Greetings from the Northshield Chatelaine!
Here we are in the middle of the camping season already. The other day, a new SCA member in Jararvellir was listening to a bunch of us talk about W&W. We were laughing and remembering past parties, great classes, good moments at Court. And suddenly she interrupted and said, “I was wondering, how do people eat at W&W? And what kind of tent do I need?” Showing enthusiasm is important but we had overlooked her basic information needs!
Don’t overlook your newbies in this season. Even new people have heard the great stories about camping events, and many will want to dive right in, but need some information in order to a) know what to expect and b) stay safe, healthy, and happy during camping events. SCA camping is NOT the same as mundane camping, and even if it were, you can’t assume everyone has experience with mundane camping prior to starting in the SCA. I sure didn’t. (And it was several years before I stopped bringing suitcases to camping events and bought some Rubbermaids!)
You might want to direct new SCA campers to Nordskogen’s SCA Camping 101 guide: http://www.nordskogen.northshield.org/sca_camping_101.htm. This is a thoughtful and thorough article with packing lists that will help newbies understand what to expect, and plan for it.
I want to recognize the Shire of Rokeclif and its neighbors for putting on a wonderful Novices’ Day event in May. While teachers/experienced members outnumbered the new people, there was something for everyone to learn that day. Kudrun the Pilegrim arranged informative classes and terrific hands-on activities, including a “Question Wall” where people could write questions and have them answered, a run-down of armored fighting, a bardic circle, a Regency court, and a tasty lunch and feast. I saw several newbie attendees the following weekend at Northshield Crown, and I can’t think of a better introduction to the SCA than those two events, one after the other. Congratulations to all involved.
As of this writing I have received May reports from 19 of Northshield’s 37 groups, 28 of which have Chatelaines. I appreciate the reports I received, but am wondering why our reporting percentage is so low. A note to Seneschals: the position of Chatelaine is a deputy of the Seneschal. If your group does not have a Chatelaine, it would be wonderful if you would report on behalf of your group’s recruiting/demo activities. If there is no one reporting from your group, your group’s valuable work doesn’t make it into my report to Kingdom. Get your group the recognition it deserves – be sure to report on May 15 and November 15.
Yours in song and service,
Eliane