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Issue 29
July/ August 02 AS XXXVI
The Shire of Ravensweir
Quesnel BC

Grizelda's Grotto

Greetings Good Gentles,
As our fearless leader, Lady Rowan, is away on a well earned sabbatical, I, Grizelda, will be filling in as deputy Seneschale.

Allow me to give you some information on my history with the SCA. I attended my first event 7 years ago with Zoe and Flynn O'Fergus and the Ardens. It was a truly magical experience and I was hooked. When our Shire was formed I took the office of Arts & Science which I held for a couple of years. I then became the Chatelaine. Neither of these offices carry the heavy burden of the Seneschale's position and I know that I will be a poor substitute for the lovely Lady Rowan. (May she return soon). I shall need the guidance and advice of all of you while I fill in. Please bear with me.

Our next event will be held on Sept. 6-8 and as it is our competition I encourage all of you to participate in the contests, "the more the merrier".

I can be reached at home at 992-6484 or at grizelda@goldcity.net or at K-Max where I toil with our most capable ( & cute ) Chatelaine, Lasilana.

Allow me to leave you with the wish that our beautiful weather holds for our event and one final request for any & all advice you have for me.
Your Servant in Anachronism
Grizelda the Chaste

From the Acting Chronicler:



Greetings good people of our great and wonderful shire.

First of all I would like to say Congratulations to her Ladyship Sigrid Arden for being awarded a Jambe de Leon. Huzzah!!! And a huge thank you to all of you who congratulated me on my AoA. This is just in case I was too preoccupied to say thank you at that time. Nothing has made me prouder than to be a part of this Shire with all of the wonderful people.

There are many officer changes this month so please take a look at the officers page at the front of the newsletter. I would like to welcome all of the new officers and deputies that have joined our family.

I would also like to welcome all the new people that have decided to join us in his grand shire of ours. I am pleased and impressed that so many managed to escape mundania and share with us the magic of the Clinton War. I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I. I am equally pleased and impressed with the way in which our friends and fellow fighters did die. It was a pleasure to share the experience with all of you ladies who joined in the arduous task of fund raising with the kidnapping. Recognition must be given to all those who toiled so heartily during the work week.

HUZZAH TO ALL WHO ATTENDED!!!!!!!!

Our next event has unofficially changed dates because so many from our shire would have been unable to attend. The new dates are September 6th-8th. There will be a few new competitions. Best Depiction of Death by Disease, which will be judged by our very own Lord Doughal, as he has shown us that he can die with a very dramatic flair. There will also be the first Arts and Sciences competition as well as our second Rapier Championship. The Rapier Championship will be run by our current champion Kalin Kiliarson, who has worked hard with the Master of Stables to come up with some new and wonderful scenarios. I hope that many of you will be able to join us at this event as it looks like it will be alot of fun.

Lastly I would like to encourage anyone with something to say in our newsletter to send it to me and I will try to make room for it. I would love to have new things to put in this publication to spice it up and make it more unique to our Shire.



I look forward to seeing you all at the event,

YIS
Lady Rowena Skerlenger

From the Exchequer



First of all -- HUZZAH!! to the new Lady Rowena -- well deserved.

Secondly, in the event that you have not yet surmised, I am now the Exchequer. No need for anything long winded - same girl, different office.

I remain,
as always,

Yours In Service
Sigrid

Eskya's Corner
If you were Seven......

If you were 7 in the middle ages and a boy, you would be ceremoniously "breeched" with your first pair of pants. You would officially become a man. Boys and girls would wear miniature versions of their parents' clothes. You would already know who you would marry because your father would have arranged it. Your mother would have raised you up until now.

If you were a girl, your mother would teach you how to be a good housewife. You learned how to pray, clean house, milk the cows, suckle the calves, dress children, cook meals, bake, make butter and cheese, look after the pigs, collect eggs, wash linen make candles, spin, weave and embroider. If you were a daughter of a rich man, you would learn how to supervise servants, run a large household, dance, sing, and embroider

If you were a boy, you would probably be taught whatever your father knew. If you lived on a farm, you would be taught plowing, sowing and harvesting. You would help with the animals and the beehives. You would also learn how to use a bow and arrow in case of war.

If you were a boy, you might go to school. Everything had to be learned by rote (memorized) because paper was so expensive. You had to do well, otherwise you would be kicked out of school.

If you were a rich boy or girl, you would be sent to another rich man's house to complete your training. Girls would learn to be housewives. Boys would start education to be a knight. Both boys and girls would begin as servants.
To be continued...

The King's Cat:

This game comes from Mistress Elizabeth Carpenter of Rye. She adapted it from the Minister's Cat played as a parlor game in Ebeneezer Scrooge's nephew's home in one movie version of A Christmas Carol.

The children who play this must be able to recognize letters and assign descriptive words to each latter. However, a group of children of mixed ages and abilities can also have a great deal of fun.

The first thing to do is to find a calligrapher to calligraph each letter of the alphabet (in upper and lower case) onto a cardboard card so that what you have on the end is a set of flash cards of an alphabet. Group the children to other players (adults can play too) around you. Mix the cards and show one card at a time. The idea is to move quickly through the cards. For example the card shows the letter B. The chant goes, "The King's cat is a...." (and someone quickly says a bountiful cat.) Move quickly to the next card and repeat.

Now if you have a group of older children (teenagers, perhaps) then modify the game so that each person has a turn and if they don't come up with an adjective for the King's Cat, then they are out. Clapping in rhythm is another optional adaptation especially for a round-the-circle structure.


Eskya Eriksdottir
From the Mistress of Arts & Sc

Greetings, fair gentles,
September 6th-8th is our first ever Arts & Sciences competition and I would just like everyone to know a few things about submissions.

Anything that you would like to submit has to have been made in the past year and you must have at least one piece of documentation, either describing the item or showing a picture of it. I will accept either one. I hope that many of you will be submitting items and that there will be a variety of wonderful pieces. I know that this shire has quite a few very talented people and I would love to see some of their talent displayed for others to admire. Please don't let us have an empty table.

As usual I have some History bites:

-In Scotland, a new game was invented. It was entitled Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.... and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

-Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades - King David,

Hearts - Charlemagne,

Clubs-Alexander the Great,

Diamonds - Julius Caesar

And now I have exhausted my store of Historical bites, I hope you have found as much amusement in them as I have had in finding them. Maybe some day I will run across some more and once again subject you to their humour.

Yours In Service
Lady Rowena

Greetings Good Gentles,

The end of another tournament season draws near, and for me it was a wonderful season. This was my first real season as a member of the SCA. And from the beginning at Spring Murder where I was Huzzah'ed into becoming Chatelaine... to the wonderful Clinton war it has been a great few months!

Clinton from A Newbies perspective: I had been told many stories and warned about many things. But nothing can prepare you for that first view. As you come around honking corner and see the Dragon's Pit, so big, so many cars, and the people; every colour, shade and style of garb. We sometimes forget how vast the period really was. There is a large time span. The music, the noise, the people. There was so many things to see so little time. From the magic show and the battles, to the kidnapping and the weddings, to the music and the food. Everything was amazing. There were times when you looked around and forgot the time and place. Where you were transported back and that my friends is what the SCA is all about. And that is what Clinton was for me. And just in case you need a reminder of what the SCA is all about it is about meeting people and being taken back.

YIS
Lasilana Danica Trifunova Clannad Mac Gowan

Awards
Writing an Award Recommendation
By Lao Khatun, Duchess of An Tir

When I was queen my greatest pleasure came from giving public recognition to the endeavors of my people in the arts, sciences and in service. Having the rare opportunity to serve this realm twice from the Lion's Throne, I have witnessed several people evolve from newcomer to titled noble, and in some instances, to be admitted to the Peerage Orders. Any queen will tell you that the decisions that are made regarding these forms of recognition are not made lightly. Nor are they made Independently. Although it is the prerogative of the Crown to bestow awards, They depend upon the advice of Their people, whom They often charge to bring to Their attention those who are deserving of royal favor.

When you write a letter of recommendation, you should include the candidate's name, persona, the branch they are from, and what they have done to be worthy of elevation. List what awards and titles they currently hold, and state which award you feel the candidate should be considered for. If they hold an office, include how long they have held the office, and what improvements they have made to it. State how long the person has been in the Society in addition to their contributions. Typically the Crown will consider giving an Award of Arms to someone who has been a contributing member the Society for at least 1½ - 2 years. For Grants of Arms (Jambe de Lion, Goutte de Sang, etc.) 3 - 5 years is considered a reasonable length of time. It can take several years for a candidate to be admitted to one of the peerage orders.

The Crown looks specifically for ways in which the candidate has been of service to the Kingdom as a whole. If the candidate has made clothes for everyone in your household, perhaps a thank-you is in order rather than a letter of recommendation to the Crown. If the candidate has made fighting tabards for the sergeants of your Barony, recommend them to your Baroness for a Baronial service award. If they have made cloaks for the Kingdom Water Bearers and have offered to keep them cleaned and repaired, a letter of recommendation to Their Majesties for a kingdom level award is appropriate.

Anyone can recommend anyone else for any type of award. The Crown is just as pleased to receive recommendations for the Peerage Orders as they are for AA's, Jambes and Gouttes. They also appreciate receiving recommendations for those awards which are given out less frequently, such as the Lion's Cub, Mano d'Oro, Carp, Lion of An Tir and Court Baron. You do not need to be a member of an order to recommend someone for that order. It is ill-advised however to recommend yourself, and it is usually considered bad form for a husband to recommend a wife, or a girlfriend to recommend her boyfriend and vice versa. Remember to sign your recommendation, as the Crown does not accept anonymous recommendations. Include your titles and offices as well. If there are others whom the Crown could contact as additional references, include their names and titles also (be sure to ask them first!). The Crown will usually contact Their peers and officers in the branch to solicit additional comment on your recommendation. Send AA recommendations to the King and Queen as well as the Prince and Princess of the Principality.

The Crown keeps a recommendations book which is passed from one reign to the next. The contents of the book is sorted by branches, and multiple letters recommending a particular person are kept together. Although some Royal Couples will accept petitions, most make Their decision on the number of letters that They receive for a particular candidate. It is helpful to write a separate letter for each person that you are recommending. It is helpful to have the date, candidate's name and award that you are recommending them for at the top of the page, or highlighted somewhere in the text. Some Crowns will ask for calligraphed letters, others prefer typewritten. Regardless of which style you choose, your letter should be clear and easy to read. It should also be on paper that is 8½ x 11" so that it fits into a standard 3-ring binder.

Most of all, be patient. Do not expect the Crown to reply to your letter, even if it is sent via e-mail. Do not expect the award to be given at the very next event that the person is at, or even during the current reign. Bear always in mind that the granting of awards is entirely the prerogative of The Crown. By making the recommendation, you've done your duty. A letter of recommendation is simply that---a recommendation. If the person you are recommending is truly worthy, their labors will be recognized sooner or later. As will your own some day.

Ravensweir Autumn Burial & Championships
Sept 6 - 8
Site opens Friday at 5:00 pm and closes Sunday at 6:00 pm
Site Fee: $5.00 per person with a mundane family cap at $10.00.
Make cheques payable to "Ravensweir, SCA Inc."
Location: 3895 Blueridge Road, Quesnel, BC
directions: making your best way to Quesnel BC, turn east at Hwy 26 (Barkerville Hwy) and travel approximately 7 kliks. Turn right on Blueridge Road. It is the first driveway on the right.
Autocrat - Lady Rowena Skerlenger (250) 992-8060 dametammy@hotmail.com

Contests:

Arts and Sciences Championship
- must have been made during the past year
- one piece of documentation

Best dramatic depiction of death by (any) period disease.
This will be judged by our resident OPL, Lord Doughal MacGowan.
Extra points for documentation.

Rapier Championship
- must be a paid SCA member
- active member of the Shire of Ravensweir
- Champion must be prepared to serve in the following capacities;
- regularly attend and advise at rapier practice
- attend events and meetings as our Champion
- plan and run rapier tourney at the following Championship.

***There will also be a Champion of the Day category for those unable to fulfill the Champions prerequisites***

Scenarios:

Tavern Brawl: Rumours of an attempt to assassinate someone of the Royal Family have been circulating and it is up to you to discover who this assassin is. Your investigation should instigate a bit of a ruckus, so be prepared to defend yourself. (Please feel free to insult people in order to get results) The last man standing is given 3 points.

Message delivery: You have discovered that there is a plot against the crown. Your job is to relay a message of warning of the impending assassination attempt. There are rumours that the only passable bridge is being guarded. It may not be necessary to kill the guards but just to get through is far more important. As you approach you will see two rogues blocking the way across the bridge. Each rogue are sharing one dagger and one rapier. There are no visible pistols. If you find that it is necessary to kill the guards you will be awarded only one point per. If you can pass unmolested than you will be awarded two points and although you may pass through after killing the guards you will only be awarded a total of 2 points.

Defend the Crown: You have successfully warned the Royal Family, but the attack has already begun. In a moment of self-sacrifice and chivalry you are willing to give your life to buy time so that they may escape. Now you alone must face the mob of attackers with the weapons of your choice.( No pistols remember you are being chivalrous). The attackers are mere rogues and are armed with just daggers. You must defend the only entrance, NO ONE must get past until the Family has reached safety. You will receive one point for each rogue killed and five points if the Family can escape safely. -One fighter will act as the Royal Family, they start in the room when the mob arrives. They are responsible for finding the secret exit.

After passing through the exit they must run to safety. If they can run from the secret door to the safe point before the fighter dies they will receive two points. If the fighter dies and they are able to escape they will be given one point. If the fighter is able to hold the door until the family escapes and reaches the safe point the fighter will receive five points.

Everyone will get points for Acts of Chivalry throughout the event.
You will be quizzed on your knowledge of Ravensweir. (Be prepared)
Other minor scenarios will be held (time permitting)

Contact info for rapier;
Champion - Kalin Kaliarson (250) 747-2112 rapier@telus.net
MoS - Erik Skerlenger (250) 992-8060 keeblersprite@yahoo.com
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