Greetings Gentlemen Warriors,

Any North Texas WPs here? I'm in Sherman and know several other like-minded men in the area who would like to connect. Sound off if you are near!

Kevin

About 2 hours SSE of you in Weatherford.

What's up, brother! Princeton here!

Question for you guys...
I have 11 year old and 4 year old boys. For the 11 year old, I have been thinking a lot about rites of manhood. I do not want him to become one of these adult boys who live among us but produce nothing for society. What have you all done to prepare your boys for manhood?

I'm by far no expert I can only speak from some of the things I did with my son and some of the things I'm trying to do with him now that he is an adult. My suggestions would be as follows:
1. Camping/Fishing/Hunting - these are all valuable life skills that are slowly but surely not being passed down generationally. If/when society does fall, these types of skills will be necessary for survival. In the absence of that type of global collapse, it is a fundamental need for men to get out in nature and kill then eat their own food. And when I say camping, I don't mean in an RV.
2. Awareness - Gavin de Becker's The Gift of Fear may not be age appropriate, but the concepts are easy enough to teach. And I would even go through John's book together (maybe while you're out camping) stressing the importance of the natural desire men have to protect.
3. Gardening/Farming - even if it is just growing herbs and spices in your back yard, teaching this type of skill goes a long way to feeling less dependent on buying all of our needs.
4. Lastly - and this is the primary purpose - ground them in the faith that all of the stewardship above is centered around. We have been given the earth to tend and protect, to take of the meat of it. Every good thing has been given to us. Adam's stewardship of the garden did not end when he sinned, it was given a broader purpose and made exponentially harder because of it.

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you..." was not just about doctrine and the gospel, it was about family, stewardship and community as well - ALL THINGS revealed in the New Testament and the Old Testament.

Hope this helps. God bless, brother! I'm in Lake Worth. If any of y'all are ever out this way feel free to reach out and I'll buy you a cup of coffee.

Well said Tom, thank you for that! Points 2-4 are regularly practiced in our home. I have never hunted myself, mainly due to my father never hunting. My grandfather did though and he passed his hunting rifle down to me, which adds to your comment of it becoming less the norm with each generation. That is one thing I want to start with my boys.

We occasionally camp but since moving to Texas years ago, it has been harder. Where I grew up in Northern California, there were camp sites and public land everywhere. Any recommendations?

Possum Kingdom State Park is great, they have primitive campsites that are very affordable. There are quite a few state parks that offer camping, and not the RV kind, thankfully. Most state parks will have camping, and Texas has plenty. I know a few people involved in Trail Life and they really focus on father/son outings.