No conversation is too small.
Sometimes, a conversation heartedly told to friends around a table can serve as an important lifeline.
The Men’s Table initiative understands this and has created monthly events with the design of encouraging such conversations.
From 6.30pm on Wednesday, March 11, the Yass Club House Hotel will play host to an Entrée, where local men are encouraged to attend.
“The Men’s Table is all about men serving men,” says a spokesperson.
First established in 2011 in Sydney after 12 men met once a month for dinner, there are now several branches that have been created in each state and territory across Australia.
The Yass event will serve as an introduction to the organisation over a meal.
Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options will be available.
But what can participants expect to see?
“Men gain a great deal from sharing and hearing other men’s experiences of life,” says a spokesperson from the organisation.
“Each Men’s Table group will have its own approach which can change over time.”
Although each group will operate with its own dynamic due to location and variation of the men in attendance, the organisation says they create an overall sense of “belonging, community, peer support and camaraderie” that many men may seek, even those who already have an established group of friends.
Men are invited to share what is happening in their lives (but are not required or forced to do so), whether that be moments of happiness, pride, excitement, challenge or hurt, or even more personal things such as relationships, work and friendships.
“The topics are as wide and varied as men’s life experiences,” says the organisation.
“As men share, they are listened to and accepted; questions are generally not asked, unless the man would like input at the end.”
The Men’s Table is a registered charity and has no joining or membership fee. They operate with few rules but explicitly state that ‘fixing’ of another man at the table who has shared about his own life is actively discouraged, combating the urge to jump in and offer advice.
The monthly events are open to all men from all ages and walks of life.
For more information about the organisation, visit their website at themenstable.org. To book a spot at the table, visit humanitx.com/yass-valley-men-s-table-entree
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