Category: Meeting Notes Page 2 of 3

Present: Cat, Lily, Dafydd, Marieke, Dietrich, Aethelwulf, Thomas, Rosie, Leo, Katherine. The meeting lasted one hour, and was held via Zoom.

Thomas apologized for the difficulties with Google Meet last time; Zoom is the preferred method going forward.

Loaner Armor – Dietrich discussed options for materials (we agreed on paracord for lacing, and the tough black leather).

Possible future events — For Birthday Bash, held in the fall, Thomas will put out a call for an autocrat. Dafydd will discuss with Panther Vale whether they, or we, will be hosting Yule this year. Panther Vale may be holding a “Homecoming” event in the fall. The Coronation of Their Highnesses, Honig and Ioannes,*may* be at Harper’s Retreat, nearby in Stonemarche, in early Sept., but this has not been confirmed (just a rumor, folks!)

Demos – The SCA Demo at the Stowe Renfaire went well, with Leo’s mannikin “Manny” providing lots of thwacking fun for new blade-wielders. About a dozen new folk have signed up for our Facebook and email lists, and a few have showed up at our Sunday practice. Rosie spoke with Jeff of the Renfaire, and Freeholders are welcome to help put on a demo at the Winter Renfaire, in conjunction with Panther Vale. – We also talked a bit about doing a demo at the St Albans Farmer’s Market, or in the Rutland area, or at ComiCon or Carnage (gamer’s conventions.)

Handouts – Marieke found an old tri-fold pamphlet in her basement that could be a springboard for a revised demo handout; the files are also online at the SCA Chatelaine website. She and Katherine will work on an update.

Fencing Practice – Fencing practices for youth and adults are well-attended, with about a dozen participants and numerous spectators. The participants are working on safety and calibration. Dietrich asked if we have the ability to authorize new fencers. Lily said that authorization requires two marshals, one of whom is not a usual practice partner; so this requires travelling out of shire or inviting a marshal from “away” for a visit. However, un-authorized fencers are welcome to participate in drills and practices.

Exchequer – Dietrich is our new Emergency Deputy Exchequer; Marieke remains as backup. Our bank balance is unchanged. Katherine reminded us that she can authorize reimbursement for COVID-related cleaning supplies. The Financial Committee will be meeting soon to review our financial policies; if you are interested, contact Katherine (exchequer@mountainfreehold.eastkingdom.org)

Arts and Sciences, Sewing Classes — Rosie is happy to see the various A&S projects happening alongside the Sunday practices. Some of our newer members have expressed a desire for garb-making classes, and Rosie has some ideas for that, online and in person. Cat pointed out that there are Kingdom and Society resources online for garb and sewing that can be helpful. Rosie’s friend from NH who came last fall and gave us some very useful tips on pattern drafting, might be persuaded to return for another session. When we are outside at the school, there are no outlets for sewing machines, but in the fall, if we can use the outlets in the school’s HomeEc room. Katherine thought it might be useful to provide “kits” of cloth and thread for people who want to make their first simple garb. Also, Katherine said her bookstore in St. Albans can be used for sewing workshops, off-hours; she has plenty of outlets. For indoor classes, we have to be sure to follow SCA guidelines and people’s comfort levels.

Arts and Sciences – Pennsic University. Rosie also mentioned that Pennsic University will be happening online for two weeks later this summer. They are still accepting class proposals from people who want to teach.

Arts and Sciences – Armor Class. Dietrich is willing to lead an armor-making class, at his home in St. Albans, for youth and adults. He is SCA-background-checked but needs another adult present, and he will comply with all rules and regulations.

Heavy List – Some folk who saw us at the Renfaire came to our Sunday practice to check things out. Yay!

Heraldry – Dafydd says some of our newer people are interested in getting their names and devices designed and registered. Contact pursuivant@mountainfreehold.eastkingdom.org if you are interested! Dafydd is considering recording a class/info session that people can view at their convenience.

Seneschal – Thomas reminded everyone that he is available on Tuesday evenings for Seneschal Office Hours. You can contact him at seneschal@mountainfreehold.eastkingdom.org to set up a phone or video chat.

Here endeth the notes, by Marieke

Present: Thomas, Rosie, Dafydd, Marieke, Cat, Lily, Lisabetta, Leo, Eleanor, David, Aethelwulf, Dietrich. We met via Zoom.

Laurel’s Challenge – Rosie mentioned that there are some good A&S things going on right now. Several Freeholders are participating in, or considering, the Laurel’s Challenge. More about that is here: Laurels’ Challenge & Exhibition Challenges Have Been Announced – East Kingdom Gazette and there’s still time to sign up.

Fencing – Lily and Leo recommended this YouTube discussion about the retention of female fencers: Discussion with Leaky Pipeline Authors – YouTube

Website Officer Pages – Marieke will look into the process of allowing officers to have control of their own web pages on the Freehold site. This is not as simple as you might think, and there’s a bit of a learning curve, but it’s being investigated.

Heraldry Assistance – Dafydd has time to help people with the process of registering their names and devices with the College of Arms. Contact him at pursuivant@mountainfreehold.eastkingdom.org.

Freehold Armorial – Dafydd and Marieke will work together on a large project to gather all known devices for Freeholders, onto an Armorial page on the website. Devices need not be officially registered. We may need some assistance with graphic representation/images of these devices.

Freehold Populace Badge – The populace badge, as shown on the Freehold website, is incorrect, and it’s not high-res. Lisabetta will help us fix it. The badge, when fixed, could be used for belt favors, masks, bumper stickers, etc.

Access to “Banned” list – A Freeholder, who is also a member of another recreation group, wanted to know if it is possible to get the official SCA list of individuals who have been banned from participation, so it can be used in their group as well. This seems unlikely, but Thomas will investigate.

“Always Be Chatelaining” – Leo went for a walk in garb with friends, and reminded us that it’s always great to share the SCAdian world with curious onlookers. Odd has SCA cards that are handy for this purpose.

Archery – Weather is improving, archers are readying their shafts, and we await word about where and when to meet (when it is safe to do so) – is Odd’s place still available? He will be (gently) interrogated on this point and information will be forthcoming.

Other Plans – Thomas reminded us that the idea of the Freehold Digital Library is still being pondered… and the “build-it-in-pieces for later assembly” siege engine scheme is likewise under consideration.

“Open Armor Seminar” – Dietrich has come into possession of a multitude of plastic barrels, for armor making. He offered to hold an armor-making session. Some of our youth fighters, and other new fighters from before COVID, are eager to get back into armor – even better if it’s a set they can call their own.

Pilgrim’s Progress Challenge – Somebody has come up with the idea of challenging us to walk the same distance as the Canterbury Pilgrims did. If you sign up, you can get a “guidebook.” (Can someone provide a link for more details? I can’t find anything.)

Notes by Marieke

We met via Zoom. Present: Thomas, Rosie, Marieke, Lily, Tearlach, Katherine, Aethelwulf, Dafydd, Leo, Eleanor, David Poirier, Odd.

Normally we announce Business Meetings in advance and allow other Freeholders to attend/observe. For this meeting, the advance public notice didn’t happen, but going forward, these meetings will be announced in advance.

Youth Activities, & Mimir’s Well – Eleanor reported that because the SCA’s two-deep adult supervision requirement is impossible to enforce in an online environment, it’s not possible for minors to attend official online SCA activities. As a result of this, Eleanor said that these circumstances make it difficult, if not impossible, to do Mimir’s Well as a virtual event, since children would be excluded, and it has traditionally been a very child-friendly event.

New People – Odd said he’s had some contact with new people. Maybe we could hold a “new members night” via Zoom, to introduce them to the shire.

Trebuchet – Thomas suggested we could build a shire trebuchet. Perhaps sub-sections could be farmed out for construction, and later in the year we could assemble them. (We might then need to acquire a siege engine marshal.)

Making Old Ideas New Again – Thomas suggested compiling old moot minutes and officer meeting notes, taking good ideas from the past and making them accessible. For example, we had talked a while ago about putting together a digital library of useful PDFs and making them available on the shire’s website.

Sharing Routine Officer Reports with the Shire – This was discussed but not finalized. Local officers report quarterly (mostly) to their Kingdom superiors. Making these reports available is a good way for shire members to understand what’s going on behind the scenes, but sometimes things are discussed that might bring up concerns about privacy and discretion.

Emergency Deputy Seneschal – Thomas needs an Emergency Deputy. Leo volunteered to serve in that role. Dafydd will provide backup and support if needed. We discussed what sort of confirmation, if any, is needed for an officer to appoint a deputy. Currently our shire policies say that deputies are appointed, not elected. It was suggested that the officer could post an announcement saying “I am planning to appoint x as my deputy, any objections?”

Minor conflict between shire policies and kingdom seneschal’s policies – It was noted that our shire policies say that if an emergency deputy seneschal has to take up the duties of the office, they will serve out the remainder of that term. But the kingdom policy says that the emergency deputy will serve until an election can be arranged. We will adjust our policies to conform to the kingdom’s. Thomas alao suggested making a guide for the emergency deputy, outlining the necessary duties of the office and offering helpful resources.

Regular meetings – We discussed having monthly officer meetings, with Freeholders invited to attend. If the officers have something sensitive to discuss, it could happen prior to the open meeting. We discussed various days and times. Thomas will send out a poll, to let people choose between Tuesday evenings or Sunday afternoons, once a month.

Shire Champions – We were not able to select new Freehold Champions this past fall. We discussed the advisability of splitting up the championships so that each can get its due attention, rather than having too many competing championships at one event.  

Shire Financial Policy – Katherine mentioned that the Financial Committee, plus anybody else who’s interested, will be reviewing the shire’s financial policies. This review is required by the Kingdom Exchequer.

And that was most of it – if I missed anything, I’m sure somebody will speak up.

Notes by Marieke

We met via Zoom. Attendees were: David Poirier, Eleanor, Dafydd, Marieke, Katherine, Kastana, Kat, Lily, Tearlach, Leo, Alaxandr, Odd, Sarah and Archer, Rosie, Thomas.

Officer Reports –

Exchequer: Katherine reported our bank account holds $4272.50, and we have received our refunded site deposit and security deposit from the Feast of Fools site, since we had to cancel the event due to the pandemic.

Chatelain: Odd reported that there’s a library in the Islands that would like us to do a medieval demo, but it’s on hold until the plague passes.

Reopening –

Basically, we’re still on hold. With SCA restrictions, and state/local restrictions, and school restrictions, it’s just not practical to meet indoors. Properly distanced outdoor activities are possible (a winter woods-walk was suggested.)

So, that leaves us with online options. Regular social meetings, A&S-focused meetings, even physical things like fencing drills or archery exercises can be adapted to a virtual format. Some people love these online gatherings; others, not so much, but if you think it would fill a need, let people know, and make it happen. (You don’t have to be an officer to create “unofficial” meetings of this type.) For Zoom meetings, we are currently using Lily’s account (thanks, Lily!) Katherine suggested that the shire could pay $150 a year for an upgraded account that will allow more people to join, and allow longer sessions. Marieke is investigating (update: yes, this is allowed). We also had some questions come up about SCA protocols for online meetings. Many answers are here: https://seneschal.eastkingdom.org/news.php#guidelines

Dafydd is pondering some sort of online Yule for January, with carolling, mathom exchange, cookie exchange, and general socializing. Contact him if you have any suggestions. It was also suggested that we could do Mimir’s Well in the spring as a series of online classes.

Elections –

We are in Year A of our election cycle. Up for election: Seneschal, Knight Marshal, Fencing Marshal, Pursuivant, Archivist, Minister of Arts and Sciences. David Poirier is not planning to run again for seneschal. Tearlach said AEthelwulf has been Acting Knight Marshal; we can formalize him at the election unless there are other contenders. The other officers are willing to continue, but anybody can still run against the incumbent. David will soon post an announcement to get our elections underway.

Next Officer Meeting , sometime in December.

Subject: Notes from business meeting, 2/16/20
Chancellor Minor report: Eleanor reported that Cat Spoonbreaker is now our deputy Chancellor Minor. Eleanor will remain our Shire’s Chancellor Minor, but she is also now serving as Northern Regional Deputy Chancellor Minor.

Fencing report: Lily reported that fencing is going great, with good turnout. Some youth are almost ready to be authorized. We approved the purchase of two loaner youth gorgets, and a longsword. Jordan is replacing the existing gorgets with a better model. In the future we will need another small-adult gorget, a few more hoods, and a jumbo fencing jacket.

Marshal report: Tearlach will fill in as our Knight Marshal, by virtue of his white baldric which grants him this power.

Baronial situation: David Poirier said that we don’t need to do anything at the moment. Panther Vale is still exploring the question, on their end.

Web Minister report: Katherine (and others) would like to get an alert in their regular email, whenever a new officer gmail is received in the Gmail account, because it’s hard to remember to check the gmail account. Marieke will ask the Kingdom Webminister if this feature can be added.

Pursuivant report: Dafydd reported that he will pursue some plans after Mimir’s Well. He would like to create a shire armorial, and update our collection of painted canvas banners for shire members. Jordan asked if the populace badge on the Freehold website can be re-posted with the correct coloring, and in higher resolution, so he can use the correct sigil to mark our loaner gear. As this graphical stuff is beyond Marieke’s powers, Kastana will assist.

Mistress of Arts and Sciences: Rosie reported that our April meeting will be for creating masks for Fool’s Feast, which will have the theme of Carnival in Venice. Dafydd is ready to lead a silk painting class, but it’s not scheduled yet. The group also thanked Rosie for her timely sharing of A&S information from the kingdom. Rosie has found some of the shire song books. She also has a box of various lengths of cloth for future projects. Marieke offered to teach some European dancing, probably on some upcoming weeknight.

Exchequer: Katherine reported that our treasury is healthy, the year-end report is finalized and submitted, and the 2020 budget has been calculated. Documents are on the Mountain Freehold Google drive, and if you want to know how to access that, ask Katherine. She’s looking for a deputy exchequer to train. She mentioned a few rules to consider: we need to provide receipts for reimbursable expenses, and we can’t pay people for services or time (not that we ever have…)

Seneschal: David Poirier reminded us that only he can sign contracts. This applies to demos, events, meeting locations, and anything else that might require a signature.

Chatelain: Odd is settling in. He has SCA contact business cards if anyone needs to replenish their supply.

Mimir’s Well: Eleanor reports everything is on track. The schedule of 25 classes is published. We are making a special effort to include youth activities. We voted to subsidize 15 kits for one of the youth classes (making the battery lanterns) because the parts are kind of expensive to ask a class fee for, but the product is really cool and will add to ambience at events. This should easily fit into the event budget. For food, Cat said there will be a dayboard, and a dessert buffet just before Court. Feel free to bring dessert dishes to contribute, but it is REQUIRED that they be accompanied by a complete and accurate ingredient list. Also, importantly, the site is dry…. seriously and absolutely. No flasks, no bottles in paper bags, no gift bottles. We don’t want to risk losing this excellent site.

Affordable hotel space: David Poirier is working on an arrangement with the Hampton Inn (near Exit 17) for affordable hotel rooms for SCAdian visitors. They also have a ballroom available for $600 that could be useful.

And we got all that done in an hour! Well done, folks! As always, additions and corrections are welcome.

Marieke

Freehold Moot, 12/22/19, Brown’s River Middle School. 22 people in attendance.

PART ONE — OFFICER REPORTS

Seneschal (David Poirier) – all is well, no major updates, elections are complete.

Exchequer (Katherine) – is seeking a deputy to start learning the position. Is working on a budget for the coming year. Will post the year-end financial report on the website. Is working on a PayPal option for event registration.

Web Minister (Marieke) – all is well; there are some minor updates on the Freehold web page, and new officer email aliases are being re-linked, and will be available soon.

Minister of Arts and Sciences {Rosie)  – Last month’s arts meeting, on making favors, was lots of fun. A silk-painting session is anticipated for the early spring, to be led by Dafydd. The Queen is still in need of favors; contact Marieke if you need a kit. And, volunteers for deputy MoAS are welcome.

Minister of Lists (Tearlach) – this office is responsible for organizing the sequence of combat in formal tournaments for the shire (for example, double-elim tourneys). At the moment, none are planned.

Chatelaine (Odd) – the transition of this office (and the loaner garb bins) from Aerona to Odd is underway.

Marshal (Svanr) – not present, but Lily reported in his place – the new loaner armor is on track to arrive soon.

Fencing (Lily) – Weekly practices are going very well. Will do a poll to see if there is interest in a practice on Dec. 29 (Update – yes, but it will be at the Underhill ID school gym next door.)

Chancellor Minor (Eleanor) – Mimir’s Well will feature a Royal Court with Their Highnesses. She is putting out the call for teachers at the Well, and that includes classes for Youth. Teachers do not need to be background-checked, but another adult needs to be present in each class.  Cat is almost through the background check process (yay!)

Announcement from Julian on behalf of Panther Vale – a reminder that Panther Vale/Freehold Yule Feast is on January 4, starting at 2 pm., in Norwich VT. There will be dancing, and plenty of room for other activities. It’s a pot-luck feast. The traditional Mathom Exchange will take place. (Editor’s note – see Facebook or the Freehold website for more details.)

PART TWO – DISCUSSION OF BARONIAL OPTIONS

(Forgive me, this was a two-hour discussion – I have summarized and synthesized as best I could! Anything I’ve omitted can be addressed in the comments. – Marieke)

OVERVIEW

Julian, from Panther Vale, led the discussion. Panther Vale’s Baronial Exploration Committee consists of himself, Edward Talbot, and Sigurd. They have already written up a draft constitution and bylaws for the proposed Barony. Depending on how things are structured, they may need to design heraldry and get it passed, and likewise choose a new name (Gröna Bergen – Swedish for Green Mountains — is one proposal.) But they may also be able to keep Panther Vale and its heraldry, depending on the chosen structure of the Barony.  

POSSIBLE BARONIAL CONFIGURATIONS

Here are the options under consideration:

Version One – Panther Vale becomes a Barony on its own, and the Freehold is not involved.

Version Two – Panther Vale becomes a Barony on its own, and incorporates some or all of the Crown Lands at the southern edge of the state. The Freehold is not involved in this either, unless we wish to contest the reassignment  of Crown Lands (which seems unlikely.)

Version Three – The whole state of Vermont becomes a Barony again, incorporating Panther Vale, Mountain Freehold, and the Crown Lands.

                Version Three-A – The whole state becomes a single Barony, with no subgroups. This would be similar to the situation in the Barony of Stonemarche, next door in NH. In this case, we would choose a new name and new heraldry for the Barony. Both “Panther Vale” and “Mountain Freehold” would be dissolved. This scenario would require a staff of eight Baronial officers (plus any required deputies), who would be responsible for the administration of the entire state.

Version Three-B – The whole state becomes the Barony of Panther Vale, and Mountain Freehold continues to exist as a separate Canton within the Barony. This allows the Freehold to maintain our customs and identity, and to have our own Canton officers and treasury, but these would still be subject to the Baronial bylaws. This scenario requires a slate of eight Baronial officers, and at least three Canton officers (plus any required deputies).

                Version Three-C – The whole state becomes a new Barony (with new name and heraldry), and it would consist of two equal Cantons – the Canton of Panther Vale, and the Canton of Mountain Freehold. This allows each group to keep their traditions, and the balance of power is more equal between the two groups.  It also allows for a clean “divorce” – keeping name and territory —  if the Barony is ever dissolved, or if one Canton decides to secede. This structure requires eight Baronial officers, and each Canton needs at least three officers (plus required deputies). This may seem like a lot of officers, but some can double up (for example, you could be both a Baronial Pursuivant, and a Canton Minister of Arts and Sciences.) The rules for each office, and for required deputies, vary from office to office – as do the workloads.

PROS AND CONS

Baronies have more “prestige” than Shires. The pomp and ceremony around having a Baron/ess (one or two people wearing the Baronial Coronet) can be fun, and inspiring to new people. Baronies get to participate in the Opening Ceremonies at Pennsic, as part of the East Kingdom Procession. 

Baronies, being larger and more complex entities, require more effort to administer. (More officers, more reports…etc.)

Baronies can give awards that are listed in the Kingdom Order of Precedence. (Shires can also give tokens and acknowledgements, but these are not tracked by the Kingdom.)

Baron/esses can recommend their people to the Crown for awards (but so can anybody else).

Baron/esses are expected to “Hold Court” at some of the events held in their Barony. This involves sitting in state, presenting local awards, receiving gifts and tributes, and hosting other entertainments. (In some cases, the Royalty might delegate the Baron/ess to present certain awards on their behalf, but in practice this is rather rare.)

Baronies are expected (if not exactly required) to “step up” and host major Kingdom events. It is assumed that Baronies have the energy and resources to do this.

Becoming a whole-state Barony will tie the whole state together, for better or worse. Travel times and distances won’t change, but expectations to travel within the state on Baronial business (for events, demos, practices, and meetings) would probably increase.

Baronies need to keep up their paid membership numbers – at least 25, but more is better. Shires only require 5 paid members. At the moment, both PV and Freehold are way over this. But would we be able to maintain high membership if another recession hits, and as our population ages?

The person or people chosen as Baron/ess should be able to travel to at least one Royal Progress event per reign, preferably Coronation, to swear fealty. Serving in this role requires some degree of expense for travel and “putting on a good show.” By SCA rules, the Baronial treasury is very limited in which expenses it can reimburse. (But there are other fundraising options, like auctions for a specific stated purpose.)

LOGISTICS

The PV Baronial Exploration Committee will report to Panther Vale at their Jan. 4Quarterly Officers Meeting with an update. The committee’s charge is to have major decisions made by July.  It’s up to the Freehold to decide if we want to join with PV in this new Barony, or let them do their own thing. It wasn’t specifically said, but I think we’d need to decide before their July meeting.

There will be other meetings in January and February to discuss this matter further – in person, or possibly online via Discord. Further details will be provided as they are known. The Freehold will likely have a moot to discuss this issue amongst ourselves and get a sense of what the shire wishes to do.

Also –  We used the word “polling” and people requested a definition. “Polling” is a formal process whereby the Kingdom Seneschal sends a snail-mail ballot to all paid SCA members, to determine their wishes, with regard to the change of group status from Shire to Barony.  If Panther Vale wishes to advance their status to Barony, and the Freehold does not wish to be a part of that, then only PV would be polled. If the Freehold does choose to go in on the Baronial project with PV, then the Freehold would be polled as well. The formal polling will not take place until the structure and composition of the potential Barony is determined (as well as the Baronial Bylaws, and the list of the proposed Baronial Officers.) If the change of status polling to Barony is successful, it is followed (within 18 months) by another polling, to determine the group’s wishes for who will serve as Baron/ess.

Well, I think that’s everything, but I’m sure you’ll let me know what I missed! And ask if you have any questions. — Marieke

Greetings from Marieke! We had a Business Meeting on Sunday, 11/24/19, and here are my notes.

Seneschal: David Poirier talked about his idea of providing entertainment (in garb) to the kids and their visitors at the Children’s Hospital. It would make a fun sort of demo. Any participants would have to agree to background check from the hospital. It’s still in the discussion phase. – The seneschal also reminded us that the election cycle is underway, and names for this year’s officer crop of officers are now being collected.

Knight Marshal: Svanr says, the report is in. The summer archery practices are noted. The modular loaner armor we have commissioned from Dark Victory Armory should be ready by early next year. We now have a Youth Combat Marshal in Training.

Web Minister: Marieke says, the report is in. Make yourself a Wiki if you haven’t already (ask for details.) There is now a link under “Laws and Policies” that lists officer report due dates. Notes from meetings and moots are also archived on our website.

Chatelaine: Aerona says, new business cards are on order for whoever is the next Chatelaine. A professional demo banner is also in the works. The extra loaner-garb giveaway at Birthday Bash was very successful in re-homing our surplus and reducing our huge inventory – but we still need loaner garb for all child sizes. Maybe this could be a subject for an A&S meeting? We also need more loaner feast gear. We’re on track to participate in the Winter RennFaire demo on Feb. 1.

Chancellor Minor: Eleanor says, background checks and renewals are in process or almost done, including for Svanr and Aerona. We have a Youth Marshal in Training. We will offer Youth Activities at Fool’s Feast, and there will be a track of Youth Classes at Mimir’s Well. The Mimir’s Well event will be attended by some of the kids who go to that school, so expect youthful exuberance! David Poirier will be running Youth Activities at War of the Roses this year, and he has some fun ideas for that.

Fencing: Lily says, things are going great! 6-10 adults show up at practice each week, and 3 or more youth fencers are also coming. The loaner gear is in good shape, but two blades need to be replaced. There are plans to coordinate some fencing practices with Ile du Dragon Dormant. Watch for a shift in the Sunday schedule, to accommodate youth fencing and youth heavy list first, then adult practice for both afterwards.

Seneschal again: Officer meetings! We will have them! They will be open meetings. The plan is to try for the fourth Sunday of each month, from 1-2 pm, before fighting/fencing practice. Sometimes there will be a conflict and we’ll adjust as necessary. The next meeting will be Jan 19 (moved to avoid Birka conflict) at 1 pm, perhaps running until 3, because we will devote the meeting to a discussion of the pros and cons of the baronial movement in Panther Vale. (It was also mentioned that there should be no talk of baronial matters in the fighting/fencing practice area, as a courtesy to the participants. It’s fine to step out into the hall to hold such conversation, but it’s too distracting to those who are there to wield their blades.)

Upcoming events: Yule, Jan 4, in Norwich VT – lots do to, and lots to eat! Details are easy to find on Facebook and the Freehold list. – We see that Panther Vale’s Lost Tip archery event may be retired. – Birthday Bash discussion. We agreed it felt a little overfull with all of the Championships. It was suggested that next year some of the Championships could be held earlier and announced at B-Bash. – Mimir’s Well is on track for March 7. — Fool’s Feast is being planned right now (for April) and we just got a bid for that, from Clovis. – Svanr might be interested in hosting Birthday Bash, but it’s way early to know what his work obligations will be, as he enters new employment.

Here endeth my notes!

Moot Minutes, Sept. 8, 2019. Brown River Middle School, Jericho VT.

Present: Lily, Eleanor, David Poirier, Katherine, Odd, Svanr, Maegwyn, Tearlach, Gwyneth, Rudth, Rena, Gotar, Kasana, Marieke, Rosie, Thomas, Sean, Rudth, Kat, Aethelwulf, Julian, Star

EXCHEQUER REPORT: Katherine, our Exchequer, reported that our bank balance is $4,500. She is now warranted (finally) and is in control of the bank account and checkbook.

EXPENSE: NEW LOANER ARMOR FOR HEAVY LIST. Svanr, our Knight Marshal, proposed a major expense, which involves getting two full suits of loaner armor for heavy list, from Dark Victory Armory; one size small/medium, and one sized medium/large. We have plenty of helmets available. We authorized $750 for the armor, the padding, and other necessary bits and pieces. All voted in favor. Heavy List participation has been dwindling, and having loaner armor will really help get people back.

FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ARMOR: Svanr mentioned that Panther Vale is holding an armor making workshop at the end of October, and we could take advantage of that opportunity to make some armor for very small and very large people as well. Tearlach mentioned that he has a stockpile of aluminum for shields. It would also be neat to make some tabards to cover the armor and help the newcomers look spiffy. Lily mentioned that she sometimes loans out fencing gear for Freeholders who need it, who are attending events. She keeps careful track and gets it back afterwards.

EXPENSE: AXE FOR NEW THROWN WEAPONS CHAMPION. It was proposed that we purchase an Axe, for our new Thrown Weapon Champion. Since we will be choosing a Thrown Weapon Champion at Birthday Bash for the first time, we need a prize to be passed down. We voted on a $75 expense for this prize.

FURTHER DISCUSSION ON FREEHOLD CHAMPIONS: These Champion’s Prizes are meant to be passed to the next champion. We can limit the Champion to the Freeholders only, and have a separate one-time prize for the tourney winner if the person is out-of-shire. It was suggested that we could also make leather baldrics, to mark our Champions. Marieke has put the Roll of Champions on the Freehold website. There is also a scroll for the Fencing and Archery champions. Scrolls could also be made for the Heavy List and the Thrown Weapons champions.

OFFICER ELECTIONS: David P. reminded us that we will be holding elections at the end of the year. Offices up for election are: Archery Marshal, Exchequer, Chancellor Minor, Chatelaine, and Webminister. Current officers in these positions expressed their intent and willingness to continue for another two-year term, with the exception of Chatelaine. If you are interested in stepping forward for the Chatelaine job, please contact Aerona to discuss the duties and responsibilities. She may be willing to take a deputy for training, or to turn over the office. – It should be stated that any position can be challenged, regardless of the incumbent’s desire to stay. Also, anyone applying for an officer position should have fulfilled the requirements for holding that office (such as background checks, or SCA membership, etc.). And finally, most officers are looking for deputies – if you’d like to serve as a deputy, talk with the officer.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Birthday Bash, Oct. 5, Bristol VT. Our new Champions will be chosen, and there will be games!

Yule Feast this year will be hosted by Panther Vale.

A bid for Mimir’s Well (a day of classes) will be submitted soon; details are still being worked out. It is possible that this might be a Royal Progress event, and if so, the site will be the Browns River Middle School.

Fool’s Feast is expected to take place this spring, as well.

DISCUSSION OF FAMILY CAP PRICING – We voted to make it shire policy that families with more than two children will only have to pay the site fee for two children, and other children will be admitted for free. For feast and dayboard, if those expenses are optional, everyone who partakes will still need to pay.

DISCUSSION OF SITES – Thomas reminded us that he has connections with a Vergennes school that might make a good event site. We are looking for sites in the southern part of the shires, since we have a number of new members from that area who are interested.

DISCUSSION OF NEEDS OF TEENS/YOUNG ADULTS – At Harpers, Cecily gave a class on the needs and expectations of youth in the Society. We should think about how to meet the needs of these participants so we can retain them, and benefit from their energy and insights. We didn’t have any concrete ideas but this is something we should be alert to.

MISCELLANEOUS POINTS

David P. has Northern Army Archer stickers; Tearlach has Northern Army stickers. Get one and show your pride!

Aethelwulf is storing a 10×10  pavilion top, and a 10×18 pavilion top. Both have been a bit mouse-gnawed and could use some patching. They also need new mouse-proof boxes.

Svanr mentioned that the Freehold website is one of the “official record” ways of notifying people about events and meetings. Somebody mentioned that the website should offer an easy way for people to sign up for the Freehold email list – it’s there now, but not easy to find. Marieke will make it more obvious. Other suggestions for website improvements are welcome.

We discussed having two, or possibly four, moots per year.

The moot adjourned after one hour. Thanks to everyone who participated – it was great to have you there!

Notes by Marieke; additions and corrections are welcome.

Greetings, Freeholders! Here are my notes from the lovely, pleasant, productive Moot held on June 29, 2014, at the home of Lisabetta and Erasmus in North Hero.

Present: Aethelwulf, Thora, Lisabetta, Erasmus, Gwynedd, Maegwyn, Tearlach, Blythe, Rudth, Sean, Katherine, Marieke

FIGHTING PRACTICE – continues, every other weekend – roughly the second and fourth Sundays of the month, except when major local events conflict. Practices are in the Mills River Park in Jericho if the weather is good, or in the Underhill ID School Gym if not. We are trying to dress up, have crafts, and engage interested spectators. Practices are posted on the Freehold Facebook page, and the Five Shires Facebook page. (Whoever thinks of it should also post the notices to the Freehold email list.)

COLDWOOD (PLATTSBURGH NY) DEMO – August 30, we think, not sure of when/where. A bunch of Freeholders are planning to head over and help out. More details will be posted when known.

DEMOS/PUBLICITY IN GENERAL – The Mills River practices serve as a demo, but they’re not held in a population center and we might need to think about a better location. Our indoor spring demo at the Underhill ID school was publicized, but not well attended – not very visible. The Lutheran Fair in May was a good demo opportunity. We discussed Oakledge Park as a good future demo site – but there may be a cost for pavilion rental, and there is a charge for parking. If we can pull together a good demo, it’s worth publicizing it in Seven Days. Somebody also suggested having flyers available for “coming events” which could be handed out at the gate of an earlier event – say, if we planned a summer event, we could have a flyer ready to be handed out at Panteria.

BIRTHDAY BASH – we discussed several ideas for location, including the Greek Orthodox Church, the St. Albans church, Brewster River campground, the well-provisioned camp that’s up on the northern border, etc. At the end of the meeting we all felt that having a public demo/event  in the St. Albans Park followed by an evening feast in the St. Albans Church would be the best way to go. Details are being worked out. September is very full, so this may happen in early October.

YULE FEAST – we are hosting Yule feast this year (we alternate with Panther Vale). Although the St. Albans church is nice, we will look into a more convenient location that’s closer for our Panther Vale friends.

The Greek Church in Burlington is under new management so it’s not clear if we’ll get as good a deal as we did before. We will ask Alaxandr about the West Rutland Town Hall, a site he has recommended in the past.

BORDERS – Our shire senschal, Sean, has composed a formal letter to Dafydd, our regional seneschal, asking for the zip codes that are included in Rutland County. If successful, this will expand Freehold territory to the south, in order to include Alaxandr and his lady.

PANTERIA – we discussed, at length, ways we can help at Panteria next year. This means “Really Helping in a Significant Way.” People who sign up for the meal plan are already supposed to help in the kitchen for an hour or two (and often don’t). But much more help is needed, at the event and for clean-up at the end – if Panther Vale folk burn out, the event just won’t happen and that would be a very sad thing. We’ll be in touch with Panther Vale to see what we can do, but this will require a commitment from Freeholders to give up some of our “fun time” to make sure the event continues to happen.

WEB PAGE – Our website looks great and is helpful for newcomers. It would be nice if we could have a quick and easy way to add current events and news about local activities to our website. Can Alaxandr link a blog to the site so that people could contribute little tidbits? Marieke will inquire.

NEW CHATELAINE – Lady Katherine has volunteered to be our chatelaine. Vivat!

WALLET CARDS – Lisabetta will design little SCA contact cards that we can hand out to the public, and have them professionally printed at a low-cost site that she uses for her own cards. The Moot attendees approved this purchase.

LARP SWORDS FOR DEMOS – the Moot attendees approved the purchase of several LARP style foam swords that could be used informally at demos.

ARCHERY PRACTICE – would be nice; there is a pent-up desire to shoot. A marshal would also be nice (Emrys is working on this) and of course, a suitable location must be found.

NEXT MEETING/MOOT – Blythe offered her lovely dwelling in Richmond as a location for a future meeting, moot or gathering.

Them’s my notes – feel free to add, discuss and debate!

Marieke