Bear Awakening
John de Strakosch is honored by the LA community as an elder with a steady, supportive, indefatigable devotion to service and leadership. He is also known for his centering presence and peacemaking skills.
It would take pages to list the positions he has held in MKP since he was initiated 33 years ago, and, in his humility, he wouldn’t want us to. But it is not possible to describe John’s eldership without mentioning some notable facts. John is a Ritual Elder Emeritus who sits on the MKP USA Elder Court and serves on several committees. He is co-founder and co-leader of a training workshop entitled Ritual Elder: The Skills, The Practice, and Discovering the Magic which has been held at almost every USA and World Elder Gathering since its inception in 2014. At these gatherings John also teaches a workshop called Aikido for Elders in which he shares skills and concepts developed over his 40+ years in the world of martial arts.
His teachings demonstrate a physical embodiment of eldership qualities: centering, balance, calm confidence, and defusing conflict. As a Ritual Elder at NWTAs he was known for empowering men, being supportive and perceptive, always focused on what was best for the weekend; trusting the team yet being forthright and assertive when he believed things were going astray.
John is also known for his diplomacy, having, for example, moderated many council elections where things can get contentious. John is wise, humble, spiritually grounded, devoted and service-oriented. He is respected and well-loved by the community.