May the Fourth be with you!
It’s almost here, bringing with it the second annual WeCanReason Conference. Although it is a couple of days away, there is still time to get a ticket. Just go to https://wecanreason.com/tickets/. And, yes, there will be a Star Wars theme. Dress up in your best Star Wars costume and win a prize at the Friday night Pub Night. Show everyone how smart you are by winning the Trivia game. Then enjoy the music as The Heathens band brings the evening to a close.
Pub Night is free, even for those who do not have conference tickets.
If you are an RMA member you can still use your exclusive code for a $10 discount on tickets. Check your emails or contact us to get your code. You can become a member by clicking here https://www.rockymountainatheists.ca/plans-pricing and we will send your code.
Be sure to get plenty of sleep before the big day. Saturday will be filled with fascinating speakers shown on the left, followed by an evening cocktail hour and entertainment.
Finally, from Star Wars to dinosaurs on Sunday. Join the group taking a trip to Drumheller and the Tyrrell Museum. Enjoy the special treat of going behind the scenes at the museum and seeing how the professionals work with fossils and reassemble the skeletons.
May also brings the RMA Annual General Meeting. Members of RMA, come to the online meeting on Wednesday, May 15 at 6:00 pm. Learn what RMA accomplished during the past year, how we are doing financially, and what our upcoming goals are. Then vote to fill any vacancies on the board.
Lois’s Pick
My pick for this month is the IndoctriNATION podcast with Rachel Bernstein. Rachel is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Cult specialist. IndoctriNATION is a weekly podcast in which Rachel takes the listener into the world of cults and high-control organizations which includes religions. On her podcast, Rachel interviews people who have escaped from cults or left religions and also interviews cult experts. She wants to educate the listeners to help them protect themselves.
Note: Some events might not appear on this list because they are not yet confirmed. Check the Meetup page to find any new events that might be planned during the month.
Thursday, May 2  | Life Without Religion First Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm Live Without Religion (LWR) is a peer support group for people whose lives have been negatively impacted by religion. In meetings, we discuss shared experiences and how to overcome obstacles caused by our fundamentalist teachings or by our fundamentalist family or friends. It is amazing how comforting it is to find people who understand the difficulties you have experienced. If you have left a fundamentalist religion and can relate to this and similar experiences you might be interested in LWR. If so, contact Lois at loislwr@gmail.com. |
Friday, May 3  | WeCanReason Pub Night 7:00 pm The WeCanReason weekend starts with a Pub Night at the Sandman Signature Calgary Downtown Hotel. You don’t need to have a conference ticket to come to the Pub Night. Come dressed in your best Star Wars costume and vie for the prize. Then enter the Trivia contest. Have tons of fun trying to answer the twisted questions with your team and maybe you will win the trivia prize. Maybe there will also be some spoon-bending happening in the pub. Then relax and chat while enjoying the music of The Heathens Band. |
Saturday, May 4 | WeCanReason Conference 9:00 am to 6:30 pm The main conference runs all day Saturday at the University of Calgary Downtown Campus. Hear the excellent speakers from across North America and even Australia. For the agenda go to the WeCanReason Conference web page. To learn all about each of the speakers, go to the Meetup page. Complete your day with a cocktail hour and entertainment. |
Sunday, May 5  | WeCanReason Field Trip Royal Tyrrell Museum If you like dinosaurs, and who doesn’t, you won’t want to miss the trip to the Royal Tyrrell Museum on Sunday. Sign up for a carpool and enjoy the drive with a conversation with friends. Then, in addition to seeing the world-class museum, you get to go behind the scenes to the areas where the paleontologists work on removing fossil bones from the soil from which they were dug and preparing them for the exhibit. It’s fascinating. On the trip back to Calgary, enjoy a short stop at the Hoodoos and at Horseshoe Canyon. Check the WeCanReason website to get your ticket and learn the important details. |
Tuesday, May 7  | Skeptics in the Pub First Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm Skeptics in the Pub, or SiP, is the longest running event sponsored by RMA, and it is just as great as it ever was. What could be better than relaxing with a drink and having a congenial conversation with like minded friends. Well, it’s made a little better by adding a short presentation by Jeff, on a religious or secular topic that stimulates a discussion. The event is free to the attendees but RMA has to pay room rent and there is a minimum order. So, consider having dinner along with your socializing. You might even want to make a small donation. You can find us in the private Barrell room at the Trolley 5 Brewpub, 728 17th Ave. SW. |
Thursday, May 9  | RMA Book Club – ONLINE Second Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm Calling all readers; come to book club and share your thoughts about the book and hear others’ impressions. This month, the Book Club is reading, Best Things First: The 12 most efficient solutions for the world’s poorest and our global SDG promises, by Bjorn Lomborg. The author has a PhD in political science and is president of the think tank, Copenhagen consensus Center. Previously, he was the director of the Environmental Assessment Institute in Copenhagen. Lomborg has researched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the UN. It is clear that the world will not reach these goals. So, Lomborg has selected 12 attainable goals which are discussed in the book. The Zoom link for the meeting is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82486916067. |
Monday, May 13  | RMA Coffee Chat Second Monday of every month at 1:00 pm How about a relaxed afternoon chat with friends without even leaving your home. You can do just that at RMA’s online Coffee Chat. This is probably the least structured of RMA’s events, but not totally unstructured. We want to give everyone a chance to introduce a subject of discussion if they so choose. So, if something has been nagging at you and you would like to get insights from a few friends, you will have a chance to bring it up. Join us by clicking on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84597306259. |
Tuesday, May 14  | Music Jam Night As announced at 7:00 pm You don’t have to play an instrument or even carry a tune to enjoy jamming with friends. The Heathens will start it off and anyone with an instrument can join in and the rest can just sing along or tap your foot. But everyone will enjoy the evening. Add to the enjoyment by having a drink and food at Bottlescrew Bills, located at 140 10 Ave SW. For more details, go to the Meetup page. |
Wednesday, May 15  | RMA Annual General Meeting 6:00 pm Like any registered society, RMA is having its annual general meeting. You will get reports on how we did for the past year and vote to fill any openings in the board. Your support is more than appreciated. The meeting will be online so you can join us by clicking on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87376358612. |
Tuesday, May 21 | Life Without Religion Third Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm Those of us who leave a fundamentalist religion tend to carry a lot of “excess baggage” with us. At Life Without Religion meetings, we help each other find ways to rid ourselves of as much of that baggage as we can. When someone has an upcoming event that will be difficult to get through, we discuss it and talk about ways to manage the stresses. We are all here to support each other as we develop new skills to improve our lives. If you want to learn more about LWR, contact Lois at loislwr@gmail.com. |
Thursday, May 23  | RMA Monthly Board Meeting Fourth Thursday of the month at 6:00 pm There is more to managing a society than one might think. All of this is done at our monthly RMA Board Meetings. Everyone is welcome to attend the meetings to see how it is all done and to offer ideas and suggestions, but only board members vote on motions. To find the location of the meeting, go to the Meetup page. |
Monday, May 27  | Movie Night - Online Fourth Monday of every month at 7:00 pm The movie for May is Secrets of the Neanderthals. We are taking a bit of a risk on this one because it isn’t available for screening yet so we don’t know much about it. However, it will be streaming by Movie Night so we will all learn about these secrets together. Join us by clicking on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83606116279. |
Calgary Secular Assembly Events
To find the location or Zoom link, go to the Meetup page.
Sunday, May 12 | LEONARD COHEN – Music & verse for love, life & despair Evergreen Spaces at 1:00 pm |
Sunday, May 26 | Philosophy in 20 (Online) – Would Living Forever Be Something to Desire? Online at 11:00 am |