CHUCK DAUBE

I was born 3 weeks before the A-bomb hit Hiroshima in 1945. I grew up in South Bend, Indiana, the son of a Lutheran minister and a home ec teacher. I was always involved in music and theater until I began to lose my hearing in college. I switched my major to English and taught high school English for two years before going to Gallaudet University for a Masters in Deaf Education.

Since 1972 I have been on the faculty at the Indiana School for the Deaf in a variety of positions including teacher, dean and director of guidance. Although officially retired, I continue to substitute on a regular basis and coach ISD's award-winning Academic Bowl team.

Combining my passion for music and theater with my ASL skills, I became an ASL interpreter working mainly with performing arts interpreting over 350 performances since 1980. In addition, I interpreted for the Indianapolis Men's Chorus for 19 years.

I got involved with the ManKind Project in August 1994 and have staffed 11 times including 7 times as an interpreter

BRIAN DETERMAN

I was born in a capital city of The Sooner State in the spring of 1963 to Oklahoma University graduates. I am profoundly deaf since birth. My family and I moved to Dallas County, Texas when I was three years old, and I grew up there.

I, RIT/NTID graduate, hold a Bachelor of Business Administration from University of Houston. I have worked extensively, over 18 years, with deaf and hard of hearing individuals in social services such as job placement coordination, addiction, HIV/STD prevention, and advocacy. I also have 15 years experience working with various health providers, helping foster awareness of the deaf and hard of hearing's communication access needs.

I've also become an American Sign Language interpreter and Support Service Provider to serve Deaf-Blind consumers since 1999. I also have had served on numerous committees and associations.

Currently, I am Deafness Resource Specialist, funded by a state agency through a Houston-based private company, to provide services to persons who are Deaf or hard of hearing, such as information and referral, training and advocacy. I also attempt to build bridges that connect the divide between the hearing, hard of hearing, and Deaf worlds.

In May 1999, I was initiated in the ManKind Project on my 36th birthday. From that moment, I attended the training; I knew it was a true awakening for me. I touched a part of my shadow, the parts of me which I hid, repressed, and denied for most of my life. I have served on various committees including the point of man for a SILENT WARRIOR WEEKEND. I also have staffed 5 times and served as MOS twice.

Presently, I am editor for SW newsletter and will be the point man for SILENT WARRIOR WEEKEND in June 2012.

ROGER DOBITZ

I was born into the family of Fred and Violet Dobitz [The family is of German Hungarian descent. The first language for my parents was German. They learned English when they attended country school.] in December 1956 at the St. Joseph's Hospital, Dickinson, ND, as a premature baby weighing in at 3# 6 oz. and after my birth weighing in at 2# 8 oz. I did not come to the family home until 2 months later. I am the 5th child of 15 children (8 boys and 7 girls) in the Dobitz Family. At the age of two, I contracted the measles and lost my hearing. I have a severe bilateral hearing loss. It was not until my 1st grade health checkup when it was discovered that I had a hearing loss. Consequently, I received my first aids at the age of 6. In those formative years, I was deaf and did not speak. My brother next to me in age was "my ears." I am the only one in my immediate family with a hearing loss.

I attended a parochial local school, St. Mary's, in New England, ND, with the aid of visiting a speech therapist every week for the first 6 years of my elementary education. When I was in the 6th grade, I made a conscious effort to learn well in school. When I had a lecturing class, I took the notes I could and later after school, I borrowed a classmate's notes and combined a third notebook to synchronize the two notebooks into one. This is how I did my classes for the rest of my education years. I graduated with honors in 1975 at the parochial local high school. In the fall of 1975, I attended NDSU, Fargo, ND, along with being in the seminary program the four years of college. While attending classes at NDSU, I also went for further help with my speech impediment in my junior and senior years. I graduated with a major in Classical Languages (Latin and Greek) and a minor in Philosophy.

I went on to the theological studies at the St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, MN. While attending the theological seminary, the homiletics instructor at the St. Paul Seminary encouraged me to get more help with my speech because I would be doing lots of public speaking in the future. I attended night classes at the St. Paul Technical Institute to learn sign language. In May 1985, I received a Master of Divinity. I was ordained to the Diocese of Sioux Falls, SD, in June 1985. I officiated several liturgical celebrations simultaneously in sign language and voice. I was a parish priest of six years before I left the ministry in May 1991.

Since then I have resided in Sioux City, IA. I currently have been at my present job for the past 19 ½ years. I have been active in my workforce with the local newsletter and help develop protocols and procedures for some of the jobs. Currently, I am in the Wet Mix Department making the different coatings for the cookies. The largest contract of the bakery is Girl Scouts of America, Wal-Mart and Nabisco are some of the other bakery's contracts along with private grocer retail stores in United States, Mexico and Canada.

It was in March 1996 when I was initiated in MKP at Camp Voyageur, MN. I have been very active in the local community of MKP serving on several boards. From 1998 to 2000 I served as the Center Director for Sioux City. In April 2000, the spring NWTA training was a full weekend of 30 initiates (of the 30, 5 were initiates from South Africa). Since January 2010, the name of the center has been changed from Sioux City to Central Plains.

I have attended the Sioux City Deaf Association Club since May 2006. I continue to grow in my sign language ability. It has been to my awareness that I am a bridge for both the deaf and the hearing.

It was a dream fulfilled to attend the 1st Silent Warrior weekend in Houston, TX, in November 2006. I attended the 2nd Silent Warrior weekend as well.

I have staffed 37 times, several times as MOS and now I am the current Center Director of our local chapter of Boys To Men.

GREG GONDRON

I was born in Port Arthur, Texas the summer of 1961 to a family of Cajun decent from Louisiana. I grew up in East Texas and graduated with a Masters Degree in Deaf Education and a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing (Speech Pathology, Audiology, Rehabilitation of the Deaf and Education) in 1984.

After teaching in the classroom for about 10 years and being an interpreter for the deaf for 22 years, I went back to Gallaudet University in DC and Lamar University in Beaumont for another MS degree in Administration. Thereafter I served as a Deaf Education Specialist out of San Antonio for the southern region of Texas and then onto a position near Galveston as director of a Regional Day School Program for the Deaf for 11 school districts in southeast Texas. I changed careers to being a musician, singer, and liturgy director in several parishes and dioceses while becoming involved in MKP. I've been a member of several choruses, play guitar, flute and some piano, and am currently a member of Bayou City Choral. In June 2010, I sang with Resounding Harmony in June at Carnegie Hall.

I was initiated in July 1998 on my 37th birthday. I've staffed about 85 times and became a certified NWTA Co Leader in 2004. I'm a lead facilitator for ABC (Accelerated Behavior Change), and have served on the local community's leader body, multicultural team, integration council, training committee, board of directors and a variety of other committees serving our work. I was former Executive Director mentoring the Center Director of MKP Houston for the past 5 years. I am currently on the MKP USA Council as the Operations Director.

AJ ROUPP

I was born in a country city that is nestled on the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania on a summery afternoon. I came from my family mainly descent from the heartland of Europe---Germany with touches of Ireland and Wales. I am only profound deaf in my family for hearing loss run on my paternal side---with various hearing loss among my great-aunts, great-uncles, and grandfather. I grew up in the Bucks County attending an educational mainstream program with deaf students.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Therapeutic Recreation in 1995, and a Master of Science in Leisure Service Administration in 2004 from Gallaudet University. During my time there, I was involved in many activities and one of them was the founding of DC Beta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity in 1993.

In 1998, I joined as a specialist for the Personal Discovery Program, an adventure-based program. My thesis was based on this work for my MS degree is "Effects of Participating in the Personal Discovery Program on the Psychological and Social Health of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Collegians."

Since 1994 I served at Gallaudet University in a variety of positions including office assistant, teacher assistant, and assistant director of aquatics program. Although I no longer work there, I continue to be a part of the Discovery team.

In September 2004, I was initiated in the ManKind Project at Claymont Court. From that moment, I attended the training, my life has taken a different direction---and a journey of discovery, change, and awakening began. I plunged into the bustling life of a community, found a passion and a calling among the brave men. I have served on various committees including the founding of SILENT WARRIOR WEEKEND and SILENT WARRIORS.