Jun 18
These meetings are open to all who wish to attend and we even have a portion of the meeting dedicated to public comment. Please join us for some good food, and share your ideas or come and learn how the Barony is run.
This month’s meeting topics will include preparations for Clan Wars, Battlemoor, and Citadel Hastilude as well as an after-action report from Soldier-Con. Signore Bernardo will also be updating us on the new automated newsletter.
We look forward to your attendance!
Jun 15
Sayyid Tariq ibn Yusuf ibn Askari al Ghassani
Joining the Society for Creative Anachronism is an exciting prospect for many people. Whether they are a history buff, a cosplayer, a medieval combat enthusiast or even a Fantasy/Sci-Fi fan, being in the SCA is a chance to take a step away from their everyday mundane life to live in another time and place, even if it’s just for a little while. There are many elements that are part of creating this illusion, such as (in the case of camping events) isolating ourselves from the modern world by going up into the woods, the sounds of drums and singers, medieval tents and banner, as well as other details. However, the most obvious and important detail is the clothing that we wear during our sojourn in our artificial medieval world. In the case of most local, single day events many of the other aforementioned elements are absent, leaving us with only our personal appearance to separate us from the modern world. It is because of this that wearing garb to SCA events and activities is so very important.
Corpora (our Society laws and guidelines) states in section II-B that “Anyone may attend Society events provided he or she wears an attempt at pre-17th century clothing,… At business meetings and informal classes, the requirement to wear pre-17th century dress may be waived.” The wearing of garb, therefore, is a requirement in order to participate in SCA activities. That being said, the requirement is “an attempt at pre 17th Century clothing.” But what do we consider an attempt?
There are many ways to be able to adhere to without creating too much difficulty. The first and easiest is to reach out to the local Chatelaine or Gold Key. The Chatelaine’s responsibility is to make newcomers feel welcome and to help them make the transition into the “Current Middle Ages.” The Chatelaine will either have direct access to loaner garb that belongs directly to the group or will have a list of people who would be willing to loan out personal garb for newcomer use.
A second option is to peruse your own personal wardrobe to look for things that could reasonably pass for an attempt. For women, long, full skirts and fluffy cotton blouses or tribal-style blouses are pretty straightforward options that are considered good attempts. The outfit could be rounded out with a pair of simple flats of simple boots. For men it’s a little bit more complicated. For pants one can use plain sweat pants or maybe even plaid Pajama pants. Male tops are much more difficult to pass for a medieval tunic; however, a long vest with a simple woven pattern worn over a collarless dress shirt could work in a pinch. Also, a smallish throw draped and pinned at one shoulder acts as a Viking-style cape and easily covers a mundane shirt. If you have any doubt about whether or not a mundane outfit would pass as an attempt at pre17th century dress, feel free to ask the Chatelaine or any member of the local group.
A third option is to reach out to the Chatelaine or the general group membership for help to construct your own simple starter garb. Although this is the most complicated option of the three, it is also the most fulfilling as it is a great way to begin actively participating in the SCA while still keeping things simple and manageable. In addition, this is a great way to begin to form friendships, helping to solidify your place in the group as well as to strengthen the group as a whole.
The most important thing to remember is that an attempt is just that, an attempt. Don’t worry if your first try isn’t perfect. There is plenty of time and plenty of helpful people in your group that will be more than happy to help you make or get your own garb that reflects who you want to be in these current Middle Ages. You are only limited by your imagination!
So remember, garb is the easiest and most important way to help to create our Current Middle Ages. Use it as the ultimate expression of the medieval you and don’t take it for granted. Working together, we all bring The Dream alive!
Jun 13
ARROW: The month of May saw 163 archers at weekly practices, hot weather and winds in the Citadel. We have a strong archery officer corp, with myself, Jim Volker, Scott Honaker, Michael Duckworth, Ashley Rench, Raul Escalante, and Aimee Fivet Mack working hard to improve the archery program. We have new targets that are lighter and easier to move and they stand up to the abuse rather well. Greg Bell visited from Caid, armed with his bow, arrows and wisdom to help anyone who wanted help. Grand Outlandish featured all day archery range access with night shoots and competitions thanks to the Al-Barran archery program.
We look forward to the seasonal shoot for the summer, adding to the range, using our new archery nets, and fellowship with each other over our shared love of archery.
Jun 13
Recruiting is one of the more difficult activities for us in this age of modern technology and instant gratification, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We’ve already begun leveraging virtual interest cards and automated emailing systems to make and maintain contact with new, potential members. We’ve hosted a demo, we’ve gathered interest, but the demo hasn’t ended for us quite yet. The next phase of this effort is the most critical and that is to build and maintain meaningful relationships with the individuals who have expressed interest. The revamping of the way we approach people has changed to adopt a “Call to Action” in which we have told people that we are their next adventure. The Citadel of the Southern Pass is being pitched as more than just another organization, but one that can offer something new and exciting; now we have to close on that deal and provide them with that excitement. It can be through martial activities, events or Arts and Sciences, but the real adventure comes from the simple interaction with likeminded people.
We can automate this system completely, but we cannot and will not ever replicate the human experience that comes from understanding and living the Dream that we all share. There are moments in the SCA when the immersion borders on the surreal and you are transported to another age. This comes from us as members creating that environment. It comes from warriors clad in shining armor battling it out for the Baroness’s Favor or winning a tournament to honor their consort. It can be found in the artisans of our society crafting magnificent works of art using period methods. It is found in the courteous behavior of us achieving our noble calling treating each other with dignity and respect. We are a continuation of the clanging of our weapons on the shields and armor of our fellow combatants that captures the attention and imagination of those crowds that inevitable gather around us.
It’s kind of like that, but it’s cool if we get more than two of the same animal.
So how do you contribute to ensuring that we recruit and retain people? By being yourself and sharing that with newcomers. We were all newcomers at some point in our lives. It is through treating newcomers with courtesy and taking the time to explain why we love the SCA that will help them understand what is possible and what we’re all about. We need to invite them to things and show up to events where we tell them we will be.
The demo doesn’t end until they’re showing up on their own; the demo never truly ends until they understand what we do. A single point of contact with us at a demo is generally not enough for most. There may be some who pick it up immediately, but now we must make those contacts and ensure they know how to find us. Studies have shown that it may take up to 7 times before a person internalizes information; typically it takes about 3 times, but it may take as many as 7 times to capture their attention. This is why we must continue to make contact with individuals and a single time at a single demo may not be enough. Even after that, we need to continue to make contact in order to convince them that we are worth their attention.
Some of you said something about recruiting, “sure, when pigs fly…” … well … no excuse now.
The new automated interest system will make 3 points of contact with the individual:
Those three points of contact are critical and can be supplemented in a number of ways through top of mind awareness. It can be through Social Media, emails or by us reaching out to them via a phone or face to face conversation. The Barony takes care of the first two and possibly the third, but it is up to us as members to continue to spread the word about the organization and our activities.
We are all recruiters, but we can also make the difference between whether or not someone joins and ultimately stays in the Barony.
Jun 13
We will be having an Arcis Calamus meeting this Thursday, June 14, at 7pm at my home on the far east side of El Paso. We don’t have a set lesson, but instead will be doing an open calligraphy and illumination night. I have materials for gilding and various other techniques on hand, and I will be working with ink painting and black scroll paper if anyone wants to learn. Shading techniques have been requested as well. Please bring your materials and join us! Get in contact with me for the address or any questions and concerns.
Jun 13
ARROW: Good morning! This weekend, June 16, is looking a little iffy for archery. There is a 45% chance of rain during our archery time frame and winds a bit higher than usual. The temperature should be fantastic in the low 80s, so at least it’ll be cooler than usual! I’m thinking we will set up a short range and go from there, depending on the weather. In any case, I will make sure to post in Citadel Archers and in Citadel FB groups what the final verdict is by 9:30am on Saturday.
Jun 05
ARROW: Good morning archers! There will be no archery this weekend at the museum, BUT we will be at Soldier Con on Fort Bliss! Please come out and support your Barony! We will be in front of the Grand Theater, under a blue sunshade. We will have the hospitality tent for volunteers and fighting all day. We are looking for demos of different activities we do- drumming, calligraphy, spinning and weaving, leather work, you name it, we want to see it 🙂
Please remember, we will be set up outside and it is HOT out there during the day. The sun and heat are mean in the desert. Please protect your skin and eyes and HYDRATE. Stay safe and stay healthy!
This is a FREE event with ease of access, so make sure all adults in the car have a valid ID or drivers license, no military or DOD ID needed. Also, no need to stop at the pass office. If you need help finding the location or gates to get in, etc, please feel free to reach out- if one of us doesn’t know the answers, we can point you in the right direction.
-Domina Julia Alexandria
MKA Jessa Honaker
May 29
We’re hosting a discussion about Demos at Signore Bernardo’s estate on Saturday, June 2nd at 6 PM. Why? Well, because we’re working on getting better at bringing more future friends into the Barony centering around building personal relationships with potential recruits.
We’ll be discussing a few To Do’s and Not To Do’s so everyone can get comfortable with the new format we’re going to roll out for Soldier Con coming up on Fort Bliss on the 9th and 10th of June. This will be a huge opportunity for us to see what we’ve got and if we can put our new plan into effect. New Baronial Business Cards, brand new Newcomers Portal and an integrated mailing system to leverage our Virtual Interest Cards have created a whole new way to help draw people into our Dream. What all of this new technology won’t replace though is all of you and that is why we’re hosting this specific event.
WHO: Everyone in the Barony
WHAT: Discussion on Demos and our potential Coronation Bid (Plus a Potluck, so bring something to share!)
WHERE: 10512 Saigon Drive, El Paso, TX
WHEN: June 2nd @ 6 PM until we’re done!
WHY: To prepare our go getters to go get us some new recruits and spread the word about the Barony.
HOW: You’ll show up and bring something to pass. We’ll sit down and discuss what works and doesn’t work. Sgnre Bernardo will also walk us through how to use the new recruiting process. We will also cover how the Fighters are using this new system to get people excited about sticking with it. You’ll learn about our Silver Key program and what it means to be a volunteer mentor for Newcomers.
For your personal use, we’ve also created a Facebook Event here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/249992122422535/
We’ve also created a Google Calendar Event here:
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask anyone in our Facebook Group. You’re also always welcome to reach out to us via our Contact Us page with questions.