From the President: Carrying the Flame Forward — The Gathering Returns

Brothers,

The Men's Council Board recently spent a weekend together in the mountains — sitting by the fire, walking the land, breaking bread, and having honest conversations about where The Men's Council has been and where we are going next.

We're ready to make it official: The Men's Council Annual Gathering will return November 13–15, 2026, at Camp Chestnut Ridge in Efland, North Carolina.

Some weekends you attend. Some stay with you for the rest of your life.

This will be more than a gathering on the calendar. It will be a chance to step away from the noise, put down some of what you've been carrying, and spend a weekend among men willing to show up honestly.

You may come looking for connection, clarity, brotherhood, or simply a place where you don't have to pretend you have everything figured out. You may leave with a stronger sense of who you are, what matters now, and what you're ready to carry forward.

For more than 25 years, men from The Men's Council have gathered at Camp Chestnut Ridge. This land has become more than a meeting place. It is part of our history — it has held our stories, laughter, grief, songs, questions, and the deep work men have shared together.

CARRYING THE FLAME FORWARD

The fire doesn't end with us.

The flame is not meant to be held by one generation. It is passed from hand to hand, from story to story, and from one season of a man's life to the next.

This weekend will bring together elders, longtime members, men returning to the circle, younger men finding their place, and men joining us for the first time. We will remember what has been built, strengthen the bonds among us today, and make room for what comes next.

The weekend will include workshops, breathwork, time in nature, honest conversation, small-group connection, large circles, drumming, fellowship, laughter, meaningful traditions from years past, and guided experiences throughout the weekend. Woven through it all will be a story that unfolds across our time together, giving shape and meaning to the journey we share.

There will be moments of challenge and moments of stillness. There will be old friendships renewed and new connections formed. There will be experiences that are difficult to explain until you have lived them.

This is the kind of weekend men remember. We expect the Gathering to sell out.

November 13–15, 2026 · Camp Chestnut Ridge · Efland, North Carolina

Registration is open now — visit our Events page for tickets and details.

Come as you are. Leave carrying something different. Together, we carry the flame forward.

In brotherhood, Evan Nash President, The Men's Council