Membership Training Program
Reference Documents for a New Member
Welcome Letter
New Member Manual
(original)
How to Make Code of Honor Calls
(original)
Reference Documents for an MTP Mentor
Moving the Program Forward Every Week
MTP Mentor Manual
New Member Manual, see above
How to Make Code of Honor Calls
Commitment and Completion Ceremonies
(originals)
Reference Documents for a Team MTP Manager
Moving the Program Forward Every Week, see above
Manager Manual
MTP Mentor Manual, see above
New Member Manual, see above
For All MDI Men
How to Receive Code of Honor Calls (original)
Details for Milestones
1. Join MDI
2. Agree to Uphold the Code of Honor
3. Agree to Uphold Your Team’s Standards
4. Commitment Ceremony
5. Learn CPR
6. Commit to a Measurable Goal
7. Deliver a Teach
8. MDI Vision and Mission
9. Study the Code of Honor
10. Lead Circle Time
11. Lead Fun at a Team Meeting
12. Lead Ceremony at a Team Meeting
13. Attend a Division Core Team Meeting
14. Enrollment
15. Lead a Team Meeting
16. Trust and Reveal
17. Optional Milestone 1
18. Optional Milestone 2
19. Completion Ceremony
Introductory Material
Welcome to the Membership Training Program (MTP)! We hope you find this experience as rewarding as the thousands of MDI men who have preceded you.
Our goal is to inspire you to excel in your personal life by demanding your best, while opening your mind to the vast opportunities available to you, as a leader in MDI, and in the world. The MTP can help you unlock your full potential of being a positive force in the world.
Congratulations, you now find yourself among men who are committed to your success, who will hold you to higher standards, and who will inspire you to build a more powerful and purposeful life, for yourself and everyone around you.
This program is designed as an orientation for men that have recently joined MDI. The purpose of the program is to inspire you to grow and develop and provide you with tools and leadership techniques you can use to succeed in all areas of life. The MTP is a proven path forward for new members.
MTP teaches you how to be successful in any leadership position. MTP trains you in skills which will enable success as a leader at any level in MDI, or the world.
Once your MTP is completed, you will possess a better understanding of the organization, as well as the essential building blocks required to help you enhance your talents and leadership capabilities. You are on the road to becoming the best version of yourself!
Contents
Invitation to the MDI Adventure
Masculine Communication and Clarity
Participate Fully and Your Well-Being
How the Membership Training Program Works
Milestones of the Membership Training Program
Agree to uphold the Code of Honor
Agree to Uphold Your Team's Standards
Learn CPR (Context, Purpose, Results)
Additional Resources for learning CPR Technology
Lead Ceremony at a Team Meeting
Attend a Division Core Team Meeting
New Member Manual
About Mentor Discover Inspire
Mentor Discover Inspire (MDI) was founded by men who wanted to create a space where men are unconditionally committed to helping one another win in their lives.
MDI helps build influential leaders. MDI shows men the value of honor, integrity and commitment. You have joined an organization dedicated to improving the world, one man at a time! MDI is committed to sustaining a place where masculine relationships can thrive.
Invitation to the MDI Adventure
You are about to embark on an exciting adventure! You will discover strengths and knowledge you did not know you possessed. You will learn the tools you need to be an effective leader and a force for good in your community. You will have an opportunity to teach all that you know and pass on all that you will learn so that other men will be able to live the lives they have always dreamed of.
We trust that with the help of this manual and the men on your team. You will be well on your way to a path of rewarding personal growth that will improve your life and the lives of others! Thank you for being committed to men winning.
Member Responsibilities
As a member of MDI, you'll want to get the most out of your experience. As with most things in life, what you receive will be in direct proportion to what you put in.
There are many benefits to being on a men's team. On a men's team we can help you move from living inside your head to living from your heart. We can help you live from your "Mature Self" instead of from your "Shadow Self". We can help you leave the past in the past and learn from your experiences.
Confidentiality
All members agree to treating specifics about a meeting, like who is present and what is said or done, in MDI gatherings as confidential.
We create a trusted place to bring ourselves completely, without fear that something we said, did, or revealed about ourselves can come back to us through a colleague, spouse, friend, or stranger.
After every meeting, we are encouraged to take what we've learned about ourselves out into the world and to talk about MDI in general (we are not a secret society). Sharing your lessons is encouraged.
What a named man said, who was there, and the personal aspects of what happened are confidential. It's like going to the gym, nobody cares about the specific exercises you did. What they want to hear about is the benefits you got from the experience.
This can also be stated concisely by recalling the mature Magician archetype: He ensures that any information revealed to him is kept safe (confidential: entrusted with confidence), shepherded prudently and used only in ways that cannot lead to harm; and he is forthcoming with lessons he learned whenever so long as they can benefit other people out in the greater world.
Commitment and Accountability
At weekly team meetings, men make commitments to what actions they will take to meet their stated goals and are then held accountable. This is a cornerstone of MDI culture, and is the primary function of a men's team; jump in and commit! Every man is working on becoming the best version of himself and has a team of men committed to helping him.
Masculine Communication and Clarity
On a men's team you will find that our communication is direct, frank and timely. You are expected to tell the truth about yourself and what you see in others, in a respectful way, free of judgment or prejudice. We hold that the greatest gift one man can give another is his truth. Worrying about hurting each other's feelings sometimes slows down that message - be prepared to speak the truth, not mince words.
Participate Fully and Your Well-Being
As a member of MDI, you are strongly encouraged to lean in and participate fully. You are also responsible for your own well-being, including your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Additionally, it is suggested you keep a watchful eye out for the other men on your team, as we are all in this together.
How the Membership Training Program Works
This program is designed for you. It is about discovering, learning and teaching greatness and leadership skills in yourself and others. The Membership Training Program (MTP) is designed to give you the maximum value of your experience. You will be an active, valuable part of your men's team while you are progressing through the MTP.
Milestones: By the end of the program, you will have learned much about yourself, and enhanced your leadership skills. The program has 17 milestones, which you will progress through.
The program works best if done in order, because each section builds on what precedes it. Each aspect of the program will sharpen a tool you may already have or give you a new tool that you can use to be more successful.
The first four milestones must be done in order: 1) Join MDI 2) Commit to uphold MDI's Code of Honor 3) Agree to Team Standards 4) Commitment Ceremony. There is flexibility in the completion order of the rest of the milestones, except Lead a Team Meeting, which must be the next to last one. The final milestone is the Completion Ceremony.
Your mentor: As part of the program, another man on your team will serve as your mentor. He will support you in achieving the milestones. You will meet with him regularly to go over what you are experiencing, and he will assist in helping you achieve the milestones. Your mentor has been on the team for a while. His role is to 'be in your corner' while you achieve the milestones and work on learning how to get the full benefit of being on your men's team.
Your Team: Along the way, you will have help from your men's team. In fact, your team is unconditionally committed to support you, and your success will add to their own successes. During the course of the program, your team will see your progress and actively ensure that the program is fulfilling its purpose.
Milestones of the Membership Training Program
Following sections give descriptions of the milestones you will achieve during your MTP, along with a brief explanation of each one and some guidance on how each is intended to be completed. Ask your MTP Mentor if you have a question about any of the milestones.
Join MDI
You have probably already completed this milestone before starting the Membership training Program. It is still considered the first milestone, to make sure it's done and emphasise it as the first big step on your journey.
Joining MDI involves accessing MDI's website and signing up. By doing so you join a worldwide network of men and men's teams, all doing what you are doing: Supporting each other to become the best versions of themselves.
Success Criteria:
The new member pays dues and registers on the join page of the MDI Member Website, mdiconnect.org
Agree to uphold the Code of Honor
A man living a higher purpose is a man who will accomplish great things! The men of MDI consider honor to be an essential part of being a mature masculine man. No one can live by the Code of Honor 100% of the time, but as an ideal, you are asked to embrace it as a useful blueprint.
Later in the program you will be asked to study each of the tenets in greater detail, but for now, have a conversation with your mentor about MDI's Code of Honor. You'll find it a rich topic of conversation; during which you will be asked to agree to uphold each of the code of Honor's tenets. Agreeing to uphold the Code of Honor is a fundamental requirement for membership in MDI.
The Code of Honor (1987)
Commitment Before Ego
Honor the Truth
Respect Confidentiality
Keep Your Word
Be a Three Dimensional Man
Be Prepared
Defend Humanity
Always Be Faithful To the Men
Defend the Code
Never Engage In Battles With Weaker Opponents
Fight Only Honorable Battles
Earn and honor rank
Be Humble
Embrace All Men
Be an Example to Children
Success Criteria:
The new member and his mentor discuss MDI's Code of Honor. The conversation includes:
How we utilize the CoH in our meetings and in our lives
The mentor's personal experience around using the code
Ask the new member if he agrees to uphold each tenet of the Code of Honor individually. He is asked "Can you uphold ..." then each tenet is spoken, one at a time. He must say "Yes" to uphold each tenet.
If he says "no" to any tenet of the Code of Honor he is embraced with a good-bye hug and sent on his way.
Agree to Uphold Your Team's Standards
Every men's team has standards. Have a discussion with your mentor about the idea of standards, and what your team's standards are. The team's standards have been agreed to by unanimous vote of the men on your team. Agree to the standards and the men on your team will support you in upholding them. You should ask for clarity if any of the standards are unclear or contain jargon that isn't clear.
Success Criteria:
Before a team meeting, the new member and his mentor discuss what standards are.
During a team meeting, new member declares that he agrees to the team's standards in the same way he previously agreed to uphold the Code of Honor.
Ask the new member if he agrees to each standard individually.
Commitment Ceremony
The Commitment Ceremony is an opportunity to honor the tradition of the program and to be honored as a man who makes a commitment to give 100% to the process. Once you complete the ceremony, you are on your path to greatness. Every man who starts the Membership Training Program does the same Commitment Ceremony. The ceremony is simple. It is designed to inspire you to give your best. It is defined in Commitment and Completion Ceremonies.
Success Criteria:
The new member and his mentor perform the MTP Commitment Ceremony as defined in Commitment and Completion Ceremonies.
Learn CPR (Context, Purpose, Results)
CPR stands for Context, Purpose, Results. It is a powerful tool MDI men have found of great value used to plan meetings, activities and events, which helps men to be more productive, organized, inspired and focused. Once learned, CPR technology can be used for any activity in life that requires focusing on an outcome. CPRs can be used to plan any activity, which could be as small as mowing your lawn, or as large as creating a multi-million dollar start-up.
Your mentor will also help you learn the technology. Several milestones require writing a CPR for them.
Your mentor may require additional milestones to have CPRs written for them.
After writing each of the CPRs, have it cleared by your mentor, then review it after the event is over.
While learning how to write a CPR following the letters C, P and R, it is smart to create a CPR by starting with the Results, then focusing on the Purpose and then finish with the Context. In other words, by starting with what you want to achieve, you will naturally come up with the reasons why you want these results and then determine the quality it will take for you to achieve it all.
There are many descriptions of what context is: a feeling that inspires you; the color and flavor that you live as you do something; the quality you need to have to be able to accomplish a result (i.e. committed, steadfast, brave, caring, etc.). Simply put, your context is HOW you show up. A context is a short phrase that keeps you emotionally connected to your results.
A powerful context allows you to show up the way you want to show up regardless of what is happening. It's a reminder of the man you want to be at any given moment in time. Context is never meant to be just written on the CPR. It is meant to be carried in your heart as a point of reference.
Purpose is the reason WHY you are doing something. It explains to anyone reading your CPR, the reason for your efforts.
Here is a formula to create a purpose:
To....... (what you are doing) .......
so that ....... (the basic reason for doing it) .......
and ....... (the higher purpose* for doing it).
For example:
"To teach the men about financial sobriety
so that they can generate more income,
feel greater self-esteem,
provide for their families,
and break the cycle of poverty in their communities"
What you intend to accomplish and by when. Think big. Be bold. Make the results SMART goals. Be thorough. If you want it to happen, take the time to be clear and concise. Write the results in the past tense, as if they have already happened. This is a powerful way to manifest the results.
As one example, a team CPR should include results for the team members (collectively and individually if applicable) and for you as a Leader. Also, results that involve personal growth are very powerful allies in getting your needs met as well as those of the team.
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Additional Resources for learning CPR Technology
From Vision to Done: The CPR, A Tool That Keeps the "Why" Up Front. CPR – A Simple Framework for Success (AND Navy SEALs) MDIOriginals (CPR - The Whole Story) (Simple 1 minute explanation) CPR #1: The Need for Standardization (a YouTube playlist)
Success Criteria:
The new member watches videos or receives Context-Purpose-Results (CPR) training
The new member writes a CPR for:
Each CPR is cleared by his mentor prior to delivering the milestone
After each CPR-requiring milestone is accomplished the new member and his mentor review the CPR's results against what happened.
This milestone is complete after all three CPR-requiring milestones have been completed.
Commit to a measurable goal
The mission of MDI is achieved by men mentoring one another. This means that we receive support from our teammates toward achieving success in our lives. On a men's team, we commit to setting goals, and we receive support and encouragement toward those goals.
Imagine a particularly challenging goal you could achieve with the support of your men's team. Your mentor will assist you in creating a S.M.A.R.T. goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) which can be achieved within the six months duration of your membership training program.
Declare your commitment in front of your team and receive their support to help you accomplish your goal. The goal must be achieved in order to complete this milestone.
Success Criteria:
The new member and mentor develop a SMART goal, attainable within 6 months
The goal is personal (related to his life goals or purpose)
The goal is a stretch (challenges him)
The new member declares his measurable goal during a meeting
The goal must be achieved for this milestone to be complete
Deliver a teach
Teach the team about something unique or important in your life. Working with your mentor, prepare an engaging 10-20 minute presentation about it which will be delivered to your team. After the presentation, lead a discussion with your team about it.
Success Criteria:
The new member chooses a topic which is personal to him (avoiding religious or political topics)
The new member and his mentor develop an outline for a 10-20 minute presentation to a team meeting about the chosen subject.
After the presentation's conclusion, the new member asks if the team has any questions.
The new member leads the team in discussing what they learned.
MDI Vision and Mission
MDI has a set of guiding principles. Lead your team in a discussion about MDI's Vision and Mission Statements.
MDI Vision
A world where honor, selflessness, commitment, integrity, training, and learning give men the wisdom and courage to serve all men, women, and children for the betterment of humanity.
MDI Mission
To cause greatness by mentoring men to live with excellence and as mature masculine leaders, create successful families, careers and communities.
Success Criteria:
The new member informs the team of his interpretation of MDI's Vision Statement:
"A world where honor, selflessness, commitment, integrity, training, and learning give men the wisdom and courage to serve all men women, and children for the betterment of humanity."
The new member informs the team of his interpretation of MDI's Mission Statement:
"To cause greatness by mentoring men to live with excellence and, as mature masculine leaders, create successful families, careers, and communities".
The new member leads a discussion of the Vision and Mission Statements.
Study the Code of Honor
You will study the Code of Honor in greater depth by talking with other MDI members, outside your team, about each tenet. Call men listed as approved to receive Code of Honor Calls. Have a conversation about a tenet of the Code of Honor. One call per tenet. How this is done is detailed in How to Make Code of Honor Calls.
A discussion will be done after each call, usually with your mentor. Alternatively, your team leader may ask you to lead a discussion of each call during a team meeting.
In order to maintain momentum in the Program this milestone will be completed within thirty days. Some men like to knock out all fifteen calls in a single week.
Other milestones can be accomplished concurrently with this Milestone.
After making all fifteen calls, work with your mentor to prepare a presentation answering the following questions:
- How did it go and what did you learn?
- Which tenet of the CoH do you feel closest to mastering and why?
- Which tenet of the CoH is your biggest challenge and why?
Ask EVERY MAN on the team.
For more information about the Code Of Honor, visit the public facing MDI website and scroll down to the Code of Honor section (near the very bottom). It contains a brief writeup about each of the Code's tenets.
Success Criteria:
The new member makes one call per Code of Honor tenet to a MDI man listed as approved to receive Code of Honor Calls. The call follows the format defined in How to Make Code of Honor Calls. The new member discusses the highlights of each tenet conversation with his mentor (at team leader's discretion, discusses each call during a team meeting).
Upon completion of all 15 tenet calls, the new member and his mentor develop a presentation which answers the following questions:.
- How did it go and what did you learn?
- Which tenet of the CoH do you feel closest to mastering and why?
- Which tenet of the CoH is your biggest challenge and why?
- Ask EVERY MAN on the team.
The new member delivers the presentation at a team meeting.
Lead Circle Time
This is your first opportunity to lead a portion of a team meeting. Your mentor will arrange with your team leader to designate you as the man who will lead the Circle Time segment of a team meeting. It will be your responsibility to control the flow of the Circle Time segment. Designate who goes first, then control moving on to the next man, when appropriate. Each man gets the full attention and support of the circle, for a limited time period. The length of the time period varies, depending on many factors. The team leader will help you, during the meeting, determine how much time each man gets. If a man's time expires before he has received what he needs, ask for volunteers to continue working with the man off line.
Success Criteria:
During a meeting, lead the men in the Circle Time segment
Designate the next speaker, from all the men who have requested circle time
Perform orderly transitions from one speaker to the next
Control the speakers, each one only gets a certain amount of time
If a man needs more time than available, arrange for him to receive additional support offline
Lead Fun at a Team Meeting
Write a CPR for the fun segment of a team meeting. The team leader may suggest a direction for the Fun based on what he has planned for the overall meeting. If he doesn't, then anything you, and your mentor, design will be fine. After the team meeting is over you and your mentor will review how the Fun segment went compared to the expected results in the CPR.
Success Criteria:
The new member writes and clears a CPR with his mentor, then Team Leader
Fun activity is aligned with the theme of the meeting
Communicates with the team if the men need some items to be able to do the fun
If physical, all men are included in fun especially if someone has a disability
Men are aware of physical limitations
After the meeting the new member and his mentor review the CPR's results against what happened.
Lead Ceremony at a Team Meeting
Write a CPR for the ceremony segment of a team meeting. Ceremony is important to every men's team. This can help bring the 'juice' that creates powerful meetings. Working with your mentor, you will create and run a ceremony for a team meeting. Once you and your mentor have created this ceremony, you will be asked to 'clear it' with your team leader, so he can effectively integrate it into a team meeting.
Success Criteria:
The new member writes and clears a CPR with his mentor, then Team Leader
The new member writes and leads a ceremony that is personal
The ceremony sticks to the CPR and agenda and honors the original timeline
The team members discuss if the ceremony brought value to the men
After the meeting the new member and his mentor review the CPR's results against what happened.
Attend a Division Core Team Meeting
Every division in MDI has a core team of leaders, responsible for the wellbeing of the men's teams and each member of those teams. The core team meets on a regular basis. The purpose of this milestone is to observe leadership above the team level in action. You will see how multiple teams are considered in every action the division core team takes.
Being in leadership is both a responsibility and a privilege. You will learn more about how your division operates and see how care for the men is expressed through leadership. Men on the division core team typically live their lives to very high standards. Coordinate with your mentor to schedule your visit.
Success Criteria:
The new member attends a meeting of his division's core team. Attendance may be physical or virtual, depending on how his division's core team meets.
After the meeting, the new member and his mentor discuss what he learned about:
How the division leadership works
How the core team interacts with each other and how they collaborate
What he learned about leadership during the meeting
Enrollment
Intended Lessons
To learn and develop the ability to reach out and connect with ANY MAN you meet and enroll him in doing something.
To be able to create a TEAM everywhere you go.
To powerfully communicate what you're up to with everyone in your life.
To embrace Enrollment as a powerful tool and learn to further develop that tool (you already do it, let's learn how to do it better).
Inviting a Guest
The purpose of this milestone is to train a new member about enrollment by having him invite a man to attend an MDI event. An MDI event could be a Team or Division/Tribe Open House, Art of Masculinity, fun event, or weekly meeting.
If the new member invites a man to an MDI event and he doesn't show up, the new member needs to follow up with the man. Find out why he didn't follow through on his commitment. Where else does that show up in his life?
Here is a script the new member could use...
"I'm on a men's team. We hold each other to a higher standard - personally, professionally, in our families. We're not here for chit-chat or surface talk. We're here to grow. To be better men. Period.
I have a team meeting/event coming up, if you're ready to surround yourself with men who aren't playing small, you should come. Just say the word and I'll send you the info."
If the new member guest says Yes, he will attend, have the new member confirm his attendance by calling him the day before the event and confirming he will attend.
It may be that the new member will only need the first 4 steps of enrollment.
The Five Steps of Enrollment:
1. Build Rapport
Connection is key. Enrollment starts by establishing trust and commonality--"I'm like you." This could be catching up with someone you know, or building a new relationship based on shared experiences. Use the FORM method (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Money) to guide the conversation. Be authentic and human--relate to their needs, not just facts.
Beckwith suggests adding: Your honesty about who you are and what you're up to in your life is all you need here.
2. Be a Good Listener
Listen with compassion and full attention. Ask open-ended questions, and "feedback" what they say using their own words. This shows you understand and care, and it builds trust. Reflect back their thoughts with phrases like, "Is that right?" to confirm understanding. Let them speak 80% of the time; people believe what they say more than what they hear from others.
3. Invite/Ask
Invite or ask your guest to attend the MDI event in your own words or using a suggested script.
4. What's In It for Them?
Clarify their needs, wants, and the emotional drivers behind them. People enroll based on feelings and desired outcomes, so paint a picture of what's possible for them. Share what you are getting from being member of MDI. Ask how having that result would feel or change their life. Help them see how your offering provides the tools or skills (e.g., leadership, communication, self-mastery) to get what they want. Guide the conversation so their challenges align with what your program teaches.
5. Handle Objections
Objections are not rejections, they're often a request for more clarity or time. Use empathy, not pressure. Most objections fall into five types: "I need to think about it," "I need to check with someone," "I can't afford it," "I don't have time," or "I don't need it."
Follow the six-step objection process:
Hear them out without interrupting.
Acknowledge and restate the objection kindly.
Ask them to expand--gather more insight.
Reframe the objection by offering a new perspective or possibility.
Confirm if their concern is resolved.
Transition back to enrollment with a benefit-driven question.
Success Criteria
Beckwith suggests adding
The whole milestone up to this point is about being in relationship with new men and inviting them to meeting / or event but the 2nd bullet of the criteria really doesn't fit. I know we hashed this out but in reading this again the win should be that the man engages with 1 one or men new in their lives and make invitations. It's not if the man agrees to come. We're trying to have new members reach out
The new member writes and clears a CPR with his mentor
The new member enrolls the TEAM into a community service event, a TEAM event other than a standard meeting, brings a guest to a TEAM meeting, etc.
After the event the new member and his mentor review the CPR's results against what happened
Lead a Team Meeting
At this point, you will have attended enough team meetings to see how they operate, and you will plan, then run, an entire team meeting. Planning the meeting will use all of the skills, including CPR writing, that you have acquired up to this point. You will have the support of your mentor and team leader to ensure your success. The key to success in this milestone is in delegating and inspecting the men who will deliver the various parts of the agenda.
Success Criteria:
The new member writes and clears a CPR and Agenda with his mentor, then Team Leader
The CPR contains all of the aspects of a regular team meeting
The new member delegates responsibility for segments of the meeting
Before the meeting, the new member inspects each man who will be leading a segment of the meeting
The meeting sticks to the CPR and agenda. The timeline is honored.
Team gives the man a thumbs up or thumbs down about his success at leading the meeting. If thumbs down, the new member will make another attempt at leading a meeting in the future
Trust and Reveal
Being on an MDI men's team is not a casual thing. You have probably experienced a team meeting where the men seem to know each other incredibly well, and are interacting more like brothers rather than team members. In fact, they have a deep respect and profound commitment to one another's success.
You may initially find this uncomfortable, but as you continue to work with your teammates, you will learn that trust and honesty grow within you. As we grew up, many of us have been taught to be wary of strangers, and that barrier may be challenging to break down. But on the other side of that barrier there is an experience that will make you a better man, one that is trusted and respected by his peers. It's worth it to embrace the gravity and accountability that comes with a committed relationship!
Part of revealing is telling the team your life story; how did you get here?
This milestone can be done at any time during your Membership Training Program. Some men open up and reveal their life history and receive wisdom from the circle during their first meeting. Others take longer.
You can't prepare for this specifically, it is achieved through you revealing yourself fully to your team, and trusting the circle enough to receive wisdom from it.
Success Criteria:
The team agrees the new member has demonstrated trust in the wisdom of the men
New member has used Circle Time to describe a challenge he is having
New member has received the wisdom of the men about the challenge
The new member has revealed his history to the team; how his life brought him to where he is.
Optional Milestone 1
Optional Milestone 2
Any Team, Division, or Region may, optionally, define up to two unique milestones.
Completion Ceremony
When you have completed all the milestones, you will be honored with a Completion Ceremony, as defined in Commitment and Completion Ceremonies. This is often done at a division meeting. Congratulations!
Success Criteria:
This is the very last milestone. Every other milestone must be done before this one.
The new member does the Completion Ceremony as defined in Commitment and Completion Ceremonies.
Continuing the MDI Adventure
Finishing the MTP completes one part of your journey and begins the next. You are now qualified to take on a leadership position on your team.
By now, you have spent enough time on your team to know how important the work we do is. The work of becoming your best self requires teamwork! Part of being on a men's team is paying it forward. Through the commitment, generosity and teamwork of the men your team, it continues to be the place where the next man can get what he needs. No matter where you go, you can continue to be part of MDI, by moving to another team, or participating in MDI events. MDI is a global organization!
Glossary of Terms
Board of Directors: Oversees the policies and finances of MDI. The BOD looks forward to determine what needs to be in place to ensure the ongoing success of the organization. The directors are elected from the membership.
DC: Division Coordinator: Man responsible for carrying the vision for the collection of all the teams within a division. Responsible for the monthly division meeting. Reports to the local regional coordinator.
Division: a collection of Men's teams, usually in a geographic area, such as a city.
Region: Several divisions are aggregated into one region. MDI currently has three regions: Pacific, Atlantic, and Continental.
RC: Regional Coordinator: Responsible for everything that goes on within his region. Reports to the vice president of operations.
S1: A man who assists a leader with planning and running meetings. Usually serves as communications manager, sending and receiving all emails, txts, etc, from-to a leader and his men. An S1's main purpose is to ensure that his leader wins at his job and achieves his vision. Working as S1 is a great way to learn how the organization works before taking on leadership responsibility.
Team: Basic organizational unit of MDI, typically consists of four to fifteen men who meet every week.
Team Leader: Man responsible for carrying the vision of the team. Men usually serve as team leader for 6-18 months. Reports to the local division coordinator. Completing MTP means a man has learned the skills necessary to be a team leader.
Tribe: Similar to a Division but with fewer men (usually under 25). When a tribe grows and performs like a division then it can petition the regional coordinator to be granted division status. This usually means, at a minimum, having twenty-five or more members in three or more teams. Other standards may be determined by each regional coordinator.
Tribe Leader: Same as a division coordinator, but for a tribe instead of a division. Reports to the local regional coordinator.
Vice President: Above the RCs and regional program managers. There are vice presidents and international program managers responsible for overseeing all operations within the organization. They report to the president.
Appendices
Appendix A.4a
MTP Commitment Ceremony
Men value what they hear other men talk about. The Commitment Ceremony gets the whole team to talk about the new member starting his participation with MDI. It also has the new member make a public statement about his intentions to undertake leadership training.
Before the new member makes his Commitment Pledge the Mentor commits to supporting him by delivering the Mentor Pledge.
Then the mentor leads the new member through delivering the Commitment Pledge.
After the Commitment Pledge has been successfully delivered, the whole team signs the Team Commitment to Support the New Member form.
After the new member successfully completes all the milestones, the team members will initial their agreement of completion in the appropriate box of the Team Commitment to Support the New Member form.
The Commitment Pledge may be done as call and response, like the US President does the Oath of Office. In the call and response method, the Ceremony Leader says a segment of the Commitment Pledge. Then he pauses. Then the new member repeats the segment. The Leader does this until the new member has said the entire Commitment Pledge.
Alternatively, It may be done as the new member learning the Pledge, then reciting it in one fell swoop.
Mentor Pledge
Before the new member delivers the Commitment Pledge his mentor will deliver a pledge to support the new member.
I, (Last name, first name) commit to mentoring
(New Member Last Name, New Member First Name)
through all the milestones
of his Membership Training Program
Commitment Pledge
The Commitment Pledge is delivered in two stages.
The first stage is done as call and response. His mentor says a segment of the Commitment Pledge. Then he pauses.
Then the new member repeats the segment. His mentor does this until the new member says he is confident of the pledge's wording.
Then the new member says the whole Commitment Pledge at once, without assistance.
If the Ceremony Leader feels the new member has delivered the Commitment Pledge correctly and with sincerity, the Ceremony Leader asks the men in a spirited manner:
"Do the Men of (Team Name) accept this Man's Pledge?
The Commitment Pledge is complete if the men respond with a vigorous "Yes!"
Otherwise give dissenters a chance to say how his Commitment Pledge delivery could be improved. If the criticism is justified, have the new member repeat the pledge. Otherwise, the objection is overruled.
Congratulate the new member on successfully delivering the Commitment Pledge.
1, (Last name, first name) commit to successfully complete
the Membership Training Program
and become an active member
of my team (Team name),
and my Division (Division name)."
Appendix A.4b
Team Commitment to Support the New Member
New Member ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Team Name ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date ________________________________
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Appendix A.9a
How to Make Code of Honor Calls
The Code of Honor is a cornerstone of MDI's culture, and the study of it will help you understand MDI better. You will be calling MDI members who have completed their MTP, and are outside your Division, to discuss the Code of Honor.
The process involves calling other members of MDI, and having 10 to 15 minute discussions about the tenets of the Code. One tenet per call.
1: Read the Code of Honor tenet description, found here or on the MDI about page (scroll way down to the bottom)
2: Select a tenet to discuss.
3: Select a man from Men Who Said Yes to CoH Calls.
4: Send the man a text stating your name and that you are in the Membership Training Program and studying the Code of Honor. qAsk the man to suggest a time to have a call to discuss the selected tenet.
5: Prior to making the call, prepare to take notes. Make the call on time.
Introduce yourself by providing:
- Name
- Region/Division/Team
- What brought you to MDI
6: Remind him of the tenet you chose, and ask:
- How does this tenet show up in your life?
- Where are you strong with this tenet?
- Where do you struggle with this tenet?
- How does this tenet strengthen your leadership?
Appendix A.9b
How to Receive Code of Honor Calls
The Code of Honor is a cornerstone of MDI's culture. You have the honor and responsibility of supporting a new member's study of the Code of Honor.
The process of receiving these calls is designed to help the new member learn more about the Code; and develop additional relationships within MDI. When a new member initially contacts you via text, he has been instructed to:
- Send you a text stating he is in the Membership Training Program and studying the Code of Honor
- Ask you to suggest a time to have a call to discuss a specific tenet
The steps for receiving the call are:
1: Read the Code of Honor tenet description, found here or on the MDI about page (scroll way down to the bottom)
2: Receive the call on time!
3: Introduce yourself by providing:
- Name
- Region/Division/Team
- What brought you to MDI
4: Be prepared to discuss the following topics.
- How does this tenet show up in your life?
- Where are you strong with this tenet?
- Where do you struggle with this tenet?
- How does this tenet strengthen your leadership?
Appendix A.19
MTP Completion Ceremony
The first step is the team member's initialing their agreement on the new member's Team Commitment to Support the New Member form, that he successfully completed all the milestones.
The Ceremony Leader assembles the men into a horseshoe.
The Ceremony Leader directs the new member and his mentor to step forward.
The Ceremony Leader asks the mentor to speak about a highlight of leading the new member through his Membership Training Program.
The Ceremony Leader then asks the new member to speak about a highlight of his Membership Training Program.
Like the Commitment Pledge, the Completion Pledge is delivered in two stages.
The first stage is done as call and response. His mentor says a segment of the Completion Pledge. Then he pauses. Then the new member repeats the segment. His mentor does this until the new member says he is confident of the pledge's wording.
Then the new member says the whole Commitment Pledge at once, without assistance.
New member plants his feet solidly
I, (Last name, first name) commit to
participate fully and give my best to my team,
(Team name),
and strive to live by the Code of Honor,
making the world a better place.
This page was written in the "embarrassingly readable" markup language RHTF, and was last updated on 2026 Mar 23.
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