Category Archives: Interviews

Behold Bergental’s newly invested Baron, Johannes filius Nicholai

11 Thursday Oct 2018

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Johaness filius Nicholi Photo by Genevieve de St-Denys

Greeting unto the populace of the great East Kingdom. Now comes before you, Baron Johannes filius Nicholai, the newly invested Baron of the beloved Barony of Bergental. Baron Johannes is a late 13th Century English crusader, hailing from the era of Edward the 1st and member of his army for the 8th and 9th Crusades.

Baron Johannes has many goals and a vision he is endeavoring to bring to fruition during his term as the Baron of Bergental. His primary goal is to encourage and guide the Barony to facilitate more family inclusive activities “where there is literally something for everyone and activities to do together as a family.” His wish is for everyone to enjoy every event and bring the focus of our hobby back to the family unit and inclusion. Continue reading →

Getting to Know the Royal Puppers

31 Thursday May 2018

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Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, dogAfter our introductory post on their Highnesses, it was clear that the populace desperately needed to know more… about Their Highnesses dogs. TRH Vienna and Wilhelm kindly offered to share more info about their pups. 

Who are the royal pups? What are their names and nicknames?

Korben Dallas (Golden Retriever).  Nickname: Booger

Ripley, Ellen (Black Lab/Terrier mix – we think) Nickname:  Demon McBiteyface

They are named after characters from the movies “The Fifth Element” and “Aliens.”

What is Korben’s Gotcha Story?

Korben’s tale begins where our beloved Niki’s ended (Niki was our GSD/Husky mix).  

Their Highnesses’ dearly departed dog, Niki

After Niki’s passing, we realized we missed having a dog in house. Working with different rescues and a foster for over eight months, we adopted Fidget, a golden mix from North Carolina.  Unfortunately, Fidget had distemper and didn’t survive. We did everything we possibly could to help her, but the virus was too far advanced. From that experience, I started an education campaign about distemper, called “Remembering Miss Fidget.”

Fidget

 I involved the media and petitioned to change laws in the South regarding shelters’ intake and adoption out procedures. Our crusade caught the attention of a Golden Retriever breeder in Connecticut, a friend of my cousin’s. Her litter was due, and she wanted us to have a healthy dog after all we’d been through.  We are grateful for her generosity. We’ve been tremendously lucky and made some incredible friendships over the course of this journey.

Ripley

What is Ripley’s Gotcha Story?

Once Korben was a year old, we realized he really needed a friend.  After having gone through hoops with certain rescues, Wilhelm and I decided to give the SPCA of Westchester a shot.  They have “puppy adoption” events a few times a year. We lucked out the day we got Ripley; we were #44 in line for 40 puppies.  We had Korben with us too; they needed to be sure the animals got along. The SPCA did a fantastic job of vetting each adopter, and matching them with the correct animal (or not, in some cases).  Ripley, originally from Georgia and named Silky by her foster, was one of two puppies remaining by the time we were called in. She was so frightened and hid at first. She and Korben got along immediately.  I was able to get in touch with Ripley’s foster, and send her pupdates. It’s taken her some time to acclimate, as it typically does with neglected and/or abused animals.

Korben

What are each of their favorite hobbies?

Korben:  sleeping, playing with piggie, playing in water, getting dirty.

Ripley: Terrorizing Korben, fetch, eating (seriously, she’s a bottomless pit).

Likes and Dislikes?

Korben:  He likes pretty much everything and everyone.  Even Ripley. He hates having his paws touched. He is afraid of Thunder.

Ripley: Loves to eat, loves to chew.  She loves Korben something fierce. She is terrified of the wind and does not like going out in the rain.  She is allergic to chicken.

Ripley, demonstrating her fetch skills

Both dogs love blueberries, carrots, snap peas, watermelon, cheese, lettuce, and homemade sweet potato chips.  Everything in moderation though.

What should Easterners know if the pups are at an event?

Despite what they may tell you, they are not starving, orphans, or homeless.  Please don’t feed them. They are well fed and cared for. Ripley will not come to you; she is skittish and will likely hide behind me. 

 Korben will try to go home with you, because you’re his new best friend.

Photos provided by and taken by Princess Vienna. Royal Licking photo by Cateline La Broderesse

Meet Their Royal Highnesses: Wilhelm and Vienna

30 Wednesday May 2018

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Their Royal Highnesses
Wilhelm von Ostenbrücke and Vienna de la Mer are heirs to the Tyger throne of the East.

The Gazette had the pleasure of chatting with our new heirs about their new jobs, their SCA lives, and their dogs.

How did you get involved in the SCA?
Wilhelm:  I heard about it from a friend and randomly showed up at Bellringers in Carillion.

Vienna:  I worked at the New York Renaissance Festival.  For years, friends kept pestering me to go to this thing called Pennsic.  I finally went, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

What do you like most about the SCA?
W: Diversity and how, for the most part, we are accepting of everyone regardless of religion, sexual orientation, color, etc.

V:  I enjoy travelling, meeting new people, and learning new things.  The SCA is a great enabler of all these.

What do you think the SCA or the East needs to work on?
W: Recruitment, openness, and welcoming nature.

V: Communication, conversation, community – these are all extremely important.  Being a former Kingdom Chatelaine, I believe we need to focus on recruitment, retention, and inclusiveness.  We could also do a better job of ‘sharing the load’ by mentoring others, teaching them how run events or do specific jobs.

What are your personas?
W: 15th century German.

V: 15th century Italian.  Sometimes 14th century English and 10th century Heiðabýr (Hedeby).

Wilhelm, what is your preferred weapons form?
W:  Sword and Shield (or Vienna).

Vienna, what is your favorite type of embroidery?
V: Stumpwork/Raised Work — a three dimensional form of embroidery using padding, beads, wire, and/or needlelace stitches.

What are you most looking forward to during your reign?
W:  Travelling the Kingdom more.

V: Some of my favorite things to do are to share my love of the SCA with others and watch newcomers experience it for the first time. It makes it new for me too.

Is there anything you are nervous about for your reign?
W: Forgetting peoples’ names

V:  Finding the right balance of doing the job to the best of our ability, and not getting burned out or alienating family and friends because we’re so busy. Oh, and screwing up peoples’ names (FB is notorious for that.)

Do you have any goals/aspirations for your reign?
W: To foster deeper relationships with those who love the Dream as much as we do.

V:  Encourage new people, show established members that they too are a Chatelaine, and grow our Society.

Is there anything else you would like the Kingdom to know about you?
W: I like long walks on the beach and cool summer nights.  I like Disco music and mango margaritas.  I don’t like Winter.

V:  Social media is both a blessing and curse, and you have the power to determine which it is.  Our dogs are extremely important to us.  The Keeper’s of Athena’s Thimble is the best guild ever!

More information about Prinz Wilhelm and Princess Vienna can be found at their reign website.

Photo by Cateline la Broderesse

Q and A with the New East Kingdom Tyger Clerk

17 Saturday Jun 2017

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En français

Master Nataliia, Tyger Clerk of the Signet.
Photo by Duchess Caoilfhionn.

The Gazette had the pleasure of chatting with Nataliia Anastasiia Evgenova, the new Tyger Clerk of the Signet for the East, who took over the position in February of this year.  Nataliia has been in the SCA since around 1994 and resides in the Barony of the Bridge.  Prior to discovering the Society, she studied art and competed in USFA fencing competitions.  Her love of fencing brought her to an SCA fencing practice in the Barony Beyond the Mountain.  While fencing provided an entry to the SCA, and remains one of her biggest passions, she discovered an outlet for her artistic aspirations in the scribal community. Her first scroll was produced in 2001, and she was encouraged to continue by Duchess Katherine Stanhope, the Tyger Clerk of the Signet at the time.   Her favorite artistic medium is painting, particularly with period pigments, and in the early years Nataliia was very fond of pen and ink renderings for representations of period rapier manuals.   She finds calligraphy challenging, but is never one to back down from a challenge.  

 

What does the Tyger Clerk of the Signet do?

The Tyger Clerk of the Signet (known as the Tyger Clerk or The Signet) is the head of the East Kingdom College of Scribes.  The Tyger Clerk of the Signet:

  1. Coordinates the production of scrolls requested by The Crown;
  2. Promotes the development of calligraphers and illuminators in the East Kingdom and warrants said scribes to perform Signet Office work, and;
  3. Maintains accurate records of scroll assignments.

Close to 150-200 scrolls go out every six months (per reign), approximately 25 – 34 each month.  In my role as Signet I manage approximately 100 scribes who do calligraphy and illumination and wordsmiths who write the words, as well as scribes who do less traditional scrolls such as stained glass, embroidered scrolls, and carved rocks, to name a few.  The artists in the East Kingdom are exemplary and have a reputation of excellence across the Known World, and I am honored to be working with them.

How do people get awards?

That is a longer story, but the short answer is that a member of the populace recommends an individual for an award.  This recommendation is sent to the royals.  Their Majesties then decide whether to give the award.  For many awards a scroll is produced to commemorate the occasion.

Gazette articles on the award process can be found here:
How the Award Process Works, by Duchess Avelina

How to Write an Award Recommendation, by Duchess Avelina

On the Scheduling of Awards, by Duke Brennan

East Kingdom Awards Overview, by Lady Tola knitýr

How is the Signet involved with that?

When the Royalty decide to give an award, they tell their Royal Scheduler, who keeps tracks of their awards. The Royal Scheduler does their best to contact those close to the recipient to schedule the Award. Once the award has been scheduled, the Royal Scheduler contacts the Signet, me, with the list of awards and dates. I then arrange for the scroll by contacting an artist who will make the scroll and deliver it to the Royalty before it needs to be given out.

What do you do once you have the list of scrolls to be done?

Each award with the date, event, award and individual’s name, and the contact information for the person who recommended the individual is emailed from the Scheduler to the Signet.

Each Signet is different in how they manage the office, however, I add the assignments to a worksheet that contains all the events for that reign  The Signet will then choose a scribe from the list of over 100 scribes in the East Kingdom. I prepare an assignment sheet that will be sent to the artist asking them to take the assignment.  The scribe accepts the assignment and starts work on the beautiful pieces of artwork that you see in court.  The scribe makes arrangements for the scroll to get to the event, Their Majesties sign the scroll prior to court and then present the scroll to the worthy individual.  I work with a lot of amazing scribes who also have wonderful management skills to help track the life of the scroll from request to arrival in the hands of a worthy recipient.

How do I join the College of Scribes?

The College of Scribes is always looking for new scribes and wordsmiths!  We love creative people.  No experience is necessary, and all levels of artistic ability are welcome.  You can become a scribe by contacting me or Vettorio, who is the New Scribes Deputy.  We can introduce you to other scribes and point you in the direction of supplies.  No one is required to join the College of Scribes in order to be a scribe, nor is that the only way to explore this type of art.

How can I find other scribes to speak to?

There are a variety of ways to get in touch with the Scribal community.  Many local groups have Scribal get togethers.  Contacting your local Seneschal is a good first place to start.  There are also Scribal regional deputies that are listed on the East Kingdom College of Scribes Webpage under officers.  The EKCoS Webpage also has loads of information for new or returning scribes.  There is a Facebook page for the East Kingdom scribes, as well as a Google Plus group for the East Kingdom Scribes.

What are some of your suggestions that help the scribes with their scrolls?

One of the best things that anyone can do is to make a wiki page in the East Kingdom wiki.  In fact, my East Kingdom wiki page is here. Even if it is no more than a picture and your arms, that is really helpful to a scribe.   If you already have a wiki page, please consider updating it.  If you are aware of an upcoming award for a friend please feel free to contact me and I’ll help in whatever way I can.  Communication is absolutely welcome as more information makes for better art.  I can’t always honor every request, and not everything is possible, but I do my best to arrange our Kingdom’s artists to make beautiful art for someone’s special day. Another way to help is to give a wish list to a loved one on preferences for a certain type of scroll or a particular artist should there be a scroll in your future!  There is no guarantee, but again, more information makes it easier to line up a piece of artwork that will memorialize your special day.   I will be trying to have office hours at events so that you can come see me in person if you have questions.   I’m looking forward to meeting many people in my job as the East Kingdom Tyger Clerk of the Signet.

En français
Traduction: Behi Kirsa Oyutai

Nataliia Anastasiia Evgenova est la nouvelle Greffière des Sceaux du Royaume, ayant pris la position en février de cette année. Nataliia fait partie de la SCA depuis environ 1994 et réside dans la Baronnie of the Bridge. Avant de découvrir la Société, elle a étudié les arts et compétitionné à l’escrime au sein de la USFA. Son amour de l’escrime l’a amenée à une pratique d’escrime de la Baronnie Beyond the Mountain. Bien que l’escrime lui aie fournie une porte d’entrée dans la SCA, et demeure une de ses plus grandes passions, elle s’est découvert un exutoire pour ses aspirations artistiques dans la communauté des scribes. Son premier parchemin a été produit en 2001, et elle a été encouragée a continuer par Duchesse Katherine Stanhope, la Greffière des Sceaux du Royaume à ce moment. Son médium préféré est la peinture, particulièrement avec des pigments d’époque, et dans ses années formatrices, Nataliia était appréciait beaucoup les rendus au crayon et à l’encre  de représentations de manuels d’escrime d’époque. Elle trouve la l’art de la calligraphie ardu, mais elle n’est pas connue pour reculer devant un défi.

Qu’est-ce que la Greffière des Sceaux du Royaume fait ?

La Greffière des Sceaux du Royaume (connue comme Tyger Clerk ou le Signet) est à la tête du Collège des Scribes du Royaume de l’Est. La Greffière des Sceaux du Royaume:

  1. Coordonne la production des parchemins demandés par La Couronne;
  2. Promeut le développement des calligraphes et enlumineurs dans le Royaume de l’Est et certifie ces scribes afin d’accomplir les tâches de l’Office des Sceaux, et;
  3. Maintiens un registre rigoureux des assignations de parchemins.

Près de 150 à 200 parchemins sont distribués chaque six mois (par règne), approximativement 25 à 34 chaque mois. Dans mon rôle comme Greffière, je gère approximativement une centaine de scribes qui procèdent à la calligraphie et à l’illumination, des écrivains qui composent les textes, ainsi que des scribes qui font des parchemins moins conventionnels, comme en vitrail, brodé ou taillé dans la pierre, pour n’en nommer que quelques uns. Les artistes du Royaume de l’Est sont exemplaires et ont une réputation d’excellence dans tout le Monde Connu, et je suis honorée de travailler avec eux.

Comment recevoir une reconnaissance ?

Ceci est une plus longue histoire, mais la réponse courte est qu’un membre de la population recommende un individu pour une reconnaissance. Cette recommendation est envoyés à la royauté. Leurs Majestés décident alors de donner ou non la reconnaissance. Pour plusieurs reconnaissances, un parchemin est produit afin de commémorer l’occasion.

Un article de la Gazette sur le processus menant aux reconnaissances peut être consulté ici:
Comment le Processus de Reconnaissance fonctionne, par Duchesse Avelina

Comment Écrire une Recommendation pour une Reconnaissance, par Duchesse Avelina

Sur la Planification des Reconnaissances, par Duc Brennan

Survol des Reconnaissances du Royaume de l’Est, par Dame Tola Knitýr

Quelle est l’implication de la Greffière dans le processus ?

Quand la Royauté décide de d’accorder une reconnaissance, ils en avisent leur Planificateur Royal, qui garde trace de leurs reconnaissances. Le Planificateur Royal fait de son mieux afin de contacter les proches du récipiendaire afin de planifier la Reconnaissance. Une fois que la reconnaissance a été planifiée, le Planificateur Royal contacte la Greffière, moi, avec une liste des reconnaissances et les dates. J’organise alors la fabrication du parchemin en contactant un artiste qui s’occupera de créer celui-ci, et de le livrer à la Royauté avant qu’il soit remis à la cour.

Qu’est-ce qui se passe une fois que la liste des parchemins à faire est complète ?

Chaque reconnaissance avec la date, l’événement, la reconnaissance et le nom du récipiendaire, ainsi que l’information de contact de la personne ayant recommandé le récipiendaire est envoyée par courriel du Planificateur à la Greffière.

Chaque Greffier gère son office différemment, cependant, j’ajoute les tâches dans une feuille de travail qui contient tous les événements de ce règne. Le Greffier choisira ensuite un scribe d’une liste de plus d’une centaine de noms dans le Royaume de l’Est. Je prépare une feuille de travail qui sera envoyée à l’artiste, lui demandant d’accepter la tâche. Le scribe accepte le travail et commence à produire les magnifiques oeuvres d’art que vous pouvez admirer à la cour. Le scribe s’occupe d’organiser un transport pour que le parchemin parvienne à l’événement, Leurs Majestés signent le parchemin avant la cour, et ensuite présentent le parchemin au digne récipiendaire. Je travaille avec de nombreux scribes extraordinaires qui ont d’excellentes aptitudes de gestion afin d’aider à garder trace du processus de création d’un parchemin, de la demande initiale, à son arrivée dans les mains d’un récipiendaire méritant.

Comment joindre le Collège des Scribes ?

Le Collège des Scribes est toujours à la recherche de nouveaux scribes et écrivains ! Nous adorons les gens créatifs. Aucune expérience n’est nécessaire, et tous les niveaux d’habiletés artistiques sont bienvenus. Il est possible de devenir un scribe en me contactant ou Vettorio, qui est le Député des Nouveaux Scribes. Nul n’es tenu de joindre le Collège des Scribes afin d’être un scribe, et cela ne représente certainement pas la seule manière d’explorer ce type d’art.

Comment puis-je trouver d’autres scribes à qui parler ?

Il y a une variété de façons d’entrer en contact avec la communauté des Scribes. Plusieurs groupes locaux tiennent des rencontres de scribes. Contacter votre Sénéchal local est un bon point de départ. Il y a aussi des Députés Scribes Régionnaux, listés sur la page internet du Collège des Scribes du Royaume de l’Est, sous la catégorie “officiers”. La page du Collège des Scribes du Royaume de l’Est regorge d’informations autant pour les nouveaux scribes que ceux étant plus expérimentés ici.

Il existe aussi une page Facebook pour les scribes du Royaume de l’Est ici.

Ainsi qu’un groupe Google Plus pour les Scribes du Royaume de l’est ici.

Avez-vous des suggestions afin de faciliter la tâche des scribes créant des parchemins ?

Une des choses les plus aidantes que tout le monde peut faire, est de créer une page sur le wiki du Royaume de l’Est. En fait, ma page Wiki est disponible ici. Même si ce n’est rien de plus qu’une image de vos armes, c’est quelque chose de vraiment utile pour un scribe. Si vous avez déjà une page wiki, considérez la mettre à jour. Si vous savez qu’un de vos amis recevra une reconnaissance, sentez-vous libre de me contacter et je vous aiderai autant qu’il me sera possible. La communication est absolument bienvenue compte tenu que plus nous avons d’informations, meilleur est le résultat artistique final. Il ne m’est pas toujours possible d’honorer chaque demande, et certaines choses ne sont pas toujours possibles, cependant, je fais tout en mon pouvoir afin d’organiserla création de fantastiques pièces artistiques pour commémorer une journée spéciale. Une autre manière d’aider est de fournir une liste de souhaits sur les préférences de vos proches pour un certain type de parchemin ou de requérir un artiste en particulier, si un parchemin est dans votre futur ! Nous ne pouvons pas donner de garanties, mais encore une fois, le plus d’informations dont nous disposons, le plus aisé il est pour nous de produire une oeuvre qui immortalisera votre journée spéciale. J’essaierai d’avoir des heures de bureau aux événements pour que vous puissiez me rencontrer en personne si vous avez des questions. J’espère avoir la chance de rencontrer de nombreuses personnes pendant mon mandat en tant que Greffière des Sceaux du Royaume de l’Est.

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Her Grace Endures

24 Friday Mar 2017

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Reign #1: Atenveldt 1986

Queen Anna Ophelia Holloway Tarragon is currently sitting her 10th reign as a Queen ( plus one reign as Princess of the then-Principality of Artemesia) in the SCA. According to the Royal Geneaology of the Known World, Her majesty has sat on the throne more times than any other Queen. She graciously agreed to grant the Gazette an interview about her extraordinary experience.

Reign #2: Atenveldt 1987

Over the course of 10 reigns, she has seen much change in the Society, especially in the technologies that we use to communicate with each other and in the amount of information available to us for documentation of the things we do.She’s also seen many geographic differences across the SCA, from the West where the King’s word is law, to here in the East where things are much more “democratic” and cooperative. Greater access to information has also lead to an increase in the seriousness of the game for many.

AnnaRegina 1988

Reign #3: Atenveldt 1988

Faster communication and busier schedules have lead to a decrease in spontaneity in many aspects of the SCA, and yet much has remained the same. The passion that people have for whatever it is that they pursue in the society has always remained a constant that Her Majesty admires.  In addition, she adds “The look on someone’s face when you give them an award is still the same today as it was years ago”

Reign #4: Atenveldt 1989

Another constant over the years has been her perception of her role as Queen. Before allowing His Majesty Brion to fight for her in a Crown Tournament for the first time, she wisely asked him what he expected from her as Queen. One of the things he asked from her was for her to “Look and act like a Queen” and she has always tried to live up to the ideals of grace, courtesy, and comportment that define Queenliness.

Reign #5: Atenveldt 1991

No matter the Kingdom, people want their Queen to be someone who is kind and caring and holds genuine love in her heart for the people of her Kingdom. She knows from experience that people “will do anything for you if you honestly love them.“

Reign #6: Atenveldt 1994

One might imagine that it is difficult to find a fresh approach to each reign, having reigned as many times as Her Majesty has.  For Queen Anna, the new people that are involved with each reign keep her engaged and full of love for the role and the Kingdom. Her current Court include 10 people she had never met before she and His Majesty took the thrones for this current reign. Seeing the Society and the mechanics of running a Reign through their eyes, eyes that are still bright and shiny and full of wonder at this game we play, is something that fills Her Majesty’s own heart and eyes with love.

Reign #7: Atenveldt 1996

Another topic that lights up Her Majesty’s face, and something she describes as “one of the best parts of being a Queen” is seeing the look on people’s faces as you recognize them for their hard work by giving them an award.

Reign #8: East 1998

Having the privilege of creating moments for people is one of the most important and best part of being Queen for Anna. To those who would aspire to wear the crown some day Her Majesty would remind them that though it is a great job, a fun job, it is still a job, and it requires engagement seven days a week to support and sustain “the dream” for an entire kingdom. It’s not all “parties and prezzies and awards”

Reign #9: East 2006

One lesson that she has learned over the years is that “People are far more capable and willing to do things than you think they are…all you have to do is ask them nice… Just be kind.”

When asked what inspires her to keep returning to this role, she answers simply, and with a sincere, warm smile in her eyes: “My Duke…” later she would elaborate and say  “I am very grateful for the love and respect that Brion shows in me that he keeps doing this… that he keeps asking me to join him.”

Reign #10: East 2016

Q&A: Outgoing and Incoming EK Brewers Guild Masters

21 Wednesday Sep 2016

Posted by in Arts and Sciences, Interviews

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charter-handover

Photo courtesy of Pan Kythe Szubielka

Last weekend, the Guild Master of the East Kingdom Brewers Guild passed from Mistress Sylvia du Vey to Master Magnus Hvalmagi.  To mark the occasion and educate the populace about their brewing opportunities, the Gazette posed questions to the outgoing and incoming Guild Heads.

Please give us a brief overview of the guild and the role of the Guild Head.

Mistress Sylvia: The guild head has a duel responsibility to both be a cheerleader and an effective administrator.  It is important to encourage brewers of all experience levels to participate and stretch for that next level of excellence.  It is pretty critical to make sure that the guild is as welcoming and accessible as possible.  That job belongs to all of us, but most especially the Guild Master.

The administrative piece involves a lot of record keeping and communication.  We have quarterly reports to file with the MOAS as well as records on every brewer who has paneled anything in the past three and a half years.  Those records are updated and sent to the brewer each time they panel a new item, along with notes about their next steps.  Good records are essential in helping us move forward as a group, especially one that spans such a large geographic area.

Master Magnus: The East Kingdom Brewers Guild is a kingdom-wide organization whose aim is to support and expand historical brewing arts in the East. We have members all over the place and lots of expertise to help brewers develop and hone their craft – and also, we have lots of good things to drink. 😉

The Guild Head is sort of the general administrator (we file a quarterly report with the MoAS), and is also the sort of the leader/visionary/what have you of the Guild. We provide vision, guidance, direction, encouragement, support, and all that good stuff.

Which activities of the guild excite you the most and why?

Mistress Sylvia: I am super excited that we have been able to provide so many opportunities to panel and progress within the guild. Members are able to get very specific feedback about what they are doing well and what they can do to improve in their craft from other brewers who are equally invested in medieval recreation.  There is still work to be done, especially in the farthest reaches of the East Kingdom, but we are working on that by utilizing the SCA pony express and remote paneling opportunities.  This is less than ideal, face-to-face is always better, but remote panels are better than no panels.  I love that our guild is a work in progress and that we are continuing to strive to meet the needs of brewers all over the East.

Master Magnus: Brewing in general excites me, and experimental archaeology in particular excites me – so for me the guild is a really exciting place! – but I think the coolest thing we do is our Paneling process. We have a well-developed rubric, and we sit down with a brewer and their work and perform a critical evaluation, with the goal of helping them improve as a historic brewer. It’s a pretty intense process to be honest, but it’s a really powerful tool that can help a brewer make great leaps in what they’re doing.

How has the guild changed over the last several years?

Mistress Sylvia: When I was promoted to Guild Mistress, it was the hope of my predecessor, Mistress Suzanne de Londres, that I would pull more brewers into the guild and reenergize the work that we do.  I think that we have accomplished those goals.  The guild is definitely more active and more visible.  We are trying to be active and supportive of the kingdom with our art.  Additionally, we have more digital presence, including an email group, Facebook page, and a new and improved webpage.  Our webpage houses our guiding documents, which is a good resource for brewers all over.  The biggest change?  We are super busy!

Master Magnus: When I joined the SCA years and years ago when rocks were soft (in 2010), the EKBG was in a lull. Sylvia took over and revitalized the Guild as a whole. She started pushing for more panel opportunities, more presence, and regularly scheduled activities at events all across the kingdom. I’d say there’s been a big jump in activity and presence in the kingdom lately.

Are there plans for growth or new activities in the future?

Mistress Sylvia: It has always my goal to lay a foundation that another Guild Master could capitalize upon. We have a really nice infrastructure in place with our policies and procedures.  The guild is primed and ready for our next steps. The transition to a new guild master began about a year ago in order to make sure it was seamless and healthy for the group. I am anticipating continued growth and more fun under Master Magnus’s care.

Master Magnus: I have a four-part Vision for the Guild, which I’ll be sharing with Guild members and generally advocating during my tenure (this is a subtle hint saying that if you want to know what my vision is, you should come play with us). I’m looking at what I call a “Blue Ocean” strategy – we’ve got all these eager active brewers with lots of ideas and cool research, so let’s start exploring! I’m looking to expand the scope of the things we support in the Guild – non-beverage items like tools and bottles, pure research, non-alcoholic beverages, and a host of other things – as well as to empower the local branches to really grow and have a presence in their area.

I’d also like us to play more with the “mainstream” A&S community – the prevalence of dry sites sometimes limits where we can be, but there are ways to work around that.

Beyond that – I dunno, maybe we’ll form a vast trade empire and start minting our own currency. That’d be cool. 🙂

Please tell us a little bit about your own work as a brewer and what about the activity interests you.

Mistress Sylvia: Mead making brought me from a lurker into a fully participating SCAdian. I am anticipating that my retirement from being Guild Mistress will allow me to focus a little more on my art.  Several years ago I changed the policy that brewing laurels would automatically become grandmasters in the guild. Instead, they become masters and must continue to brew and panel to become grandmasters.  This will be my next project as a brewer!  I have to panel ten period beverages outside my specialty (mead). I expect that process will take a few years to complete.  More brewing!

Master Magnus: How long ya got? 🙂

The tagline I’ve been using (when I want to sound smart and impressive) is that I do “experimental archaeological reconstruction of pre-11th century northern European fermented beverages.” Really, I consider myself an experimental researcher with a particular interest in reconstructing the material reality of pre-modern brewing systems and techniques. I want to put my hands in every part of the process, figure out how and why it worked, and see what came out of that. Very nitty-gritty experimental archaeology stuff. Because, well, I’m a nerd and that’s what gets me excited!

Sometimes I actually make beer/mead/cider/weird stuff somewhere in there.

I also do stupid things like ferment Snickers candy bars because why not. A word of advice: don’t.

What one thing do you wish everyone knew about brewing in the East Kingdom?

Mistress Sylvia: There is room for every brewer, modern, medieval, ancient.  We all have something to learn from each other.  That being said, in order to move up in the guild, one must begin to brew with a medieval mindset.  If that seems intimidating, no worries!  There is so much help available, just ask!

Master Magnus: That it’s super easy to get into! We have brewers and local guilds all over, and we love when new folks show up and want to learn.

Mistress Sylvia: Finally, I want to shout out to the brewers of the East Kingdom Brewers Guild.  You placed a lot of trust in me to help the guild grow.  I so very much appreciate everything that members have done to support me and the EKBG.  When I reflect on the work we have done, I am humbled.

 

The First (Bouncing) Armor of Carolingia

03 Friday Jul 2015

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arms CarolingiaTwo of the first members of the Barony of Carolingia, Tabitha of Windmoor and Wescott de Gwhite, shared their memories of with the Gazette of the first weapons created in Carolingia using nothing but rumors of what was required.

Tabitha of Windmoor :

Swords have a story all their own. Dan (Daniel de Tankard) had told us that SCA swords were made of rattan. The council set to work locating a rattan source. Poring through the Yellow Pages (no internet yet), we turned up The Rattan Store on Rte.9 in Wellesley. Dan, Patri and I set out from my dorm to find the place. Yes—we walked up to Rte. 9 and walked along it toward Natick until we found the place (no GPS either). The store sold rattan furniture from the country we still called Burma (Myanmar).

After much talk with the manager, we persuaded him to order us a dozen uncut lengths of the light weight, ridged canes that looked kind of like bamboo from his supplier. Patri opined that it looked too light and brittle to use as a blade, but Dan assured him that rattan was what was used, though he admitted that he had never seen an SCA weapon or combat, only heard about it.

Dan drove out when our order came, bungeed it to the roof of his little yellow car, and brought it back to Cambridge where Doug, Patri, Carl, and anyone who could lend a hand made crude short swords of it.

Wescott de Gwhite:

All of our armor was designed and built to work well against the smaller, lighter bamboo.  Patri made a beautiful shield from a piece of Homosote (cellulose wall board), covered in fiberglass and painted with a coat of arms.  I made detachable basket hilts that could swap out the bamboo blades quickly, and I fumigated my MIT dorm room making up a fiberglass helmet from scratch.  Garb was also fabricated, although it was pretty simple by today’s standards.

We arrived Saturday early afternoon at the event, looked around quickly and realized that we were in trouble.  The real rattan swords were a LOT bigger & heavier than our gear was designed for.  They were using steel freon tank helmets, which had big dents in them!  They offered to lend us use of some swords, but that the padding in the armor was an awful lot lighter than what they wanted to fight in.

They allowed that Patri could wear it if he wanted to.  They said the helmet would never do, which I took exception to.  I had built it with a lot of overkill for the bamboo, and thought it would probably still work OK (for a while).  Lord El said they wouldn’t allow Patri to use it unless he “tested” it first.

El set it upright on the ground and grabbed a large two handed sword.  He took a big swing and tried to come down right on the crown.  I’m sure he was convinced it was going to shatter, or at least crush, but he didn’t hit it quite square, and it basically flexed a bit & bounced into the air.  He was clearly disappointed, and insisted on another attempt to hit it more solidly.  He succeeded, but the result was
pretty much the same.  We examined it, and saw no sign of damage, and it was declared usable.

I believe Patri fought in a total of 3 bouts.  Thanks to his fencing background, he managed to hold his own reasonably well. I think he lost two & might have actually won one.  At that point, the helmet was showing signs of impending delamination, and it was retired.  Every place Patri’s shield had taken a solid blow to the edge looked like someone had taken a good bite out of it.

Q & A: East Kingdom Exchequer

09 Saturday May 2015

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badge ExchequerThis is one of a series of Q&A articles with East Kingdom Officers. The Gazette wishes to thank Maestra Ignacia la Ciega, East Kingdon Exchequer, for answering our questions.

Please describe your job responsibilities. The job responsibilities of the Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer encompass several areas.  The most obvious is the managing of the kingdom funds and financial reporting of those funds.   Working to ensure all the groups in the kingdom are in compliance with the Society and East Kingdom policy, procedures and laws is another large responsibility.   Of course there is always the need to respond to an assortment of inquiries and requests from the various groups, individuals and from Society.  There are many responsibilities that fall within the very broad areas listed above.  I will not bore everyone with those details.    

What do you enjoy about this activity? I enjoy working with numbers and with puzzles,  so digging in a report to find the reason it is not adding up correctly  is fun and rewarding.   These is a logic to numbers that is always consistent and predictable, two things I tend to favor.   I like having a reason to meet people from different groups and having a common footing area of focus to start conversations.   I also find I do like to fill a need when there is a need, and the exchequer positions are an absolute need, for without them we would no longer exist.    

Do you have a goal for your term? My biggest goal right now is simple.  I would like to have all the groups in the East doing complete and consistent reporting each quarter.   There are several things that can help make that happen, like having more training available and having several more deputies to work with the various groups to help me ensure we are staying in compliance.   I would also encourage more people to show appreciation to the exchequers in the local groups, they do amazing amounts of work that no one ever sees, so we all can enjoy our hobby of living history.        

Are you currently looking for any deputies?Yes, I would like several more deputies.  Aside from the regional deputies that do reviews of the reports as they come in, training deputies would be very helpful.  The Tir Mara region is one area that a deputy would be a big help, especially since I do not speak any French.  Some of the regions are very large, so for those regions a second deputy would be very welcome.  Training deputies – I would like a couple of those as well.  There is always a new exchequer that wants training or an experienced exchequer looking to understand something more than they currently do.  Training materials are always in need of updating, so that is also in the shadows waiting for someone to take it on.  I recently took on an administrative deputy, his first project is to organize the exchequer warranting process and files, and then he is also working on the book review scheduling.          

What was your first event?  And what made you stay?My very first event, was Bjorn’s Ceilidh, in Concordia of the Snows.   The local members made an effort to interact with people they did not know (or recognize as I later discovered).  They were so willing to talk about the things they did and showed a lot of enthusiasm when talking about it.  The effort people put into engaging in conversation went a long way in getting me to come back at the beginning.   That quickly changed to seeing friends and learning or teaching new things.     

Which people made an impact on you in the SCA and why? I have to say that Baron Emerson G. True was one of the first people that had an impact on me.  I was on the group’s discussion list and had attended only one A&S meeting and one event.   Fabric was needed for the next meeting so I said I was willing to go to the store or meet someone there in order that we have it for the meeting.  Emerson was the person that I met up with for that outing.  He encouraged the pomp and circumstance, and was the reason I became the Baronial herald shortly after joining the group.   Baroness Lucia and Baron Baltasar (then he was Soichero)  both encouraged me to try  a variety of different things and they both took me under their wings as I did that.  The first event I was a steward for, was their investiture.  Which lead to my running many more events over the years.

Could you share with us a moment – or several moments – that describe what makes the SCA special for you?There was one particular year at Pennsic when My lord and 3 of our ‘sons’ were all actually fighting.  We were on the fighting field with 2 of our ‘daughters’ sending the men off to war.   It was one of those moments when it feels like you are really there in that place and time.  I was giving each of them a piece of my clothing (not an entire sleeve) to remind them of my love and telling them to stay safe and come back to me.  Knowing that they would be with a dearly beloved Knight, the Baron and the King meant they would be in the company of proven warriors but also that they would be in the deepest of the fray.    I have had many very personally special moments over the years.  Some that make my heart truly sing, have been those times I have created a scroll for someone dear to me, and the personal touches and research done show so completely when they see it.  Knowing that the person is so touched by what you have created for them, not for the courts or for the kudos, but simply for what it means to them personally.    Most recently, in my current position, I was very touched after doing an online training session with an exchequer.   The session started with the person feeling like they could not manage the spreadsheet we use; they were very confused, and the stress was apparent in the voice.  By the end of the 1.5 hour session I could hear the confidence in the voice and knew the exchequer was feeling very capable of dealing with the position.  Of course there were profuse thank you’s but it really was they change in the voice and the confidence that made the entire thing very special for me.  

In service to the keeping of the coffers. Ignacia

Press Article From East Kingdom Coronation

13 Monday Apr 2015

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The following message is printed by the Gazette at the request of Lord Martyn de Halliwell.

On Saturday, a reporter from BillyPenn.com, a local Philadelphia news-blog, attended part of East Kingdom Coronation. The reporter spent time speaking with several people before Court and through Last Court / Coronation Court.  Several people were instrumental in providing a wonderful experience for our guest.

I would like to thank Baroness Aneleda Falconbridge, the East Kingdom Media Liaison, who offered advice and guidance when I contacted her ahead of the event. For their work on the day of the event, thanks also go to Dueña Mercedes de Calafia, Baroness Ysmay de Lynn, Master Peter the Red, Lady Suba al-Hadid, and Lady Iseault of the Clews who sat with her during Court and explained what was going on.  Also a thank you to Lady Katrin Daans for loaning some accessories to complete our reporter’s outfit for the day.

These are the gentles I know who spoke to her, but I know several others did as well.  To anyone else who took a moment to speak to the reporter, thank you, you were all shining examples of “crazy, insane, wonderful people.”

Please take a moment to read the finished article, it is wonderfully done, and be sure to share it with all your friends and family:

http://billypenn.com/2015/04/13/game-of-thrones-irl-i-spent-my-saturday-dressed-as-a-peasant/

-Lord Martyn de Halliwell

Q&A: East Kingdom Webminister

20 Friday Mar 2015

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tmp_27697-download_20150320_135110-1941433276This is one of a series of Q&A articles with East Kingdom Officers.  The Gazette thanks Lord Lorenz Greylever,  East Kingdom Webminister, for answering our questions.

Please describe your job responsibilities.
I am the Lead “Defender” for the East Kingdom’s Æther Realms. In other words, if it has something to do with the security, usability, accessibility and supportability of the Official on-line/Internet presence of the East Kingdom, it falls to myself and my team to make certain that it is ready for the populace of the Kingdom and its varying regions to use.
– This includes but is not limited to:
.. Every Local branch, Kingdom Office and Royal Guild website that exists for the Eastern Realms
.. Email forwards and Email lists for each Local branch, etc
.. Email lists for the Polling Orders
Educating the East Kingdom populace about what the Office of the Webminister is and how it helps the Kingdom, but more importantly, what the Office is not.
– Reducing the confusion surrounding several aspects of the services available to the Kingdom, including but not limited to:
.. The East Kingdom Calendar of Events (working with the Chronicler and Pikestaff Editor). The Webministry only makes certain that the Calendar is up and functioning properly. We do not police for content or completion of the entries for inclusion in the Pikestaff. The Local branch Seneschal and the Kingdom Chronicler do these tasks.
.. The East Kingdom Order of Precedence (working with the Office of the Brigantia Herald). The Webministry only makes certain that the website for the op is active and accessible. All content is supplied and updated by the Shepherd’s Crook Herald, or by a designated Webminister assistant when needed.
o Training Local branch, Kingdom Office and Royal Guild Webministers in best practices for website design and use. You do not have to be a modern webmaster to be a Webminster for the East, however knowing some basics will go a long way in supporting the website the Webminister has.
o Overseeing the 150+ websites and making certain that all are in compliance with Modern, Society and Kingdom acceptable use policies.
o Overseeing the 1700+ email addresses that are used throughout the Kingdom for proper use by the designated Officer.
o There’s certainly more, but you’ll never get this to print if I don’t stop somewhere. Continue reading →