Uncivilized Life Leadership Weekend!
- Dave Crandall
- Apr 29
- 4 min read
The first ever Uncivilized Life Men's Leadership Weekend brought together a diverse age group of 30 men eager to connect, compete, and grow. This event combined outdoor adventure, friendly competition, and powerful conversations that left a lasting impression on everyone involved.
From the struggle and laughter of the fishing tournament (nothing over a pound was caught), to the strategic marathon play of poker, and the talks that challenged every guy to become who God called him to be, the weekend was a memorable experience. Here’s a detailed look at the highlights and what made this gathering special.
Fishing Tournament: A Test of Patience and Skill
The weekend kicked off with the fishing tournament, many guys showed up early trying to seek an advantage. But the lakes at Camp Allendale were STINGY! Guys threw everything they had at them: worms, lures, previously caught fish, and even the leftover sausages and pancakes! In the end, the winning fish was just shy of a pound, nothing anyone would mount...well maybe Anthony would!
Variety of fish: Anglers caught some VERY small, small mouth bass, bluegills, and catfish, and one very angry snapping turtle.
Prizes and recognition: Our first place winner, Anthony Killy won both a ring and a $25 BW3 gift card. Find him on Sunday I'm sure he'll still have the ring on. 2nd & 3rd: Josh Groh & Caleb Wells also got rings for their valiant effort
The fishing tournament was more than just a competition; it was a moment to slow down, appreciate nature, and bond with other guys. Anthony immediately went home and enhanced his winning fish, here is his before and after pictures!
Poker Tournament: Strategy, Social Connection, and Endurance
To finish out Friday night, the poker tournament brought a different kind of excitement. We began with 5 tables and ended the marathon night at 2:30am with the last three standing: Josh Miller, Anthony Killy, and Dave Manges. We finally called "last hand" and Josh, with a pair of pocket deuces, won it all!
As you can see Josh is both excited and exhausted at his victory!
The poker tournament was a perfect complement to the outdoor activities, offering a chance to unwind and engage in matching wits, uncovering bluffs, and seeing who could stay awake!
The Talks
The Men's Leadership Weekend wasn't built around inspiration. It was built around transformation. Three talks, delivered across one Friday night and one Saturday morning, designed to do one thing, leave no room for a man to walk away unchanged.
A Cause To Fight For The weekend opened with a hard look at what happens to a warrior without a cause. Using the life of Samson, the most physically gifted man in Scripture, the talk laid out what unchecked strength, no direction, and zero accountability actually produces.
God designed men to be warriors, but a warrior without a cause is just destruction waiting to happen
Samson had every gift God could give and wasted all of it chasing what he wanted
The three warning signs you've lost your cause: entitlement, lust, and pride
If you don't know your cause yet, start with the basics, your marriage, your kids, your home, and pursue the right thing until God gives you your one thing
Courage To Stand Saturday morning picked up with Jonathan, a seasoned soldier who looked at an impossible situation and decided that doing nothing was no longer an option. His story is the blueprint for what courageous faith actually looks like in real time.
Courage isn't built in comfort, it's forged in conflict and in the face of overwhelming odds
Jonathan moved when his own father, the king, was camped under a tree waiting for someone else to act
Courage is contagious — one man's decision to move sparked a battle that saved an entire nation
God isn't asking you to have it all figured out, He's asking you to take the next step
One Second More The final charge closed the weekend with Shammah, one of David's mighty men who stood alone in a bean field when everyone else ran. Nobody remembered the field. Nobody thought it mattered. Shammah did it anyway.
Endurance isn't about being the strongest or the most equipped, it's about being the one who won't tap out
Shammah's name literally meant "appalling waste", God used the man nobody expected anything from
The key to endurance is simple and brutal: stand up for one second more than you think you can
The victory doesn't always come when you want it, but it comes to the man who refuses to move
Three talks. One weekend. One message running underneath all of it, God is not looking for perfect men, polished men, or men who have it all together. He is looking for men who will stand. In the field. When it's hard. When nobody is watching. When everything in them says run.
That's what this weekend was built for. And that's the kind of man The Uncivilized Life exists to forge.
Brisket & Pancakes
Good food played a central role in the weekend, bringing everyone together around the table. Our resident Uncivilized Chef, Brandon Laughlin, once again knocked it out of the park for us, and the guys literally ate it all up!
What Made the Weekend Special
The Uncivilized Life Leadership Weekend succeeded because it balanced competition, challenge, and connection. The fishing and poker tournaments offered fun challenges that brought out the best in the guys. The talks challenged each of us to look beyond the surface and challenged us to make a decision. And the meals and downtime built lasting relationships.
This event showed that you don't need an over-scheduled, to the minute weekend to support men in developing leadership skills and deepening connections. Instead, we created space for guys to be guys. To lean into the calm and the quiet and ask, "Who do I want to be?"
Men left the weekend with new friends, fresh perspectives, and memories of a truly engaging experience. The success of this first event sets a strong foundation for future gatherings that will continue to inspire and unite.
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