Received: from beru.its.uow.edu.au (130.130.68.31) by staffmail.uow.edu.au (10.5.102.13) with Microsoft SMTP Server id 8.1.291.1; Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:43:53 +1100 Received: from febris-nat.its.uow.edu.au ([130.130.68.210] helo=febris.its.uow.edu.au) by beru.its.uow.edu.au with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1L1Tru-0000x1-32 for blane@uow.edu.au; Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:43:54 +1100 Received: from c3.confirmedcc.com (c3.confirmedcc.com [64.95.77.164]) by febris.its.uow.edu.au (MOS 3.10.2-GA) with ESMTP id PTD64082; Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:43:49 +1100 (EST) Received: from p2-ws508.ad.prodcc.net (unknown [10.252.0.101]) by c3.confirmedcc.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 07A771860922 for ; Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:25:43 -0500 (EST) From: Fatherhood Foundation To: Brian Lane Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:26:35 +1100 Subject: International Men's Day Thread-Topic: International Men's Day Thread-Index: AclHc6NXJJZjdDXQS8GTEchUThmscg== Message-ID: <1102320675629.1101938345415.1211.8.114172502@scheduler> List-Unsubscribe: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?p=un&v=001jm8CFGIzLJHYg-gJRLc-3d90mBLDU8ykJAQymPGHLz1mmnn2aMOCqA== Reply-To: "info@fathersonline.org" Accept-Language: en-AU, en-US Content-Language: en-US X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthAs: Anonymous X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthSource: excasht02.ad.uow.edu.au X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: x-junkmail-status: score=10/49, host=febris.its.uow.edu.au x-junkmail-sd-raw: score=unknown, refid=str=0001.0A090205.491F50A9.0079:SCFMA772204,ss=1,fgs=0, ip=64.95.77.164, so=2008-08-01 02:07:42, dmn=5.7.1/2008-09-02, mode=single engine x-junkmail-iwf: false x-return-path-hint: ESC1102320675629_1101938345415_1211@in.confirmedcc.com x-roving-id: 1101938345415.1211 x-lumos-senderid: 1101938345415 x-roving-campaignid: 1102320675629 x-roving-streamid: 0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="_000_1102320675629110193834541512118114172502scheduler_" MIME-Version: 1.0 --_000_1102320675629110193834541512118114172502scheduler_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/11.jpg?a=3D11= 02320675629] 17th November 2008 Inspiring Fathers Encouraging Families Iss= ue 326 [http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101093164665/people3_header= 1.jpg] International Men's Day Dear Brian, Welcome to the Fatherhood Foundation newsletter and email information servi= ce for fathers and families as we present International Men's Day In This Issue Frontline...International Men's Day Laughter..Gimme my Dog Grandfathers...The Great Task before us Single Dads...Everyday Love in Action All You Need is Love..10 Ideas for Smart Marriages Special Feature...The Indian Perspective News & Info..Parents Links Dads4Kids Dad's Prayer..Greater Love has no Man Next Week Ideas to help our Children Join our Mailing List! [http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/ftf_btn_1.gif] Quick Links Fatherhood Foundation Lone Fathers Fatherhood Project Fatherhood Institute UK Smart Marriages Centre for Action and Contemplation Festival of Light Richard Hillman Foundation Men's Contraternity CSA Adverts Thought of the Week [http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/stock1/4k5y1v4l.jpg] The world needs men. Diane Sears Frontline [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/492.jpg?a=3D1= 102320675629] I was telling some of the guys in my men's group about the Fatherhood Found= ation's work to promote International Men's Day here in Australia and aroun= d the world. Lloyd, a good friend, who was seated with us eating breakfast = said, "What do we need an International Men's Day for? We don't need to bea= t our chests anymore. Things are okay for men now aren't they?" My reply to Lloyd was, "You should talk to Uma Challa from the= Save the Indian Family Foundation.In India, every year, approxima= tely 55,000 married men kill themselves compared to the suicide of 29,869 m= arried women. When it comes to separated men and separated women, the ratio= gets far worse. Men: 167 suicide per 100,000. Women: 41 suicide per 100,00= 0. These rates are proof positive of the enormous discrimination men are be= ginning to endure as our liberalised western democracies export their virul= ent anti-male legislation to developing countries around the globe." Uma Challa is a young Indian woman who is fighting for a fair go for Indian= men and one of the promoters of International Men's Day. Check out her article in Special feature on the pli= ght of men in India under the oppressive radical feminist legislation of In= dia. Her article is a real eye opener. Probably many people in today's society would ask the same question that Ll= oyd asked, 'Why an International Men's Day?' Firstly we must place the blame squarely on Mikhail Gorbachev, the former h= ead of USSR, as he was the one who first suggested International Men's Day = to the United Nations in 1999. Not a right wing plot by evil patriarchal di= ctators to take over the world after all. Interestingly International Men's= Day comes from the left of the political spectrum and as such was first ra= tified by the UN in Vienna in 1999. Secondly, men need a day of celebration. International Women's Day has been= celebrated since 1909 all over the world. Why not International Men's Day?= For the last 30 years the male of the species has been demonised by an ant= i-male culture and media. Thankfully, as Bob Dylan wrote, 'The times they a= re a-changing!' I have been in communication with men and father's groups all over the worl= d during the promotion of International Men's Day www.internationalmensday.= com Dr Warren Farrell is supportive, as is Harry Crouch, P= resident of the American National Coalition of Free Men along with many others. One= of the most touching conversations I have had with people this week have b= een with women, Diane Sears, editor of 'In Search of Fatherhood', = an international magazine dedicated to encouraging a global dialogue on men= and father's issues has dedicated the last nine years of her life to encou= raging men and fathers through her many and varied publishing and education= al projects. I asked Diane what the story was behind her passion for the male of the spe= cies. She told me a bit of that story and then said something that hit me l= ike a ton of bricks. She said, "The world needs men." Diane went on to say = that men need support and encouragement to function at their optimum as fat= hers, lovers, mentors and friends. I found it hard to push back the tears. "Men lead lives of quiet desperation", as Thoreau said. As men, we all are = desperate to be needed, to be acknowledged, to be thanked and appreciated. = Ask us, and we will tell you as did Lloyd, that we don't need help. But if = you dig a bit deeper you will find that men hide their insecurity well, oft= en until it is too late. The male suicide statistics around the globe reflect the truth of that= statement. That is why it's so good to have friends. The Robert Louis Ste= venson quote comes to mind, 'So long as we are loved by others, I should sa= y we are almost indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend.= ' International Men's Day in Australia follows the theme of 'honour and sacri= fice' to commemorate the 645 men from the HMAS Sydney who paid the sup= reme price for their nation in World War II on 19th November 1941. Greater = love has no man than this that he lay his life down for his friends. In the= USA the celebration centres around Abraham Lincolns famous Gettysburg add= ress which was made on the 19th Novem= ber 1863 to commemorate those men who fought for freedom. International Men's Day this Wednesday, 19th November 2008, is all about lo= ve and friendship. As Warren Farrell wrote in 'Women Can't Hear What Men Do= n't Say': "For the first time in history, the sexes have an opportunity to redefine l= ove, to create not a woman's movement blaming men, or a men's movement blam= ing women, but a gender transition movement. In the past, we have been challenged by a paradox: political movements have= been led mostly by unhealthy people, but few healthy changes have occurred= without political movements. In the future, we are challenged with the possibility of a movement produci= ng healthy changes being led my mostly healthy people. This will happen only if men do their homework, study their internal worlds= , have the courage to take their perspectives to the external world, and in= vite women to join them. Men can't say what men don't know, and women can't= hear what men don't say." Lovework[http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/477.j= pg?a=3D1102320675629] Celebrate International Men's Day with some of your friends this week. You = could even celebrate with your family and remember Robert Louis Stevenson's= words, 'No man is useless while he has a friend.' Yours for Honour and Respect Warwick Marsh PS Download your posters for International Men's Day and begin to populate the public forums on the website. Let= 's get some positive interaction going on the website to encourage men ever= ywhere to go for gold for their families and friends. ____________________________________________________________________ Warwick Marsh has been married to Alison for 33 years. He is the grandfath= er of two children and father of five children, four boys and one girl, ran= ging in age from 28 years to 16 years. Warwick is a musician, songwriter, = producer and public speaker who likes to think he can still laugh at himsel= f. Link of the Week Greedy Man Laughter [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/491.jpg?a=3D= 1102320675629] An Aboriginal Queensland jackeroo is overseeing his herd in = remote territory when suddenly a brand-new 4X4 advances out of a dust cloud= towards him. The driver, a young man in a designer suit, Gucci shoes, Ray = Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks the cowboy, 'If I= tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, will you = give me a calf?' The jackaroo looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacef= ully grazing herd and calmly answers, 'Sure, why not?' The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it= to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASA page on the Intern= et, where he calls up a GPS satellite navigation system to get an exact fix= on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans t= he area in an ultra-high-resolution photo. The young man then opens the dig= ital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facilit= y in Hamburg, Germany. Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has b= een processed and the data stored. He then accesses a MS-SQL database throu= gh an ODBC connected Excel Spreadsheet with email on his Blackberry and, af= ter a few minutes, receives a response. Finally, he prints out a full-color= , 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer and fina= lly turns to the cowboy and says, 'You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves.' Well, I guess you can take one of my calves,' says the jackeroo. He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused as t= he young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car. Then the jackeroo says to the young man, 'Hey, if I can tell you exactly wh= at your business is, will you give me back my calf?' The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, 'Okay, why not?' 'You work for the Australian Government', says the Jackeroo. 'Wow! That's correct,' says the yuppie, 'but how did you guess that?' 'No guessing required.' answered the jackeroo. 'You showed up here even tho= ugh nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew, t= o a question I never asked. You used all kinds of expensive equipment that = clearly somebody else paid for, You tried to show me how much smarter than = me you are; and you don't know a thing about cows .. this is a herd of shee= p. Now give me back my dog.' Grandfathers [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/490.jpg?a=3D1= 102320675629] It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before= us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause = for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly = resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under= God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, = by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Address 19 November 1863 Single Dads Living ArtPeace/Poem-personal profile on the International Men's Day. [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/495.jpg?a=3D1= 102320675629] Edward Dadrowski is a devoted single Dad of two beautiful Children and a lo= ng time friend of the Fatherhood Foundation. He is an engineer of BHP Billi= ton and a volunteer director of the Children's Rights Council of Australia. Ed is also a director of the Shared Parenting Council and a tireless activ= ist for Dads and children, He will be doing regular blogs at ww.internation= almensday.com We have been unable to print his whole creative profile but you might be ab= le to see the full profile at www.creativitysummit.com in due cou= rse. I have thought a lot about what can be my best contribution to Internationa= l Men's Day. Rather than another article about the victimisation through in= justices towards men, I want to give myself completely in a creative and Ar= t Deco way...it's the Art Deco Ed coming out for all to see in a fun way!!! But it is the gift of self and revealing my interests, affiliations and lov= e of family and children that makes me vulnerable yet accessible in this li= ving art-piece creative poem-profile I am sending you. Michael Riddell has = helped me to add a mystique and whimsical aspect to my profile under my cre= ative control - it is so different to what people expect! This is what I w= ould dearly love you to publish and I think we should invite all men to pub= lish their "Who Am I" profiles on a regular basis, not only to affirm the a= nswers to the universal and inner question of "who am I", but also to invok= e the healing process of fleshing out "who am I" onto paper. It will become= the living testimony and selfless self-expression of each man's experience= and love of life and heartfelt longings and striving to be more and grow m= ore as a person. The human stories, the personal profiles, the journeys of faith and persona= l discovery, the lessons learned and the wisdoms of our forefathers, and ou= r growth as persons, all need to be celebrated for all to see; the noble na= ture of men, their innate human dignity and enormous capacity to love; to b= e playful as a child, and to be Christ centred in life, love and family...a= nd we need to be empowered - to be able to be; open and vulnerable and play= ful and creative and broadcast our authentic selves for the world to apprec= iate the boy inside us and the grown-up man, and the beautiful nature of me= n and fathers at home, at work, in worship and in service to the world. Edward Dabrowski ! International Men's Day CREATIVITY "Lovein Action" Celebrate INTERNATIONAL MEN's DAY CELEBRATIONS next Wedensday 19 Nov '08...= and celebrate YOU and the gift you are to the world and to your family. EDWARD DABROWSKI, A personal empowerment living statement of who I am and what I aspire to BE= because everything I do creatively for the betterment of Children, Parents= , Families is my everyday love in action. Fifty Words alive in my heart Love, Children, Family, Home, Children's Rights, Genealogy, Blossom, Cherry= Vodka, Heritage, Seeds, Seed Farm, Balingup Acres Heritage Seed Farm, Frui= t, Poland, Sophie's Choice, Creativity, Creativity Summit, Vision, Mission,= Inspiration, Mentor, Visualization, Imagination, Imagineering, Innovation,= Ingenuity, Integrity, Faith, Hope, Reason, Compassion, Electrical Engineer= ing, IMac, Apple Computers, Project Engineer, Project Manager, Director, Vo= lunteer, Webmaster, Portal, BHP Billiton, Senate Candidate, World Youth Day= , Australia Profile EDWARD DABROWSKI, Web Master, "CREATIVITY in CyberSpace CommUNITY & Clearin= ghouse" VISION...www.creativitysummit.com Web Portal collaborativ= e work-in-progress and the Ecademy Network ~ www.ecademy.com ~ just s= earch 'edward dabrowski' for profile. All You Need is Love [http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/stock1/6x0e4j6r.jpg] Ten Ideas for Having a Smart Marriage By Diane Sollee 1. Marriage matters. Married people & their kids do better on all measures = of health, wealth, happiness, & success. And, married folks report having m= ore & better sex than single or divorced people. 2. It's not the differences but how we handle them that separate successful= marriages from the failures. Disagreeing doesn't predict divorce. Stonewal= ling, avoidance, contempt, criticism, and the silent treatment predict divo= rce. Learn how to disagree in ways that help you fall more in love. 3. All happily married couples have approximately ten irreconcilable differ= ences - ten issues they will never resolve. If we switch partners, we just = get ten new issues that are likely to be even more annoying and complicated= . Sadly, if there are children from an earlier marriage or relationship, di= sagreements about them go to the top of the list. What's important is to di= scuss our own set of issues just as we would discuss how to manage living w= ith a chronic bad back or trick knee. We wish they weren't there, but what'= s important is to keep talking about how to manage them and still do the ma= rriage "dance". 4. Love is not an absolute(a yes or no situation) and it's not limited subs= tance. It's a feeling and feelings ebb and flow depending on how we treat e= ach other. We can learn new ways to interact and the feelings "of being in = love" can come flowing back, often stronger than before. 5. Marital satisfaction often dips with the birth of a baby. That's normal.= Marital satisfaction is at its lowest when there are kids in the house bet= ween 11 and 16. That's normal. We need to know what to expect, appreciate o= ur parenting partner - and hang in. It makes good sense to stay married for= the sake of the kids - and for our own sake. Even with the challenges, it'= s a lot easier to be a parenting team than to be a single, divorced, or rem= arried parent. Plus there is a silver lining: satisfaction goes back up wit= h the empty nest. The final stage of marriage - with a job well done - is t= he real honeymoon period. 6. Sex ebbs and flows. It comes and goes. That's normal. Plan for & make ti= me for more "flows". 7. Creating good marital sex is not about putting the sizzle BACK INTO your= sex life. Early marital sex is sex between strangers - we don't yet know o= ur partner or ourselves. The most passionate sex is intimate sex based on k= nowing our partner and letting them know us. One of the most important task= s of marriage is to develop a satisfying marital sex style. It's not about = going BACK; it's about going FORWARD, together. 8. Repair attempts are crucial and are highly predictive of marital happine= ss. They can be clumsy or funny, even sarcastic, but the willingness to mak= e up after an argument, is central to every happy marriage. 9. Learn to welcome, embrace and integrate change - to discuss and update y= our wishes, hopes & dreams - on a regular basis. We often "interview" each = other before marriage and then think "that's it." The marriage vow is a pro= mise to stay married, not to stay the same. (Thank goodness!) Keep up-to-da= te with changes in your partner. Don't fear changes, celebrate them! 10. Try several different marriage education courses. Become informed consu= mers - rate the courses, discuss what you liked best - which ideas were mos= t helpful. Decide which courses to recommend to your kids, friends and fami= ly - which to give as wedding, anniversary and new baby gifts. The courses = don't tell you what kind of marriage to have. That's up to you. They give y= ou the tools - the hammers, screwdrivers, and levels - so you can build the= kind of marriage that suits you, one which can help you to negotiate, and = renegotiate, your own values, meaning, and goals. www.smartmarriages.com Special Feature Indian Perspective on International Men's Day[http://origin.ih.constantcont= act.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/489.jpg?a=3D1102320675629] [http://img.constantcontact.com/ui/images1/s.gif]By Uma Challa A good man, we are told, ...puts women and children first ...protects and provides ...promotes women's empowerment at the expense of his own rights and those = of fellow men ...offers his shoulder to cry on when women are in distress ...stifles emotion and endures pain without complaining. A good man, we must realize, ...is also more often at the receiving end of abuse. A male victim of abuse ...is often met with disbelief . ...is often told, "You must have done something terrible to her to deserve = this. " ...is often ridiculed, "Look at your size! You are a man! What do you mean = she abuses you?" The consequence ...several thousands of abused and battered men suffer in silent isolation = for the fear of being stigmatized as weak and inept. Media finds no incentive in highlighting the truth about abused men...Netas= and baaboos find no financial or political mileage to be gained from helpi= ng battered men. No one notices their silent tears, nobody hears their muffled cries...and h= ence no laws have been passed to protect men from any form of domestic abus= e. On the other hand, men are ...always projected as perpetrators of violence ...subjected to severe gender bias under law ...prevented from being a parent to their own children when a marriage brea= ks down ... often falsely accused of domestic abuse, rape and sexual harassment ...treated as guilty until proven innocent and punished based on mere alleg= ations ...threatened and subjected to "legal terrorism" using laws like Indian Pen= al Code Section 498A and Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act Male victims of 'legal terrorism' ...endure arrest and imprisonment for crimes they have not committed ...witness their dear ones being jailed for no fault of theirs ...often end up losing their jobs and everything else they spent their life= building ...suffer enormous pain due to separation from their children ... often have to helplessly watch their old parents wither away in humilia= tion and grief The consequence ...every year, twice as many married and separated men, compared to women, = take their lives, unable to endure verbal, emotional, economic and physical= abuse and "legal terrorism". On the occasion of International Men's Day, 2008, let us remind ourselves t= hat MEN ...who care, protect and provide for families ...who perform some of the most risky and challenging jobs in the society ...who are our fathers, brothers, partners, sons, male friends and colleagu= es are human; experience pain, emotions and tears; deserve love, care and supp= ort and NOT further abuse from family, society, police and legal system Idea, content and design by Uma Challa. News & Info Parents Links Parents Banned from Living near Son A MOTHER and father have been banned by the Family Court from living within= 10km of their nine-year-old son to stop him turning into a little criminal= . New Laws could impact Paternity Testing Men who obtain hair or saliva from children for DNA testing to determine pa= ternity could be committing an offence, if new laws are passed. [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/482.jpg?a=3D1= 102320675629] [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/483.jpg?a=3D1= 102320675629] International Men's Day International Men's Day will be celebrated around the world on 19th Novembe= r 2008.Please celebrate the day in any way you can. We have a website which= is now live at www.internationalmensday.com If you would like to= help us populate the website and iron out the problems, we would greatly a= ppreciate your help. The Fatherhood Foundation receives no government funding and relies greatly= on the enthusiastic support of fathers everywhere. For more information co= ntact: info@fatherhood.org.au ________________________________________________________________ FIREPROOF http://www.fireproofthemovie.com A postscript to our article in All You Need is Love last week. The producers of the movie 'Fireproof' do not plan to release the film in A= ustralia but the DVD will be available from January 2009. ________________________________________________________________ [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/474.gif?a=3D= 1102320675629] Keep up with Movember at the website ____________________________________________________ Letters Dear Fatherhood Foundation It was good to meet Warwick the other night and to hear about the great wor= k you are doing. What a great newsletter, very encouraging, I look forward = to reading more in the future... Mike ___________________________________________________ Dear Fatherhood Foundation As usual, I enjoyed your newsletter immensely. One note of caution, I woul= d be very careful about putting much faith in President-Elect Barrack Obama= 's support of fatherhood. He is diametrically opposed to many of the value= s that make a family healthy despite what he says and his slick persona. I= 'm sure you know this but it appeared by quoting his speech that you were p= romoting him. Most people in this country that believe in traditional Chri= stian family values consider this administration to represent a crisis situ= ation in our country. I believe it will be a great opportunity to battle t= he coming evil. Keep up the good work, Rick from the USA ______________________________________________________ Dear Fatherhood Foundation Great Newsletter this week. However I have concerns about Obama.... For example: he quotes in this speech to a religious audience.... "He's still speaking to our Catholic friends - who are holding up a consist= ent ethic of life that goes beyond abortion -" But then Obama says to the Planned Parenthood Assocation.... "There will always be people, many of goodwill, who do not share my view on= the issue of choice. On this fundamental issue, I will not yield and Plann= ed Parenthood will not yield.... [T]he first thing I'd do as president is s= ign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do.... That'= s why I think it's important for us obviously to get not only a Democratic = White House as well as a stronger Congress to protect these rights." http://www.bpnews.net:80/BPnews.asp?ID=3D29200 This is my view.... Kind Regards Steve ____________________________________________________ Dear Fatherhood Foundation I am no fan of Obama, but I was glad to see him featured in the newsletter!= I think that his ideas are rather confused on some essential issues, but h= e does give good example in others. Great work! Michael _____________________________________________________ Dear Fatherhood Foundation Do you DEFINATELY HAVE to be a dad to join "dads 4 kids",I am a grandmothe= r, and enjoy my grandkids very much, matter of a fact i SPOIL them. Can i s= till join.?pontie[my nickname] Kind Regards Carol _____________________________________________________ Dear Fatherhood Foundation Barack Obama said, "We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not= end at conception," and I take issue with this! He should have said "ever= yone" when he said "fathers." Everyone, from custody court judges to law-makers to folks in the media, ne= eds to realize you cannot 'blame the man' when he is kicked out of his fami= ly. We don't need scapegoats; we need fathers in the lives of their childre= n. President-elect Obama should realize it is time to stop removing dads from = their kids. Not every man will desert his child the way his did. Most men d= o not file for divorce. Most men who are divorced do not ask to be involved= in only 14 percent of their child's life. It is time to stop blaming the m= an. Children need both parents! Don Mathis Sherman, Texas, USA _____________________________________________________ Dear Fatherhood Foundation, It was good to meet Warwick the other night and to hear about the great wor= k you are doing. What a great newsletter, very encouraging, I look forward = to reading more into the future... Blessya Mike McGarrity Dads4Kids Dads4KIds Competition[http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/11019383= 45415/img/402.jpg?a=3D1102320675629] Fatherhood Foundation is asking Australians to help Dads4Kids with their id= eas on how to solve the problems that Australian children face. Dads4Kids i= s an initiative of the Fatherhood Foundation which is a harm prevention cha= rity. Find out more information or enter the Dads4Kids Competition. View Community Service Announcements at:http://www.dads4kids.org.au/Media The comments on the Dads4Kids website keep coming in. Competition closes 30= th November 2008. Dear Dads4Kids I have never heard of you organisation until I saw the add on the tele toda= y. What a great thing that you are trying to achieve, the sad truth is that= not all kids will get a great start , but all we can do is try, I would li= ke to get more info and more involved in this as I feel that's the least we= can do for our children not only our son but maybe help some that are not = so fortunate to have a family. Chris Dad's Prayer [http://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs007/1101938345415/img/493.jpg?a=3D1= 102320675629] Dear God Robert Louis Stevenson was right when he said, "So long as we are loved by others I should say we are almost indispensable; And no man is useless While he has a friend." God it was you that said, "Greater love has no man than this, Than he lay down his life for his friends." In fact I seem to remember you talking about a new commandment that you wanted us all to observe, "That you love one another As I have loved you". That's also when you talked about the need, if necessary, to die to prove it. I'm afraid to ask you, but help me ask anyway - Why is the cost of love so high? Couldn't we get it with the no-down-payment plan? Help Us! The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Prevention Charity. Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been proven to be a source of h= arm. The Fatherhood Foundation helps children by promoting excellence in f= athering. Excellent fathers are in word and deed: responsible, involved, pr= otective, loving and committed to the well-being of their children and thei= r children's mother. If you would like to give financially to the Fatherhood Foundation Public F= und and receive tax deductibility: Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund (Name, address and amount details must be emailed for a receipt for tax ded= uctibility) Westpac Branch Wollongong DONATE ONLINE BSB: 032 695 A/C: 25-5558 Or mail cheque and address details to: PO Box 542 UNANDERRA NSW 2526 AUSTRALIA The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund is a public fund listed on the Regis= ter 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 subscri= bed, or you have been subscribed by a friend. If you do not wish to receiv= e future emails, please click the UNSUBSCRIBE button below. Forward email [http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/safe_unsubscribe_logo.gif] This email was sent to blane@uow.edu.au by info@fathersonline.org. Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(tm) | Pri= vacy Policy. Email Marketing= by [http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/cc-logo-color-sm.gif] Fatherhood Foundation | P.O. Box 542 | Unanderra | NSW | 2526 | Australia --_000_1102320675629110193834541512118114172502scheduler_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
=09
3D"FF
=09
=09 =09 =09
=09 =09
17th November 2008 &nb= sp;        Inspiring Father= s Encouraging Families Issue 326
International Men's Day
Dear Brian,

Welcome to the Fatherhood Foundation newsletter and email inform= ation service for fathers and families as we present Internationa= l Men's Day

=09
In This Issue
Frontline...International Men's Day
Laughter..Gimme my Dog
Grandfathers...The Great Task before us
Single Dads...Everyday Love in Action
All You Need is Love..10 Ideas for Smart Marriages=
Special Feature...The Indian Perspective
News & Info..Parents Links
Dads4Kids
Dad's Prayer..Greater Love has no Man
Next Week&nb= sp;
 Idea= s to help our Children
 =09 =09
 
Join our Mailing List!
 
Quick Links
 Thought of the Week
 
The world needs men.<= br /> 
Diane Sears
 &nbs= p;
Frontline
3D"Suicide
 
I was telling some of the guys in my men's group about = the Fatherhood Foundation's work to promote International Men's Day here in= Australia and around the world. Lloyd, a good friend, who was seated with = us eating breakfast said, "What do we need an International Men's Day for? = We don't need to beat our chests anymore. Things are okay for men now aren'= t they?"
 
My reply to Lloyd was, "You should talk to Uma Chall= a from the Save the Indian Family Foundation.In India, every year, approx= imately 55,000 married men kill themselves compared to the suicide of 29,86= 9 married women. When it comes to separated men and separated women, the ra= tio gets far worse. Men: 167 suicide per 100,000. Women: 41 suicide per 100= ,000. These rates are proof positive of the enormous discrimination men are= beginning to endure as our liberalised western democracies export their vi= rulent anti-male legislation to developing countries around the globe."
 
Uma Challa is a young Indian woman who is fighting for a fair= go for Indian men and one of the promoters of In= ternational Men's Day. Check out her article in S= pecial feature on the plight of men in India under the oppressive radic= al feminist legislation of India. Her article is a real eye opener.
&n= bsp;
Probably many people in today's society would ask the same questi= on that Lloyd asked, 'Why an International Men's Day?'
 
Fir= stly we must place the blame squarely on Mikhail Gorbachev, the former head= of USSR, as he was the one who first suggested International Men's Day to = the United Nations in 1999. Not a right wing plot by evil patriarchal dicta= tors to take over the world after all. Interestingly International Men's Da= y comes from the left of the political spectrum and as such was first ratif= ied by the UN in Vienna in 1999.
 
Secondly, men need a day = of celebration. International Women's Day has been celebrated since 1909 al= l over the world. Why not International Men's Day? For the last 30 years th= e male of the species has been demonised by an anti-male culture and media.= Thankfully, as Bob Dylan wrote, 'The times they are a-changing!'
&nbs= p;
I have been in communication with men and father's groups all over = the world during the promotion of International Men's Day www.internationalmensday.com   Dr Warren Farr= ell is supportive, as is Harry Crouch, President of the American National Coalition of Free Men= along with many others. One of the most touching conversations I have = had with people this week have been with women, Diane Sears, editor of 'In Search= of Fatherhood', an international magazine dedicated to encouraging a g= lobal dialogue on men and father's issues has dedicated the last nine years= of her life to encouraging men and fathers through her many and varied pub= lishing and educational projects.
 
I asked Diane what the = story was behind her passion for the male of the species. She told me a bit= of that story and then said something that hit me like a ton of bricks. Sh= e said, "The world needs men." Diane went on to say that men need support a= nd encouragement to function at their optimum as fathers, lovers, mentors a= nd friends. I found it hard to push back the tears.
 
"Men = lead lives of quiet desperation", as Thoreau said. As men, we all are despe= rate to be needed, to be acknowledged, to be thanked and appreciated. Ask u= s, and we will tell you as did Lloyd, that we don't need help. But if you d= ig a bit deeper you will find that men hide their insecurity well, often un= til it is too late. The male suicid= e statistics around the globe reflect the truth of that statement. = ; That is why it's so good to have friends. The Robert Louis Stevenson quot= e comes to mind, 'So long as we are loved by others, I should say we are al= most indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend.'
&nbs= p;
International Men's Day in Australia follows the theme of 'honour a= nd sacrifice' to commemorate the 645 men from the HMAS Sydney who paid the supre= me price for their nation in World War II on 19th November 1941. Greater lo= ve has no man than this that he lay his life down for his friends. In the U= SA the celebration centres  around Abraham Lincolns famous Gettysburg address which was made on the 19th November 1863= to commemorate those men who fought for freedom.
 
Interna= tional Men's Day this Wednesday, 19th November 2008, is all about love and = friendship. As Warren Farrell wrote in 'Women Can't Hear What Men Don't Say= ':
 
"For the first time in history, the sexes have an oppor= tunity to redefine love, to create not a woman's movement blaming men, or a= men's movement blaming women, but a gender transition movement.
 = ;
In the past, we have been challenged by a paradox: political movemen= ts have been led mostly by unhealthy people, but few healthy changes have o= ccurred without political movements.
 
In the future, we are= challenged with the possibility of a movement producing healthy changes be= ing led my mostly healthy people.
 
This will happen only i= f men do their homework, study their internal worlds, have the courage to t= ake their perspectives to the external world, and invite women to join them= . Men can't say what men don't know, and women can't hear what men don't sa= y."
 
Lovework3D"Family
 
Celebrate International Men's Day with some = of your friends this week. You could even celebrate with your family and re= member Robert Louis Stevenson's words, 'No man is useless while he has a fr= iend.'
 
Yours for Honour and Respect
Warwick Marsh
 
PS Download your posters for Internatio= nal Men's Day  and begin to populate the public forums on the= website. Let's get some positive interaction going on the website to encou= rage men everywhere to go for gold for their families and friends.
____________________________________________________________________
Warwick = Marsh  has been married to Alison for 33 years. He is t= he grandfather of two children and father of five children, four boys and o= ne girl, ranging in age from 28 years to 16 years.  Warwick is a = musician, songwriter, producer and public speaker who likes to think he can= still laugh at himself.
Link of the Week

Greedy Man

Laughter
=
 3D"SheepAn Aboriginal Queensland jackeroo is overseeing his herd in r= emote territory when suddenly a brand-new 4X4 advances out of a dust cloud = towards him. The driver, a young man in a designer suit, Gucci shoes, Ray B= an sunglasses and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks the cowboy, 'If I = tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, will you g= ive me a calf?'
The jackaroo looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, the= n looks at his peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, 'Sure, why not?'=
The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, conne= cts it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASA page on the = Internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite navigation system to get an exa= ct fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that s= cans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo. The young man then opens t= he digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing f= acility in Hamburg, Germany.
Within seconds, he receives an email on h= is Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored. He the= n accesses a MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel Spreadsheet wi= th email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response. F= inally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniatu= rized HP LaserJet printer and finally turns to the cowboy and says, 'You ha= ve exactly 1,586 cows and calves.'
Well, I guess you can take one of m= y calves,' says the jackeroo.
He watches the young man select one of t= he animals and looks on amused as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of= his car.
Then the jackeroo says to the young man, 'Hey, if I can tell= you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf?'
Th= e young man thinks about it for a second and then says, 'Okay, why not?''You work for the Australian Government', says the Jackeroo.
'Wow! = That's correct,' says the yuppie, 'but how did you guess that?'
'No gu= essing required.' answered the jackeroo. 'You showed up here even though no= body called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a qu= estion I never asked. You used all kinds of expensive equipment that clearl= y somebody else paid for, You tried to show me how much smarter than me you= are; and you don't know a thing about cows .. this is a herd of sheep. Now= give me back my dog.'

Grandfathers
3D"Abraham
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining b= efore us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that c= ause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here hi= ghly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation = under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the peo= ple, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.
&= nbsp;
Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburg Address
19 November 1863
  
 
Single Dads
Living ArtPeace/Poem-person= al profile on the International Men's Day.
3D"Ed
Edward Dadrowski is a devoted single Dad of tw= o beautiful Children and a long time friend of the Fatherhood Foundation. H= e is an engineer of BHP Billiton and a volunteer director of the Children's= Rights Council of Australia.
Ed is also  a director of the Shared Pare= nting Council and a tireless activist for Dads and children, He will be doi= ng regular blogs at ww.internationalmensday.com 
 
We have been unable to print his whole creativ= e profile but you might be able to see the full profile at www.creativitysummit= .com  in due course.
I have thought a lot about what can be my best= contribution to International Men's Day. Rather than another article about= the victimisation through injustices towards men, I want to give myself co= mpletely in a creative and Art Deco way...it's the Art Deco Ed<= /strong> coming out for all to see in a fun way!!! 
But it is the gift of self and revealing my in= terests, affiliations and love of family and children that makes me vulnera= ble yet accessible in this living art-piece creative poem-profile I am send= ing you. Michael Riddell has helped me to add a mystique and whimsical aspe= ct to my profile under my creative control -  it is so different to wh= at people expect! This is what I would dearly love you to publish and I thi= nk we should invite all men to publish their "Who Am I" profiles on a regul= ar basis, not only to affirm the answers to the universal and inner questio= n of "who am I", but also to invoke the healing process of fleshing out "wh= o am I" onto paper. It will become the living testimony and selfless self-e= xpression of each man's experience and love of life and heartfelt longings = and striving to be more and grow more as a person.
The human stories, the personal profiles, the = journeys of faith and personal discovery, the lessons learned and the wisdo= ms of our forefathers, and our growth as persons, all need to be celebrated= for all to see; the noble nature of men, their innate human dignity and en= ormous capacity to love; to be playful as a child, and to be Christ centred= in life, love and family...and we need to be empowered - to be able to be;= open and vulnerable and playful and creative and broadcast our authentic s= elves for the world to appreciate the boy inside us and the grown-up man, a= nd the beautiful nature of men and fathers at home, at work, in worship and= in service to the world.
Edward Dabrowski

!  International Men's Day CREATIVITY "L= ovein Action"

Celebrate INTERNATIONAL MEN's DAY CELEBRATIONS next Wedensday 19= Nov '08...and celebrate YOU and the gift you are to the world and to your = family.
EDWARD DABROWSKI,
 
A personal empowerment living statement of who I am a= nd what I aspire to BE because everything I do creatively for the bettermen= t of Children, Parents, Families is my everyday love in action.
 
 
Fifty Words alive in my heart

Love, Children, Family, Home, Children's Rights, Ge= nealogy, Blossom, Cherry Vodka, Heritage, Seeds, Seed Farm, Balingup Acres = Heritage Seed Farm, Fruit, Poland, Sophie's Choice, Creativity, Creativity = Summit, Vision, Mission, Inspiration, Mentor, Visualization, Imagination, I= magineering, Innovation, Ingenuity, Integrity, Faith, Hope, Reason, Compass= ion, Electrical Engineering, IMac, Apple Computers, Project Engineer, Proje= ct Manager, Director, Volunteer, Webmaster, Portal, BHP Billiton, Senate Ca= ndidate, World Youth Day, Australia
Profile
EDWARD DABROWSKI, Web Master, "CREATIVIT= Y in CyberSpace CommUNITY & Clearinghouse" VISION...www.creativitysummit.com  Web Portal collaborative = work-in-progress and the Ecademy Network ~ www.ecademy.com  ~ just search 'edward dabrowski' for profile.
All You Nee= d is Love
 
   =
Ten Ideas for Having a Smart = Marriage
By Diane Sollee
 
1. Marriage matters. Married people & the= ir kids do better on all measures of health, wealth, happiness, & success. = And, married folks report having more & better sex than single or divorced = people.

2. It's not the differe= nces but how we handle them that separate successful marria= ges from the failures. Disagreeing doesn't predict divorce. Stonewalling, a= voidance, contempt, criticism, and the silent treatment predict divorce. Le= arn how to disagree in ways that help you fall more in love.

3. All happily married couples have approxima= tely ten irreconcilable differences - ten issues they will = never resolve. If we switch partners, we just get ten new issues that are l= ikely to be even more annoying and complicated. Sadly, if there are childre= n from an earlier marriage or relationship, disagreements about them go to = the top of the list. What's important is to discuss our own set of issues j= ust as we would discuss how to manage living with a chronic bad back or tri= ck knee. We wish they weren't there, but what's important is to keep talkin= g about how to manage them and still do the marriage "dance".

<= font color=3D"#ff66ff">4. Love is not an absolute(a= yes or no situation) and it's not limited substance. It's a feeling and fe= elings ebb and flow depending on how we treat each other. We can learn new = ways to interact and the feelings "of being in love" can come flowing back,= often stronger than before.

5. = Marital satisfaction often dips with the birth of a baby. T= hat's normal. Marital satisfaction is at its lowest when there are kids in = the house between 11 and 16. That's normal. We need to know what to expect,= appreciate our parenting partner - and hang in. It makes good sense to sta= y married for the sake of the kids - and for our own sake. Even with the ch= allenges, it's a lot easier to be a parenting team than to be a single, div= orced, or remarried parent. Plus there is a silver lining: satisfaction goe= s back up with the empty nest. The final stage of marriage - with a job wel= l done - is the real honeymoon period.

= 6. Sex ebbs and flows. It comes and goes. That's normal. Plan for & = make time for more "flows".

7. = Creating good marital sex is not about putting the sizzle BACK INTO your sex life. Early marital sex is sex between strangers - we don= 't yet know our partner or ourselves. The most passionate sex is intimate s= ex based on knowing our partner and letting them know us. One of the most i= mportant tasks of marriage is to develop a satisfying marital sex style. It= 's not about going BACK; it's about going FORWARD, together.

8. Repair attempts are crucial= and are highly predictive of marital happiness. They can be clumsy or funn= y, even sarcastic, but the willingness to make up after an argument, is cen= tral to every happy marriage.

9.= Learn to welcome, embrace and integrate change - to discus= s and update your wishes, hopes & dreams - on a regular basis. We often "in= terview" each other before marriage and then think "that's it." The marriag= e vow is a promise to stay married, not to stay the same. (Thank goodness!)= Keep up-to-date with changes in your partner. Don't fear changes, celebrat= e them!

10. Try several differe= nt marriage education courses. Become informed consumers - = rate the courses, discuss what you liked best - which ideas were most helpf= ul. Decide which courses to recommend to your kids, friends and family - wh= ich to give as wedding, anniversary and new baby gifts. The courses don't t= ell you what kind of marriage to have. That's up to you. They give you the = tools - the hammers, screwdrivers, and levels - so you can build the kind o= f marriage that suits you, one which can help you to negotiate, and renegot= iate, your own values, meaning, and goals.
 
www.smartmarriages.com


 &= nbsp;
=09

Special Feature

Indian Perspective on Intern= ational Men's Day3D"Indian
3D"SFF"By Uma Challa 
A good man, we are= told,
...puts women and children first
...protects and provides<= br />...promotes women's empowerment at the expense of his own rights and t= hose of fellow men
...offers his shoulder to cry on when women are in = distress
...stifles emotion and endures pain without complaining.
 
A good man, we must realize,
...is also more often at the= receiving end of abuse.
 
A male victim of abuse
...is= often met with disbelief .
...is often told, "You must have done some= thing terrible to her to deserve this. "
...is often ridiculed, "Look = at your size! You are a man! What do you mean she abuses you?"
 <= br />The consequence
...several thousands of abused and battered men s= uffer in silent isolation for the fear of being stigmatized as weak and ine= pt.
 
Media finds no incentive in highlighting the truth abo= ut abused men...Netas and baaboos find no financial or political mileage to= be gained from helping battered men.
No one notices their silent tear= s, nobody hears their muffled cries...and hence no laws have been passed to= protect men from any form of domestic abuse.
 
On the other= hand, men are
...always projected as perpetrators of violence
..= .subjected to severe gender bias under law
...prevented from being a p= arent to their own children when a marriage breaks down
... often fals= ely accused of domestic abuse, rape and sexual harassment
...treated a= s guilty until proven innocent and punished based on mere allegations
= ...threatened and subjected to "legal terrorism" using laws like Indian Pen= al Code Section 498A and Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act
 
Male victims of 'legal terrorism'
...endure arrest and i= mprisonment for crimes they have not committed
...witness their dear o= nes being jailed for no fault of theirs
...often end up losing their j= obs and everything else they spent their life building
...suffer enorm= ous pain due to separation from their children
... often have to helpl= essly watch their old parents wither away in humiliation and grief
&nb= sp;
The consequence
...every year, twice as many married and sepa= rated men, compared to women, take their lives, unable to endure verbal, em= otional, economic and physical abuse and "legal terrorism".
 
On the occasion of International Men's Day, 2008, let us remind ourselves= that MEN
...who care, protect and provide for families
...who pe= rform some of the most risky and challenging jobs in the society
...wh= o are our fathers, brothers, partners, sons, male friends and colleaguesare human; experience pain, emotions and tears; deserve love, care and s= upport
and NOT further abuse from family, society, police and legal sy= stem
 
Idea, content and design by Uma Challa. 
 
News & Info
=
 
Parents Links &n= bsp;=20
 
 
= A MOTHER and father have been banned by the Family Court from living within= 10km of their nine-year-old son to stop him turning into a little criminal= .
 =20
 
 
Men who obtain hair or saliva from children for DNA testing t= o determine paternity could be committing an offence, if new laws are passe= d.


 
3D"International
 
3D"Men"
<= strong>International Men's Day
International Men's Day w= ill be celebrated around the world on 19th November 2008.Please celebrate t= he day in any way you can. We have a website which is now live at www.internationalmensday.com  = If you would like to help us populate the website and iron out the problems= , we would greatly appreciate your help.
 
The Fatherhood Fo= undation receives no government funding and relies greatly on the enthusias= tic support of fathers everywhere. For more information contact: info@fatherhood.org.au 

________________________________________________________= ________
 
FIREPROOFhttp://www.fireproofthemovie.com<= /a>
A postscript to our article in All You Need is Love last week.The producers of the movie 'Fireproof' do not plan to release the film i= n Australia but the DVD will be available from January 2009.

&nb= sp;________________________________________________________________
 
 3D"Movember
 Keep up with Movember at the webs= ite =20
 
____________________________________________________

Letters
 
Dear Fatherhood Foundation
 
It was good to meet Wa= rwick the other night and to hear about the great work you are doing. What = a great newsletter, very encouraging, I look forward to reading more in the= future...
 
Mike=20
___________________________________________________
 
Dear Fatherhood Foundation
 
As usual, I enjoyed your n= ewsletter immensely.  One note of caution, I would be very careful abo= ut putting much faith in President-Elect Barrack Obama's support of fatherh= ood.  He is diametrically opposed to many of the values that make a fa= mily healthy despite what he says and his slick persona.  I'm sure you= know this but it appeared by quoting his speech that you were promoting hi= m.  Most people in this country that believe in traditional Christian = family values consider this administration to represent a crisis situation = in our country.  I believe it will be a great opportunity to battle th= e coming evil.
 
Keep up the good work,
 
Ric= k from the USA
______________________________________________________<= /div>

Dear Fatherhood Foundation=20
 
Great Newsletter this week.
However I have concerns about Obama..= ..
For example:   he quotes in this speech to a religious au= dience....
"He's still speaking to our Catholic friends - who are hold= ing up a consistent ethic of life that goes beyond abortion -"
But th= en Obama says to the Planned Parenthood Assocation....
"There will alw= ays be people, many of goodwill, who do not share my view on the issue of c= hoice. On this fundamental issue, I will not yield and Planned Parenthood w= ill not yield.... [T]he first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom= of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do.... That's why I think i= t's important for us obviously to get not only a Democratic White House as = well as a stronger Congress to protect these rights." 
http://www.bpnews.net:80/BPnew= s.asp?ID=3D29200
This is my view....
 
Kind Regards
Steve
________________________= ____________________________
 
Dear Fatherhood Foundation=20
 

I am no fan of Obama, but I was glad to see him feat= ured in the newsletter! I think that his ideas are rather confused on some = essential issues, but he does give good example in others. Great work!

Michael
_____________________________________________________=
 
Dear Fatherhood Foundation=20
 
Do you DEFINATELY HAVE  to be a dad to join "dad= s 4 kids",I am a grandmother, and enjoy my grandkids very much, matter of a= fact i SPOIL them. Can i still join.?pontie[my nickname]

Kind Regards
Carol
__________________= ___________________________________=20
 
Dear Fatherhood Foundation
 
Barack Obama said, "We need fathers to realize that responsibility doe= s not end at conception," and I take issue with this!  He should have = said "everyone" when he said "fathers."
 
Everyone, from custody court judges to law-makers to folks in the medi= a, needs to realize you cannot 'blame the man' when he is kicked out of his= family. We don't need scapegoats; we need fathers in the lives of their ch= ildren.
 
President-elect Obama should realize it is time to stop removing dads = from their kids. Not every man will desert his child the way his did. Most = men do not file for divorce. Most men who are divorced do not ask to be inv= olved in only 14 percent of their child's life. It is time to stop blaming = the man.
 
Children need both parents!
 
Don Mathis
Sherman, Texas, USA
_____________________________________________________
 
 Dear Fatherhood Foundation,
 
It was good to meet= Warwick the other night and to hear about the great work you are doing. Wh= at a great newsletter, very encouraging, I look forward to reading more int= o the future...
 
Blessya
 
Mike McGarrity
=
Dads4Kids
 Dads4KIds  Competition3D"Dads4Kids"
 =20

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fatherhood Foundation is asking Australians to help Dads4K= ids with their ideas on how to solve the problems that Aus= tralian children face. Dads4Kids is an initiative of the Fatherhood Foundat= ion which is a harm prevention charity. Find out more information or enter = the Dads4Kids Competition.    
View Community Service A= nnouncements at:http://www.dads4kids.= org.au/Media     
 
 
The comments on the Dads4Kids website keep coming in. Competition closes 3= 0th November 2008.
 
Dear Dads4Kids
I have never heard = of you organisation until I saw the add on the tele today. What a great thi= ng that you are trying to achieve, the sad truth is that not all kids will = get a great start , but all we can do is try, I would like to get more info= and more involved in this as I feel that's the least we can do for our chi= ldren not only our son but maybe help some that are not so fortunate to hav= e a family.
Chris

Dad's Prayer

           &nbs= p;       
3D"Family
 
Dear God
 
Robert Louis Stevenson was right= when he said,
"So long as we are loved by others
I should say we= are almost indispensable;
And no man is useless
While he has a f= riend."
God it was you that said,
"Greater love has no man than t= his,
Than he lay down his life for his friends."
In fact I seem t= o remember you talking about
a new commandment that you wanted us all = to observe,
"That you love one another
As I have loved you".
That's also when you talked about the need,
if necessary, to die to p= rove it.
I'm afraid to ask you, but help me ask anyway -
Why is = the cost of love so high?
Couldn't we get it with the no-down-payment = plan?
 
=09
=09
Help Us!

The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Pre= vention Charity.
Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been pro= ven to be a source of harm. The Fatherhood Foundation helps children b= y promoting excellence  in fathering. Excellent fathers are in word an= d 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 t= o the Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund and receive tax deductibility:

 

Fatherhood Found= ation Public Fund
(Name, address and amount details must be = emailed for a receipt for tax deductibility)

 Westpac Branch Wollongong      &nb= sp;            =   DONATE ONLINE

BSB: 032 695
A/C: 25-5558
 

Or mail cheque and address details to:<= br />PO Box 542
UNANDERRA  NSW&nbs= p; 2526
AUSTRALIA

 

The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund&n= bsp; is a public fund listed on the Register of Harm Prevention Charities u= nder Subdivision 30_EA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.=

 

You have received the fatherson= line.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.

=09
=09
=09
3D"Safe
This email was sent to blane@uow.edu.au by in= fo@fathersonline.org.
Fatherhood Foundati= on | P.O. Box 542 | Unanderra | NSW | 2526 | Australia
--_000_1102320675629110193834541512118114172502scheduler_--