Minutes from 4-10-99 - Rapier Academy

Attending:

Not Present:

Lesser Officers and Guests in Attendance:

• Seneschal
  Lady Guenievre referred to her written report and discussed the following:
  • Coronet Alternate Sites - Both WW autocrats have confirmed the event as the alternate site for the June Coronet Tourney. Communication with Caer Anterth Mawr regarding the November Tourney is in progress.
  • Deputy Position - THL Daria Tayt (Susan Tatreaux, Milwaukee, WI) will take on a special depuity position as Coronet Liaison. She will work with groups who have approved bids on what is needed, expected, etc., and will proactively solicit bids in scheduled bid areas.
  • Laws and Policies - Nothing new to report.
  • Armorgeddon - TSH's notes regarding this event were referenced. Armorgeddon 1999 will not be a "Principality event," but will continue under the aegis of Border Downs.
  • Moving - Lady Guenievre will be moving at the end of April, and will keep the Stallari updated on her new contact information.
  • Reporting - All groups have submitted domesdays, and Rudivale is out of suspension.
  
  
  
• Exchequer
  No report was submitted. HSH Fiona will discuss the rollover of CD's for the risograph with Lord Balthazar within the next week.
  
  • Fundraising Coordinators
    • They are not involved in pavilion fundraising, but have had complaints on the pavilion fundraising letter; Lady Guenievre noted that there is a re-phrased letter on the way.
    • Window Clings - 221 of the 250 have been sold, at $1.50 profit each. Lady Tatiana has designed a second window cling with the griffin device and the "Ducere, Ministrare, Illuminare" motto; there was an enthusiastic consensus to produce it.
    • Other fundraisers - 61 of the 100 Northshield Phone Books have been sold. Nearly all of the griffin t-shirts have been sold. The fundraising coordinators plan to re-order shirts, window clings, etc., in cycles to build maximum interest. Tarja is putting together a Northshield cookbook, and was advised to speak to Mistress Ellie (Ellen Kuhfeld, Minneapolis, MN), who owns a binding machine. Another potential item would be patches embroidered with the populace badge, and Viscountess Therica (Ann Nielse n, Rochester, MN) should have a source for these.
    • WW Regalia Auction - There is not much in the regalia that is really superfluous. We will need donations of other pieces of "Northshield History." So far, donations include an 8x10 photo of the first several princes of Northshield, to be autographed, and a miniature portrait to be commissioned from Lord Gevehard von Baden (Garret Bitker, Minneapolis, MN.) Suggestions for other items included photos and relics of people such as Sir Angus and Master Thorbjorn. The publicity will emphasize Northshield History, rather than regalia. All items will have details of donors, history on auction sheets. Another source of items may be the Laurels - not all were contacted for the last auction.
      
      There was a secondary discussion regarding regalia. The Minister of Regalia is in charge of cleaning, repairing, or replacing the regalia, and also keeps track of what is done. At this time, there is almost nothing in the regalia that is damaged beyond repair.
      
      
    • People are requesting officer handbooks, etc., at the Northshield Table. It was agreed that we should try to offer this service, and Lady Tarja was advised to speak with Lady Dore (Kathryn Gomm, Milwaukee, WI), Midrealm Information Officer, to find out about volume discounts and other details of purchasing. She will update the Stallari on this. Lady Moraig moved to authorize funding to buy these materials; it was pointed out that we need to see details of principality finances before we can commit t o further expenditures. The motion was withdrawn for lack of a second. It was agreed that receipts for miscellaneous materials for the Northshield Table (not including books) may be submitted through the seneschal. Lady Guenievre also deputized both Lady Tatiana and Lady Tarja for the Northshield Table, making them deputies of both the Exchequer and the Seneschal.
    • The Fundraising Coordinators will speak with the Castel Rouge June Coronet Tourney autocrats to see if the raffle there will benefit Northshield's travel fund.
      
  • Pavilion Coordinator
    • Lady Kassia observed that fundraising was going very slowly. She, Lord Matthew Smallwood (Matthew Hajicek, Minneapolis, MN), and Lady Jondalara (Laura Fenske, Milwaukee, WI) will step up publicity, and now have order forms and color pictures of the pavilion to help sell dags. Where possible, heralds will also be present to help render devices at the time of sale.
    • A policy change was approved. Dags may be sold even if the buyer has not submitted a device yet, but only registered devices may be painted on. If a dag remains unpainted after a year or two, the money will be refunded and the dag re-sold. Mail-in sales will be accepted, and dags assigned by postmark date. Marshalling is allowed, but only halves, not quarters, for aesthetics.
    • The size of the pavilion makes a ridge pole unsound. Instead, it will have 4 poles inside, rather than 2, and extra reinforcement in the ridge seam. This drops the price about $200. The pavilion design allows for a lot of interior sectioning, doors, awnings, and wall arrangements, for various functions. Delivery will hopefully happen in time for Quest for Camelot (June 14).
    • HSH Fiona would like to quash recurring rumors among the populace that the pavilion is for the royalty. It is for the use of the populace, including classes, gatherings, relaxation, etc., although it is not to be used as a place to leave personal belongings.
      
      
• Marshal
  • Armored Combat
    • No marshals or groups are in suspension. Report quality is improving
    • The Kingdom Earl Marshal has declared that face thrusting is no longer experimental, but is fully legal on a 6-month trial basis, so no one can refuse to be face-thrusted. His intent is that all should experience face-thrusting in order to have a valid opinion on making it permanently legal. Face-thrusting may be restricted for Coronet /Crown Tourneys, as desired. Helm standards have always allowed for accidental face-thrusting, but now inspections will enforce these standards more carefully.
    • Sir Wulfgang is looking at a uniform Northshield shield standard - shoulder-to-shoulder size, with the bearer able to stand over it. HE Alasdair will include the shield standard and information about face-thrusting in his next Northwatch letter.
  • Archery
    • In the IKAC winter shoot, Northshield fielded 66 archers, which was 25% of the Known World. We had 10 archers in the top 30, and 3 in the top 10.
    • HL Robin (Greg Young, Winnipeg, MB), Northshield Archer General, has 2 western,1 central, and no WI deputy applications. WI is currently a "black hole" for reporting. HL Robin is looking for suggestions, deputy candidates, etc., for WI.
    • While we commend the enthusiasm of the autocrats of the Principality Archery Championship, and it was an enjoyable event, consultation with more experienced archers of Northshield should increase the overall enjoyment of the event. Sir Wulfgang feels that any "Principality Championship" should involve the appropriate Kingdom officer and the royalty. He will discuss this in more detail in the New Business section.
  • Equestrian
    • The recent equestrian practice was attended by 40 people, 34 of whom were riders. 13 horses were present. 6 authorizations were run, and all passed. There are 2 new MIT's. Armored combatants are reminded that they do not need to hit the Saracen heads so hard - blows won't be called light.
    • The professionally-done demo tape, intended to help recruit horse owners, turned out very poorly. Viscountess Kassandra (Kristi Charron, Madison, WI) is in the process of re-doing it herself . When finished, copies of the tape will be available for free. The Stallari are asked to promote this tape in their home groups and at events.
  • Fencing Lord Julio Gavan reported.
    • Overall, fencing is doing very well. The schlager adjustment is OK, and things are picking up.
    • Laird Elijah Cameron (Erik Whitaker, Madison, WI), Principality Marshal of Fence, has stepped down. Sir Wulfgang has one applicant, Lord Dorian of Blue Moon (Robert Jackson, St. Paul, MN); Lord Dorian is a former King's Rapier Champion and is very well-qualified, and has the confidence of both Sir Wulfgang and the KEM. Still, Sir Wulfgang would like to have more applicants before deciding.
    • Their Serene Highnesses have received comments on fencing that are negative and unhappy. It appears that these comments were from a single individual rather than representing general opinion.
  • Scouting
    • Scouting is dead. HE Lady Isabelle is working to resurrect it.
    • Upcoming events will have scouting opportunities, including Quest for Camelot in June and Armorgeddon in September. Stallari members are asked to talk up scouting for these events and for Warriors and Warlords in July.
    • Other suggestions - recruit archers as scouts; recruit significant others of armored combatants; recruit waterbearers - Mistress Margaret Malise (Melissa Vigil) will help with this; dispel misconception that scouts must be incredibly fit - it helps, but extreme levels of fitness not necessary.
    • What about 15-17 year olds? The KEM requires scouts to be 18, due to Pennsic/PA child endangerment laws. The BOD says age 14. Could we ask to do this experimentally in Northshield? We'd have to examine laws state by state, and MN has tough laws. Waivers are not binding because state laws say people can't sign away rights.
  • Hounds
    • Viscountess Nina (Paula Wehmeyer, Madison, WI) and Lord Corin ran a demonstration of coursing at the equestrian practice. It was enjoyable and educational, and could be a start for coursing in Northshield.
    • HSH Fiona got comments along the lines that coursing is cruel; consensus that education is neede to emphasisze that SCA coursing is strongly linked to greyhound rescue programs, not professional racing explotation. Viscountess Nina will be asked to help, perhaps with an article in the Northwatch.
  • Miscellaneous Items
    • The proposed position of list warden, a non-fighting marshal, has been nixed by Kingdom.
    • Our Minister of the Lists, Lord Alberic Telfer (Jeff Perkins, Racine, WI) is behind on his work; his knight will be helping him catch up. His term is almost up, and applications will be solicited in the near future.
      
      
• Chronicler
  • Risograph
    • Lady Aldiana presented a handout detailing the pricing, supply/maintenance costs, benefits, and pros and cons of a risograph compared to commercial copying. A late-model used machine costs about $3,400; a new machine is over $5,000, and out of our range. Lord Roger noted that the Northwatch is almost in the black, with savings due to bulk mailing and the $0.15/month increase in subscription rates; as more subscriptions are renewed at the higher rate,it will get closer to breaking even (at current cop ying costs.) With savings over commercial copying of over $100/month, the risograph will "pay for itself" in 2.5 - 3 years. Several questions about purchasing a risograph using funds from CD's were raised, and could not be answered in Lord Balthazar's absence. Lady Aldiana will ask whether we can pay in installments corresponding with CD rollovers.
    • The risograph is the size of a large laser printer, and can fit in a car trunk and on a tabletop. The service contract follows the machine, is based on the number of copies made, and lasts 36 months. Once the service contract is up, the machine will have recouped its purchase price, and savings can go into a service/replacement fund. Supplies are available from warehouses in Rapid City, SD, Milwaukee, WI, and Mpls/St. Paul, MN, and also some Canadian suppliers, and can be sent for 1-2 day delivery.
    • The price here is higher than the one Lord Kenric (Kenric Malmberg, Grand Forks, ND) quoted; the approval to purchase was therefore for a lower amount. No non-profit discounts are available other than using our tax ID number, which Lady Aldiana has. If we make risograph available to groups for printing large volumes of event literature, they pay lower printing costs and we get extra income. Also, we could submit bids for printing Information Office publications, etc. Lord Roger will write up a pric e list for these services.
    • Lady Guenievre will look into insurance for the risograph, the pavilion, and other Northshield property. Suggestions included examining the BOD's insurance procedures, using homeowner's insurance, etc..
    • HSH Fiona emphasized that She and HSH Tarrach want the risograph taken care of by the end of Their reign. Since it has already been authorized, the details of disbursements, etc., can be taken care of via e-mail and phone. A motion to confirm the previous purchase decision was made by Sir Wulfgang, seconded by HE Lord Alasdair, and carried.
  • Webminister
    • Lady Gwenhyvar (Regina Simmons, Madison, WI) has stepped down. There are 4 applicants for the position at this time; Lord Roger will be closing the application period on May 31 and hopes to install the new person at WW in July. He was reminded that the selected candidate can perform the functions of the office before installation. The discussion and approval of candidates may be done by e-mail.
    • Lord Roger asked for approval of Lady Aldiana as Interim Webminister; she is already doing the work. Viscountess Gwyneth Felton (Linda Moore, Milwaukee, WI), Middle Kingdom Chronicler, will make the decision, but she has specifically requested the Stallari's opinion. A motion to approve Lady Aldiana as Interim Webminister was made by Lady Moraig, seconded by Lady Guenievre, and carried. Lord Roger and Lady Aldiana will work with Lord Owen Alun (Ben Tucker, Minneapolis, MN), internet service provid er for our site, to get the passwords, etc. Lady Aldiana intends to be up and organized by Wednesday, April 14. Lady Guenievre instructed the Stallari to review the web site at this time and submit corrections, updates, etc., as soon as possible. Lady Elaine will submit past meeting minutes to Lady Aldiana, beginning a new feature for the web site.
      
      
• Herald
  • Candidates - There were three candidates for the office of Polaris Herald; one candidate has withdrawn due to a planned move, leaving Lord Adrien de Troyes (Chris Olson) from Jararvellir and HL Richard Morgan of Cumberland (Richard Darnell) from Nordskogen. Lady Moraig stated that she is aware of and shares concerns regarding the over-representation of Nordskogen in the office, and that she did not ask HL Richard to apply. However, she feels that HL Richard, a former Dragon Herald, is the more qualif ied candidate. She distributed a copy of HL Richard's application and highlighted his proposed programs and deputies for heraldic education. The current Dragon Herald shares the concern regarding Nordskogen over-representation, but has no objections to HL Richard's candidacy. Lady Moraig moved to endorse HL Richard, Sir Wulfgang seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously with no abstentions. Lady Moraig emphasized that Lord Adrien is well-qualified, and that HL Richard has indicated that he will ask Lord Adrien to stay on as Minister of Protocol. HSH Fiona will discuss this decision with Lord Adrien. The Stallari were reminded that this endorsement is not a confirmed decision and will not be final until the Dragon Herald approves it.
  • Consulting/Commenting - The number of heraldic commenting groups and presence of heraldic consulting tables at events is growing, and they are working well. Lady Moraig is encouraging further growth, especially in the baronies.
  • Reporting - Shattered Oak is the only group which did not submit a domesday. Lady Moraig has some concerns regarding Border Downs.
    
    
• Chirurgeon
  • Lady Sian was not present, but she submitted a printed report which noted that we now have 15 warranted and 10 apprentice chirurgeons. Also, many events, most notably Quest for Camelot in June, need chirurgeons.
  
  
  
• MOAS
  • A&S Faire - Face-to-face judging worked well, was received very favorably. Some adjustments will need to be made, but the Kingdom liked it and it will continue.
  • Deputies - Running Faires is difficult and requires hands-on training. To this end, Mistress Libbet will be soliciting applications for deputies/candidates for MOAS in June 1999. She will make her decision on her successor in fall 1999 and that person will have a full year in which to train.
  • Northstar - The Northstar, an Arts and Sciences publication, will be coming out. Its set-up will follow the A&S judging criteria divisions. The publisher will be warranted as a chronicler and an MOAS, but will be a deputy of the Kingdom chronicler. Each Northstar will be published on the web site as soon as its print run sells out.
  • Web Page - The web page is in progress and coming soon. Decisions on format are being made, with an eye towards making it recognizably of Northshield but very usable for the entire Known world. Included will be information on how to select and use web information in documentation.
  
  
  
• Old Business - Discussed in Great Officer reports.
• New Business
  • Armorgeddon - HSH Fiona and Lord Julio reported. Armorgeddon will remain a Border Downs event rather than becoming a Principality event. This year, Western Keep will be providing the site. It is their Lusty Day in May site, and there are some concerns about keeping the park officials happy. A suggestion to prevent possible conflicts with other campers was to reserve the entire park. The site does allow equestrian activities; if equestrian is used as a war point, it will be the first time in the Kn own World.
  • South Dakota/Shires - Lord Julio and HSH Fiona reported. There were some hard feelings between various South Dakota groups regarding the selection of the Armorgeddon site. The groups have been discussing various ideas to help with unity and connection to the rest of Northshield, including forming a barony; consensus among the Stallari is that there are better ways than a barony to meet these objectives, including encouraging travel to and from the shires in the Dakotas and other outlying shires, and encouraging principality officers and other organizers to seek deputies, event sites, etc., in smaller groups. A recurring concept voiced by smaller groups is that "the baronies get everything;" this concept needs to be addressed and remedied through education and interaction, giving shires tools and connections to do what they want to do and removing perceived resentment between groups. TSH's will be addressing this.
  • Principality Championships - Sir Wulfgang continued the discussion he began in his officer's report. This is largely a coordination and communication issue. All events styled "Northshield/Principality Championships" should be coordinated with the appropriate principality and kingdom officers and royalty, and the Principality and regional championships which contribute participants to Kingdom championships need to be coordinated with each other. There have been issues with who is originating champions hip events, short notice of championships, travel time and cost, and competition formats which should be remedied through coordination and more advanced planning. Sir Wulfgang will be working on this. He also wants to encourage other areas, not just the martial arts, to have championships, as the Arts and Sciences do.
    
    A policy of sending the winner of the championship tourney and a second selected by Their Highnesses as our two representatives for kingdom and interkingdom championships, rather than sending the top two competitors based on skill alone, was discussed and favored. The choice of "second" is based on chivalry, service, etc., in addition to skill, and is by no means always a different person than the second-place tourney finisher. When a tourney winner is unavailable, TSH's will choose his/her replacement. Tourney entrants will be reminded that championships will require travel.
  
  
  
• Guests - Lord Pasquale di Calamari left at this point, with thanks for being included. It was suggested that we invite seneschals, especially those of groups hosting Stallari meetings, to sit in on meetings on a regular basis.
  
  
• Peers' Retreat Notes - A summary of discussions at Peer's Retreat was handed out.
  • Tournaments of Chivalry - Restructuring was discussed and supported by all at the Retreat. The chivalry really want and need a Tournament of Chivalry to help take pressure off Coronet Tourneys - people won't need to enter Coronet "to be seen."
  • Scheduling - Next year, there will be a Principality Moot held before the Peers' Retreat to make sure that retreat discussions match populace concerns more fully. It was emphasized that the retreat is closed for time reasons, and that in Northshield the retreat does not involve discussion of candidates.
  • Persephone's Circle - The Order wants to have a function, not just another scroll. The members believe that a good job for them would be to assist the Heirs - they can share experiences, contacts, strategies, etc. Membership in the order is voluntary. HE Prism (Christine Risch, WI) chose not to become a member when she stepped down, but since the Order now has a function, she has reversed her decision and would like to be involved. Finally, the name of the Order will not pass as is; Lady Mor aig is working on alternate names.
  • Royalty - HSH Fiona related the reactions she and HSH Tarrach receive from many groups in the Principality, which match the experiences of previous Northshield royalty: people are proprietary and expect the Coronet to follow their whims, or they hope that the Coronet and Heirs will not come to their events since They are too much trouble. Neither approach is useful. The Northshield royalty have tried to be flexible and would appreciate the benefit of the doubt rather than an assumption that t hey will be difficult. They also remind us that the Coronet may, in the future, be less flexible, and people need to be prepared for that as well.
    Again, education is necessary here. The former royalty could be good teachers for methods of preparing for and working with royalty. Also, there is a "lost generation" who have not had repeated exposures to royalty of any kind, lessons in protocol, etc., especially in outlying groups, and they need to be educated. And finally, some royalty liaisons are afraid to approach the royalty - it is imperative that these positions be filled with people who can interact with royalty effectively.
  • Northshield as a Kingdom - The consensus among the peers and in various discussions among the populace has been that we are definitely and actively heading toward becoming a kingdom, but we aren't in a hurry and we'd like to be more ready than we are at this moment. As culture differences continue to develop, we'll be more ready. The idea that kingdomship is like peerage - you are or aren't, regardless of your title - was brought up in the retreat. Also, the Midrealm would like our transition to kingdom to be done amicably, as much as possible without the problems and resentments involved (to varying degrees) in the fledging of Calontir and Ealdormere.
    
    
• Next Meeting(s) - not discussed.