaphones you can use, or use both if you choose. http://www.fathers4equality-australia.org http://www.fathers4families.com.au So start sending, and please forward this email to anyone who can help. Ash Patil fathers4equality - Australia ______________________________________ Dear Fatherhood Foundation During Movember (the month formerly known as November) I'll be growing a Mo for the third year in a row. That's right I'm bringing the Mo back because I'm passionate about changing men's health and the fight against male depression and prostate cancer. Why... # Depression affects 1 in 6 men...Most don't seek help. Untreated depression is a leading risk factor for suicide. Males suicide at almost four times the rate of females: 1657 Australian males committed suicide in 2005 (that's more than the road toll). # Last year in Australia 18,700 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 2,900 died of prostate cancer - equivalent to the number of women who die from breast cancer annually. # Men are far less healthy than women. All chronic conditions such as obesity, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease occur more frequently in men and the average life expectancy of males is 5 years less than females. # Two-thirds of men over 40 are obese or overweight. # More than twice as many males as females experience work-related injuries and illnesses. Over ninety percent of work-related deaths are of males. # Males are almost twice as likely as females to be victims of violence. # In primary school, twice as many boys will die from accidents such as falls and drowning as will girls. In high school, many more boys than girls will be victims of road traffic accidents, suicide, alcohol abuse and head injuries. # Despite men's poor health status, Australia has never had a men's health policy (more info here). To sponsor my Mo please go to http://www.movember.com/au/donate , enter my registration number which is 102932 and your credit card details. Or you can sponsor me by cheque made payable to the "Movember Foundation" clearly marking the donation as being for my Registration Number: 102932. Please mail cheques to: PO Box 292, Prahran VIC 3181. All donations over $2 are tax deductible. The money raised by Movember is donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue - the national depression initiative, which will use the funds to create awareness, fund research and increase support networks for those men who suffer from prostate cancer and male depression. For those that have supported Movember in previous years you can be very proud of the impact it has had and can check out the detail at: Fundraising Outcomes. Movember culminates at the end of the month at the Gala Parts. These glamorous and groomed events will see Tom Selleck and Borat look-a-likes battle it out for their chance to take home the prestigious Man of Movember title. If you would like to be part of this great night you'll need to purchase a Gala Part ticket . I'll email a picture of my final Mo on December 1st to everyone who donates. Any styling suggestions during the month of Movember will be willingly accepted! Please give so that my Mo may grow!! Cheers, Greg Andresen More info is available at www.movember.com Movember is proudly grown by Commonwealth Bank, Holden, Schick and VB. Movember is proud partners with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue - the national depression initiative. back to top Dad's Prayer Dear God Help me on the journey. Help me see the light. Help me find what it means to be a man in the company of other men and in the delight of my children. As you delight in us, help me delight in them and make the world a better place as I behold and seek your face. back to top Help Us Click here for more information about us Help Us! The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Prevention Charity. Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been proven to be a source of harm. The Fatherhood Foundation helps children by promoting excellence in fathering. Excellent fathers are in word and deed: responsible, involved, protective, loving and committed to the well-being of their children and their children's mother. If you would like to give financially to the Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund and receive tax deductibility: Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund (Name, address and amount details must be emailed for a receipt for tax deductibility) Westpac Branch Wollongong BSB: 032 695 A/C: 25-5558 Or mail cheque and address details to: PO Box 440 WOLLONGONG NSW 2520 AUSTRALIA The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund is a public fund listed on the Register of Harm Prevention Charities under Subdivision 30_EA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. You have received the fathersonline.org newsletter because you have subscribed, or you have been subscribed by a friend. If you do not wish to receive future emails, please click the UNSUBSCRIBE button below or send an email to info@fathersonline.org with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject heading. back to top Click Here to Unsubscribe ------=_NextPart_000_2486_01C81EC6.C56026F0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Fatherhood Foundation
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Issue 272 - 5th November, 2007 Go to our website Here


Hello & Welcome Brian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last weekend I went to a 'Dad & Kids Campout'. We had about 20-30 dads and children altogether at the Wollondilly River Station for 24 hours with an overnight bush camp. No running water (except in the river), old style bush dunnies (toilets), plenty of ants and flies and lots of pure masculinity mixed with a good dose of adventure.

 

We did all sorts of things:

 

Playing with sparklers in the night

Toasting marshmallows on the open camp fire

Burning the damper to a blackened crisp

Racing big wheel remote trucks

Building catapults to throw raw eggs

Trying to catch raw eggs with bare hands

Lots of competition, laughs, tears and mayhem.

Just what every father and child longs for but rarely gets

A deeply spiritual time but prayers were rarely spoken

The invisible transference of male spirituality - better caught than taught

Not often understood but often deeply missed.

 

John Eldridge, author of the worldwide best seller, 'Wild at Heart', tells the story well in his most recent book, 'The Way of the Wild at Heart' in a section titled 'Unfinished Men'.

 

A boy has a lot to learn in his journey to become a man, and he becomes a man only through the active intervention of his father and the fellowship of men. It cannot happen any other way. To become a man - and to know that he has become a man - a boy must have a guide, a father who will show him how to fix a bike and cast a fishing rod and call a girl and land the job and all the many things a boy will encounter in his journey to become a man. This we must understand: Masculinity is bestowed. A boy learns who he is and what he's made of from a man (or a company of men). This can't be learned in any other place. It can't be learned from other boys, and it can't be learned from the world of women. "The traditional way of raising sons," notes Robert Bly, "which lasted for thousands and thousands of years, amounted to fathers and sons living in close - murderously close - proximity, ! while the father taught the son a trade: perhaps farming or carpentry or blacksmithing or tailoring."

 

When I was young, my father would take me fishing early on a Saturday morning. We'd spend hours together out there, on a lake or a river, trying to catch fish. But the fish were never really the issue. What I longed for was his presence, his attention, and his delight in me. I longed for him to teach me how, show me the way. This is where to drop that line. This is how you set the hook. If you can get a group of men talking about their fathers, you'll hear this core longing of a man's heart. "My father used to take me with him out in the field." "My father taught me how to play hockey, out in the street." "I learned to frame a house from my dad." Whatever the details might be, when a man speaks of the greatest gift his father gave him - if his father gave him anything at all worth remembering - it is always the passing on of masculinity.

 

This is essential, for life will test you, my brothers. Like a ship at sea, you will be tested, and the storms will reveal the weak places in you as a man. They already have. How else do you account for the anger you feel, the fear, the vulnerability to certain temptations? Why can't you marry the girl? Having married, why can't you handle her emotions? Why haven't you found your life's mission? Why do financial crises send you into a rage or depression? You know what I speak of. And so our basic approach to life comes down to this: We stay in what we can handle, and steer clear of everything else. We engage where we feel we can or we must - as at work - and we hold back where we feel sure to fail, as in the deep waters of relating to our wife or our children, and in our spirituality.

 

You see, what we have now is a world of uninitiated men. Partial men. Boys, mostly, walking around in men's bodies, with men's jobs and families, finances, and responsibilities. The passing on of masculinity was never completed, if it was begun at all. The boy was never taken through the process of masculine initiation. That's why most of us are Unfinished Men. And therefore unable to truly live as men in whatever life throws at us. And unable to pass on to our sons and daughters what they need to become whole and holy men and women themselves.

 

At the same time there are these boys and young men and men our own age around us who are all very much in need - desperate need - of someone to show them the way. What does it mean to be a man? Am I a man? What should I do in this or that situation? These boys are growing up into uncertain men because the core questions of their souls have gone unanswered or answered badly. They grow into men who act, but their actions are not rooted in a genuine strength, wisdom and kindness. There is no one there to show them the way.

 

Masculine initiation is a journey, a process, a quest really, a story that unfolds over time. It can be a very beautiful and powerful event to experience a blessing or a ritual, to hear words spoken to us in a ceremony of some sort. Those moments can be turning points in our lives. But they are only moments, and moments, as you well know, pass quickly and are swallowed in the river of time. We need more than a moment, an event. We need a process, a journey, an epic story of many experiences woven together, building upon one another in a progression. We need initiation. And we need a Guide.

 

Lovework

 

Get together with some other dads and go bush with your children. Make sure you have some fun and enjoy your time together. You will be so glad you did. Maybe you still need to experience more of the masculine journey yourself. If you do, why not join met at the Wild at Heart Australian event at Stanwell Tops, NSW, 6-9 December 2007? I don't know about you, but I am always willing to learn more.

 

Yours for the masculine journey

Warwick Marsh

 

PS That's right, John Eldridge is coming to Australia for a one of Wild at Heart event 6-9 December 2007. It's not cheap, but nothing really good ever is. People are flying from England to come to Australia for this bootcamp. There are still a few places left.

Check out the details at: www.wildatheartaustralia.com.au

___________________________________________________________

Warwick Marsh  has been married to Alison for 32 years. He is the father of five children, four boys and one girl, ranging in age from 26 years to 14 years.  Warwick is a musician, songwriter, producer and public speaker who likes to think he can still laugh at himself.

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Grandads

 

But I remember once, when my brother and I were about six and four, sitting on the bed with Dad, one of us under each of his arms as he told us a bedtime story.

 

I don't remember what the story was, but I'll never forget feeling there was something different about him that I'd never felt from Mum - something hard to describe, but definitely masculine, like a  kind of brown ooze coming out of him and going into us little boys.

 

Taken from 'Sons of the Father' by Gordon Dalbey

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Laughter

 

 

A man who just died is delivered to the mortuary wearing an expensive, expertly tailored black suit.


The mortician asks the deceased's wife how she would like the body dressed.

He points out that the man does look good in the black suit he is already wearing.

The widow, however, says that she always thought her husband looked his best in blue, and that she wants him in a blue suit.

She gives the mortician a blank cheque and says, "I don't care what it costs, please have my husband in a blue suit for the viewing."

The woman returns the next day for the viewing. To her delight, she finds her husband dressed in a gorgeous blue suit with a subtle chalk stripe; the suit fits him perfectly.

She says to the mortician, "Whatever this cost, I'm very satisfied. You did an excellent job and I'm very grateful. How much did you spend?"

To her astonishment, the mortician presents her with the blank check. There's no charge," he says.

"No, really, I must compensate you for the cost of that exquisite blue suit! she says.

"Honestly, ma'am," the mortician says, "It cost nothing. You see, a deceased gentleman of about your husband's size was brought in shortly after you left yesterday, and he was wearing an attractive blue suit. I asked his wife if she minded him going to his grave wearing a black suit instead, and she said it made no difference as long as he looked nice.

"So I switched the heads."

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Single Dads

 

Ed Dabrowski, Federal Director of the Shared Parenting Council said

"As I have reflected and discussed in recent weeks, I have in my conscience and heart and soul and through every human fibre of love and compassion in my being, made a decision to stand for the Senate in the coming Federal Election".

 

Now I ask for endorsement and signatures for my Summit climb to the Senate, needing at least 50 signatures to nominate me as a Senate Candidate for Federal Election 2007.

 

Despite the odds and the constant messaging and propaganda from the major political parties, I put myself forward to stand for our children and their parents and grandparents and all traditional families. This is my undertaking to them, that I stand for their interests, their dreams and aspirations, not for some political machine with money and greed at its selfish centre.

 

"WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR CHILDREN TODAY?" ... is what I am asking us all to consider deeply as our nation's priorities are deliberately misdirected and politicians ignore the plight of families.

 

I AM FOR - happiness, wellbeing, and the joys of childhood and family life, the sanctity and privacy of the home.

 

I AM AGAINST the wholesale destruction of families and our cherished way of life by the legal fraternity and Family Courts, AVO courts, easy and irresponsible divorce laws, and radical leftist feminist ideologies that seek to disempower and disenfranchise men from fatherhood. Any "ism" that is antagonistic to one gender, is flawed and I reject any ideological attack on men and women, mothers and fathers.

 

I do seek balance and mutual respect for all, and that the proper dignity be afforded to the unique natures of men and women, different but perfectly complementary to each other.

 

I AM STANDING FIRM ON OUR COMMON GROUND AND COMMON WEALTH, what should be an abundance and richness of personal income and wealth from personal effort, the wealth of commUNITY and inalienable birth right to shared joy in family life, to be lived by ALL CHILDREN AND PARENTS, but is being stolen by a corrupt and diabolical divorce industry.

 

My heart cries out for the children who have had their CHILDHOOD STOLEN from them.

 

I feel the pain of countless fathers denied the special and irreplaceable time of their children's childhood years, because Family Court judges choose to routinely segregate fathers from their children. I hear their stories daily - each day more casualties and children forced to exist fatherless. It is also a critical health issue as the developing minds of children are 'wired' in receptiveness to their mother and their father; without a relationship with both, children's development is irreparably harmed.

 

The corrupt judicial cycle of parental alienation, vilification, exclusion and segregation of children from their natural parents, particularly their fathers, must end if our children are to enjoy a future and if parents are to succeed in transmitting their values and culture to their kids and the future generations.

 

The silent segregation of children from one of their parents, done in secret in the Family Court and unreportable in the media, is no different to the segregation of 'coloured' persons, experienced and made visible during the civil rights campaigns in the USA in the 1960's. It is no different to the "re-assignment" of civilians in Auschwitz and the Concentration camps across Europe during World War II.

 

By the time the world was awake to what was happening, in Auschwitz alone, 4 million people had been executed including the staggering figure of 1.5 million children. I have walked the grounds of Auschwitz - what happened is real; it's happening now - patterns repeat. The public doesn't know and whilst we enjoy our 'modcons', and escape to our Plasma and LCD TVs for entertainment, evil triumphs because good men do nothing.

 

Make no mistake, the Family Courts across Australia, North America, Britain and Europe are the new processing centres for terminating parent-child bonds, the very fabric of families as we have know it for eons. It is also an industry that reaps billions of dollars off an endless stream of unsuspecting parents. The clich of respectability normally afforded to the law and those who claim to uphold justice, paints a veneer which hides the true horror of these courts.

 

In all honesty, I am truly amazed and shocked that our so called modern democracies even tolerate such uncivilised behaviour and maltreatment of children. It is CHILD ABUSE, no less, and I and many around me cannot remain silent when our children are suffering.

 

It's time the law was changed to affirm EQUAL PARENTING TIME after separation and divorce and got rid of the adversarial court that drives parents into despair, sickness and suicide.

 

This system that says from the outset that children of split families can only have one parent, is fundamentally flawed and evil in its construction - I will work to end it, to close down the Family Court once and for all. And if elected I will personally expose, in the Parliament itself, those judges and officials harming children and loving mums and dads, until we are rid of the rot and decay and families can laugh and be free again.

 

Ed Dabrowski

 

Ed is a Senior Engineer at BHP Billiton; volunteer National Director, Children's Rights Council and Shared Parenting Council of Australia ~ www.spca.org.au

director@creativitysummit.com  

dads_n_kids@bigpond.com  

0409 917 345

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Special Feature

 

WHAT ABOUT MEN'S HEALTH?

 

To the next Commonwealth Health Minister

 

Despite men's higher mortality and morbidity rates Australia does not have a National Men's Health Policy.

 

You will be aware that since 1989 there has been a National Women's Health Policy.  The Australasian Men's Health Forum supports the Women's Health Policy and is asking you, and your party, to develop and implement a National Men's Health Policy.  This is by no means a "Me Too!" knee jerk reaction; rather it is an appeal for a population health and therefore evidence-based approach to men's health in our country.

 

I support the Australasian Men's Health Forum's call for National Men's Health Policy, and I ask you to declare your support for a National Men's Health Policy which:

 

- Provides for automatic prostrate cancer screening for susceptible age groups

 

- Protects men from being denied access to their children - because of the serious depressive illness this causes .

 

- Protects men from false allegations of abuse - because of the serious depressive illness this causes

 

- Insists that all providers draw up plans to involve men and boys

 

- Makes screening for men and boys' health problems part of regular practice

 

- Calls on health services to make demonstrable efforts to deliver male-friendly health services.

 

- Respects the diversity of men and boys' health needs and makes provision for Aboriginal men, CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse)men, youth, men living in rural and remote and disadvantaged urban communities as well as other groups such as recent immigrants who have difficulty in being accepted in this country and whose health suffers accordingly.

 

Sincerely

Simon Hunt

email@dashlite.com.au

(03) 5973 6933

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Thought of the Week

 

 
 
 
 
The man becomes a boy
The boy becomes a man
Thirty years of age
He's still playing with his toys
And deep inside his life is dying
For grace to know the one he needs
And deep inside his heart is crying
That Christ might reign in victory.
 
 1984 Lyrics from 'Turning 30' by Warwick Marsh

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All You Need is Love

MARRIAGE AND YOUR HEALTH

Marital Spats, Taken to Heart

The New York Times, October 2, 2007

By TARA PARKER-POPE

 

Arguing is an inevitable part of married life. But now researchers are putting the marital spat under the microscope to see if the way you fight with your spouse can affect your health.

 

Recent studies show that how often couples fight or what they fight about usually doesn't matter. Instead, it's the nuanced interactions between men and women, and how they react to and resolve conflict that appear to make a meaningful difference in the health of the marriage and the health of the couple.

 

A study of nearly 4,000 men and women from Framingham, Mass., asked whether they typically vented their feelings or kept quiet in arguments with their spouse. Notably, 32 percent of the men and 23 percent of the women said they typically bottled up their feelings during a marital spat.

 

In men, keeping quiet during a fight didn't have any measurable effect on health. But women who didn't speak their minds in those fights were four times as likely to die during the 10-year study period as women who always told their husbands how they felt, according to the July report in Psychosomatic Medicine. Whether the woman reported being in a happy marriage or an unhappy marriage didn't change her risk.

 

The tendency to bottle up feelings during a fight is known as self-silencing. For men, it may simply be a calculated but harmless decision to keep the peace. But when women stay quiet, it takes a surprising physical toll.

 

"When you're suppressing communication and feelings during conflict with your husband, it's doing something very negative to your physiology, and in the long term it will affect your health," said Elaine Eaker, an epidemiologist in Gaithersburg, Md., who was the study's lead author. "This doesn't mean women should start throwing plates at their husbands, but there needs to be a safe environment where both spouses can equally communicate."

 

Other studies led by Dana Crowley Jack, a professor of interdisciplinary studies at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., have linked the self-silencing trait to numerous psychological and physical health risks, including depression, eating disorders and heart disease.

 

Keeping quiet during a fight with a spouse is something "we all have to do sometimes," Dr. Jack said. "But we worry about the people who do it in a more extreme fashion."

 

The emotional tone that men and women take during arguments with a spouse can also take a toll on their health. Utah researchers have videotaped 150 couples to measure the effect that marital arguing style has on heart risk. The men and women were mostly in their 60s, had been married on average for more than 30 years and had no signs of heart disease. The couples were given stressful topics to discuss, like money or household chores, and the comments made during the ensuing arguments were categorized as warm, hostile, controlling or submissive. The men and women also underwent heart scans to measure coronary artery calcium, an indicator of heart disease risk.

 

The researchers found that the style of argument detected in the video sessions was a powerful predictor for a man or woman's risk for underlying heart disease. In fact, the way the couple interacted was as important a heart risk factor as whether they smoked or had high cholesterol, says Timothy W. Smith, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, who presented the study last year to the American Psychosomatic Society.

 

For women, whether a husband's arguing style was warm or hostile had the biggest effect on her heart health. Dr. Smith notes that in a fight about money, for instance, one man said, "Did you pass elementary school math?" But another said, "Bless you, you are not so good with the cheque book, but you're good at other things." In both exchanges, the husband was criticizing his wife's money management skills, but the second comment was infused with a level of warmth. In the study, a warm style of arguing by either spouse lowered the wife's risk of heart disease.

 

But arguing style affected men and women differently. The level of warmth or hostility had no effect on a man's heart health. For a man, heart risk increased if disagreements with his wife involved a battle for control. And it didn't matter whether he or his wife was the one making the controlling comments. An example of a controlling argument style showed up in one video of a man arguing with his wife about money. "You really should just listen to me on this," he told her.

 

What's particularly notable about the study is that the men and women filled out standard questionnaires about the quality of their relationships, but those answers were not a good predictor of cardiovascular risk. The difference in risk showed up only when the quality of the couple's bickering style was assessed.

 

"Disagreements in a marriage are inevitable, but it's how you conduct yourself," Dr. Smith said. "Can you do it in a way that gets your concerns addressed, but without doing damage at the same time? That's not an easy mark to hit for some couples."

 

Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

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News & Info

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Movember - Changing the face of Men's Health

Movember the month formally known as November is a charity event held during November each year.

http://www.movember.com/au/home  

Which ever way we look at it, men are far less healthy than women. The average life expectancy for men is five years less than for women.

The obvious question is why?

The answer is because men lack awareness about the very real health issues they face, have a "she'll be right" attitude and are reluctant to see a doctor about an illness or to go for regular medical checks.

 

The aim of Movember is to change these attitudes, make male health fun by putting the Mo back on the face of fashion and in the process raise some serious funds for key male health issues, including:

 

Prostate Cancer: because every year in Australia 2,900 men die of prostate cancer - equivalent to the number of women who die from breast cancer annually. www.movember.com/au/outcomes/malehealth/07/Prostate-Cancer

 

Male Depression: because one in six men experience depression at any given time but most don't seek help.

____________________________

 

DIVORCE:Ordeal or New Deal

THEY promised themselves it wouldn't get ugly. After all, the fact they were divorcing didn't mean they couldn't still be civilised.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22663117-5007146,00.html

 

Children NEED to be Teased !!

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22665046-2,00.html

_________________________________________________________

 

Dear Representatives & Sympathisers of Equal Parenting, Family & Fatherhood movements.

 

My name is Ash Patil from Fathers4Equality.

 

Many of you would know me, whereas to some I may be an unknown. I am however writing on behalf of Fathers4Equality , and you may be aware that as a group we were responsible for galvanising fathers from across Australia at the last federal election via the Parliamentary Megaphone , and encouraging the sending of 250,000 personalised emails to every politician in Canberra, promoting the issue of equal parenting time as a starting point for negotiations after separation. We made a definite and profound impression on Canberra, and are now well known to pretty much every politician who has a view on this issue.

 

Strength in Numbers Campaign  for the e-Election

We are now beginning our new ' Strength in Numbers ' Campaign. This campaign is simply designed to encourage those disaffected with family law to 'register online' in order to receive an email list of father-friendly candidates (upper and lower house) just prior to the coming election.

 

In short, although we will not be telling people how to vote, we will be highlighting those candidates at this election who share our views, in order to create an effective VOTER -INFORMATION SHARING- BLOC .

 

Please assist this Campaign, and F4E will reciprocate.

I think many of you would be aware that our respective movements could be marginalised significantly, and in fact set back decades if the coming election delivers control of both houses to those candidates and parties representing anti-father sentiments. I ask for your assistance therefore in widely distributing the below email to all your supporters/members/subscribers, in order to get sufficient numbers to make an impact. We would all be aware that one final Senate seat could be determined by a handful of votes, and that seat may end up holding the ' balance of power ' for 4 years. Let's not underestimate the importance of this election to our cause.

 

In return, I will commit to reciprocating your support when convenient for you/your organisation, by likewise distributing your email/call for members/call for financial support/or any other important announcement, as a special announcement email to all those who have joined the campaign.

 

Please be aware that the initial 'Strength in Numbers' email will be sent to all our previous Megaphone users/Petition signers ( numbering over 12,000 people ) , so the committed assistance you can offer towards our Campaign today may also result in significant benefit and exposure for your organisation down the line.

 

Please consider showing your support for the Fathers4Equality-Australia , 'Strength in Numbers'  campaign. Fathers4Equality promotes equal parenting where practical, as a starting point for child custody negotiations.

http://www.fathers4equality-australia.org

 

Fathers4Equality is determined to be a VOICE  this coming election for all those disaffected with family law in this Australia. With 750,000 non-residence parents in this country, we can potentially make a genuine impact come election time.

Join the ' Strength in Numbers ' Campaign NOW and receive:

(i) your list of father-friendly candidates for your review and consideration just prior to the election.

(ii) get immediate access to the 2005 Shared Parenting Parliamentary Survey  - read what your local members said about shared parenting - in his/her own words.

(iii) be in the running to win one of 40 prizes  including free legal advise, support in writing Orders, support in writing Parenting Plans, custody time software, fatherhood books and cash.

Remember, the more members we have, the LOUDER our voice.

 

http://www.fathers4equality-australia.org  

 

The Megaphone is back, bigger & better, so please help us spread the word.

 

Last time we ran the Megaphone, we managed to send a total of 250,000 emails to our federal politicians about our concerns on family law reform. We caused a great stir in Canberra and as a result Fathers4Equality was invited to inquiries, meetings, discussions etc, etc, etc.

 

With the oncoming election, I am confident we can do better than 250,000 emails this time round, but I will need everyone's help. We have less than 3 weeks to go before the election, so start now.

 

This time we have two Megaphones you can use, or use both if you choose.

 

http://www.fathers4equality-australia.org  

 

http://www.fathers4families.com.au  

 

So start sending, and please forward this email to anyone who can help.

Ash Patil

fathers4equality - Australia

 

______________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Fatherhood Foundation

 

During Movember (the month formerly known as November) I'll be growing a Mo for the third year in a row. That's right I'm bringing the Mo back because I'm passionate about changing men's health and the fight against male depression and prostate cancer. Why...

#    Depression affects 1 in 6 men...Most don't seek help. Untreated depression is a leading risk factor for suicide. Males suicide at almost four times the rate of females: 1657 Australian males committed suicide in 2005 (that's more than the road toll).

#   Last year in Australia 18,700 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 2,900 died of prostate cancer - equivalent to the number of women who die from breast cancer annually.

#     Men are far less healthy than women. All chronic conditions such as obesity, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease occur more frequently in men and the average life expectancy of males is 5 years less than females.

#     Two-thirds of men over 40 are obese or overweight.

#      More than twice as many males as females experience work-related injuries and illnesses. Over ninety percent of work-related deaths are of males.

#     Males are almost twice as likely as females to be victims of violence.

#       In primary school, twice as many boys will die from accidents such as falls and drowning as will girls. In high school, many more boys than girls will be victims of road traffic accidents, suicide, alcohol abuse and head injuries.

#       Despite men's poor health status, Australia has never had a men's health policy (more info here).

 

To sponsor my Mo please go to http://www.movember.com/au/donate , enter my registration number which is 102932 and your credit card details.
Or you can sponsor me by cheque made payable to the "Movember Foundation" clearly marking the donation as being for my Registration Number: 102932. Please mail cheques to: PO Box 292, Prahran VIC 3181. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

 

The money raised by Movember is donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue - the national depression initiative, which will use the funds to create awareness, fund research and increase support networks for those men who suffer from prostate cancer and male depression.

 

For those that have supported Movember in previous years you can be very proud of the impact it has had and can check out the detail at: Fundraising Outcomes.

 

Movember culminates at the end of the month at the Gala Parts. These glamorous and groomed events will see Tom Selleck and Borat look-a-likes battle it out for their chance to take home the prestigious Man of Movember title. If you would like to be part of this great night you'll need to purchase a Gala Part ticket .

 

I'll email a picture of my final Mo on December 1st to everyone who donates. Any styling suggestions during the month of Movember will be willingly accepted!

 

Please give so that my Mo may grow!!

Cheers,

 

Greg Andresen

 

More info is available at www.movember.com

Movember is proudly grown by Commonwealth Bank, Holden, Schick and VB.

Movember is proud partners with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue - the national depression initiative. 

 

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Dad's Prayer

 

Dear God
 
Help me on the journey.
Help me see the light.
Help me find what it means to be a man
in the company of other men
and in the d!
elight of my children.
As you delight in us,
help me delight in them and
make the world a better place
as I behold and seek your face.

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Help Us

Click here for more information about us

Help Us!

The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Prevention Charity.
Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been proven to be a source of harm.

The Fatherhood Foundation helps children by promoting excellence  in fathering. Excellent fathers are in word and deed: responsible, involved, protective, loving and committed to the well-being of their children and their children's mother.

If you would like to give financially to the Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund and receive tax deductibility:

Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund
(Name, address and amount details must be emailed for a receipt for tax deductibility)
Westpac Branch Wollongong
BSB: 032 695
A/C: 25-5558

Or mail cheque and address details to:
PO Box 440
WOLLONGONG  NSW  2520
AUSTRALIA

The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund  is a public fund listed on the Register of Harm Prevention Charities under Subdivision 30_EA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

You have received the fathersonline.org newsletter because you have subscribed, or you have been subscribed by a friend.  If you do not wish to receive future emails, please click the UNSUBSCRIBE button below or send an email to info@fathersonline.org with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject heading.

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