October 3: East Kingdom Coronation
Albany, NY (East)
October 24: Silver Hammer 2015 **TENTATIVE**
Maynardville, TN (Meridies) **NEW STATE**
October 31: Gatalop 32 **TENTATIVE**
Dauphin Island, AL (Meridies) **NEW STATE**
November 19-22: Castle Wars XII **TENTATIVE**
Whitesburg, GA (Meridies) **NEW STATE**
December 5: Bridge Birthday **TENTATIVE**
Coventry, RI (East) **NEW STATE**
Sunday, August 30, 2015
*Vermont* Lost Tip, August 29, 2015
An archery event in a new state for my challenge?! Yes, please! Wearing my spiffy new hood--a gift from Anna Leigh, recent Queen of Aethelmearc!--I packed up my bow and quiver and drove for three and a half hours into the heart of the Vermont mountains. The weather was in the sixties and the sun was shining brightly as I traveled--it promised to be a beautiful day!
I arrived on-site just after noon and immediately met Alex, who was working Troll. He was very friendly, and upon learning that I am a recent transplant to the East and know no one, he took it upon himself to begin introducing me to people. I met Siobhan, recently raised to the Order of the Laurel and working in the kitchen. I met several others whose name escape me, who graciously allowed me to sit with them for lunch.
After eating, I retrieved my gear from my truck and headed over to the Royal Round range, where I met Estefania (mka Shannon! We became "Shannon Squared" for the rest of the day) and Corwin. I shot a 41 RR (hooray! my official average will go up!) and we took a couple of turns at the Advancing Warrior. I scored 11 points on her. Then she fell from her harness--whoops! So we turned her into a clout shoot. Kill 'em dead, then kill 'em some more!
From there we went to the Roving Range, which turned out to be a series of eight clout shoots. It was different from any shoot I've done so far, and it was immensely fun! I scored 18 out of a possible 40 points. I was pretty proud of that!
It was on this Roving Range that I also witnessed a fine act of chivalry, which bears retelling here. The rules of the range were such that each archer was allowed three arrows per target ... but if you lost one, you could not replenish it and were thusly disadvantaged for the rest of the course. A member of our group lost all three of her arrows by the halfway point and would have had to sit out the rest of the course, but then Corwin, who still had all three of his own arrows, offered to her two of his so that she might continue shooting. He did so freely, despite the disadvantage to his own score *and* the potential loss of his expensive, new ammunition. His actions touched me, and I wanted to be sure to record them.
By the time we finished the Roving Range, it was pretty late in the day and we were all tired, so we didn't do the woods walk-through.
The event was hosted by the Shire of Panther Vale, which meant there was no Baron and Baroness and no court. I therefore didn't bring any largesse--I didn't know who I would even present it to.
There was an awards ceremony at the end of the day, though, and I was surprised to learn that I came in second for RR scores, second in the Roving Range, and tied for third for overall highest score (despite having no score at all for the woods walk-through)! I received a lovely pewter arrow head token as a prize. Now I know what a gift of largesse could be used for!
The people of Panther Vale were very friendly, and the event had a relaxed, homey feel. I am very glad I made the trip--I hope to see them all again soon!
I arrived on-site just after noon and immediately met Alex, who was working Troll. He was very friendly, and upon learning that I am a recent transplant to the East and know no one, he took it upon himself to begin introducing me to people. I met Siobhan, recently raised to the Order of the Laurel and working in the kitchen. I met several others whose name escape me, who graciously allowed me to sit with them for lunch.
After eating, I retrieved my gear from my truck and headed over to the Royal Round range, where I met Estefania (mka Shannon! We became "Shannon Squared" for the rest of the day) and Corwin. I shot a 41 RR (hooray! my official average will go up!) and we took a couple of turns at the Advancing Warrior. I scored 11 points on her. Then she fell from her harness--whoops! So we turned her into a clout shoot. Kill 'em dead, then kill 'em some more!
From there we went to the Roving Range, which turned out to be a series of eight clout shoots. It was different from any shoot I've done so far, and it was immensely fun! I scored 18 out of a possible 40 points. I was pretty proud of that!
It was on this Roving Range that I also witnessed a fine act of chivalry, which bears retelling here. The rules of the range were such that each archer was allowed three arrows per target ... but if you lost one, you could not replenish it and were thusly disadvantaged for the rest of the course. A member of our group lost all three of her arrows by the halfway point and would have had to sit out the rest of the course, but then Corwin, who still had all three of his own arrows, offered to her two of his so that she might continue shooting. He did so freely, despite the disadvantage to his own score *and* the potential loss of his expensive, new ammunition. His actions touched me, and I wanted to be sure to record them.
By the time we finished the Roving Range, it was pretty late in the day and we were all tired, so we didn't do the woods walk-through.
The event was hosted by the Shire of Panther Vale, which meant there was no Baron and Baroness and no court. I therefore didn't bring any largesse--I didn't know who I would even present it to.
There was an awards ceremony at the end of the day, though, and I was surprised to learn that I came in second for RR scores, second in the Roving Range, and tied for third for overall highest score (despite having no score at all for the woods walk-through)! I received a lovely pewter arrow head token as a prize. Now I know what a gift of largesse could be used for!
The people of Panther Vale were very friendly, and the event had a relaxed, homey feel. I am very glad I made the trip--I hope to see them all again soon!
*South Carolina* Collelgium, July 18, 2015
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!
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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