Event Organization

I'm off to Baronial Birthday this coming weekend. At the moment, everything is up in the air. I don't get out to Annapolis that often, so don't really have the same sorts of easy local crash spots on my regular call list as I do for other places.

Anyone interested in coming up with a team for Chalice of the Sun God this weekend? 

Teams must field a single participant in at least 4 of the 5 Chalice disciplines (Bardic, Artisan, Heavy, Rapier, Archery). In addition to the adult categories, each team may include one youth combat, and/or one youth archer, and/or one youth rapier fighter. A bonus point per youth combat, youth rapier, and/or youth archer will be awarded to teams who include them (one point per youth). No team shall feature more than three youth combatants, one rapier, one archer, one armored. If the youth wins the title of Chalice Youth Armored Champion, Chalice Youth Archer, or Chalice Youth Rapier Champion, an additional bonus point will be awarded to the team. Each participant shall receive points based on participation and performance. The team with the highest score shall win the Chalice of the Sun God. To register a team, contact the Autocrat. You must include the names of your team members, their disciplines, and the team name.

Just a quick heads up about the coming busy week.

Time: Midnight.

I first went to Pennsic XVI, I think. Brad Freeman and I realized we could go on Tuesday of what was then a one week event, I made some phone calls and got camping space. We went up Thursday in his Civic, which wasn't terribly loaded. But then neither of us had armor, we only had a backpacking tent. And probably 3 sets of garb between us. No, we didn't share. 

Ella mentioned something at Thursday practice about a cut and thrust tourney at Pennsic.

Pennsic comes as early as it can this year! Time to trot out and revise the supper club details. 

For those who haven't camped with Vair & Ermine before, while we do not have a meal plan, several campers have, in the past, agreed to share dinner and clean up duties so that no one has to do their own cooking every night. Also, it is only slightly more work to cook for 10 people than it is to cook for two. (Really!) 

 The plan is simple:

• You provide dinner one evening for all the members of the supper club, never more than 12 or so adults. You clean up your cooking. 
• The other members then provide dinner and clean up for you for the other evenings of the supper club. 
• We do not run supper club on the same evening as Atlantian court. 
• The exact start night is negotiable, based on when people arrive and we have a "quorum" of clubbers. 
• We try to coordinate what's being cooked which night so that we don't end up with spaghetti and meat balls 3 nights in a row. 
• I use the term "cook" here, but if you want to order pizza for the other clubbers, that's fine too. Encouraged even, no matter what some clubbers have thought. We don't expect fancy medieval food, nor that you cook it over a pit fire.

That's it! 

Our camp kitchen is pretty well equipped, so don't worry about having to bring lots of gear, unless you want to make something tricky. 

Here are a few things we've discovered over time:
Unless we have lots of people arriving early at the war, it rarely makes sense to start the shared dinners prior to the middle of the war, around the August 1st this year. 

Approximate 7PM dinner time is a good choice, but negotiable. Knowing when you'll have dinner ready assures that everyone is there. 

If you're arriving at war after the middle weekend and want to join in, then you may benefit from cooking at home, freezing it all and bringing it to war ready to thaw and reheat. I've done this many times. 

Once I get a better idea of how many people are interested, we can sort out who else is cooking what when.

If you're interested, email me with your arrival day, your preferred "cooking" night and what you'd like to provide. Also, any food allergies or dietary restrictions.
I hope you'll join us at the table!

So far, Supper Club is:

1. Corby and
2. Thjora
3. Edwin
4. Theo and
5. Roland
6. Philip and
7. Leo also
8. Susan
9. Terafan
10. Nicolosa (perhaps pair with Terafan?)

If we pair up those last two, we now have five nights covered, unless someone on that list is a dish monkey. Have I forgotten anyone else who has said they are in for this year?

As our camp has gotten bigger and Supper Club more popular, we have gotten to capacity on number of cooking teams for the number of nights we run the club. Just extending earlier into the first week of war is not usually an option, as the club works best when the majority of people in it are all at the war and eating. But we typically have one slot open for a kitchen monkey: someone who does not cook but instead takes care of all the dishes. This is always negotiable, and requires the assent of all the cooks.

Please respond at http://delaflamme.org/site/pennsic-supper-club-2009 because that's cooler than trying to manage it via LiveJournal and Facebook too. You should be able to login with openID (which uses your LJ or FB account) shortly, though it is broken at the moment. Or just create an account on my site if you don't have one.

If technology scares you, please email me and I'll add you.

Tomorrow's crappy weather forecast makes St. Paddy's Bloodbath in Fairfax very unlikely for me. I believe I shall take it easy and perhaps do some armoring or other leather work. The dogs will certainly prefer having me around.

But other events are coming! Isenfir needs to defend its win last year at Defending the Gate on 3/28. I also hope to see Danny and Sev (at least) authorize there. They are certainly ready aside from needing to study the rules.

I might do the Coronation of Logan and Esa, since it is at that awesome site in Reidsville where the Quest for Venus happened.

Fourth Sunday Archery/Craftery/Rapiery/Armored Combatery Joint Isenfir-Caer Gleniog get together is at our place, next week, Sunday the 22nd. I have heard rumors of at least a van full of Caer Mear folks showing up, especially if the weather allows for armoring up.

And while I totally failed to get anyone local to the big Bay Company practice in Caer Mear this week, I shall redouble my efforts to do so next time on [whatever day that is, which I'm sure Bryce will chime in with, but I think Tuesday, April 14, which is of course Isenfir's Shire meeting so K can't go.]

Those of you following his journal may already know that my newest squire, Girard and his lady Guenievre have been chosen by Their Majesties to become the next baron and baroness of Windmaster's Hill. For that, we offer congratulations!

This is nearly becoming a household tradition, with Thjora and me, Edwin and Orlando and now Girard & Guenievre all being raised to the landed baronage at some point.

Girard will leave my service completely, as I did with TJ and as Edwin did. He shall be the King's man entire, as it should be. Of course he will still be welcome as he was at our hearth, camp or anywhere else, though I imagine we shall see him less for some years.

And if, at the end of his duty in Windmaster's finds him free of other obligation, we'll be happy to have him back.

In the short term, we're looking forward to Ice Castles, and one last chance for him to fight in my colors with Philip and me.

And yes, this is why I confirmed I would be coming to Ymir.

I'm now confirming attendance at Ymir & Ice Castles, and I'm looking for potential carpoolers either in my car or as a rider.

Thjora will be at Jamestown during Ymir, so a sucky Valentine's Day all around.

As ever with both of these, nasty weather can change these plans.

I'll day trip Ice, and stay at the Palomino for Ymir. Whether for one night or two, I'm flexible. Would not mind one night at all, but that's hard to manage considering the distance.

Riders? Drivers?