Greetings Northshield!
I would like to encourage all of you to start taking your practices on the road. What do I mean by that? I mean getting a group together – maybe 4 or 5 of you, hopping in a van and driving to a practice not in your area. This is a great way not only to increase your skills because you’re not fighting the same fighters over and over again, but a great way to meet new friends and build bonds with groups outside your area. We as fighters need to support each other and this is a fantastic way of doing that! Sir Njall has been running roving practices in the SE region with quite a bit of success!
Forming units…you don’t have to be a knight to form a melee group, household, Baronial or Shire units, etc. Wearing matching colors, tabards and/or baldrics not only makes you look like a unit, but give the fighters a sense of belonging. I encourage all of you to form groups and do such things. If you would like a Northshield tabard, we’ll get you one. If none are available, maybe we can get more made!
Before I close this months missive, I’d like to say something about newer fighters. I am always pleased to see new faces in all the marshal activities. Please join me in welcoming newer members of the activities – include them in the training – learn from each other. Even that guy or gal that just authorized has something to share as well as learn! Invite them to join in the conversations after practice about how the fighting went and be willing to answer questions they may have…who knows? You may be fostering your future King or Queen!
Until next we meet keep swingin’ – go out and hit somebody – and drink water!
YIS ~ Sir Leif Haakonson General of the Great Griffon Army