Present (via Zoom): Aethelwulf, Dafydd, Marieke, Gudrun, Thomas, Leo, Dietrich, and Donavin from Coldwood
SENESCHAL REPORT: All’s quiet. We are no longer required to post COVID notices at events and practices, but we can if we want. We can continue to offer masks for people to use if they like, and this can be up to the autocrat or whoever is running the practice.
We have several exciting activities coming up –
** Sept 9-10 – Gathering of the Realms (demo) https://allevents.in/swanton/gathering-of-the-realms-2023/200024107514118
** Sun., Sept. 10 – Vermont Pride Parade (demo) https://www.pridecentervt.org/pride/
** Sat., Sept. 16 – Freehold Birthday Bash (event) https://www.eastkingdom.org/event-details/?eid=4173
** Sept. 30-Oct 1 – Bloodfeud in the Danelaw (event) https://www.eastkingdom.org/event-details/?eid=4078
SHIRE RECOGNITIONS – Recent online discussion of shire recognitions resulted in the plan to introduce a shire youth award. It has been suggested that we allow the youth present at Birthday Bash to name and design their award.
THROWN WEAPONS – As of Pennsic, Stephanie is our newly authorized Thrown Weapons Marshal. We’re planning to have the Shire Thrown Weapons Champion Tourney at Birthday Bash, and Wulfstan from Coldwood will also serve as Marshal if needed.
PENNSIC CAMP – Thomas said the Freehold/Coldwood camp was friendly and fun, and the camaraderie was evident. Thanks to Marisa for being an excellent camp cook! The Shade Pavilion proved again to be a great investment.
HERALDRY – Thomas got help at Pennsic for a re-design of his arms. Dafydd says that interest in heraldry continues, and he offered to teach a heraldry session sometime this winter.
HEAVY LIST – Aethelwulf said fighting has been slow during July/August because of Pennsic and school access issues, and the Milton Park got flooded. He said some RennFaire recruits have showed up to practice and intend to return. Thomas has 1-2 plastic barrels to donate for new armor pieces, and Gudrun is interested in exploring linothorax armor – layers of linen glued together and molded to shape.
PRIDE PARADE – Donavin said we’ll be combining efforts with Tir Asleen again this year. Last year we had 12 costumed marchers, and this year he hopes for double that! Leo will make a Facebook page, and Donavin is handling the parade paperwork with the city.
GATHERING OF THE REALMS DEMO – Leo said it’s like a RennFaire but with a wider variety of genres. The organizers have invited us to set up some period tents and make an encampment – Gudrun and Thomas will loan their Viking A-Frame. Leo offered to convey stuff for folks if needed. The event has a large space for classes or fighting, but no archery or thrown weapons. Kastana is organizing classes and A&S offerings. We do need fencers and fighters, as well as non-combattants, and Leo will contact local area seneschals to see who can come and help us. There will be a parking fee of $5, but probably not an admission fee for volunteers. We are allowed to camp on site.
PRACTICE/MEETING SITE – Lily and Cat have done heroic work in enabling access to our usual Browns River school site, but it would be wise to find an alternate site for the times when the school is not available to us. Ideally, the alternate site would be indoors with a high enough ceiling for fighting, and have bathroom access. Dafydd will look into the University Mall – maybe we could use a vacant storefront, and it would also help attract interested onlookers. (Any other ideas?) We do have outdoor options while the weather holds, such as Mills River Park, (when there’s no soccer game parking on our fighting field) and maybe Oakledge Park.
MOAS REPORT –
**Gathering of the Realms will be an opportunity to showcase our current projects, teach classes, and attract interest – Kastana will be helping to organize our shire’s participation in that.
**At Birthday Bash, we’ll select our new Shire A&S Champion, using the rubric Gudrun has devised. Volunteer judges are needed. A short judge training session may occur at the start of the event.
**Bloodfeud at the Danelaw has some Laurel Challenges. Marieke has offered a brewing challenge and a weaving challenge, and there are plenty of others, here: https://moas.eastkingdom.org/list-of-laurels-challenges-for-bloodfeud-in-the-danelaw/
EXCHEQUER – Dietrich gave credit to Katherine, who is still doing all of the exchequer work behind the scenes. He will be traveling later in September but he’ll be around for our Birthday Bash.
ARMOR-MAKING CLASS IN SWANTON – Dietrich will be running an armor-making class in Swanton, in preparation for Gathering of the Realms.
BIRTHDAY BASH – Marieke said the cooks are at work, planning the mid-day feast. Also remember there will be a Silent Auction to raise money for the shire, so as you put away your Pennsic gear, if you find anything you don’t need any more, bring it along to the event and we’ll find it a new home.
The meeting ended after an hour. Notes by Marieke.