Building Community

Building on the rite of passage adventure weekend, young men and their mentors come together every two weeks to play, eat, and further develop the new insights and capacities gained from the weekend.

Community Groups provide the forum for ongoing education, empowerment, and support and allow the young men to continue to strengthen relationships with peers.

The boys and mentors meet every two weeks. There's flag-football games and other sports, a BBQ-ccokout, fire-rings and discussion groups. The young men are divided into age-related groups for open discussions about topics that are important to them. The older men in the community listen to the boys and encourage them to speak their truth and "get something" for themselves.

Herb Sigurdson

HERB SIGURDSON
1927-1997

The Boys to Men Mentoring Program is the vision of Herb Sigurdson (1927-1997). Herb was a former head of Boys Town and worked his whole life in the effort to assist men and youth toward building a better world. The following is a poem Herb wrote to celebrate his 70th birthday, three short months before his passing that year.

Rafting at 70

I was born with Love three score and ten years ago It has followed my life wherever I go It was gifted by God through my family and friends There's no reason to believe that this LOVE ever ends I've had bang ups and hang ups along life's rugged way Mixed with plenty of pleasure and plenty of play It seems like rose glasses distort what I see But my heart is so full that it looks right to me So what is the big deal about 70 and rafting It's the white water challenge the Kern has been crafting With banners flip flopping once more we'll ride high We're ready for anything under the sky As if we should need it, it's one more excuse For dancing and prancing and just letting loose You're the best of the best bringing faith, hope, and pleasure You fill up my life with LOVE beyond measure So I thank you, my family, my friends one and all For making this party such a wonderful ball If I could have guessed that we'd have such a blast I'd have arranged to turn 70 many times in the past

Herbert R Sigurdson June 22, 1997