Sin Regla

The Newsletter of the Shire of Tri-os, August 2013

August Business Meeting

We had a good turnout for the August Business Meeting on August 5 at Hope Lutheran Church in Port St. Lucie. The main order of business was our upcoming event, “A Voyage of Discovery”, which will take place at the church on October 5. Lady Beatrix has developed some classy site tokens. They are made from FIMO clay and feature a relief of a sailing ship. Those present signed up for various duties on the day of the event and a list was created. A general schedule for the day was developed. We decided to offer a “Sailor’s Lunch” for which we will accept donations. We plan to offer jerky, “hard tack” and pickles. We will also offer beans and rice. Several members volunteered to prepare this ahead of time. Morganna had a lot of information about the Taino people who were indigenous to the Caribbean Islands when Columbus arrived. She will prepare a class based on her information to present at the event. We are looking for people who are willing to dress in approximations of Taino dress to serve the first remove at feast. We are also looking for shtick and entertainment during feast. Morganna knows a Taino song and we hope that she will sing it during feast. Lady Beatrix, Lady Ceridwen and Tanwyn are planning an informational display on the plants and foods that Columbus brought back from his voyage. Anyone who has any information about this subject is encouraged to participate.  Although we have the key positions covered for the event, many hands make light work so we’d love to have your help either preparing for the event or at the event, or both.

In other business, we discussed starting a newsletter, of which this is the first edition. A number of members plan to attend Fall Coronation over Labor Day weekend. It will be held at Camp Ocala, near Daytona. Hopefully, we can all camp together.

Looking for Deputies

Just a reminder, all of our officers would welcome deputies. Serving as a deputy allows you to serve the Shire without taking on the full responsibility of being an officer. The deputy fulfills the duties of the officer when the officer is unable to and acts as an assistant. If you become a deputy, you are not obligated to eventually take over the office although it is good practice if you do eventually become an officer. Our offices are: Seneschal (chapter president), Exchequer (treasurer), Herald (secretary/historian/heraldry expert), Minister of Arts & Sciences, Hospitaller (membership). To find out more about any office, feel free to talk to the current officers.

 

August Art/Sci

 Our August Arts/Sci meeting will be held on Monday, August 19 at 7:00 PM, at Hope Lutheran Church. We will be having a Bardic night. We want to get everyone familiar with some of the songs that are frequently sung at events. It will also be an opportunity for you to perform a story, song or poem that you have been working on and get feedback from other members. Period entertainments such as storytelling, singing, instrumental music, and poetry are a big part of the SCA. There are annual kingdom competitions in each art and it’s also just good fun. Medieval peoples enjoyed being entertained just as much as modern people do. The bardic arts also represented a way to exchange information in a society where many people were illiterate. This evening will be a lot of fun so come on out. Bring your instrument and your singing voice. You might also bring a snack to share but it’s not required.

Newsletter plans

Currently it is our plan to have our newsletter distributed electronically. It will come out during the week following our monthly business meeting. Our Hospitaller, Lady Ceridwen (Carolyn Haykin) will be the editor. Submissions can be sent to her at chaykin@comcast.net. Submissions are due by the first Monday in each month for inclusion in that month’s newsletter. We plan to regularly cover the business meeting and include reports from each officer. We will describe the Arts/Sci meeting for the month and any other upcoming events. Any member or friend is welcome to submit an article, although the editor and/or Seneschal reserve the right to exclude articles deemed inappropriate. We also hope to offer tips and information about life in these Modern Middle Ages.

Warm Weather Camping

A number of us plan to attend Fall Coronation over Labor Day weekend. As all Floridians know, we can expect the weather to be HOT! Here are some tips to make your trip to Fall Coronation more comfortable.

     1.      Get a fan. Hand held fans were very “period” and both ladies and lords may have them. Many people have folding paper fans, which are readily available at oriental groceries. Fancier fans, made of wood or ivory, are available as well. I have seen fans woven from reeds and grass. Being able to gently fan yourself while sitting by the lyst field or in a class is essential in hot weather.

     2.      Get a sun hat. Both men and women wore broad brimmed hats to shade their eyes and faces. A comfortable hat is another essential.

     3.      Drink water. Come to the event prepared to have something to drink at hand at all times. You can disguise a modern water bottle in a little cloth bag. A water bottle bag is easy to make but you can also find many suitable bags already made. I use a bag intended to use to dress up a bottle of wine to hide my water bottle. Carry a bottle of water with you at all times and stash some extras in your basket. It is very easy to get dehydrated at a warm weather event.

     4.      Buy a portable fan. I have several 10 inch battery powered fans. You can get them at drug stores and discount stores. I don’t use them in public but they really help cool you down when you are in your tent. I find that I can use my fan for many hours on one set of batteries.

     5.      Make a “summer weight” sleeping bag. I took a queen size flat sheet, folded it in half and sewed it across the bottom and halfway up the open side. The resulting sack makes a neat, cool bed for camping.

     6.      Bring your bathing suit. Camp Ocala has a lovely sand beach and swimming area on the lake. Bathing suits aren’t period but no one will comment if you take a dip to cool off.

     7.      Take it easy. When wearing layers of clothes more appropriate to the mini ice age of Medieval Europe in muggy Florida, you will be much more comfortable if you move slowly. Don’t hurry. Relax and enjoy sitting in classes, talking to friends, doing handwork, or watching the lyst. You will feel much cooler if you stay calm.

     8.      Adopt a “summer” persona. Some people become Egyptian, Greek, or Roman when the weather gets hot. Celtic personas can wear a “bog dress” which is basically a tube with arm openings that fastens over the shoulders. It is much lighter than typical Celtic garb. Other people wear t-tunics and “breeches”. They wear what are essentially shorts under a t-tunic during hot weather.

Many of the buildings at Camp Ocala are air-conditioned so when the heat gets to you, you can always go inside for a while. The sleeping cabins are air-conditioned so cabin space may be the best for you, although remember, you will be sharing a bedroom with a number of other people. There are no private rooms.


Trimarian Summer Collegium

The Trimarian Summer Collegium will be held on August 17 in Jacksonville. Some members of the Shire are planning to attend. This event will be a day full of classes and will be an opportunity to earn many credits in the new Trimaris University. For more information, see the kingdom website at Trimaris.org.

The Trimaris University will be an on-going program where participants earn credits for teaching and taking classes related to the Middle Ages. In order to get credits on your transcript, you must register. You can register as a student or a teacher or both. This is a way for gentles who are not interested in Arts/Sci competition to be recognized for their pursuit of knowledge. At the Novice level, you take classes in a variety of arts and sciences. As you progress through the rankings, your focus becomes more specific until finally, you complete a number of courses on a single subject. Many of us are excited about this new program. For more information, talk to our Arts/Sci minister, Lady Anyse.