[EDITOR’S NOTE: Below are acknowledgments, words of honor and “attaboys” from MDI men, some of which originated from previous editions of the Legacy Magazine. There is nothing like receiving the respect of another man. Here are men honoring other men. If you have a man to honor or have comments, send content to JimEllis1103@Yahoo.com.]
Attaboy! You just walked the gauntlet, faced the foes, beat the odds and persevered. We take a moment from all distraction to acknowledge the truth of what has transpired. Where else in the world can anyone be challenged to take on life’s challenges, expected to bring their best, supported during the tribulations, and then acknowledged – for having played full out – and succeeded?
Here, in Mentor Discover Inspire.
And you just did that. We did that together, standing shoulder to shoulder and sharing the load. Standing against fear, doubt and long odds. We picked each other up. Got our heads right, and got back in the game. Now we get the reap the rewards, to live a better life. With full expression, personal power, and integrity.
This is you. This is us. Attaboy! Now let’s do it again, and play for something bigger.
I want to give an ATTABOY to my team captain Todd. Todd is learning about leading a men’s team the old-fashioned way, a 50-dollar tip delivered up the ass 25¢ at a time. He hasn’t quit. He’s learning to finally tell the truth of his hurt and pain. He’s learning to stop telling everyone that everything is alright when it isn’t. He’s learning to shut the fuck up and listen – REALLY LISTEN to the wisdom of the men. I remember learning these lessons for myself, and watching him learn is what brings me back, closer to the fires from the past.
~ Justin LaBarge, Atlas Division
- ATTABOY Olaf Krop for handling cancer as a King, Warrior, Lover, Magician.
- ATTABOY Dwayne Todd for your courage to discover and manage the barriers in your way of being the man you want to be.
- ATTABOY Carlos Segura for creating a MDI team en Espanol on zoom, opening the door to many.
- ATTABOY Stephen Resetar for facing your demons, not quitting, and taking on leadership roles.
- ATTABOY Lou Camargo for generously giving us elder wisdom and love, over MANY years.
- ATTABOY Russ Hall for working your way to the presidency of MDI.
~ Michael Burns, Atlas Division
I want to honor Michael Fowlkes with an Attaboy. He regularly steps up to help the men and has held so many positions in MDI. Most recently Fowlkes went above and beyond in his work with the O.I.P. He personally has shared his wisdom with me helping me be the most successful DC that I can be. Way to go Fowlkes, keep up the great work.
~ Garrett Hollarn, San Diego
Jack Brown is a man of the people; the epitome of the King archetype. He has successfully raised 4 daughters and myriad grandchildren while running a successful real estate brokerage. He has created a legacy that will certainly endure. It is my privilege that he is my wingman and best friend. We have man love for each other. Brown’s care for the men is unrivaled in Atlanta. He’s always keeping us connected.
~ Brian Childers
So here’s where’s I’m going to start with Paul Marcotte’s Atta boy. He’s been an awesome powerful one of my mean on this team he’s been kicking my ass in a positive direction which is enabled me to do the same so that is huge for him and I he’s also been a successful team captain he’s been an amazing as one taking down notes and doing the job he does he’s been really keeping his emotions in check with his divorce so that’s a big thing for him he’s just all in all an awesome man and I could not think of a better man to have on my team as an S1 than him he is just a powerful MDI man and I’m happy to have him on my team he inspires us all to grow that is why I’m giving him an Attaboy for you to give to him from Scott King team leader of rise to the occasion. Also been taking on new challenges every day.
~ Scott King
Leon Proctor & Robert Dubois
Went to LD training in Georgia and went through hell and back to get there. Both men impacted men’s lives that weekend, powerfully.
~ Paul Marcotte
Attaboy to Matt Coddington for starting his own locksmith and security business four years ago. This year he’s made $1 million in sales and has four employees including him and his business partner. Way to go.
~ Michael Fowlkes
Attaboy Abhi Patil. About five years ago he wanted to be married and have a family, along with a job he really loves. Today he’s married, has two children and has a great job with the Navy that he really enjoys
~ Michael Fowlkes
James Anthony Ellis, you are a man that’s willing to spend 10 years teaching me lessons of ACCOUNTABILITY. You live a life that is clear of dishonor, and insist that the men around you be the same. I admire your courage and your commitment. Attaboy!
~ Justin LaBarge
Paul Mack. Attaboy! You’ve completed training courses, launched your own life coaching business, and have just recently become Captain of Teams Catalyst. All while doing an amazing job raising your teenage son. The growth in your confidence , leadership skills, and ability to get shit done has been amazing and awe-inspiring to witness. You are a transformed man who is taking on challenges the used to terrify you, and kicking ass!
~ Michael Dytyniak, Toronto MDI
Paul Marcotte’s Atta boy. He’s been awesome and powerful. He is one of my men on this team. He’s been kicking my ass in a positive direction which is enabled me to do the same. I’m happy to have him on my team; he inspires us all to grow. He’s also been taking on new challenges every day!
~ Scott King
I want to honor Paul Dwyer with an attaboy. Mr. Dwyer brings tremendous energy to men’s team- he regularly delivers well-thought out technologies. He also outfitted our entire division with excellent hoodies that he had made overseas that were incredibly cost-effective so that no man could say no. Excellent work Dwyer, honored to have you on my team.
~ James Freeman, Team Invictus
De Francisco, attaboy! You have taken on a challenging leadership position with the Atlas Division, to be their S1. I know this puts you on your edge. I know this helps you to confront the challenges in life that bares marks, scars, victories and passion. You are on the path, to create this version of yourself that is fulfilling and admirable. Keep it up. Be the example to other men to follow your instinct, and drive forward. You deserve success.
~ Justin LaBarge
Want to give an atta boy to Bill Oakes. The man has been married longer than many men in the organization. He steps up for everything: Legacy Discovery, Board of Directors, RC, Team Leader. He plays hard and shows up strong. A role model for us all. Atta boy Oakes.
~ Sandy Peisner
Ten years ago as MDI President I had an idea: a quarterly newsletter for the MDI men. I asked James Anthony Ellis to make it happen. The newsletter has changed, and taken on different formats, to now be a monthly magazine for all men. Ellis is still leading it, positively effecting the lives of families he may never meet. Excellent job Mr Ellis.
~ Sandy Peisner
I acknowledge Andy Resnik, a man who truly considers other’s wellbeing. He is a true teammate whose success reflects in the desired success of others.
~ James Anthony Ellis
An Attaboy goes to Tom Thurmond who leads with deep convictions but no animosity. He makes room for opposing points of view and has the ability to sift through them to find the value. He listens. He is accountable. He lives every tenet of the Code.
~ Jack Brown
I would like to honor men who have made a difference. Chris Christopher has been DC, RC and board member on the international core team. He is a man who has supported and taken care of all of us in San Diego. He is also an excellent father. Thank you Christopher for being part of my life.
~ Sandy Peisner
Michael Fowlkes – you are the Legend. You have held almost every position MDI has. A wonderful father, a mentor to men across the spectrum. You’re the role model. Thank you for your guidance and support. You’re always there when I need you.
~ Sandy Peisner
An Attaboy to Brian Childers, one of two men in the Southeast region since 1992. If Childers says he will do it, he does it!
~ Jack Brown
PREVIOUS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS – 2020
Rob Miller acknowledges: Herky Cutler
Terrific example of a man who leads with courage and constantly holds a positive attitude in the face of adversity.
Blake Cooper acknowledges: Jeremy Leggett
Of the way he lives his life.
Joe Baptista acknowledges: Roger Krone
Covid + Proper Zoom set up = Successful Team Meetings
Matt Tager acknowledges: Roger Krone
Roger is always there for the men. He’s had to juggle the ever increasing zoom log-in confusions, he’s gotten the S1’s in the region to be the best S1 team we’ve seen in a long time, he assures he’s always in relationship with his RC and has made sure the Western Region has run smoothly. He’s the best Regional S1 in the WER I’ve seen in years!
Bradford acknowledges: Denis Moreau
Hard work, total dedication, displayed personal growth and delivered Zoom for each Team/Division/Region in short order, new web site and Bitrix set up to launch.
Kundan Patel acknowledges: Dana Traxell
Gotten married dealing with personal issues, family issues, started own business. 2 daughters total 1 step daughter. 2 dogs. Tough background though working through things chugging along. Promotes MDI and is my team leader in SER
Dog Soldiers team Ambactus. I can honor and respect the man and who is striving to become and lead his family, community and career. Don’t like parts of him though can accept him. LOL
Ethan Feerst acknowledges: Paul Tripp
Tripp is especially worthy of strong consideration for this award because of his concurrent decisive leadership (1) in his life and business, and (2) how he’s used and worked his current Team Leader position to bring and spread that mojo across our entire team (tribe atlas, my men). He has been deft in his team leadership, TL being “the most important position in MDI.”
Tripp has brought and is bringing a lot, right now.
Gary Wojciechowski acknowledges: Paul Dwyer
This man is an inspiration, dedicated, kick-ass get shit done type of man. But far more than that he takes men’s work seriously, he learns grows, and more importantly applies what he’s learned. He’s a leader and has a wonderful way of speaking to get his point across and he inspires others to action. He brings wisdom and strength. He is currently the Chief of Staff for Head Smashed In. He was previously HSI’s S1. But he volunteers in many places throughout the organization. Men know him and like him. I see him as a rising leader in our organization. As well as a shining example for all new men to follow.
Rob Miller acknowledges: Chris Morris
A true example of courageous leadership. Walked 1000 miles from Vancouver to Calgary to support Suicide Prevention with James Llewellyn.
Rob Miller acknowledges: James Llewellyn
A true example of courageous leadership. Walked 1000 miles from Vancouver to Calgary to support Suicide Prevention with Chris Morris.
Rob Miller acknowledges: Rob Kettle
Advanced the successful MTP program in a smart consistent way for Head Smashed In.
David Guy acknowledges: John Eliopolo
John has been dedicated to keeping men connected and in their power despite all adversity and difficulty faced by the men and women in John’s life. He is dedicated to the organization and serves as Team Leader and Division XO. John also has maintained a leadership role in the Landmark Forum and serves in his homeowner’s association. John’s family see’s him as a leader and maintain their dedication to each other. I believe that Eliopolo brings the code of honor into each interaction he has inside and outside of the organization.
Stan Snow acknowledges: Dave Smith
He had his international program (Team Leader Development) dissolved under his leadership and moved effortlessly into the role of International S-1 in a matter of days. Having never held the job of S-1 at any level, he has led the S-1s in MDI to be a cohesive unit taking on tasks and responsibility and collaborating in a way that has never before been seen in that program in MDI.
Jeff Brooks acknowledges: John Eliopolo
He is leading team Kingmakers well thru COVID, and also a strong asset to his community and family.
Paul Dwyer acknowledges: Chris Morris
Chris Morris is not a great man. He’s an average or slightly below average man. Through his thoughts, and brutal efforts, and steadfast commitment, he took the first step and Inspired our Division, our Exceptional Highly gifted men to act, and ultimately create a framework for Community service, fundraising and Exceptional acts.
What he did was commit, and start the Walk together for Life. He did so without adequate planning or consideration. He Took the first step bravely. We as a division followed him. Creating Infrastructure, systems, funding and honing practical skills in real life, that our division and the individual men who were in service have benefited from to significant degrees. His first step created the foundation for massive coordinated effective projects to be completed.
The impact is that now our division can realistically envision real world projects and undertakings that would not have been entertained otherwise, because we trust each other and we have actual real world experience, in functional roles.
The award Morris and Llewellyn received was called the First Step award, (Colloquially Called the Merrill) after Morris’s actual shoes. It was awarded because he had the courage to step forward and ask for help to continue. To start something knowing his team would back him up.
Awesome.
Tony Fisher acknowledges: Rob Miller
He lives the vision. He has contributed selflessly to MDI for years but this year he stood forward to serve the men of Head Smashed In as their DC when no one else would. He honors this commitment through personal challenges and less than full support from his division. He stands tall in integrity having been an early ambassador for the Facebook program, the predecessor of the Expansion Initiative. He uses the wisdom from trainings and leadership to help coach his team leaders to achieve the best results for their members, Miller’s community.
Christopher Morris acknowledges: Paul Dwyer
He is a man who has shown relentless interest, passion, and commitment in his growth and the growth of others.
I was on Point team with him beginning of the year; big changes are readily seen since.
Let me give you an example. When unsure back in June 2020 what I would next do, Mr. Dwyer was the one who encouraged me to walk from Vancouver to Calgary (Walk Together For Life) for the Centre for Suicide Prevention: Why NOT do it?
He then spear-headed the campaign for WTFL; rallying support for us, and was tireless and inventive in his efforts.
Mr. Dwyer can at times be challenging. This is his PASSION coming out, he doesn’t do gentleman’s agreements.
I know he has been instrumental in supporting leadership on a Divisional level and MDI on an Organizantional scale.
This man needs to be recognized for his efforts and dedication to us as Men.
We are fortunate to have him.
Complete.
Mitch Wegmann acknowledges: Chris Morris and James Llewellyn
These two men started with a bucket list idea to walk from Vancouver to Calgary. During covid shutdown and loss of jobs and income, these men decided to make something of their time, energy and love. They trained, they planned, they enrolled their men and they set out on a journey to do something bigger than they previously knew to be possible for themselves. Morris and Llewellyn attached their efforts to raising awareness for suicide prevention; a cause that meant something to them personally and aligned well with the purpose of MDI as a whole. They were uncomfortable often; not just in the physical aspects of the journey, but in facing the unexpected public responsibilities they had to fulfill by aligning with the suicide prevention cause. Along the way, they did their work to understand and evolve themselves internally. Most importantly, they demonstrated what it means to support a man. They supported each other in the physical and emotional challenges this journey presented. They committed to something bigger than themselves and they saw it through. It made a massively positive impact on me, our team, our division and hopefully beyond to the larger MDI collective and the community at large.
Rob Miller acknowledges: Paul Dwyer
Lots of positive energy, a doer attitude and a solid belief in the value of MDI that he expresses whenever he gets the opportunity. He has a creative soul who is always looking for ways to bring more to the table.
CONGRATS GOES TO….
(NOTE: Collected previously for an edition in 2014.)
- Congrats to Jeff Lawrence (RC for Western Canada) for selling his second franchise location of Cheap Smokes & Cigars in Alberta. He says, “It’s has been a two year grind to get to this point and it’s finally paying off; the future looks very bright.”
- Congrats to Curtis Hilgartner (Pipeline Team Captain) and Tony Fisher (Western Canada Grow Manager) for completing the Team Pipeline syllabus. This is a detailed road map to take NEW men and start a team from scratch. It will guide them for 18 weeks down a pipeline from THE MAN EVENT to a WEEKEND and into the POINT PROGRAM.
- Congrats to Andre Patterson (LDE Leader Western Canada) and Rick Mueller (HSIT) for both overcoming huge barriers and completing the Penticton, BC Challenge Race (formally knows as the IRON MAN). Both men swam 3.8 km, biked 180 km and ran 42.2 km and lived to tell us all about it. For Patterson this was his first IRON MAN distance race and for Mueller his second, though due to injuries he was only able to train for three weeks.
- Congrats to Ian Kennard, Chris Rushforth and Preston Gervais from Western Front Tribe in Eastern Canada Region for building a men’s team in their own city of London, Ontario after a decade of driving an hour or more to team meetings.
- Congrats to Jeremy Richman from Jawbone in the New England Region for his high-level leadership role in Boys To Men, an organization actively supporting boys to grow into being emotionally healthy men.
- Congrats to Dave Turk from the Humungous Division in the Mid-Atlantic Region on his daughter being accepted to Boston University, where she will be joining her older brother.
- Congrats to Kevin Langille from HSIT/Western Canada Region for leading the team that is putting on the Boomerang Rhino June 7-8 at Camp Worthington.
- Congrats to Andre Patterson from HSIT / Western Canada Region for his dedication to training and the fact that he has lost 30+ pounds.
- Congrats to Chris Lonescu from HSIT / Western Canada Region for successfully bringing Leadership Training to our region for the first time in over six years.
- Congrats to Jeff Lawrence from HSIT / Western Canada Region for closing his first Franchise Location of his Cigars Shops in Alberta.
- Congrats to Neal Goomar from Abnaki Tribe, Eastern Canada Region for his amazing ‘bigger and badder’ Full Service Marketing Agency, aka Brand Müller Marketing.
- Congratulations to Howard Hoge from the Southeast Region aka The Dog Soldiers, on producing a powerful Big Bubba 2013, infusing the power of the warrior into over 35 Men.
- Congrats to David Hall of the Southeast Region Warrior Division for telling Pete Kelly to see a specialist! Pete believes you may have saved a teammate’s life!
- Congrats to Pete Kelly of the Southeast Region Warrior Division for listening to his teammate, David Hall, seeing a specialist, discovering his colon cancer in an early stage, having surgery, and fully recovering!
- Congrats to Peter Floistad of the Southeast Region on the marriages (in one month) of both his son and his daughter! WHEW!
- Congrats to Jay Zipperman of the Southeast Region, founder and leader of The Boys Rites of Passage, and his many men, for 10 years of taking boys to and through his annual program, giving them wilderness skills and teaching them the responsibilities of manhood.
- Congrats to Bill Bozarth of the Southeast Region for leading the Fathering Forum in Atlanta these past years, providing a monthly meeting for fathers to learn, grow and be supported as fathers and men!
- Congrats to Eric Tilgner of the Southeast Region for again stepping up to lead the September 20 Legacy Discovery event, Evolution 2013. As good as Breakthrough 2012 was, this one is destined to be the best yet as it draws leaders and men from all of our Masculine Circles in Atlanta.
- Congrats to Patrick Callon from Western Front Tribe, Eastern Canada Region, Knights of Compassion Point Team for registering his son for the October Legacy Discovery.