Being A Charitableman

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.

Muhammad Ali

One of the defining aspects of being a man of virtue and character, a true Gentleman, is what you are willing to do to help others. You see it in almost all their everyday actions and manners; be it holding a door for someone to mentoring someone. What not everyone knows is that this is the time of the year when the Gents head out in force to help other men be more; so I thought it appropriate to call out some of the recent and upcoming events that you Caballeros out there might be interested to learn about and participate.

Last Sunday, September 27, was the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. For those unaware of the Gentleman’s Ride, this is a yearly even were “more than 37,058 smartly-dressed gentlefolk in 410 cities from 79 countries will straddle the saddles of their café racers, bobbers, scramblers and other marvelous custom motorcycles to raise awareness and help fund the cure for prostate cancer.” They were able to raise about 2.25 million dollars worldwide, but are still accepting donations. If you missed it this year, start planning for next year’s ride.

For something closer to this date and a lot easier to do, MAN MADE has brought up again their Gentleman Up campaign and has determined October 9^th as #FormalFriday. If you use #FormalFriday on Twitter and Instagram that day, MADE MAN will donate $1 to CAREER GEAR in support of the development of men in need. So this Friday, suit and be counted. For those that haven’t heard about the Gentleman Up campaign, I am including last year’s and this year’s promotional videos below.

 

Also, please remember that “the hairiest month of the year is almost here” as next month is Movember. For those unaware what I’m talking about, “The Movember Foundation is a global charity committed to men living happier, healthier, longer lives. Since 2003, millions have joined the men’s health movement, raising $650 million and funding over 1,000 programs focusing on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, poor mental health and physical inactivity.” This is the big daddy of all Men’s Help & Health movements.

It’s important to mention a couple of other charities helping men be more. If you happen to have a suit you’re no longer using, remember that you can donate them to That Suits You if you’re in the New York area or Suited & Booted if you’re in the London area.

Please let me know of any other charity organization helping men and boys become more, so I can add them to future posts. It doesn’t take much to make a difference, but that difference might mean the world to someone else, so please be a charitableman.

Carry Proudly Who You Are Now That Movember Is Here.

I watched Gene Kelly for his smile, for his energy. Vittorio Gassman for his movement. Clark Gable for his mustache. And I watched Lassie who was happy as a dog.

Jean Dujardin

When I was in my early twenties, I was handed my first big project to run and supervise. I was cocky, I was hungry, and I was desperate to prove myself. So when everyone in my team viewed me as “The Kid,” assuming that my age invalidated my comments, I got furious. But instead of simply complaining to my supervisor how my team didn’t respect me, I decided to take a hard look as to how I was promoting that very “Kid” image. 

That’s when I realized I did look like a “Kid,” and that usually translated unconsciously in acting like one. That’s when I started growing my mustache and started dressing a little more professional. And it started to reflect in my attitude and in my team’s behavior. I would treat them with the respect I expected from them, and they stopped treating me like a “Kid.” After a while and without even noticing, “The Kid” had turned into “The Man.” I had their back and they had mine.

Ironically, that all started the day I decided to grow a mustache…

I am not saying that you should grow one, but sometimes the easiest way to change how a person treats you is to change how they view you. Now that Movember is here, it might be a good opportunity (have a valid excuse) to try out a mustache, if for nothing else, for a good cause.

For those unfamiliar with Movember, it’s an annual event involving the growing of mustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer and other male cancers, and associated charities. The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event where the goal is to "change the face of men's health."

By encouraging men to get involved, Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

So, Gentlemen. Let it grow, spark conversation and raise funds. A mustache is only as powerful as the man behind it.