Please join me in celebrating the incorporation of the Alberta Browncoats Society.

The Alberta Browncoats Society is non-profit society formed in 2009. We are dedicated to doing good in unexpected ways while upholding the main goals of CSTS: raising funds for Equality Now and other locally based charities. While Can’t Stop the Serenity is our main fundraising event in 2010 we hope to branch out in future; hosting small gatherings or fundraisers with a more local focus on a semi-annual basis.

For the moment we’ll be using our Edmonton Can’t Stop the Serenity event site as our main presence on the web. You can also follow @ABbrowncoats on Twitter.

In recent years there have been some discussions surrounding whether or not war is ever justified and if Canada should be shifting it’s focus away from combat missions and moving towards revamping our military to solely support peacekeeping and humanitarian aid roles. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica: Whether it is always sinful to wage war? says:

Those who wage war justly aim at peace, and so they are not opposed to peace, except to the evil peace…We do not seek peace in order to be at war, but we go to war that we may have peace.

I don’t believe in war for the sake of war, dominance or economics. I do believe that true evil exists and must be fought when encountered. I’d like to think I judge each mission the Canadian Forces are involved in on their own merit. Many wars have been fought during the course of human history. Many have faded to memory. A few, such as the first and second world wars will likely do the same as the few remaining survivors of war’s horror slowly fade to dust. If we are to learn from history and move forward, we must never forget our past. I worry many days that we are heading in that direction – forgetting the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom from tyranny. Each year, fewer and fewer of those who fought during WWI and WWII remain alive. Fewer people attend Remembrance Day ceremonies and sport poppies. Please take a moment to attend Remembrance Day ceremonies in your local area. Visit a local Legion and spend time with our veterans. If you’re unable to attend ceremonies at a local cenotaph please observe two minutes silence at 11:00am. You can also spend some time visiting the following sites:

• Canoe.ca – Remembrance Day: Why The Poppy?
• Terry Kelly – Pittance of Time
• Shawn Hlookoff – Soldier
• Dr. Sam – Before you go
• Judy Small – Mothers, Daughters, Wives
• Eric Bogle – Green Fields of France
• John McCrae – In Flander’s Fields

I’m also silly enough to agree to wear a fake moustache at work at the end of the month (or perhaps even while at a convention in LA in a few weeks) if I surpass the goal.

There might even be pictures.

Highlights of today’s begging post:

1. My goal is to raise $880 (more is always welcome) for Movember before the end of the month.
2. If I raise the $880 before any other member of my team, I’ll get a fake moustache and wear it to work.
3. If I raise the $880 before Nov. 20, I’ll wear the fake moustache at a convention in LA where friends and strangers will have ample opportunity to heckle me.
4. If you haven’t already please donate to the cause. Help in the battle to wipe out prostate cancer.

I’m going to pretend the glass is half-full today and assume I can make the goal. Cause I know y’all love me and support my charity works. That said, anyone know where I can get a fake moustache in Edmonton?