What Is NEMA

The North East Men’s Alliance (NEMA), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) volunteer-run organization led by David Tall Heart O’Brien, Jonathan Hefter and Brandon Davis.

NEMA arranges and sponsors professionally led men’s retreats–semiannual (spring and fall) Spirit Camps–along with other workshops facilitated and co-led by two soulful men, Brandon Davis and 4 Gateway Certified Jonathan Hefter

Our base camp is YMCA Camp Hi-Rock, described on its website in this way: “Nestled among 1,000 acres in the Berkshire Mountains, surrounded by conservation forest, and centered around our pristine, private, 90-acre lake, YMCA Camp Hi-Rock enjoys a truly magnificent location.”

While we are not affiliated with any particular religious, philosophical, or political school of thought, we have found that opening ourselves to world mythology, poetry, Native American traditions, ancient male traditions, and ritual movement have helped us enter a “liminal” space–an “in-between threshold realm”–where we can soulfully consider our pasts and glimpse our possible futures. We respectfully and affectionately encourage one another to imagine solutions to the problems and challenges we encounter in our everyday lives. “Soulwork” helps us see “the gold” in ourselves and other men as well as in our families, loved ones and, ultimately, all creation.

Berkshire Mens Council

A Little History
The North East Men’s Alliance (NEMA) was formed in August 2012 as the next step in the evolution of providing programs that serve the community. In August 2014, NEMA became a 501(c)(3). The organization is built upon a foundation established over an approximate 35-year period, originally taking root in The Berkshire Men’s Council (Bob Cote, Colby Lewis, Michael Hodgkins, Harry Hoy, and Brandon Davis) in Lenox, MA with support from Jeffrey Duvall and The Men’s Leadership Alliance from Boulder, CO.