On July 17, I boarded a plane here in Albany. After changing planes in Baltimore, I flew to Charleston, South Carolina. From there, I picked up my rental car and drove two hours west to Columbia to attend Collegium in the Barony of Nottinghill Coill.
Saturday dawned warm and muggy. My hotel suffered a water main break during the night, and so being deprived of breakfast, I ventured out--fully dressed for the event--to engage in one of my favorite passtimes: "Freaking the Mundanes." I located a nearby Denny's and went inside for breakfast.
The mundanes were anything but freaked. Some told me how much the loved my dress. Some told me how much they love the renaissance festival. One and all, they were friendly and polite. I was struck by the difference between these people and those I usually encounter in the north. Southern hospitality and charm, indeed!
After breakfast I headed to the site. It was still very early, and only a few members of the local barony were there setting up. The first person I encountered was Dame Morwenna Trevethan, who I only recognized after catching a glimpse of her personalized license plate (I've never before seen her out of garb!). It was great to finally meet her. I've known *of* her for years (because really, who in Altantia doesn't know our Patron Saint of Hydration?) and I was even at the court where she was raised to the Order of the Pelican, but we had never been introduced.
After checking in at Troll, I went to the classroom for my first class of the day: Heraldic Display - Beyond Shields and Banners. I learned a lot about the shapes and sizes of standards, and the class fulfilled my "continuing education" requirement for my Herald warrant. Hooray!
My second class of the day was Court Heraldry 101: How to be a Court Herald. A lot of this class was review for me, but it has been a *long* time since I've heralded a court, so it was an excellent refresher. In the following class--Guess Who's Coming to Court? SCA Court Protocol and Precedence--I also learned a lot about actually setting up a court--who sits where, who has precedence over who--and yow! Figuring it out can be a headache! I have since also found this article, which will be an excellent resource to refer to if I ever have to set up something!
Court was held during lunch. I didn't know any of the individuals called, of course, but it was still nice to watch as people were recognized for their talents and efforts. I tried to pay attention to the award names and what they were for, so that in the future if I encounter someone wearing one I will know what it represents! A lot of Nottinghill Coill's awards are some type of knot or cord, which I found very clever.
After court, I approached the Baroness. I introduced myself and explained my quest, and made her a promise of future largesse (since I had set the quest for myself only days before and had not had the chance to make anything before I traveled). I hadn't expected to be so nervous talking to her! My hands were shaking and my heart was pounding. Hopefully, that will ease as I make more of these pilgrimages!
After lunch, my class focus switched from Heraldry to A&S, and it was in these classes that I really made some connections with my fellow Atlantians. The first class was Documentation and Presentation of A&S Projects, and was taught by a lord I recognized as one of the award recipients from court, who does All Things Roman. I had never really thought about the presentation of my A&S entries before--I always made sure to have neat, bound documentation, but I'd just lay the items on the table. The class definitely gave me some things to think about!
Following that was Judging Arts and Sciences--a class I badly needed to take, since I've been called upon to judge a couple competitions now. We went over the new judging forms and discussed ways to give effective feedback without demoralizing our artisans. I feel more confident now that when I am next asked to judge, I will be prepared to do so.
The last two classes of the day were Leather Working 101 and 201, which is where I met the instructor, Ian. I enjoyed using some of the tools in his arsenal--tools that I don't have, but will certainly acquire! That swivel knife is a *godsend*--I can't believe I've resisted it for so long! Lord All Things Roman was in these classes, too, so I got to talk to him a bit more as well.
And it turned out he parked beside me, so we chatted in the parking lot for a while before leaving, too! I also exchanged contact info with Ian, so we could correspond and geek out over leather together.
As my first official stop since setting this challenge for myself, I'd say that Collegium was a rousing success all around! And I am pleased to report that I have completed the promised largesse for Her Excellency, and it will be on its way to South Carolina as soon as I have an address to send it!
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