Baronial Letter for May 2019

Unto the Populace of the Citadel of the Southern Pass,

Greetings. I hope this missive finds you well and in good health for this month of May in the common reckoning of years known as 2019. As I enter into the first month of my tenure as your Baron I am grateful to everyone for their support and the amazing ideas and enthusiasm coming from you all. Investiture was a whole lot of fun as was Coronation this past week. We said good bye to Their Graces, Hrorek and Slaine, and welcomed Their Royal Majesties, Iohann (pronounced Yo-han) and Martine (pronounced MAR-teen). Outlands has benefited from the last six months of a reign that brought a lot of us closer together and will continue to benefit from an energetic and visionary Crown that wants us to share in the collective Dream.

Crown of the Outlands, King Iohann and Queen Martine

To say that our future is bright is an absolute understatement. Their Excellencies, Tariq and Elieth have done a lot to establish a foundation upon which I will build our collective vision. Their emphasis on Youth and the Arts has catapulted Citadel forward in the eyes of our Kingdom and the Known World. People know the quality of Citadel because of you all and your effort. Their Excellencies carried that quality far and wide; I will do the same and have already begun to brag on you all to other Baronies, Shires, and Their Majesties. The Stag Crown has told me that they look forward to seeing Citadel whether it is in attendance at one of our events or through our good works.

Upcoming Events

May Populace Day – 11 May

We have several events coming up this month, specifically Populace, which will be on the 11th of May starting at 10 AM at the Museum of Archaeology where we conduct Archery. Thanks to Lady Rita, it will serve as a May Day celebration with Court beginning at 10 AM and a short Populace Discussion at 10:30 AM followed by the Archery Range, Fighter Practice, and Children’s Activities starting at 11 AM.

Clann Wars

Coming up this month is Clann Wars, affectionately known as “Clann.” This year the theme is Hadrian’s Wall and attendees are encouraged to pick a side between the Picts and the Romans. No one knows who the Baron of Citadel will fight for, so show up and make your choice. Choose to fight for the men of the wilds or for the glory of Rome! May 17th through the 19th hosted by Nahrun. Details are available on the Baronial Calendar.

Outlandish

The Grand Outlandish Tournaments or “Outlandish” for short, is coming up at the end of the month. We travel to al-Barran for classes and competitions. Fighters and Artisans from around the lands come to Outlandish to teach, learn, and share in each others’ fellowship. The Ironman Competition is something several of our fighters are interested in entering to help bring glory to Citadel. May 23rd through the 27th are the dates for the event. The Barony has a wonderful site that is maintained for us by The Old Fabled Inn, a household in al-Barran, who has a wonderful and amazing yurt they open to all to enjoy their hospitality.

Long Range Calendar

Battlemoor

Battlemoor is the largest war event hosted by the Outlands and takes place in July. This year it will be July 9th through the 14th. Look for more information on the website and on our Baronial Calendar for details in the near future. There are going to be a TON of events, classes, tournaments, melees, revels, and celebrations this year. Please make every effort to attend as this is one of the biggest events the Kingdom hosts collectively.

St Edrik’s and Hastilude

I will be announcing the request for bids for Event Steward for St Edrik’s and Hastilude coming up this Fall. The bid request would include scheduling a date and a location for the event. Assemble your crew and help us put on one of the most enjoyable events of the season hosted by us here in Citadel.

Local Matters

Fighters and Practices

I have asked the Knight Marshal and the Fighters Council to discuss and report back to me what their collective ideas, feelings, and opinions regarding the Fighter Practice schedule reflects. I want to hear from you, and not just fighters, about what our schedule should look like to help encourage attendance and accessibility. Ultimately, I would love if we could be communicating so well that we could be flexible, but until we get there, we need to solidify our plan in the near future.

After having spoken with several Knights of the realm, they have indicated to me that they have great interest in Citadel’s fighters. They want to help and will do whatever they are asked to do in order to achieve that goal. That means I will be bringing Dukes, Counts, Knights, coaches, instructors, and whatever fighters want to participate, down to Citadel. They will give you their instruction and will expect your participation and motivation in return. They want to help us build our fighter corps. We need to answer that call.

Arts and Sciences

We have a ton of AMAZING artists in this Barony and I am continually impressed with our choir and the multitude of artisans who contribute to our quality. Lady Rita and THL Edmund have done an amazing job and our new A&S Minister taking the helm will have great support going forward.

THL Edmund will be teaching a series of tablet weaving classes throughout the next several weeks. This class is definitely worth attending as you’ll learn one of the most useful skills that the SCA has to offer.

We are always looking for classes to teach skills or host discussions on historical topics and techniques. We don’t have to limit ourselves to crafts, either, in fact we encourage discussions and research projects to add to our most celebrated aspect of the SCA in this Barony.

Newcomers

We have been lucky to have several new faces join us over the last several weeks from Comic Con, Poppies Fest, and local referrals from current members. Recruiting is always important as is retention of our members, so please make the effort to introduce yourself to someone you don’t recognize at our events and practices. Also, please take the time to share what we do with your friends and family. I have requested that Viscount Berold begin his 101 classes again, so look for them in the schedule and even if you’re considered a veteran, please show support to him and our Newcomers by attending if you are able.

In Closing

I want to say that I am proud of Citadel and your Kingdom is as well. His Majesty has requested that we join him in a pilgrimage, a journey of virtue and prowess, of valor and of kindness, generosity and largesse, to show the Known World of our talents and our commitment to the ideals of our Society. Take up the cause of the Stag for it is right and proper that we shed a light to those who need to share in our joy.

Yours Forever in Service,

HE Bernardo dei Medici