What are the expectations of the community called MMF of those who attend?

What are the expectations of those who attend  of the community?

These are not easy questions to answer, and no answer is likely to be complete, or satisfactory to every member. That does not mean we can’t take a shot at them.

Personal Responsibility

The Midwest Men’s Festival is many things to many people. It is hoped that each participant will find what he is seeking. What one gets from his experience depends largely upon what he is willing to put into it.

No one is in charge of this event; all members share equally in decision-making, and each member is responsible for sharing in those functions necessary to the group, including cooking, cleaning the kitchen, and keeping the area neat and tidy.

If you’re interested in becoming more involved, please feel free to lead a workshop/play shop, facilitate a circle, join the planning committee, or get involved in another project. There are many ways to make Festival a very meaningful experience. Festival can be fun, work, or both.

Traditionally, a principle focus of Festival is community building. The heart of our community is circle. Circle provides an opportunity to learn new ways of making decisions that affect a large number of people, and a safe setting in which to risk deeper levels of honesty and disclosure than many of us may be accustomed to in our daily lives. Attending and participating in circle is an important aspect of the Festival experience.

Whether dealing with an individual, a small group, or the community as a whole, you have a right– and a responsibility–to say no when you mean no and to ask for more when you want more. (You might not get it, but you have a right to ask.)

Respect for the land, for each other, and for yourself, are about the only conditions placed on Festival attendees. Personal harassment, put-downs, or other forms of abuse are not acceptable toward you or from you. Laird’s Process has been developed out of our community’s experience and is a guide in dealing with perceived personal conflict.

If you are new to Festival, this may seem foreign. Most of us live in a world where the biggest, the loudest, the wealthiest, or those with the most influence are right. Power is managed very differently within our community.

It is our hope that each participant will move a little closer toward the self-respect, celebration, and personal empowerment which are a part of our vision.