Key points

Ritual and respect give men permission to connect on deeper levels.

Shared skill and friendly competition forge stronger bonds.

Generational mix builds empathy, continuity, and belonging.

Retreats can offer men structure, focus, and a path back to community.

Some of my fellow campers Source: Reilly Bodycomb/Used with permission

For the better part of five years, I’ve been going to a shooting retreat in the foothills near Yosemite to improve my skills and have a bit of fun. These retreats or camps have themes and one overarching theme—proper club attire.

Each year (or time I go), the theme changes.

One year it was steel-target shooting, another was “Cowboy Action,” the next “turn-of-the-century gangsters.”

While some folks come and go, for the past three years, the sam

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