21 Wednesday Apr 2021
Posted in Announcements, Corporate News
Tags
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, the Board approved the formation of a new principality, the Principality of Vindheim in the Kingdom of Ansteorra.
This new principality includes the state of Oklahoma, the Texas panhandle and part of north Texas near the Red River.
The first Coronet Tourney and investiture are planned for December 11, 2021.
Congratulations to all!
16 Friday Apr 2021
Posted in Announcements, Event Announcements & Updates, Pennsic
Tags
From the Pennsic Mayor –
G’Day Everyone,
When taking office in the position of Mayor for Pennsic 49 I made a promise to everyone. That promise was that above all else, I would endeavor to run a fiscally responsible and safe Pennsic 49. It was my dear friend and mentor Viscount Sir Edward that said to me “The people that attend this event are Pennsic, take care of them.” I promised him I would. Then COVID 19 hit and the entire world was plunged into a crisis, the like of which we have not witnessed in our lifetimes.
Over the past few months, I have been in constant discussions with The Pennsic Seneschals Group (PSG), The President of the SCA Inc, Coopers Lake Management and my Pennsic Senior Executive Group. In addition, I have seen the comments from many of you and listened to the comments from my Deputy Mayors and their staff.
I have kept you all updated as much as possible so that you all understand my decision-making process and so that you understand the path I am walking when I make decisions. Although change is happening and things are getting better, I must deal with the now, rather than what I think it may be like in 3 months’ time and unfortunately our vendors needs for commitment and certainty are requiring us to make commitments earlier than we originally intended.
As Mayor of Pennsic 49, I was entrusted with, the welfare and safety of the entire Pennsic Family. It is therefore with great sadness that I must inform you today that, I have decided to Postpone Pennsic 49 for another 12 months to 2022. The new dates for Pennsic 49 will be 29 July 2022 – 14 August 2022. This has been an exceedingly difficult decision to make but I trust you understand the reasoning behind it.
This postponement will be heartbreaking news to many of you and especially to the community surrounding Coopers Lake.
It has been arranged with Cooper’s Lake Management, that those who have preregistered for Pennsic 49 may have their registrations rolled over to 2022. If you desire a refund, please go to http://www.cooperslake.com and log into your pre-registration account.
Even if Pennsic 49 cannot run this July 2021, I remain optimistic that the situation will improve over the next months. I know that some of you have lost loved ones to this pandemic and my Pennsic Team and I send you our condolences and best wishes.
I am looking forward to the time when I can share some time with you all at Cooper’s Lake and Pennsic War.
Yours in Service,
Sir Gregory of Loch Swan
Mayor
Pennsic 49
04 Sunday Apr 2021
Posted in Announcements, Kingdom News
Greetings to Beloved AEthelmearc.
I bring news from the Kingdom Financial Committee, which includes myself and Their Majesties, as well as the Deputy Kingdom Seneschal of Pandemics, Duke Christopher; and Master Morien, Kingdom Earl Marshal.
As you have seen, the Board of Directors has passed a resolution for Resolution to Lift Suspension of In-Person Activity in the SCA as of June 1st, 2021.
Collectively, we have decided that A) AEthelmearc will allow events starting June 1st that follow the Board of Director’s resolutions and B) Fighting and Fencing are still on hold at least until June 1st.
With the spike of infections happening in all three States that make up AEthelmearc, we need some more time to see if we can overcome the virus and see how big the spike is going to be.
We are, however, allowing small gatherings now. (Such as sewing circles, and guild meetings.) They should also fit within the BOD’s guidelines. We recommend small, local gatherings first. Long distance travel is not recommended by the CDC at this time and we suggest folks be mindful of that. If you need a variance for any of the BOD’s resolutions, please contact me and we will work on that together.
Regarding events – AEthelmearc is indeed going to allow events starting June 1st that follow the BOD’s guidelines. We recommend small events at first and pre-registration will be required. We are also going to try to get our pre-pay systems up and running, in an effort to limit contact where possible.
Of note, we do not know if we will be allowing fighting and fencing at that time, so please be mindful of that when planning events for June.
I also know you have many questions, such as what about Pennsic, and when is Crown Tourney. We are still working on that now. The answers are to be determined. We’re working on it and as soon as I know, I will let you all know as well.
Duke Christopher and I will also be holding a Zoom meeting for local seneschals in the near future. More on that soon.
Much love. Stay safe.
Illadore
**The announcement from the SCA Board of Directors can be found at the following link here **
**There is a reopening video from Kingdom Seneschal, Illadore, available for viewing on You tube at the following link here**
01 Thursday Apr 2021
Posted in Announcements, Heavy List, Tidings
Tags
Most of you followed the predicament of the massive Ever Given cargo ship that was stuck in the Suez Canal until this past Monday.
It carried over 220,000 tons of goods coming from China to Europe, and all of that cargo was left to sit in the Egyptian sun until engineers were finally able to refloat the mammoth ship in cooperation with the Suez Canal Authority. The freighter’s position blocking the canal held up commercial travel for thousands of other ships and affected supply chains world-wide for almost a week.
The good news is that the rattan that was being hauled by the Ever Given and other ships delayed by its mishap is now on its way toward the Netherlands. From there, a supply of rattan will make its way to the U.S., Canada, Australia, and other parts of Europe. So SCA fighters, rejoice! Soon you should once again have enough rattan for all of your fighting needs.
Which are… uh… kind of low until the pandemic restrictions are lifted and we can have events and practices again.
But hey, rattan!
In related news, the following letter to the SCA Board of Directors was made available to the Gazette today for public posting.
Unto the Noble Lords and Ladies of the Board of Directors, Greetings.
Over the years I have been fooled on more than one occasion regarding the activities guided and supported by the Society of Creative Anachronism. For a while, I thought the Society was involved in a new musical style, and enjoyed it very much. Then I found out that what I thought my friends were referring to as ‘SCA’ was in fact ‘SKA’. You can imagine my disappointment. I still enjoy the music though.
However, I have been greatly encouraged that our Society has gone heavily into public good works. The re-floating of the Ever Given by the SCA is a great example of doing good works for the entire world, not just for our members.
I look forward to more good works to support.
Jacque D’Eau
31 Wednesday Mar 2021
The Known World Colegio de Iberia sponsored by the West Kingdom will be held over the first weekend of June 2021.
This is a weekend of virtual classes on the lives and times of the people who dwelt in the lands which we now call Spain and Portugal. The symposium covers the period from the Muslim Umayyad Conquest, and includes the great Muslim city-states and the four Christian kingdoms (Kingdom of Castile y Leon, Kingdom of Aragon, Kingdom of Navarre and Kingdom of Portugal), ending with death of the Habsburg king Philip II. We also explore some of the worlds who experienced colonisation by these kingdoms.
Come join us!
There is no need to pre register.
Website:
We have a website which will contain information about classes and our teachers, as well as the schedule. This is getting updated all the time so visit regularly! It is located here: https://scaiberia.com/known-world-colegio-de-iberia-2021/
YouTube Channel
Classes will be recorded where possible and will be uploaded to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2RmLGx_KiNzoFiM6GAu5Hg
SCA Iberia Facebook Group
There is a Facebook group that focuses on the culture of the Iberian peninsular called SCA Iberia (Spain and Portugal). Please come and join the community!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/338555562878719/
Facebook Event
We will be posting more updates about the event here as the event comes closer. Join us here: https://fb.me/e/28evEmlVo
The Zoom room details and password will be made available closer to the date and advertised on the Facebook event and the website. We will be having a range of breakout rooms depending on the number class tracks required.
We are looking for teachers!
If you are interested in teaching or know someone interested in teaching, please get them to fill out this form: https://forms.gle/UfvttUBQmCQd5xev9
We are looking for event support!
There are a range of different roles that we will need to make this event as easy and as fun as possible to run. If you would like to assist us in anyway please fill in this form: https://forms.gle/fHSy4DA7SkB37Y837
Please share among your networks.
Thank you for your kind attention.
07 Sunday Mar 2021
Posted in Announcements, Corporate News
The SCA Corporate office announces upcoming retirements.
It is with a mixture of sadness and joy that we announce the upcoming retirements of Renee Signorotti, Vice President for Corporate Operations & Member Services and Theresa Anderson, Administrative Assistant and Stock Clerk.
SCA, Inc is currently seeking applications for the above positions.
The deadline for applications is April 30th, 2021
22 Monday Feb 2021
Posted in Announcements, Officer Announcements
Greetings from Illadore!
First and foremost, it is approximately six months before the end of my term and it is time for a call for letters. While it is my intention to “re-up” for another two years with Their Majesties permission, I highly encourage everyone who is interested in applying for the position to please do so.
While my tenure has not been the normal experience for this office, it has been one of the best things I have done in my life and it is incredibly fulfilling to be able to help out our Kingdom. If you are interested in putting in a letter, you have until May 1st to send a letter to myself and Their Majesties.
If you are interested in being Kingdom Seneschal but are not quite ready (or do not think you are ready), please consider contacting me about a Deputy position. Æthelmearc can always use more.
As I mentioned in the recent Ælive, via email, and on social media, we have extended the fencing and fighting ban until at least April 1st. Hopefully, our numbers will be much better by then, as with the new vaccines, things are starting to look better and there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.
I also asked, and continue to ask, that we begin discussing just what does “re-opening Æthelmearc” will look like. Please send me your thoughts on what you think re-opening will be for you. This is the beginning of a conversation I would like for us to start, as a Kingdom, to have together.
With love and I hope to see you all soon,
Illadore de Bedegrayne
Kingdom Seneschal
18 Thursday Feb 2021
Posted in AELive, Announcements, Kingdom News, Officer Announcements
As revealed by our Kingdom Social Media Officer, THL Sumayya al Ghaziyya, on the latest episode of AE Live, the Kingdom of Æthelmearc now has two new communication outlets: Instagram and Discord!
Our Instagram Social Media Deputy, THL Astridr Vigaskegg, writes:
Follow us on Instagram @scaaethelmearc!
Joining Instagram is easy! You can download the app on your phone or tablet through the App Store for iPhone or iPad and the Play Store for Android. If you don’t have a mobile device, you can simply visit instagram.com. Since Instagram is now owned by Facebook, if you already have a Facebook account, you can simply click “Login with Facebook.” Otherwise you can sign up with an email address.
Follow us @scaaethelmearc and tag us in your SCA-related posts with any of these hashtags:
#aethelmearc
#æthelmearc
#kingdomofaethelmearc
#kingdomofæthelmearc
#mySCA
Our Discord Social Media Deputy is THL Owen Tegg, and he writes:
Join the Kingdom in chatting on the Æthelmearc Discord server! Here’s the invite link: https://discord.gg/J6SFAkMRFn .
If you’re a little unsure of how to use Discord, here’s a great beginner’s how-to article: https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/360033931551-Getting-Started
For questions, contact THL Owen at owentaeger@gmail.com or on Discord at owen#3698.
Wait… what exactly is Discord?
*It’s part communications app, part social media portal. It’s similar to Skype or Slack, but much more versatile, with an easy-to-use interface. With 250 million users, it’s widely used by the gaming community, growing quickly into a way to coordinate all kinds of hobbyist communities. Discord supports video calls, voice chats, and texts, and each interest server (like our Kingdom server) can have many sub channels. Try it out today! (And look for other SCA communities on Discord, – there are lots – like the “The Known World”, “SCA Bardic Social”, and even one for our own Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands)
*This information is taken from https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/what-is-discord
09 Tuesday Feb 2021
Posted in Announcements, Event Announcements & Updates, Pennsic
Pennsic 49 – 2021 Update:
G’Day Everyone,
As promised, I am sending this message out to keep you all informed as to how we are progressing to Pennsic 49. The reason for the update is so that you are able to walk the decision making path with me in a clear and transparent manner and know the rationale behind any decisions we, the Pennsic Management Team are making.
First of all I want you to all know that we are still planning for Pennsic 49 in 2021. I want to make it very clear that we are “planning,” not holding Pennsic 49 next week, as we are still months away from either the Pennsic 49 decision date at the end of May or the Pennsic War event itself.
Let me explain for those that have never seen behind the running of a major event like Pennsic… it does take a lot of planning and organisation. We can’t just start organising it at the end of June and get it all in place. The Pennsic War Management Staff and myself as Mayor of Pennsic start the process two years out from the Pennsic War we are running. I won’t go through all the boring administrative details, but it is a long and well managed process.
However, you need to be assured that I will adopt the same fact-based and health-informed approach to the planning for Pennsic 49 this year, as I did last year. I fully understand the concerns you all have about any large event at this time, but I still need to continue the planning required well ahead of the event itself.
The same timeline will be adopted again for this year as it was for last year and we have a decision date which at this stage is at the end of May 2021, give or take a week. We still have just under 6 months till Pennsic 49, and I am prepared to support the PSG and deliver the hard call if need be, the same as I did last year. Note the SCA Inc have currently suspended all SCA events until May 30, 2021. Those types of decisions are out of my control.
I also want you to understand that we are much further ahead this year regarding our knowledge of COVID-19 than we were at the same time last year. And yes, we are fully aware that mutant strains are evolving and that vaccines are being rolled out. However, these things need to be observed and evaluated over the next few months and consideration given as to what effect they are having on the COVID 19 health overlay, nation and worldwide. This in itself will form a large part of our decision-making package and like last year will always be based on current, up to date, CDC plus local State and County Health information.
I will not endanger people or risk Pennsic 49 becoming a “Super-spreader Event” just for the sake of having an SCA event. I am fully aware that people have concerns. At this stage I again reiterate that we are “planning” for Pennsic 49, not running Pennsic 49 right now. You all trusted me last year and those of you that know me, should know that I have no “ego” about being Mayor of Pennsic 49. I view myself as the custodian of the Pennsic War event, which encompasses the safety of attendees, organizers, staff and public community that surrounds the Pennsic War. I will not risk any these for the sake of swinging a stick, camping with friends and having a few pints around a campfire.
I hope this update helps you all understand the process we are going through. I will keep you updated with future posts when new information is available.
Everyone please keep safe.
Gregory
Mayor Pennsic
07 Sunday Feb 2021
Posted in Announcements, Ice Dragon, SCA @ Home
Hear Ye, Hear Ye
The time has come when all would soon gather in person to celebrate the Festival of the Passing of the Ice Dragon in the Barony of the Rhydderich Hael.
This year we find ourselves in different times and having to find new ways to gather together to share in events and experiencing the SCA.
The Barony is pleased to announce that Ice Dragon will be happening as a virtual event to include Pentathlon, Bardic Circle, a social gathering for entrants and populace with a virtual court following after.
For more information, please visit website here
Any questions regarding the virtual ice dragon contact the Autocrat,
Lady Thalia Papillon
Email: idautocrat@wnysca.org or v_girl15@hotmail.com
Facebook: Vanessa Hayes