Category Archives: Shindigs

Earth That Was: Browncoats visit Hogwarts [01/2014]

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Event: Harry Potter Exhibit at Telus World of Science
Intrepid Reporter: Wendy

With visions of wands, owls and golden snitches in the air, the Browncoats ventured to the Telus World of Science on Jan 18 to experience Harry Potter, the Exhibition. It was almost a 2 hour wait to get into the exhibit but it was well worth the wait. Amongst our group was Ron Weesley. He may have been an imposter as he seemed a bit tall, but maybe, just maybe, he was taller in real life…

As we entered the exhibit we were photographed with scarves of our favorite houses. Drew and ‘Ron’ got into their own picture but we did get this picture of the majority of the crowd.

As we entered the exhibit a few members of the crowd were chosen to be sorted by the hat. It appears that Slytherin and Gryffindor are pretty popular houses. As the tour progressed we were able to see many costumes and props from the movies. It was very interesting to see how the young characters grew during their years at Hogwarts. At one point we were able to give a try at quiddich by tossing a quaffle towards the goal. I think I might have a penchance for this, but sincerely doubt my ability to stay on a broom, even with those stirrups. I really liked Hagrid’s hut. His arm chair made all of us feel like little kids.

Other items on display included the Marauders map, weapons, jewelry, various wands and Harry’s glasses. The Hippogriff display was amazing. Buckbeak was exquisite and during the audio tour we learned that the cast and crew liked to turn on the animatronics and hang out with him during off hours. Buckbeak was very quiet compared to the Mandrake display. Mandrakes scream when you try to pull them out of the pots. A very annoying, ear piercing scream.

For me, the most interesting part of the Exhibition was the costumes. Everything from the casual clothes that the characters wore when not in school to the robes worn during class to the costumes worn to the Yule Ball, they were all there. The tour ended in Diagon Alley where us muggle types could purchase trinkets to remind us of the show. From stuffed owls, chocolate frogs, books and pens it was all there.

Once everyone was through, we gathered at a local eatery for supper. Another great day for the Browncoats!

Name that Event – Voting

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Our annual movie screening/auction event has been a lot of fun over the years. From 2010-2013, we hosted our charity screenings under the umbrella of the Global Can’t Stop the Serenity (CSTS) event.  Now we’re branching off to do our own thing. As with CSTS in the past, our event is designed to raise funds for the charities we support. It includes a screening of the movie Serenity and charity auctions (live & silent). Past events have also included live entertainment (musician Vanessa Cardui), alternate Whedon ‘verse related goodies (screening of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog), and contests.  While the event currently takes place in Edmonton, our members are from all over the province and many people travel to attend the festivities each year.

The event naming process is being crowd sourced.  We received 18 submissions for the Name that Event contest. Some of you appear to share the same brain; a few submissions were quite similar and one or two were exactly the same!

Now that we’ve received the suggestions, it’s time to vote.

We ask that you keep in mind the goals of the charity event AND that the name selected will be used on movie theatre marquees and all advertizing.

Voting:
Voting is open from January 27 – 31st, 2014 and we will accept votes from all over the world.

While we usually applaud aiming to misbehave, the ridiculousness of recent voting events has forced us to reconsider our voting platform. We have decided to reset the poll and change the system to disallow anonymous, repeat voting. So as not to unfairly penalize the people who suggested the options due to the actions of others, the two submissions with the highest votes prior to the reset will receive Alberta Browncoats Society memberships (the original award for the “winner”) along with the contest winner.

Contest Time: Name That Event!

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Ni hao Browncoats.  Here is your chance to shine.

At our Annual General meeting, our membership voted to branch away from the global Can’t Stop the Serenity (CSTS) event. Don’t fret, we’ll continue to host our shiny Serenity screening and charity auction event. In 2014 (and beyond) the proceeds from our screening will benefit additional locally based charities.

With that in mind, the AB Browncoats are now in need of a name for the new event. We’re looking to you to come up with a new title. The guidelines are simple:

  1. The new title cannot contain the phrase Can’t Stop the Serenity or CSTS
  2. It can use the word Serenity
  3. It should contain either Edmonton or Alberta (or both)
  4. The total name or phrase should contain no more than 27 characters (including spaces)

So those are the rules.

Submissions will be voted on by you, our shiny fellow Browncoats, on our website from January 20-31. The winner will be awarded a one year membership to the AB Browncoats.

Submit your entries and questions to our Name That Event Contest here.

Contest closes midnight January 19. Winner will be announced Feb 1.

Good luck!

Got an idea for a Shindig?

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Alberta Browncoats love opportunities to get together and share our love of the show. In fact, we’d love to gather some new ideas for shindigs. Got a suggestion? Send it to us and we’ll see what we can arrange.

Things we’ve done in the past:

  1. Authorized screenings at Happy Harbor Comics (including The Guild, Browncoats: Redemption, and Dr. Horrible).
  2. “Name that tune” night at Original Joe’s Varsity
  3. Knitting lessons
  4. Star Wars: Identities exhibit at Telus World of Science
  5. Day at the Range with CHAS members
  6. Karaoke
  7. Hero of Canton Flash Mob
  8. Group Dinners @ Spaghetti Factory

Things to keep in mind:

  1. Ideas should fall into the low or no-budget category. Funds are limited & ear marked for yarn, CSTS up-front costs, and Calgary & Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo booth rental fees.
  2. As much as possible, Shindig location should be accessible through public transportation.
  3. Public screenings of Firefly or Serenity (outside of a licensed event) can not be authorized or supported by the Alberta Browncoats. In the case of Firefly, licensing fees must be paid to Fox for public viewing (often thousands of dollars worth) & are beyond our current means.
  4. Private in-home screenings may occur as long as you do not charge any sort of admission fee. This should be allowable within the framework of the DVD or Blu-ray license.
  5. Bars or restaurants with TVs & Satellite dishes may offer the perfect opportunity to gather and watch a current show on any network they carry. If you have a favourite show this season or know of a venue that might be willing to accommodate a gathering, please let us know!

Browncoats Return to the Range – Sept 21

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Ever wanted to play cowboy or shoot not-so-shiny black guns? Now you can. We’re returning to Genesee range for a fun & safe day of “competitive” shooting. Instruction can be provided.

You can run through to course of fire as often as they wish (until the ammo runs out). The course of fire usually includes Hog Leg (revolver), Saddle Gun (lever rifle) & alley sweeper (shot gun) at various reactive targets at varying distances.

Start time: 9 am.

Fees:

  • Range Insurance Fee: $10. This is a mandatory insurance fee that must be paid to the CHAS representative when you sign in to the event.
  • Competition Fee: Both the Cowboy Action and 3Gun shoots are “competitions”. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be experienced to participate. There will be entry fees to participate above and beyond the range’s mandatory insurance fee. Expect to pay $15-20 per course of fire.
  • Ammunition Fees: There will be a pay-per-use fee on ammunition. This will be based on which guns you choose and how many times you run through the course of fire. Estimated costs for ammunition will be $10 per course of fire. Please bring sufficient cash to cover your ammo costs.

Additional Info:

  • Range Behaviour: For this shindig we will be the guests of one of our main sponsors, CHAS. The members of CHAS have sponsored the AB Browncoats since the beginning of our endeavours. Please respect the rules and regulations of their range. ONLY authorized targets are allowed to be shot. If you are caught shooting other than authorized targets or behaving in a dangerous manner you will be required to leave the range.
  • Personal Weapons: Registered gun owners with the proper transit permits may bring their own weapons and ammunition to the range. Please respect any limits that the CHAS representatives place on the use of their range.
    • Existing CHAS members may bring any weapons and ammunition that meets their CHAS range requirements.

Bring:

  • Cash & Coins. CHAS does not have a portable debit machine at the range. The insurance and ammo fees will need to be paid in shiny monies. If possible, bring smaller bills. Change may be scarce. The Insurance fee is $10 and is collected separately from the ammo fees and competition fees. In short, it’s best to bring smaller bills than larger ones as fees are paid to different groups.
  • Camp Chair. Due to the flooding a few months back, previously existing benches and picnic tables have gone walkabout, were destroyed, or were damaged to the point where they are unsafe to use. It’s best to bring a camp chair to sit on when you get tired; you’ll be eating at your chair as well.
  • Food & Water. We’ll have some water on hand, but if you’re the type to drink 3L in an afternoon, it’s best to have some extra bottles with you. We will not be supplying food. Bring a lunch and some snacks to keep you going.
  • Bug Spray. You’ll be out in the back of beyond. Bugs will likely appear. If you don’t want to be eaten alive, bring your favourite brand of bug spray.
  • Sun Screen (& hats). It may get hot.
  • Umbrella. Or drizzle.
  • Appropriate Clothing: Keep in mind that you’ll be shooting outdoors at a range and that brass for bullet’s (once shot) can be very warm. Do not wear a low neck or v-neck shirt; Ladies, this means you! Ensure to wear closed toed shoes. Sneakers are fine.

Map & Driving Directions to Genesee Range

Please Note:

This is an open, public shoot. It will be run differently than the closed Browncoat Range Day event in August that was organized by members of CHAS. Fees are set by the event organizers and may be charged on a pay-per-use (e.g. every time you go through the course, should you choose to repeat it) basis. Shooting order will be set up the 3 Gun and Cowboy Action shoot organizers.

As with our previous day at the range, some of our generous fellow Browncoats have offered to allow us to use their personal weapons under their supervision. We will need an estimated number of individuals and whether or not you plan to shoot in the 3 Gun or Cowboy Action events so they bring sufficient guns for us to share.