The Baron and Baroness

Plotting & Scheming II…

Even with last year’s many successful events, there was room for improvement, particularly in the forward planning. We’d certainly like to see things organised ahead of time a bit more this year.

To that end, we invite you to join us to discuss and plan a calendar of activities and events for the year ahead.

By the end of the meeting we would like to have teams ready to run Valentine’s Day, Newcomers and campsite coordination for Festival, as well as teams interested in a weekend of A&S classes and a series of tourneys and smaller feasts.

If you have been thinking about stewarding an event, but haven’t quite made up your mind or if you want to be involved, but don’t know where to start, please bring your ideas and also your enthusiasm to make things happen.

We will also be talking about Officers positions that are due for renewal and those that need deputies.

Where: The Yew, (email us for the address - find our email address on the Politarchopolis website)

When: 5 pm - 7 pm on Sunday 13 January 2007

Bring: Your diaries or calendars, your ideas and enthusiasm and your practical side.

Agenda: - Regular practices and meetings

- Event calendar for 2008

- Officers’ needing deputies or replacements

- Communication

If you can’t be there on Sunday 13 January then come a long and chat informally at Haig Park Hall during the usual Sunday activities or call and let us know you want to be involved so we can keep you in the loop.

Event Stewards

Lady Oriel has put together an excellent guide for event stewards and feast stewards and quite a few experienced stewards in the barony have offered to act as mentors for stewarding teams. If you are considering running an event and would like information or help in putting together an event bid, please get in touch with us.

Valentine’s Day

We have not had an event bid for Valentine’s and time is running out. We had some informal conversations with people who seemed interested and had some great ideas, but have heard nothing more.

The tentative date is Saturday 16 February.

If you would like to be involved in this event, please contact our Seneschal as soon as possible and try to attend the meeting on 13 January.

O-Week and Newcomers

The College of St Aldhelm’s will be holding a stall on at Market Day on Wednesday 20 February 2008 as part of the ANU’s Orientation Week.

The college will also be hosting the annual Newcomers’ Feast this year, the tentative date for this is Saturday 8 March 2008. The college have requested that the barony support these events by:

• providing items to decorate the o-week stall

• attending the demo on market day

• bringing a show-and-tell for a topic to the first two weeks of the college meetings

• taking classes for beginners in fighting, garb making and dance at a minimum (other topics very welcome)

• participating in a tourney on the afternoon of the Newcomers’ Feast

If you have time to be involved please get in touch with Lady Elizabeth, the College Seneschal.

Rowany Festival AS

Planning is underway and we have visited the new site with the stewards. Thank you to everyone who has already responded to our email about campsite allocation at Festival. If you have not already done so, please let us know if you’d like to camp with (or next door to) the Politarchopolis encampment.

If you are willing to be involved in planning or coordinating our site for Festival, please let us know. We have had one request for a food fund….

Alessandro Isobel

The Hunt

On a beautiful Saturday we set forth across the hills with a fine company of archers. We found and dispatched various vices that were loitering around the hillsides and routed a menacing troll from under a bridge.

Having made the hills safe, we had a delicious picnic under the trees then lounged in the shade. The gathered gentles then witnessed a display of fine skill from the fencers of the Barony. The wind was brisk and we soon discovered Mercurio has a talent for flying kites. Gabrielle of the Marshes felled a hawk in flight with a single arrow after others had tried and failed.

We then continued on our journey along the valley towards our hunting hall. On the way we came upon an abundance of bunnies in a meadow and these were shot with great enthusiasm.

We returned to the hall as the sun retired and there Master Crispin set a fine feast in that candle-lit hall that was adorned with splendid tapestries by Lady Sabine. Singing and telling of tales went on long into the evening until the few who remained fell asleep in the hall.

In the morning the woods rang with hunting horns and the bellow of wild boar and baying wolves. The baronial hunt succeeded in flushing out some poachers who were pursued to their hide and dealt with most harshly. The woods are safe again and the hunt yielded a fine bounty.

Spring Baronial Championship

Their Royal Majesties Hugh and Therasa, King and Queen of Lochac attended the tourneys and contests and presided over the celebrations of the inaugural Politarchopolis Spring Baronial Championship.

The pageantry of this occasion was reminiscent of May Crown, with banners flying and pavilions for the gallery among the trees.  His Majesty presented a fine challenge to the local combatants, as did the Lords and Ladies from other parts of the Kingdom who entered the lists to decide our new Baronial Champion. Our combatants displayed both skill and honour in meeting these challenges and the tourney was most deservedly won by His Grace, Sir Cornelius.

The fencers then competed for the right to serve as Baroness’ Champion. In a close and compelling contest, this honour was won by Lord Lorccan Ruadh.

In the evening a fine feast was set forth by Lady Jehanne de Bonifacio and her team of dedicated helpers. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Lady Alexandra Hartshorn and more hardworking gentles, the hall was bedecked with banners, lit with candles and rang with merriment, to the gentle accompaniment of the Royal Harper.

We were pleased to proclaim Duke Sir Cornelius von Becke our Baronial Champion. As outgoing champion, Master Crispin Sexi assured us of his careful stewardship of the Politarchopolis sword of state, which he tells us is in a very safe place. Past Baronial Champions were honoured with the creation of a Griffin Guard, in our gratitude for their past service to the Barony.

Her Excellency bid fond thanks to her outgoing Champion, Don Francois Henri Guyon for his courtesy and service and was delighted to announce Lord Lorccan Ruadh as her new Champion.  Past Baroness’ Champions were inducted into a new City Watch and charged with keeping safe the streets of Politarchopolis.

From among the strong field in the tourneys, Her Excellency announced that she had asked Lady Alycia le Cheval Blanc to become Baroness’ War Champion, following Lady Alycia’s own Knight, Sir Philipe du Lac.

We were privileged also to recognise Lady Ragnhildr Freysteinndottir with a Burley Griffin for her fine work and dedication to the Arts and Sciences.

Their Majesties held court and called forth a number of Their subjects. Lord Owain Cantor ap Hugh and Alexandra Hartshorne, were rewarded for their service to the Kingdom as the newest recipients of the Golden Tear. Valentin der Spieler, Catherine of Glastonbury and Caera Sionnach were recognised for their great enrichment of the Kingdom, being made Lochac’s newest armigers.

Sabine d’Antan and Mercurio L’Estranger were admitted into the Royal Company of Archers in just recognition of their honour, courtesy, service and skill. The Honourable Rainald Fitzrenyard spoke in praise of these two gentles and did remind all those gathered of the significance of this accolade.

There were quite a number of very beautiful entries in the Arts and Sciences competitions, with worthy winners in Lord Svein for stunning pewter cast griffin wings and Lady Ysabelle for lovely, whimsical illuminated capitals.

Sunday saw another fine day as His Majesty joined the archers of the Barony in a Royal Round and King’s Round. To the delight and entertainment of the gallery, Lord Sigmund Spellmann and Lady Ysabelle Vitale won the Royal Round and as if in a confirmation of their well matched skills, Mercurio L’Estranger won the Kings Round, with Sabine d’Antan a very close second.

We are overjoyed to see the great wealth of skill, honour, courtesy and service within the Barony displayed for Their Majesties at this event. We give heartfelt thanks to the many people who contributed to this event.

Alessandro Isobel

This is an event to improve the skills of the archers of Lochac. There will be various workshops and discussion sessions interspersed with practical archery sessions. There will be a night-time shoot. Cost includes camping, toilet and gas burners (BYO food). It is likely fire bans will be in place. Garb is optional. Please contact steward for archery equipment requirements.

When: 1^st and 2^nd March 2008, 10.30am Sat - 2.30pm Sun

Where: Crossroads Medieval Village Co-operative, Sheldricks Lane (off Hume Hwy near Yass Valley Way), NSW

Cost: $30 members, $35 non-members, $15 Day rate, Concessions available.

Bookings: Required by 25^th Feb but no-one will be turned away. Cheques payable to: SCA Politarchopolis

Steward: Sabine d’Antan, archersabine [at] hotmail [dot] com