Greenwood Men's Group Proposed Code of Conduct

The following guiding principles have been proposed but have not yet been formally adopted by the group.

Acceptance. We accept each man as he is, not as we might wish him to be. We have no interest in judging anybody. We provide an opportunity and safe environment for each man to communicate about anything important to him.

Accountability and Responsibility.  We are responsible and accountable for all of our behavior, including our behavior towards other men. We do not avoid responsibility by whining, complaining, or blaming other men. We strive to avoid giving excuses for our misbehavior.

Best Effort. We encourage each man to give the best effort of which he is capable for maintaining and improving his personal well-being.

Citizenship. Seek to be good citizens. Be involved and be civil.

Compassion and Empathy. We are acutely aware of the physical, mental, emotional and social challenges we all face and must deal with. We help where we can.

Comradeship. We seek to develop deep and lifetime friendship and companionship through shared activities.

Confidentiality. Discussions of a personal nature within the group are not to be shared with people outside the group, unless you have explicit permission.

Courage. We support our comrades to have the courage to make necessary or difficult choices and decisions.

Doing Stuff. We choose to spend some time doing, not just talking. Learning by doing is one way to gain insight into who we are.

Enjoyment of Life. We like to laugh and have a good time. We value a chance to occasionally lighten up and be silly. We need not take ourselves too seriously.

Equality and Uniqueness. We treat each man as our equal even as we acknowledge that each of us is unique.

Gratitude. We are grateful for what we have as a group.

Humility.  We prefer humility over arrogance.

Integrity. We keep our word. If we make a commitment to another man or to the group, we honor it.

Intimacy. We seek to know, understand and accept each other at a deep level, which is the foundation of our relationship.

Isolation. We understand that men may tend to isolate when in difficulty or when they age. A basic purpose of the group is to reduce feelings of isolation.

Kindness. We are kind to others in the group and the community at large. We demonstrate our genuine care and concern for others.

Maleness. There is nothing wrong with being "unapologetically male".

Maturity and Wisdom. We behave in accordance with the wisdom and life experience we have acquired over many years.

Mentorship. As elders in the community, we choose to be good role models for others, including younger men. We mentor each other and others outside the group as needed.

Mutual Support. To know and support each member in what they want to accomplish in their lives. We help each other - physically, mentally, emotionally.

Optimism. We encourage thinking like an optimist, while at the same time being realistic. We avoid catastrophic thinking.

Pain, Difficulty and Loss. We appreciate and share the issues we face as men who are growing older. We know how challenging these issue are, and how they never simply go away but continue to revisit us until somehow, sometime, we manage to master them or come to terms with them. 

Punctuality. We encourage punctuality at all events. It is a sign of respect for the group.

Respect. We respect those whose perspectives differ from ours.

Transparency.  No withholds. If a member has something on his mind, he is invited to express it.

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The Greenwood Men's Group's mission is to provide a supportive environment where men from diverse backgrounds can foster camaraderie, develop friendships, share wisdom, enrich one another's lives -- and contribute to the Seattle communities of Greenwood, Ballard, Crown Hill, Fremont, Green Lake, Greenwood, Licton Springs, Loyal Heights, Phinney Ridge, Ravenna, Sunset Hill, Wallingford, Wedgwood, Whittier Heights and beyond.