Ohio Illuman · Fireside Council 2026
Blaze of Glory
An afternoon on the Journey of Illumination
You’re Invited
The men of Ohio Illuman are invited to gather for our annual Fireside Council at Holly Shelter on Caesar Creek Lake — Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern.
We have the shelter to ourselves for the afternoon. We’ll open in council, wander out into the woods above the lake, come back to grilled food and whatever you bring to share, and end the day around fire and drum. Bring a brother. Bring the thing you’ve been carrying around all year and haven’t said out loud yet.
The Theme — Blaze of Glory
Mid-October in southwest Ohio is the one week the woods are on fire without anyone striking a match. The light goes long and gold. The maples above Caesar Creek turn the color of coals. Nothing has died yet — but everything has begun to let go, and in the letting go it burns brighter than it did all summer.
“Blaze of glory” is usually a phrase about going out: one last spectacular flare before the end. We’d like to turn it over this year. On the Journey of Illumination, the blaze is not the end of anything. It is what a man’s life looks like when he finally stops hoarding his fuel — when he quits shielding that small, careful flame with both hands and lets it catch something.
Illuman calls that becoming a generative man, a carrier of wisdom: not a man who burns out, but a man who burns on behalf of what comes after him. So we’ll put a few honest questions to each other. What in me is still green and won’t catch? What have I been holding back, and why? What am I ready to hand on — and to whom?
The Journey of Illumination rests on five touchstones. Our afternoon will move through all five:
- CenteringWe begin in silence, grounded in the presence that makes us most alive.
- GatheringWe come together to do what none of us can do alone.
- ConnectingShoulder to shoulder on the trail, then face to face in council.
- ReleasingWe name what is ready to be set down, and we give it to the fire.
- ServingWe leave carrying flame that belongs to someone else.
Details
When
Sunday, October 18, 2026
2:00 – 6:00 p.m. Eastern
Where
Holly Shelter — Caesar Creek Lake
4200 N. Clarksville Road
Waynesville, OH 45068
Holly Shelter is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers picnic shelter on the west side of the lake, a quarter mile north of the Caesar Creek Lake Visitor Center. It is covered, has electricity, restrooms, and plenty of parking.
Who
Every man is welcome.
Any man who considers himself on a spiritual journey belongs here — whether you’ve been to a Men’s Rites of Passage or have never heard of one. Please invite a friend, a son, a neighbor who might be curious about this work.
Cost
No charge.
Ohio Illuman covers the shelter and the grill. You bring a dish and a willing heart.
What to Bring
Please bring
- A desire to connect with other men on the journey
- A side dish, snack, or dessert to share
- Your favorite non-alcoholic beverage
- Weather-appropriate layers
- Sturdy shoes and hiking poles
- A portable or camp chair
- Your drum
- Water bottle
- Journal and pen
- Bug spray and sunscreen
Ohio Illuman provides
- Meats, veggie burgers, and buns
- Condiments
- Soda, water, and ice
- Plates, cups, cutlery, and napkins
- The shelter and the grills
- Fire
Please RSVP to Tom Sparough so we can plan the food.
Let us know whether you’d prefer the meat or the vegetarian option. Tom will
send more detailed information to everyone who responds as the day gets closer.
Questions and RSVPs go to Tom Sparough at tsparough@gmail.com.