The Hall of Men: A Concise History

While attending Clemson University in the early 2000s, George Elder made an important decision. Instead of patronizing local college bars, he set out to recreate the atmosphere of a traditional pub. In addition to providing hand-crafted beers, public houses have historically functioned more like a community center where local citizens gather to debate the important issues of their day. In fact, it was in pubs during the early colonial period that Americans debated whether or not they should declare their independence from England. With this tradition in mind, George hand-crafted a twelve-foot-long table, built a kegerator with an intricately designed, hand-carved casing, and prominently displayed an image of one of his heroes in his garage. In other words, George converted his garage into a pub-like space ready for manly debate and discussion. Soon thereafter, young men began meeting regularly to feast on a home-cooked meal with home-brewed beer and a short presentation on a hero. Each meeting ended with toasts and stimulated great discussion about how men should live as Christians in 21st century America. Thus began the Hall of Men. 

After graduating from Clemson, many garage-filled and hero-challenging feasts later, George returned to his home in Wichita, Kansas. When George told me he was looking for a new home for his table and wanted to continue the Hall of Men, I was intrigued. But when he described the format, especially how they displayed an image of the hero, I was totally sold. I had recently become an Orthodox Christian and St. John of Damascus’ seventh-century defense of icons had been a crucial text in my conversion (that’s another story to be told). Not only was the main hall in The Ladder a perfect fit for George’s table, but the emphases on home economy, craftsmanship, and the emulation of heroes all contributed to the fulfillment of the stated objectives of Eighth Day Institute (then called St. John of Damascus Institute). An immediate partnership was thus born and well over a decade later the tradition of the Hall of Men continues to thrive in Wichita.

On the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, men gather at The Ladder for a feast of food, fellowship, teaching, and pipes & pints. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., food is served around 7:30, and the evening events officially begin around 8:30 with the Eighth Day Convocation: prayers, hymn, reading from the Fathers, Gospel reading, Christ’s prayer for unity in John 17, Nicene creed, and Lord’s Prayer. Immediately following convocation there is a short presentation on a hero whose life inspires us to be more like Christ, thereby promoting the renewal of our culture. For a glimpse of the great cloud of witnesses who surround us at each meeting, CLICK HERE to see a notebook that contains all the heroes who have been presented. And we hope to soon have a year-by-year gallery of the heroes here on our website with a short summary of their lives. But more importantly, we hope you can join us in person sometime soon. If you’re too far away from Wichita, you should consider starting your own chapter (more information on how to do this forthcoming in 2022).