Caringbah Men's Table Entree (on Zoom)

Monday, 11th October, 2021; 7:00 - 8:30 pm

An introduction to The Men's Table through stories and dialogue over dinner..

for men interested in being part of the Caringbah Men’s Table

"I feel very encouraged about the opportunity this presents for men; to come together and be real with each other" - Adam, Entree' attendee

"Very positive... great step towards the future" - Wayne, Entree' attendee

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This Entree will establish a Caringbah Men's Table that will ultimately meet in-person. In the interim, due to uncertainties with lockdown, we will run this entree event on Zoom and support men who become founding members to start as a virtual Table if need be.

Feedback from the existing 35+ Tables is that a virtual Table is a positive experience, and an effective fall-back approach to sustaining the benefits of a Men's Table.

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The Entree will introduce you to how the Men's Table works in a relaxed and conversational environment.

It will be hosted by a founding member and a man from an existing Table, sharing our experiences from the first 30+ Tables, and responding to your questions, concerns and ideas as you consider becoming part of joining a newly forming Caringbah Men's Table, or helping to start a Table in another part of the Shire.

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What is the Men’s Table?

The Men’s Table is all about men serving men. The first Men's Table (MT1) began in 2011 with 12 men who have met once a month for dinner and ever since. It is now growing to become a national charity.

The Men’s Table creates a unique environment for men to share openly about their lives, their challenges, their highs and lows with a group of men who they learn to know, like and trust.

It's healthy to show emotions and share feelings, and it is time we freed men from outdated masculine norms. There's never been a better time to be part of building community.

The Men’s Table creates a sense of belonging, community, peer support and camaraderie that is lacking for many men, even for some who already have a group of mates. Belonging to a Men’s Table contributes to mental, emotional and social wellbeing whilst being a powerful support to individual members journeys through life. Each Men’s Table is a distinct expression of the needs and personalities of its members, guided by the fundamentals from MT1, and supported by TheMensTable.org www.themenstable.org

What can you expect from a typical Men’s Table evening?

Men gain a great deal from sharing and hearing other men’s experiences of life. Each Men's Table group will have its own approach which can change over time. A typical evening often includes:

Chatting, catching up as people arrive.
At 7pm, A brief check in.
As men feel ready, a man shares what is happening for him. This can be anything from moments of joy, happiness pride, challenges and or obstacles, how things are in relationships, work and friendships, the past, future, sadness, grief. The topics are as wide and varied as men’s life experiences. A persons sharing might be around 10 minutes. Confidentiality is important and it is up to a man if he shares that evening.
As men share they are listened to and accepted; questions are generally not asked, unless the man would like input at the end.
'Fixing' of other men after they've shared about their lives is actively discouraged, even though most men want to jump in and offer advice
Men share from their direct experience, speaking for themselves. We avoid prophesising and generalisation.

You will get a great overview of how it works at the entree event. The entree is an opportunity to meet other men who are thinking of joining and to see if the Men’s Table is for you.

The Men's Table is a registered charity. There is no membership fee to be part of a Table; it's a grass roots activity driven by men in the local community

If you're interested in being a part of The Men's Table but can't make this date and would like to be kept abreast of future gatherings, let us know by emailing us at hello@themenstable.org

Ben & David in the Kitchen (Office) of The Men's Table

hello@themenstable.org

Ben; 0424 99 33 66

David; 0412 199 648