November 05 Milestone

The Quintavian Milestone
November 2005

Chronicler's Greeting:

Greeetings! Welcome to to the new Quintavian Milestone. I am excited at the idea of a whole new look to the Milestone. My Deputy Editor and I are looking forward to the possibilities that an Electronic Format will give us, that will still give us the ability to hand out paper copies when requested. This is our first issue, so bear with us as we make the transition from the Milestone being just business meeting minutes.... to the new look with articles and hopefully interesting information!....

Yours In Service,

Lady Dhanwanti
Shire of Quintavia Chronicler
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Love Bloomed at the Great Pennsic War

a true story by:
Lady Mairgred of Llangarron
Pennsic XXVII

It happened that a newcomer, a fellow Quintavian, arrived at Pennsic unexpectedly during land grab. Seeing him so nervous and shy it was difficult to turn him away from the Arx Ventus encampment where I, as land agent for my group, would be staying alone during that first week of war. I really did not have the authority to invite others to stay in the camp of this newly formed household, but what could I do?

I had not met this gentle before, and was uncertain how it would be having him in camp, but Montehue de Roquefort soon proved himself to be a true SCAdian by pitching right in and diligently carrying through with self appointed kitchen duties and consistent night patrol of the camp. Although, he found himself in foreign surroundings, this being his first Pennsic, he was not underfoot. He found his own entertainment and adventures.

Romance soon blossomed for Monty in the form of Lady Lidia of Linburger. Despite their attempts to keep the affair private by the second week their romance was in full bloom. And it happened they were discovered in amorous activity down behind the woodpile by His Excellency, Sir Ariel of Alon, head of our household. It was obvious that Monty had invited Lidia to stay with him for the remainder of the event. None of us were certain if Sir Ariel’s reaction was due to the discovery of the two and their affectionate display, or the fact that as head of the household he had not been consulted regarding their presence in our encampment.

As the saying goes “all’s well that ends well”. The charming couple soon won the hearts of all in camp and it saddened all to learn that Monty had decided to stay in Pennsylvania with his new lady love and not return to the faire land of Quintavia in the East. It was heart touching to see Monty watching us pack up for the trip home then slowly turn and walk back to his paramour. But that is how it can be when love blooms at Pennsic.

(Oh, did I mention that Monty is a mouse that stowed away in my trailer and traveled all the way from Quintavia to Pennsic wrapped up in Lord Goth’s tent which I had transported?)
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Officers Reports

Seneschal: (Lady Allura McKeoch)
Being the new Senechal is a terrific learning experience. I get to be involved in lots of new things that I was never involved in before. Right now, I am working on getting the Shire of Quintavia involved with other groups in our region; I am working on talking to new people, and looking for new places to recruit; I am going to start my A&S Pentathalon project this month for 12th night, and I am debating on whether I want to run a Middle-Eastern Event in February! I'm new, so any insight, suggestions or pointers anyone has is a wonderful blessing.
~Vivant, Quintavia!

Exchequer: (Baroness Eleanor Le Brun)
Hello, your friendly average very day exchequer here. I am the person who manages the shire's money. I am the one who has to report to Kingdom and they in turn have to report to the IRS... "The Man"... The buck stops here :) What do I do? It is fairly simple. When we have an event I make sure that the cash box(es) have change and get this to the Autocrat. After the event I collect the money from the autocrat and make the bank deposits. I also fill out the Kingdom event report. I have 3 Quarterly reports and 1 year end report. The 3 quarterly reports are very basic; I have to email scans of the bank statements and our ledger in. The ledger is basically the check register on a check book that I keep in an Excel sheet. The year end is more complicated, it puts all the money we spent in the year in specific "buckets" of what kind of spending it was. And all the money in needs to match the money out. It is not a hard job, but it does have tasks that need to be taken care of in a timely manner. Money is no secret here if you want to know what our situation is just ask and I will tell you. If you want to know how much money we made at our last event or any of that I have the reports and I can give you a copy. I am here to help you all plan your events and make our shire successful.

Herald: (Lady Brigit of Longwood)
Hi, I'm your herald, otherwise known as the small and loud person. But being a herald is much more than just running around screaming "oyez": I'm also the person to go to when you decide on registering your name and/or device; I keep a record of the Order of Precedence for the area (which basically tells who's who with regards to title and rank); I am in charge of crying the camp at local events, and I also will teach classes on occasion regarding things people in the area might want to know about heraldry. Come, ask me questions if you have them: if I don't know, I can get you in touch with the person who might know, or a place where you can find what you need.

Mistress of Arts and Sciences:
Currently open office. Our previous Mistress stepped down due to the fact that she is now the Crown Princess...

Knight Marshal: (Lord Arik Coer D'Luttrere)
Hello . . , I'm Lord Arik Coer D'Luttrere, Knight's Marshal in-service to the Shire of Quintavia and the East Kingdom, Squire to Duke Sir Morguhn
Sheridan, etc . . .
If you are viewing this, I hope it is because your interested in heavy armor combat fighting within our shire.
First; we try to hold practice every Sunday at 1:00 pm till ? ? ? (see shire calendar). As Knight's Marshal I want all who participate to do so
with skill and safety. We have loaner armor for those just getting started, we are scheduling armor-making classes for those who want to
continue, and on most Sundays we have an excellent mix of both experienced and new fighters who enjoy sharing their knowledge.
Whether your a visiting fighter from outside our shire with knowledge to share, and a new visitor with questions -- please call or email me. The
shire wants your experience and visit to be fun . . .

Marshal of Fence:(Lord Alan of Rosley)
No report submitted

Marshal of Siege Weapons:(Lord Harald Orn)
Hello. My name is Harald Orn. I have been a member of the SCA for the better part of the last decade and a fighter for the last three years. I currently serve my home Shire of Quintavia as the Marshal of Siege. In that position, I educate fighters about Siege Weapons on the battlefield and target range. I also assist and work with them on the design and construction of new Siege Engines for use on the battlefield and target range. I also work with any interested party (youth or adult) in researching the history of Siege Warfare and Siege Weapons. If you have an interest in these topics, please let me know. I'm always willing to provide any assistance I am able and to direct people to better sources of information if I don't have the answers to their questions.

Chatelaine:(Toi Poisson De Mortagne)
As chatelaine my job is to welcome newcomers, preside over newcomer meetings,provide opportunities for demos, and maintain loaner garb and feast gear etc.for events. I enjoy my job as Chatelaine in the Shire because it gives me an official excuse to mix, mingle and introduce myself at events. I'm a garboholic so my favorite activity in SCA is to make clothing and collect fabric and trim. Outside of SCA, one of my most fun activities is as a Girl Scout volunteer. I train new people to become Girl Scout leaders, and experienced leaders to become better leaders. I am on a committee that recognizes other Girl Scout volunteers for a job well done, and I inevitably end up in a flotsam and jetsam of other committees for special events as well. I am in a book club so I read a lot although lately all I want to read is novels that relate to the SCA time period. Sometimes I have to force myself to remember what time period I'm in and realize I need to relate to others who are apparently living in the 21st century.

Chronicler:(Lady Dhanwanti)
Greetings, I am your chronicler...I take minutes at the business meetings and I am in charge of the milestone which I could not do without the wonderful help of my Deputy Editor Theresa "of the wrong way" Gianni, and other deputies. If you have a story idea or want to see something in the Milestone, please contact myself or one of my deputies!

Historian:(Andrea Du Bois Blanc)
No Report Submitted

Webmistress:(Lady Dhanwanti)
Hi, I am Lady Dhanwanti (yep I am also the same person that handles the Thrown Weapons in the Shire and The Milestone Editor (WITH LOTS OF DEPUTIES) In this position, I maintain the Shire of Quintavia's Website and it's e-mail lists... I have been doing website design since about 1993. If you have any suggestions or comments on our main website which can be found at http://www.quintavia.eastkingdom.org/ please feel free to contact me at the information on the left....

Thrown Weapons Marshal:(Lady Dhanwanti)
Hi, I am your thrown weapons marshal....I have been doing thrown weapons ever since I started in the SCA (about 4 years ago). I am a warranted marshal in the East Kingdom and am very willing to teach people about thrown weapons. For those that don't know what Thrown weapons are, They are axes, knives and spears, and other sharp pointy things that we throw at hard targets (for the spears, it is a soft target). This year's thrown weapons season is over, but look for me to start up practices up again in the spring! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me!

Youth Combat Marshal:(Lord Kelvin MacGregor)
The First Youth Combat meeting was held Sunday, October 28th. We had an introduction, and got a heap of loaner gear from Arik. We have several newcomers and their mother's out to sit through the instruction and start to learn about combat. A lovely donation for loaner gear was made, and so our youth unit start to grow.

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A Warrior True
By

Mistress Andrea MacIntyre
Crown Province of Ostgardr
(Printed with permission)

The morn did dawn with gray and mist,
Rose to become the warrior fist.
Many did come to seek the day,
Many did rise to come and play.
Warriors all, fine and meek,
Eager eyes, the thrones they seek

Arose the tented walls of support,
In each one, a warrior, each sort.
The peal of cornets did ring out,
The noble did rise and seek their bout.
And to royalty did they bend and sway,
For did they seek an heir today.

Hordes of fighters, bent to task,
Seeking right to claim and ask.
The tourney begun, it did wend its way,
Many a champion did die this day.
But in the end, four fair and true,
Did remain and! shine, as was their due.

Sir Konrad, fine and faire,
He did face Duke Brion square.
A wondrous racket, their swords rang true,
And in the match, a champion new.
But in the end, Brion claimed the right,
He advanced as victor this night.

The second match, a steely pair,
Count Thorvald, a Viking bear.
Returned to spar the chosen man,
The Noble Duke, Sir Lucan.
As battle drew nigh,
Lucan, Victor, ladies did sigh.

Now the crowds did draw in near,
Lust of battle, etched in fear.
The potent two did greet the field,
And neither duke did easy yield.
The contest long, dusk did descend,
But still the crowd did see no end.

The first, Duke Lucan claims the right,
The second, Duke Brion wins the fight.
The third, a battle good and true,
A warrior tale is borne anew.
And in the mud, and dark of night,
One still stands to claim this fight.

Brion, named victor still stands there,
And claims ! for Anna, his wife fair.
And to bended knee, before the crowd,
To accept the crown from his ruler proud.
Darius, Rex, did speak out loud,
And regale us with words avowed.

This I witnessed, fine and loud,
And in my eyes I am but proud.
Noble deeds were done this day,
And may my words wend its way.
A mighty Prince was born this day,
Our king doth have an heir today.

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Falling Leaves Report
by

Lady Brigit of Longwood
(Printed with Permission)

Long, long ago, back in my college days, I joined the SCA, and my first event was one called Falling Leaves. I went in loaner garb that didn't fit at all, tired myself out dancing and wandering around trying to figure out what I wanted to do within this fantastic organization I'd recently discovered. Since then, I have made it a kind of personal tradition to return to that event every year that I can.

This year, my ninth in the SCA, I find myself over in the Shire of Quintavia and going as one of several ambassadors from this place, to visit my former home of Carolingia. The weather did not like us at all, I fear. We faced treacherous monsters on the road: tempests that threatened to flood us out, dragons that threatened to crush us to bits (or just drive badly and make a lot of noise doing it), water sprites determined to make us into skeletons! If it were not for the good sense of Lady Dhanwanti, I do not know if we would have survived the trip!

Survive we did, however, and we made it to the place in question sopping wet to hear similar tales of woe from others. (at one point during the day, I ran into a rather large insect who seemed to be itself sick of the rain -- nine days of it will do that, I guess). There we found our good Chatelaine, Toi de Poisson de Mortagne, who had made a lovely presentation booth about our Shire and the SCA in general. It was truly amazing, this concoction: there were pictures of SCA folk, there was lemonade to be drunk, and -- the best crowd-gatherer of all -- there were COOKIES! FREE COOKIES!

(people really liked the cookies)

We found that we attracted a fair amount of attention, and we spent much of the rest of that day pleasantly, talking to everyone who came by. I greeted old friends from the Barony, and met some new folk, including an interesting Welshman who started swearing in Welsh at the rain (sorry, kids, I'm not putting that in here; this is a PG newsletter).

The time for court came, and so did our Seneschal, who had had troubles of her own getting here, so then I could breathe (sort of). After all, we were to give a presentation!

And so, we did: an interesting feeling it was, to be marching into court as a "visiting foreign dignitary", if you will, along with others! Those present were Lady Allura and Lord Kelvin with their young ones, Lady Elspeth, Lady Dhanwanti, Andrea, Pat, and of course our wonderful Chatelaine Toi. There, we presented a basket to His Excellency the Baron of Carolingia, along with a lovely scroll by Lady Dhanwanti. He seemed most pleased with it (the wine, he said he'd keep for later).

Then, the officers present had the great honor of actually being invited to eat with the Baron, at his table. We discussed various things, and I met some people recently come over from Caid. The food was wonderful.

Afterward, there was dancing and most of us went home, though I know there were at least two who remained over the border and danced till midnight!

The rain had just ended as we left, and we had found out the results of the Crown Tourney which had also happened that day: lo and behold it was our own Duke Brion! To have the King and Queen coming from our own shire will be an interesting thing, I think. And, it was quite ironic!

So, vivant to our new Prince and Princess, Brion and Anna!

Vivant to the Baron and people of Carolingia!

And lastly, vivant to our ambassadors of Quintavia who helped make Falling Leaves new again for this small bard!

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Business Meeting Minutes
Taken by Teresa Giani (Deputy Chronicler)

Quintavia Minutes of the meeting November 8, 2005

Attendees

Teresa Giani
Toi Poisson De Mortagne
Allura McKeoch
Harald Orn
Kelvin MacGregor
Arik Coer D'Luttere
Andrea Du Bois Blanc
Pat
Brigit of Longwood
Eleanor Le Brun

Officer Reports

Seneschal:

We had a terrific revel! We need to discuss long term what we intend to do as a shire, recruiting, demo, etc. What are the goals in the society? Find out what people are interested in doing and highlight the year with those activities. Let's pick 3 or 4 things through the year that will be large focus and then have smaller projects in between that focus on other areas.

Exchequer:

Sent $12 the non-member fee for Le Jeux to corporate.

Herald:

Yo,Currently working on order of precedents for the shire. Anyone who hasn't sent info needs to.Trying to compile a list of zip codes and people within the shire.Lord Kelvin has asked me to speak to the youth fighters about Heraldry. Put together a Heraldry night for the kids to make their own heraldry for their shields, etc. This weekend plan is to talk to the youth fighters to find out what they want to know. Then plan a formal Heraldry work shop based on what they are interested in. Basic heraldry for adults December 4th and November 29th. Come and learn how to research names, heraldry for arms, etc. Working with a few people on their names and devices and there is at least one that is ready to go in.

Youth Combat:

Working on other activities for Youth combat then just Heavy list fighting. Segregate the youth group into other things. Diversify the projects more. Hi we're all here…Had first youth combat last Sunday, had 5 people. Great donations were made for the Youth combat group, cash needs to be given to the Exchequer and will be spent on Youth combat equipment. Next class will be taught by Lady Brigit about Heraldry.

Mistress of Arts & Sciences:

Asking for letters of intent for this position, next month will be a vote for the position, anyone who puts in a letter between now and the next business meeting will be considered for the position.

Knight Marshall:

Interested in hosting an armor making class, is gathering data and polling those fighting for a good date that the class can be held for those who are interested.We have been getting a good turn out of people on Sundays, and want to be able to do more heavy list practices on Tuesdays. Caravanning out Sunday November 13th out to Groton, CT fight practice. Planning to leave Millbury at 12:30 and return at 6 pm. Planning around 5 – 6 people to go down for the day.

Marshall of Siege:

This is the non-shooting season. This is the time to train new engineers and build more equipment. Siege engine class sometime the middle of January. Marshals of heavy list are required to take the Siege Weapons class so they understand how siege works on the list. Projects for non-siege engineers will be to build projectiles for the Siege weapons will be planned in the New Year.

Chatelaine:

Ideas on Gold Key, sort through all of the Gold Key items and figure out what we would like to keep and then have a swap meet where we sell Gold Key items for sale cheap to make extra money for the shire. Places to have additional meeting, practice, and demo sites in other areas around the shire. The Worcester JCC is open to the idea but just on Sundays from 7 am – 6 pm. The rental fee is dependent on how many rooms we need. No non-kosher food allowed. There are pools and showers available, a gym, meeting rooms, small auditoriums, racquetball courts, playgrounds.

Demo for cub scouts having a blue and gold dinner on February 11th the same day as the Nova Schola. St. Luke's parish Hall in Westborough, which is small so we need very few volunteers, mostly combat related, possibly 4 or 5 volunteers.

Participating with other local organizations. Participating with the Lion's Fair in Grafton. Have a booth with Chatelaine and gold key materials as well as Arts and Sciences. Others to attend and add to the ambiance.

But wait there's more….

Trying to make contact with WPI's Medieval Society, I wrote to them to ask if they may be interested in interacting with us, waiting to hear back from them.

Historian:

The Quintavian lives is in procession of the Historian now. Wants to give a form list of questions for the web site that will email directly to the Historian for the book. The historian is also looking for stories about the shire and its members.

Web Minister:

Hi there, Well, there are going to be LOTS of changes coming to the website. I am going to be bringing the critiques that I have gotten into the new and improved website.... So don't be surprised if you see some new things on the site and the whole look to the site. The whole site SHOULD hopefully be improved and changed by the beginning of the year . Again, if you have any comments, complaints about the website, please feel free to email me and your ideas will be addressed.

Chronicler:

The new version of the milestone is UP on the site, once I get the minutes up on the newsletter as well, then I will be sending out the courtesy copies that I need to send out. Thanks to Teresa Giani for taking notes for me today in my absence and for helping with the milestone! Please if you have any stories, poems, anything for the milestone please submit it to me or one of my deputies! When I get my full list of deputies I will send an email out to let you know who to send the contributions to! Please, ANYONE Can write! Please submit anything you want! (as long as it is not a personal attack on anyone in or out of the shire) If you get something from someone else, Please make sure that you also send along an email from that person with written permission to publish their work. It also pertains to your own work as well... I need an email stating that ! you give me permission to post your work in the milestone and on the website. Thank you!

Thrown Weapons Marshal:
Hi, Well the Thrown weapons season is over for the year, but look for me to start up practices again in the spring..... depends on when the snow stops falling and the winds are a little warmer....Thanks for playing!

Old Business

Boredom War

Bolton Fair Board to have their meeting with the Lancaster Selectmen to approve our rental of the group. After which we will iron out the details of our lease.

Monthly Calendar

Classes at remote locations, i.e. spinning class and dance classes at individual homes and other areas. Questions regarding coronation?? Unsure about that, want to discuss helping TRMS with place and so on.

Fall Revel

Raging Success!!

New Business

Sunday Classes Heraldry, siege, A&S stuff coming up like making tabards & so on for kids with EK badge or something like that on it

Shire Halfa February 24 it's a Saturday

Spring Revel - Third weekend of april likely for revel, still waiting on coronation information.

Guild Registration question to seneschal? Not discussed

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