Greetings from the Buckeye State and the brothers of the Ohio Chapter of Illuman.

Ohio Illuman was formed about eight years ago. We are a smaller chapter. This is in large part because we do not host a Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP). Our focus in Ohio has been on seasonal retreats and local Councils. Not all Illuman chapters host the MROP, and I believe this is as it should be.

Our next Ohio Illuman sponsored retreat is Men Writing for Change. This year we'll be holding the event at the Bergamo Center at Beavercreek near Dayton, Ohio. Though the venue is different, men can expect the same great amenities including single occupancy rooms, private baths, great shared retreat space, as well as ample grounds to wander and commune with nature.

Illuman just held the annual Soularize gathering in Bernalillo, New Mexico, October 18-21. We spent two and half days with Bill Plotkin of Animas Valley Institute and 10 of his guides, many of whom are also Illuman brothers. Nearly 300 men from around the world and several of us from Ohio gathered together to learn from Bill and Richard Rohr…