Get your own Free Home PageIf Carlsby took their delay in responding to us to get in a reservation, it was a very underhanded tactic. If, in fact, they do have a "permanent" reservation, the Kingdom Law Book needs to reflect this. Brummbar has since sent a card saying that we are on the calendar for our requested date. I am still confused.
Another problem is in getting fighter activities back on line. Since right before CMSU's spring break, fighter practices have been non-existant. In September, I received complaints of this lack of activity. I suggested that these 2 authorized, complaining fighters discuss the possibility of assisting our marshal and becoming warranted themselves so they may conduct the practices. We have 3 squires in Lost Forest, and several other authorized fighters. Shouldn't a squire try to further local fighter participation along with other squire-related duties, or is this a mis-conception on my part? Our squires are to Count Sir Steffan, Count Sir Roderick, and to Master Pavel. I'm trying to encourage all our fighters to band together and re-organize.
Since our self-exileds left Lost Forest, there has been no ill gossip running through the stronghold. I don't want anyone to feel neglected, so I still call them to inform them of demos, feasts, and other happenings. We've enjoyed several months of no back-stabbing, and I do not wish to have those days back. The self-exileds do, however, have a great deal to offer us. Ly Molly is a wondrous musician, singer, and an exquisite garb-maker. Ld Ferogain tells very entertaining stories, and his sense of humor is missed at our gatherings. Leandrea and Miguel are friendly types, eager to talk with anyone (except Wulfgar, Brecanni, and Corwin). Dorenn has an aggressive, get-the-job-done attitude, and is not quite so narrow minded as some perceive. I hate to see friends like these break ties with us. Maybe some of my talking has paid off. Ld Ferogain was at our December Feast, and was every bit as "Ferogain" as I remembered. (Oh, that's a good thing!)
I've not seen the constant argument-settling that has plagued seneschals before me. I don't wish it back. I hope it's not a sign of lack of activity. I don't believe bickering and activity need necessarily go hand-in-hand. We're trying to re-motivate in, hopefully, the right way.
1 Jan AS XXVIII: A couple nights back, I got some good news from our herald. I finally have a device passed. It is only my Lost Fen household device, but it's mine. I can allow anyone who is a part of the household the right to wear the badge. I think it's a pretty nice one. Per fess vert, azure. A heron in its vigilance, or. A bordure rayonne' or. I got busy carving and painting. Thus far, I have made 6 pendants for Fen dwellers, carved the device on my story stick, and on my alto recorder. I had circles waiting for the passage of the device. All but one of the pendants are carved and painted with enamel. Lord Wulfgar says also that Lord William of Friedrichsburg had his device pass SCA level as well.
I feel a new sort of motivation with the device. Even though it's not a personal device, I am proud of it. I can design garb after the colors. I can decorate my handicrafts with it. If a device can motivate, why does Calontir have such a nasty reputation for passing devices? I think it would be much better for the Society as a whole to ease the process. Kingdoms which take notoriously longer than other kingdoms or which are much more difficult to find a passing device, should make changes for the betterment of attitudes of the populace.
2 Jan: Our first feast of the Gregorian year is over, and I feel it went well. Corwin brought in samples of his first attempts at stained glass ornaments. They were Lost Forest devices. We had 4 new members in attendance. We also had 9 older members and 4 smalls. Business discussed was our up-coming TR V, and how to gain the greatest attendance. A&S night shall commence on the 20th of January at 5:00 at Corwin's home. Lord Garth stated that Ld Manfred is his assistant. Ld Parthalon said that Manfred and Duncan had been holding informal fighter practices at Ferogain's place, with Ld Lycurgus also participating. That I know of, no publicity has been made in Lost Forest. About our new members - Ranwulf is in pursuit of a merchant/mercenary persona. His spouse is thus far just "with him". MKA Greg is interested in an English/German persona and likes the idea of fighting. MKA Jennifer is looking at early period Anglo-Celtic, and is interested in herbalism and spinning.
21 Jan: On the 19th, Ly Juelda contacted me to find out how to get a hold of Black Corwin MacCamie about the Costume seminar/Arts & Science Championship to be held on 5 Feb. Corwin is apparently being considered for an office in the Bardic College. I suggested that she contact Ly Brecanni, as she might be going to Corwin's place on the 20th for the SLF A&S night. I gave Ly Juelda Corwyn's address as well.
A few days back, I received a message from Proxidia Von Hallenstein of Oak Heart. She was approached at Spring Crown Tourney in Little Germany about the SCA. The City of Concordia wishes that the SCA do a demo of Germanic arts, etc. She wanted to contact Lost Forest, knowing that Concordia is near our "territory". I spoke with her and she gave Concordia contact numbers. Today, I called Lois Holtcomp whom is Concordia's Chairman of Tourism. We are wanted for their Wunderbar Days to demo on 30 April. Concordia is very proud of their German heritage, thus, would like us to gear our demo to be Germanic.
Yesterday, I got a call from a representative of a Sedalia theater group. They too, want us to do a demo. They request our presence on the 9th of April for their rendition of Midsummer Night's Dream. Sedalia's contact person is Doug Fleetwood.
Doug says he'll try to be to our feast in February. Lois says she'll try to be there, or send someone to speak on Concordia's behalf.
22 Jan: Thinking Back - I have just finished my 2nd week at CMSU. I got to the book store before my classes began, and after collecting all the books I needed, realized that had I gotten a gift certificate, I might have picked out these very books. I think a History Major is going to be fun to pursue.
I shan't have any problem keeping up with the reading for my 2 classes. I am nervous about how to write term papers and how to follow all the picky rules. I have my first 2 pages due on the 27th, but with my TSGT testing coming up, I am quite confused and scatter-brained about where to start.
27 Jan: A few days back, I called Proxidia with my findings from Concordia's Tourism Dept. Last night, Wulfgar called to say he may not be able to attend our 29 Jan Phoenix meeting. He said he spoke to William about what we were going to be voting upon. Both, according to Wulfgar, vote "YES" to allowing a wider variety of persons as members. I said that if he wasn't there, I would present this to the Brotherhood. I called Parthalon tonight to request that he contact people for a good feast showing.
I feel as if a great load was lifted off me. My Mundanian military promotion test is over. For the next 8 months or so, I shouldn't feel so pressed. Have I taken on too much? I am Project Leader for 4 4-H projects, Leader for the Missouri Department of Conservation Frontiers program in the local area, Junior High Youth Group leader in our Church, taking classes at CMSU during my "lunch" breaks, have been approved for foster parenting and am awaiting my first foster child, am approved for adoption and have my name in for adoption of a brother/sister sibling group, and am seneschal for this group. While all these are all going on, I try to continue in various crafts, attend school events of my biological children and run them around to basketball, tumbling, 4-H and so on. I am in the process of prioritizing, and am unsure which of these activities to drop. I also have a short (1 year) assignment in the Air Force coming up, probably in late 1995 or early 1996, which will require me to move out of the area. We are still debating over whether or not my family will accompany me.
8 Feb: Our feastmoot of 6 Feb was most well attended. 29 adults were present, necessitating the set-up of 3 more tables than the 6 originally planned. Many of the new members as well as some older, seldom-seen Lost Foresters made appearances.
2 transfers from Forgotten Sea and their 2 recruits are added to our populace and I was happy to see the return of 4 of our 6 self-exileds.
We had 4 guests present who requested our support at 2 events in April. 2 representatives of the Concordia department of Tourism spoke to us and asked that we perform a demo on 23 April at their "Wunderbar Days" festival. They were apparently impressed enough that they were willing to re-schedule their event from the 30th to better accommodate us. They offered camping space, should some anachronists have to travel great distances to demo with us.
The 2 representatives from the Sedalia theater group, Black Sheep Productions, asked for a mini-Renaissance Festival at their 9 April showing of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. They wish for this to be an annual event, and gave us an invitation to help support it. They want us to demo, merchant, sing, fight, and whatever else we might be able to provide. We may keep all the proceeds we take in. They did a sketch for us from one of their plays, and stayed to hear Ly Molly sing a couple songs, and Duncan MacIntyre sing one of his songs. It appears to me, that all departed happy.
We discussed the possibility of negotiating a re-schedule of TR V. We need to find out which groups have the site on alternate dates, and discuss with them a swap. The Park Superintendent made clear to us, that the weekend before Labor Day was the only one they could guarantee our not being bumped. A weekend earlier, is said to be Valor's, and Labor Day is a weekend we don't stand a chance of reserving. We are considering different sites as well.
22 Feb: On the 19th, I called Molly to see if she'd be interested in autocratting the Sedalia Theater demo. She said she'd get back with me. As of yet, I've heard no word.
10 Mar: Last Sunday's feast brought 23 adult anachronists, 3 adult guests and 4 children. Changes in our officer slate are as follows. Lord Manfred turned over the office of chronicler unto me. I mentioned that the office was open, and that I would accept volunteers. Serafina of Blasted Heath offered to take the job. She will be acting as assistant until her membership comes through. I will be functioning as the acting chronicler. Miguel is our minister of children. I must remind myself to get him the handbook. Lady Brecanni announced that she was planning to step down in July and was seeking a replacement as MoA&S. Serafina has volunteered to autocrat the Concordia demo of 23 April.
Thinking that I may have overstepped my bounds as seneschal, I announced to the populace what I had done. I stated that in the tradition of noble feasters offering to the less fortunate the gleanings of a feast, I offered our feast left-overs to the Show-Me Christian Youth Home. I went on to say that the youth home is as close as we come to an orphanage nowadays. My decision was met with overwhelming acceptance. I explained a bit about the home, and Lost Forest decided to adopt them as our project. In the future, we shall be, from time to time, collecting money for donations, as well as various household goods like canned foods, toilet paper, laundry detergent and the like. Wulfgar and I shall run a mini-heraldic symposium for those new members seeking to register devices and names. With the next feast Sunday falling on Easter, we elected to cancel April's feast. Our symposium will be held at the May feast.
Leandrea showed insufficient reluctance in feastocratting TRV, and re-affirmed her taking the job at a meeting tonight. Duncan MacOwen has offered his experience as a military dining hall cook.
SLF WORKER POLICY:
The east vs west theme we discussed, will include the possibility of assassins/ninjas, with red armbands to use as they "assassinate". We may make east/west site tokens. A&S display/competition with populace voting for the winner, may be held. The winners will get scrolls by the SLF calligraphy/illumination group and painted by MoC activities at event,
4 April: The first Calligraphy/Illumination meeting of 25 Feb, met with only a "group" of two. I think that once we start to produce some work, we will get more participation. I wrote to Tatiana, guildmistress of the Scribes Guild, and requested some award scrolls to paint. The second meeting held on 25 March, was attended by the same two, despite many expressing interest. We are making scrolls for Tribal Revelries V's Arts and Sciences competition, and will be making invitations to various distinguished nobles of Calontir. Our next meeting is scheduled for the 29th of April. From then on, meetings shall be on the 3rd Friday of the month.
On 25 Mar, 10 anachronists from Lost Forest conducted a demo for one of CMSU's Early World Civilization classes. It was an educational demo. We discussed briefly, our personae, our garb, and spoke on some medieval trivia. We mentioned that we are always seeking new members.
12 April: On 4 April, a demo meeting was held at Molly's place. The meeting was for discussion of last-minute details and sign painting. That, we did.
A busy weekend was had by many of us. On the 9th, we held a demo for the Sedalia theater group called Black Sheep Productions. Later that evening, after the play, a post-revel and cast party was held at Ly Molly's. Leftover food from the demo, some donated canned goods, and profits of $121.27 went to the Show-Me Christian Youth Home. A few potential new members were spoken to, and one contacted me for more information.
Tomorrow, I am to meet with Nicollet to iron out a few details about our 23 April demo for Concordia's "Wunderbar Days".
22 June: The Concordia demo went great, though mundane attendance was sadly lacking. It was a good time for sharing of ideas with other non-Lost Forest anachronists which our autocrat recruited for the demo. We were expecting a much greater turn-out from the local community.
The Calligraphy/Illumination group has been meeting regularly on the third Friday evening of the month. There is not much interest, but the three of us seem to want to keep things going. We ordered scrolls from the Scribes Guild for painting. They should be completed by the end of June's meeting which was postponed until 24 June, due to Lilies and a scheduling error on my part.
May's and June's feasts went well. Over 20 were in attendance at each of them. New officers are as follows: Morna is our (temporary?) chronicler, Dorenn is our archer marshal, Wulfgar will take over as MoA&S when Brecanni steps down, and Leandra will work as his assistant.
On 20 June, we performed our second annual demo for Whiteman AFB Elementary School's accelerated learning summer session. This year, we had much greater participation than just myself. I thank those who supported it. In attendance was myself, Ranwulf the Carter, Ld Wulfgar, Ld Parthalon, Tracy the New, Miguel, Morna and her guest from Spinning Winds. Information covered were Early civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Ganges, Yangtze and Huang Ho river valleys, Greek, Macedonian, and Roman. Byzantium. Hunnic invasions. Germanic migration through Europe and into England. Charlemagne. The Viking age. 1066 England. Alfred and the Danelaw. Japanese history. Scots. Celts. Combat, armor and weapons, both period and SCA. Inkle loom weaving.
Morna sang a solo, and two others joined her to sing a couple trios. The teacher looked at our song book and was impressed with the humorous twist on Jingle Bells in the Slaying Song. She made copies and passed them out to the class. We sang the song with my recorder accompaniment.
Things have slowed down quite a bit with CMSU not in regular session. Our would-be chronicler, Jack of Tanyard left for the summer to Three Rivers, with all information and records for the job, without giving any contact number.
27 Jun: Unto the seneschal of this great kingdom of Calontir, you'll hear from your queries, or perhaps not, the results of a rumor you may have heard at Lilies. I am rumored to have not attended a demo in Sedalia, due to the pagan theme or organizers of the event. I am also rumored to have not signed 2 award recommendations due to the potential recipients being pagan. I flatly deny these 2 rumors. If you require verification, I shall gladly provide it. I said earlier that "you'll hear" it, because it was said that you (Duke Shadan) appointed one Morna of Bute to verify these rumors. She spoke to me regarding them, and I replied, I believe, candidly. I saluted her openness in approaching me directly, but if, in fact, she was inquiring due to your request, the salute for "her" action is un-warranted. I am hoping she did this of her own accord. I heard your name mentioned through a different channel of return rumor.
Today, at 5:07 pm, my son informs me that I was called by a Key Ivy from KMOS TV, our local PBS station, and asked that I return his call at 543-4155. The only reason I can foresee that PBS might want to contact me, is SCA.
July-Sep AS XXIX
11 July: Seneschal report is off. The new rumors which have become fact,
are that our knight marshal and exchequer have moved out of Lost Forest. A new
exchequer has been found in Ly Brecanni, but our knight marshal position is
still open. Justasien said that Garth handed the office over to him, but this
proved false. Justasien has no fighting experience, and has
demonstrated nothing which would indicate that he could fulfil the
responsibilities of any office. I would consider Manfred, Duncan MacIntyre, or
Ferogain for the position. I announced that I plan to step down as seneschal
in November. Wulfgar, Ferogain and Manfred expressed a desire to fill the
vacancy, but I shall speak to Parthalon, my castellan, to find out his desires
prior to making a selection.
After receiving a letter, I spoke with a new potential member. She said that she discovered our group on a bulletin board at CMSU when inquiring about some sort of faculty position. She is new to the area, and plans to attend this Friday's calligraphy/illumination meeting.
I just received a call from Lord Wulfgar. He called to inform me of his disagreement with Black Corwin MacCamie. He says that Corwin has been told to stay away from their place. He dropped by to discuss things which I was not told. Corwin began to get angry, and Wulfgar said to sit down and calm down or get out. He did not sit nor calm down. He got angrier and said things 'he had no right to say in someone else's home.' Lord Wulfgar struck him, with an open palm on the face, and Corwin fell to the floor. Corwin left, holding "the wrong side" of his face, screaming obscenities and crying in pain. Wulfgar called to tell me all this, and to offer his resignations from office, if I saw that it was necessary. I told him that I felt it was not required. I shortly heard from the kingdom seneschal on the same topic.
It is my firm belief that almost all our problems deal with a tiny, but vocal minority of our populace. As long as we have these strong personality-types active in Lost Forest affairs, we are bound to have disagreements. I do not feel action against the stronghold would solve anything. All Lost Foresters are family, and we live with them as best we can. You will note, that during the period when we had several in self-exile, we had no political waves made. The incident in which Ld Wulfgar struck Black Corwin MacCamie is of a personal nature. Other than their meeting through the SCA, the incident did not warrant mention of the Society.
As, or if, you read the documentation attached to this letter, bear in mind that what is written, is written by me and may or may not reflect the opinions of Lost Forest's majority.
His Majesty Conn, Her Excellency Cadfael, Their Graces Gabriel and Hywela, Lady Juelda of Salisbury, and Ld Aindreas "Drew" (the Dean of the Bardic College during 1993's Caloncon), may be able to assist you, as they have dealt with Lost Forest problems in the past, and may be able to give background I failed to include.
On a more positive note, I spoke with a new anachronist and book enthusiast like myself, and inquired about the ease of re-binding books. She knows nothing about the SCA, but in the list of book-binders she came up with, your name appeared. She seems very interested in the Society, and should be surprised at how small our world is. I may be getting back to you with book-binding questions.
signed
Recent political waves involve the Wulfgar/Corwin incident, or rather, the Keith/Mark incident, and the selection of Brecanni as exchecquer and Wulfgar as minister of arts and sciences.
First, I will address what I know of the incident which got the SCA name into a Knob Noster Missouri police report. My information comes, for the most part, from Ld Wulfgar and Ly Brecanni, and a much lesser part, from others.
Some time back, Black Corwin MacCamie (Mark Jameson) was told by Ld Wulfgar and Ly Brecanni (Keith and Kim Bragg) to stay away from their home. This came about for reasons of Mark's hot-temper and that he had physically abused the Bragg's children.
Mark went to the Braggs to get some clothes for A. and V.C., who have been at best, a sporadic part of Lost Forest for a few years. The Carpenters should have had their own clothes by this time. The clothes were not for use at any up-coming Lost Forest gathering, and the C's knew full well how to contact the Braggs themselves. Mark should not have been involved with their clothing request.
Keith called me very shortly after the incident to tell me what happened, and to offer his resignation from his offices, should I feel it necessary. I told him I did not. This is what he told me. Somehow, during the course of the visit, Keith's and Mark's discussion took a turn for the worse and Mark blew up, going into a rage, shouting obscenities and the like. (I don't know the reason for the blow-up.) Keith went on to say "A man's home is his castle, and there's some things you just don't say in that home, in front of his family, especially the kids." He went on to say that he told Mark to sit down and calm down or get out. Mark continued in his rage, refusing to even sit down. Keith continued to try to settle him down and finally gave him an open-palmed slap across the face. (Kim says Mark took the first swing; Keith says he doesn't remember.) The slap sent Mark to the floor. Mark got back up, continuing his rage and clutched his face in apparent pain on the un-slapped side. He finally stormed out, screaming obscenities all the way to his car. V.C., on the police report, said she saw the whole thing. Kim says the incident took place in the kitchen, and could not have been seen from where the C's were sitting, in the living room. I've heard also, that Mark has been buying the C's many things, and that they'd back any story he asked them to back.
I've known the Braggs since their introduction to the SCA, and have never seen either of them angered to the point of even cussing, much less physically violent. If Keith was the violent sort, looking for fights, he could have had way more than his share during his tenure as seneschal.
Mark is known to be a hot-head, and at times, very unreasonable. He has an attitude of "If you disagree or argue with me, you're wrong and my enemy." Mark loves to spread a rumor, and is one of those few who often counts friends by who has common enemies. He is not well liked locally, and some people have even said, upon hearing of the incident, "Wow, I would've paid money to see that."
Keith also says that Mark has made advances toward his wife. The advances, his order to stay away from the Bragg's residence, his I'm right and you're wrong if you disagree attitude, and his rage when he came back to their home are what led to the slap. I believe it is wrong to resort to physical violence to settle disputes, but when I consider the circumstances, the slap was understandable, if maybe wrong.
Mark, or Corwin, had pulled out of Lost Forest activities some time ago, to seek acceptance in His Excellency Count Sir Christopher's household. I hope he finds it, and learns to control his temper. He has learned to threaten people now, by saying "I'll tell Christopher."
I do not know where Mark is, to get his side of the story. I don't believe he'd give it to me without getting riled. It is said that Mark has moved to Pennsylvania. It is also said that he planted some nasty rumors involving me. Perhaps this isn't over yet.
The exchequer office is another story. Ly Brienne Lysette du Cheval-Noir was exchequer when our infamous audit was initiated. Ld Wulfgar was seneschal and had already selected Ld Lycurgus as his replacement. Ly Brienne moved quickly to change the name on our account to reflect Lycurgus rather than Wulfgar. This, she did before telling Wulfgar, and before Lycurgus had Crown approval. This did not make her friends, except for Lycurgus and a few who wanted to throw a party. The audit revealed checks in round numbers to Wulfgar and Brecanni, with no receipts to back them. Receipts were stored in a leaky outdoor shed at Brienne's place, and on the floor in a bag or some sort of absorbant container. With this storage, there's no doubt why readable receipts could not be found.
Seeing trouble brewing, the office was transferred to Morganna Rhodes, who muddled through the audit as best she could. The books were so undecipherable, we were given a warning that they better improve and we had better change our way of doing business. The audit was terminated. Morganna straightened the books, and now good records are kept. Morganna made a sudden move in July and transferred the office to Ly Brecanni.
Ly Brecanni has book-keeping experience, but with the past audit and checks written, suspicious eyes have been cast her way. I do not believe she should be held accountable for errors of a past exchequer. Past records are not, however the only thing which casts an element of doubt.
I received a call from a lady who wishes to remain anonymous, that she spotted a child at a non-Lost Forest event in some clothes she donated to Lost Forest's Gold Key. She inquired as to how she obtained the garb. The child's parent said that they had bought it from merchants at KrisKinder, and proceeded to describe Wulfgar and Brecanni. Our Lost Forest lady asked me if I was aware of any deposits made to our account from merchant events. I said I was not. She then went on to say Brecanni is not honest enough for the job and that I needed to take it from her. I told her that she is already recognized by the kingdom exchequer and that it is out of my jurisdiction to remove her from office because of what she just told me. She angrily disagreed with me and terminated the conversation, after dropping the name of Master Gerald as one who would help her insure justice would be done.
I naturally had to ask about the garb sale. Wulfgar and Brecanni said that they had been given the garb specifically and that it was, in fact, not donated to Gold Key. Their daughter out-grew the clothes, so they sold them. This lady and the Wulfgar/Brecanni household have never been on good terms. Neither seems to want to see the other's side. It is, in my eyes, a personal problem and needn't impact on the office of exchequer.
We are currently seeking a replacement for the office, and have 2 candidates. One has shown only partial interest in the local group, but personally expressed his desire for the office. The other individual was recommended by a couple members of the populace. He will be contacted to find out if he's interested in the job. Other offices are held by the Wulfgar/Brecanni household.
Wulfgar is our herald and minister of arts and sciences. Some see him as having too much "power" in Lost Forest by holding 2 great offices. Whether or not it is deliberate, it seems that pains are being taken to discredit Wulfgar and Brecanni. I have had nothing truly verified to me which proves any impropriety on their parts. They are both very capable of their jobs and are the most dedicated supporters of Lost Forest I've known, except for Ld William of Freidrichsburg, who had to move to Drachenwald. This discrediting could open an office that has been verbally fought over by Ly Molly and Corwin.
Molly seems to want Wulfgar and Brecanni out of Lost Forest affairs. Corwin wants to call the shots and wield the power he thinks exists in holding offices. Wulfgar and Brecanni want to do their jobs. I've not seen any reason to complain about the way they've done them.
Whether or not we want to admit it, whenever a problem arises, it seems to involve one or more of four people or groups. I believe I've said quite a bit about Wulfgar and Brecanni, so I'll not feature them in this assessment.
Molly needs to hold an office, to see that there's no power tied to it, and that, like a game of chess, it's easy to see how a move should have been made when you're not directly playing the game. Most often, she seems to get along with the majority of the populace. I think she could perform duties of most any office, provided she doesn't get upset over gossip and politics, which she is apt to do. She does have heart and other health problems which might make office stress dangerous to her. Molly doesn't really want to hurt anyone, but holds a grudge against Wulfgar and Brecanni and is quite critical of their behavior. Everyone says they want to get along, but neither side wants to give in to the other, and there's too much hostility to work on compromise. On the positive side, Molly always enjoys the opportunity to help when asked. She is very active in the SCA and is a very gifted musician and seamstress. She does let things bother her too much, and when it's not Wulfgar and Brecanni, it is Corwin.
Corwin is a different sort of person. As long as there is no debate over a topic, he is a most friendly sort. The friendliness stops when one disagrees with him. Corwin simply has to be right or he fusses and grumbles, making life miserable for all but his short-time followers. I say "short-time" because he gives a very charismatic and appealing first impression. After one deals with him at any length, a disagreement is certain to arise. He co-founded a Scottish household, and rumor has it that the membership shortly had enough of his order-giving and griping that they ousted him as house-lord. He has to have his opinions accepted, to the point that he'll fuss until outside intervention is required, as was evidenced by our bardic fiasco a little over a year ago. He has most always been at odds with Molly, and frequently fights with Wulfgar and Brecanni (No, really, I kid you not!), whom he often considers to be his good friends. Corwin has a talent for alienating almost anyone. (His aunt who lives in Leeton, MO., verified that he even does his family the way I describe.). As assistant MoA&S, he attempted to hold Arts & Sciences nights at his place on Thursdays. He got no support from the populace. The time I decided to participate, no one was there at his place at all. I finally left, after a 20 minute wait. The night, at feast, when it was announced that Wulfgar would be the next MoA&S, Corwin withdrew into a shell and was noticeably angry. A few asked what's wrong, and he snapped back with either "NOTHING!" or "IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS!" Later that night, I may have gotten on his bad side. He was ranting about something, I forget what, and I said "That's nothing to get mad about." He snapped "Who's mad?" I:"You are." He:"I'm not mad." I:"Well you sound mad." He:"Well I'm not." I:"I suggest you change your tone of voice then, so you don't appear to be mad." Then his lady leaned over and whispered to him, "You really DO sound mad." That, with the disgusted looks from many bystanders caused him to leave a few minutes later. Another time, it was Duncan or Parthalon, I believe, who put his hand on Corwin's shoulder to say something. Corwin wheeled around and said, "Don't you EVER touch me again!" We try to work with Corwin, but it's most often a very disagreeable chore. Corwin's great redeeming feature is that he's always willing to perform. He's very proud of his bardic talent, and many like to hear him. Too often, however, Corwin gets upset over something, and he frequently turns to gossip, usually to find eager ears with Justasien and Dorenn.
Justasien and Dorenn share some similarities with Wulfgar and Brecanni and myself. Wulfgar seems to be the spokesperson for that duo, and Dorenn seems to be the spokesperson for the other duo. While Justasien has shown very little activity, Brecanni is always SCA active. Both are quiet and would rather not attack issues. Most of what I've heard from or about Justasien came from rumor, and rumor is almost never good. I hope with his new office, I'll hear more from him directly. Dorenn is quite aggressive when given a job. With all good intent, she runs with a task, but often so quickly she steps on toes and doesn't hear about it until it gets back to her in the rumor mill. Like myself, Dorenn will do a job alone if possible, asking for assistance only when absolutely necessary. This could easily give the impression of her not wanting help or company. We both enjoy company, but don't actively seek it. Dorenn stepped on toes like I described above, while autocratting Lost Forest's Spring Crown Tourney. Dorenn and Justasien seem to often get involved in Lost Forest gossip.
We have 4 strong mind-sets in Lost Forest; Wulfgar/Brecanni, Molly, Corwin, and Justasien/Dorenn. They all have wonderful contributions they can make. I don't want to see any of them put off or hurt. These 4 are just a tiny part of Lost Forest, and I would hate to see their personality differences cause our downfall. We do continue to live, despite the difficulties. As our motto goes, we "Never concede, but persevere!"
(It is said by Wulfgar, that there is a conspiracy against my seneschalate brewing, involving Molly, Dorenn, Justasien, Morna of Bute, mkaJerry Bumgarner, Corwin and Ferogain. If this true, I wish they'd just wait. They'd see their plans needn't be implemented, nor would the associated hard-feelings have to come to pass. Also, I wish I could speak with my accusers, to clear up whatever they're alleged to be accusing me of. Morna has moved from Lost Forest, and Corwin is rumored to have moved. I plan to speak with Ferogain some night this week, but don't intend to bring this up. I consider it, thus far, mere rumor, as I've seen nothing ill of anyone except Corwin.)
SENESCHAL: Ld Ognyen Fenlander's only SCA problems (that I'm aware of), are that I may be too conservative for some of the populace, and the recent involvement in a rumor which I mentioned in my April-June report. The other problems are in how to deal with short-notice departures of officers from Lost Forest. My mundane problems which, on occasion, run in to the SCA are that I may be over-extending myself, and that I may likely be getting Air Force orders in October, to send me to North Dakota. I am priming Ld Ferogain of River Shannon for the office of seneschal, and considering Leandra as well.
CASTELLAN: Ld Parthalon "the bold" MacKeon has no SCA problems of which I am aware. He declined my offer of the seneschalate due to his mother's ill health.
GOLD KEY: Ly Brecanni nic Diarmida has no SCA problems that can be attributed to her alone. Her problems stem from a rivalry between her and Ly Elizabeth "Molly" Hathaway and from Black Corwin MacCamie. It is said that items donated to Gold Key were sold by Brecanni with her pocketing the money. She and her husband, Ld Wulfgar, say the children's garb in question was given to them personally, for their children's use. Their children out-grew them, and they sold the garb. The claims, true or false, have prompted me to order an inventory of all stronghold property. I feel the incident is a mis-understanding.
MINISTER OF CHILDREN: Miguel Fernando d'Aquila has no SCA or personal problems of which I am aware.
HERALD: Ld Wulfgar Hrafnfoedir has no SCA problems which are his alone. His only difficulties stem from the Molly/Brecanni rivalry and from Black Corwin.
EXCHEQUER (temporary): Ly Brecanni has no SCA problems except those mentioned earlier, and some of her purchases which were questioned during the last audit of our account. Poor records were kept at the time, or at least receipts were stored in a less-than reasonable place by the then-exchequer, Ly Brienne. Many receipts were either lost or destroyed by moisture in an outdoor storage shed. Without receipts, the stories of where the money went were not easy to verify. I believe no wrongs were done, and no suspicious eyes should be cast on Ly Brecanni.
KNIGHT MARSHAL: Ld Garth Elander made a very sudden move from Lost Forest with his betrothed, Morganna Rhodes, the exchequer prior to Brecanni, due to unacceptable advances and harassment by another individual. I won't mention his name, as the charges have been unsubstantiated to me. Replacing Ld Garth as knight marshal is Justasien Morey. The only problems I see with Justasien, is that he and I may be at political odds, and that he has been much less than visible in Lost Forest for more than a year. There have been incidents which cause me to hesitate in giving him a position of responsibility. Justasien called me to announce his acceptance of the marshalate, and to ask why I did not sign his AoA recommendation. I told him that though an AoA isn't necessarily a service award, the recommendation implied service which I had not seen, and therefore could not justify. I said that if he could get fighter practices back on line, and if Tribal Revelries V (TRV) fighting goes well, I might reconsider and submit another AoA myself. I also told him that he needs to become much more visible in Lost Forest. He was one of the last of the self-exileds who returned to Lost Forest. I do sincerely hope he performs his duties as expected. He may well have changed in year of Lost Forest absence. The office is in his hands, and he says he's held 2 successful fighter practices and explained his TRV plans. If all goes as stated, we should have great martial tests of skill for our rival forces of East and West.
ARCHER MARSHAL: Dorenn MacTigue, Justasien's betrothed, is greatly motivated, and her only SCA problem is a tendency to gossip. Archery is waiting for a practice site, and physical rather than merely verbal interest by the populace.
CONSTABLE: Ld Grieggor of Greyhaven's only SCA problem is that he is very seldom seen. He gets along great with everyone, and as a former police, makes a wondrously knowledgeable law-keeper.
MINISTER OF ARTS AND SCIENCES: Ld Wulfgar is very qualified for his job as MoA&S, as he has many related interests, and has watched his wife while she performed the office. The only problem other than previously stated, is that several see his holding 2 great offices as wielding too much power. I have never seen him mis-use the so-called power. Corwin is upset with his assuming MoA&S because he had held the assistant position for a while. Corwin was not selected, due to his "When I'm MoA&S, things are gonna change" attitude. Corwin and Molly are at great odds when it comes to bardic arts, which falls under the arts category (talk to Ly Juelda for a Lost Forest bardic problem summary). Corwin was felt by many to be too hot-headed to be in any officer position. MoA&S has been a political hot-spot since I selected Brecanni over Molly after holding the office myself for 3 years. Molly could have been a wonderful MoA&S, but is too often embroiled in some sort of strife. I do, however, believe she has great potential.
CHIRURGEON: Ld Parthalon has no SCA problems, is a licensed emergency medical
technician, and gets along well with all.
CHRONICLER (or Chronicles of the Lost Forest Chronicler): This has been a most
difficult position to fill in Lost Forest. Ld Schreck of Bern passed the
office to me when he moved to AnTir. I published several issues of our SCOUT
and interim letters, then assumed the office of castellan from Ld William of
Freidrichsburg when he moved to Drachenwald. I passed the office to Ly Siubhan
Gunne, who did nothing with it. The office was then given to Ld Manfred
Eichbaum, who published 1 issue and showed much good intent. Then came the BoD
fiasco, and out of protest, he let his membership lapse and gave the office
back to me. I announced the vacancy at the next feast, and the office was
assumed by Serafina of Blasted Heath, who shortly thereafter took ill and
withdrew from any SCA activity. Nicollet of Blasted Heath, her assistant,
passed the office on to Jack of Tanyard shortly before the local university's
summer break. Jack showed much interest until he moved back to Three Rivers
for the summer, taking all the office records with him. It is rumored that he
is not enrolling at CMSU this fall, and not coming back to Lost Forest. Morna
of Bute assumed the office and collected submissions but never printed
anything. She moved, leaving the office vacant. Recently, John of King's
Point, (mundanely a high school Social Studies teacher in Warsaw, MO, and in
his 50s) showed interest and asked for the office. I think he should be
responsible enough to perform as expected.
THE BIRTH OF LOST FOREST'S RIVAL FACTIONS AND THE POLITICAL ALIGNMENTS
Our first seneschal was Caistrin Stormbrand (early name). He was single, party-loving, and very friendly. He soon gathered quite a following and indiscreet parties became the norm, rather than reserved for post-revels. It got so many of us could not bring our families. The moral conservatives fought back. We now have the 2 factions: the hedonists/liberals and the moralists/conservatives.
I guess you might say we have a 2 party system here in SLF. Caistrin soon gave in to the conservative pressure and Wulfgar, a conservative, assumed the seneschalate. Wulfgar saw us to our "official" status and Lycurgus, a liberal took over for a short time. Pressure got to him, as the parties started to get out of hand again. I, a conservative, assumed the office and when November rolls around, I am hoping Lord Ferogain can take seneschal. Ferogain is a moderate liberal, and has very close ties with Molly and with many of the conservatives as well.
We have only a handful of people who are consistently involved with Lost Forest fighting. It almost always seems to be Wulfgar and Brecanni or Molly or Corwin against one or both of the others.
Read the histories of Lost Forest, and you may see how the problems occur. Bear in mind, these are histories as I saw it. It may be opinionated.
end of attachment
Since our self-exileds returned, our rumor mill has started again. From what I hear, mainly from Wulfgar, it was Corwin who started the most false rumor of my not signing award forms on religious grounds. Corwin was not one of the exileds, but knows he has an eager ear with some of them, Justasien and Dorenn in particular. I know not who started the rumor of religious reasons for my not attending the Sedalia demo held in April. Corwin has a reputation of losing his temper and speaking in anger. I know not what possessed him to start rumor against me, unless it was the last feast he attended in Lost Forest, where I told him to calm down. He said he was calm, and I said that his voice shouldn't show anger then. He pouted and was quite quiet for the rest of the feast. I don't even remember what he got angry about in the first place.
I hear that Lord Garth indeed gave knight marshal over to Justasien. I hope we can work together, and hope that he proves himself worthy of holding an office. I look forward to his getting practices on schedule, and reports off on time. As I stated above, Justasien has demonstrated no fighter interest, nor ability to hold office. I certainly hope he proves me wrong. If I am wrong and he performs his duties properly, I may be tempted to recommend him for an award, no matter what religion he may be. Religion is mentioned, so I shall include my rumor rebuttal below.
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