Raising a Modern-Day Knight

Throughout the rest of his life, the community of men admonished, affirmed, and endorsed his masculinity. Life was filled with camaraderie, protection, and high ideals. Boys become men in the community of men. There is no substitute for this vital component. Dad, if your boy is to become a man, you must enlist the community.

Ceremonies are those special occasions that weave the fabric of human existence. Weddings. Award banquets. Graduations. The day you became an Eagle Scout or were accepted into a fraternity. We remember because of ceremony.

Memorability grows in proportion to cost. The more you give, the greater the impact.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD CEREMONY? ... First, memorable ceremonies are costly. ... Second, memorable ceremonies ascribe value. ... Third, memorable ceremonies employ symbols. ... Finally, and perhaps most importantly, memorable ceremonies empower a life with vision.

This is what we do. There is nothing sacrosanct about our ceremonies; you may choose to imitate aspects of these or develop your own. But the important thing is that you do something creative and memorable to initiate your son into manhood. Remember, too, that the power of the ceremony is the actual experience! It is the lingering memory it makes a

Ceremony should be one of the crown jewels for helping a boy become a man. In many cultures throughout history, a teenage boy has been taken through some type of ritual to mark his official passage into manhood. I believe one of the great tragedies of Western culture today is the absence of this type of ceremony.

How does a father train his “page” to obey God’s will, to embrace these ideals as his very own? I believe there are four primary ways: 1. A father must set a godly example. ... 2. A father trains his page to obey God’s will by teaching spiritual truth. ... 3. A father trains his son to obey biblical truth by sharing stories. Imagine a young boy in

While each of the ceremonies detailed above is different, they do share common characteristics. You’ll want to incorporate some into your own manhood ceremonies. First, remember to employ the element of surprise. Like most of us, a young man loves surprises; they heighten the effect. Second, make the ceremony intensely spiritual. Relate the truths

A woman to love and one’s word of honor. Both elements are central to this final ceremony that occurs the night before the wedding, at the rehearsal dinner.