Final Report for the Baronial Inquiry Committee

June 16th, 2010

Greetings unto the Populace of Lionsdale:

On June 1, 2010, we had our forth and final meeting for finding out about becoming a Barony.

We have looked at the process and the criteria that we need to meet to become a Barony. We pretty much have everything in place for petitioning the Crown. However, we have another issue to consider in this.

Eisenmarch council has officially become interested in joining with Lionsdale as one branch to carry on with us in this adventure. They would bring devoted people to the group and help boost the membership numbers. There is still some unknowns as to how this might happen and I am still in contact with both the principality seneschal and kingdom seneschal regarding this matter. It is the opinion of the committee that such partnership would be a good thing for the branch as well as for the area at large.

The intent at this point would be that there will be polling regarding this as directed by kingdom. That we can’t maintain the all the lands of Eisenmarch and Lionsdale well, and there are areas that we believe to be big cross over sections for Lions Gate. (Namely: New West. , Po.Co., Coquitlam, Port Moody and the lands on the west side of the Pitt River, and Fraser River) It is being suggested that those areas might be better with Lions Gate. Again we are just figuring out the process possibilities and are asking questions to Kingdom and Principality over this matter. We would later on be looking at the possibilities of changing things like our devise perhaps to allow for Eisenmarch to maintain some of it’s traditions and such.

Part of the process that is being involved with this is time set aside for populace consulting. At both Lionsdale and Eisenmarch’s council meeting for June, July and August, as well as sometime to be set aside and Lionsdale’s Champions Tourney in July, there will be time to ask questions and make comment on the matter of combining the branches and the bigger picture.

Until we find out about this matter, we are holding off petitioning for our polling to become a Barony. That way if we do combine everyone will have an opportunity to participate in the matter.

Beyond that process of the Lionsdale-Eisenmarch “blending”, we will petition to become a Barony and there will be populace polling for all SCA members within our boundaries. If from that polling, the King and Queen at that time see fit to make us a Barony then we start looking at all the rest of it. At that point there will be more opportunities to get involved. There will be regalia, fundraising, heraldic things and ceremonials, etc. to start to put together. Then and only then will there be open candidate discussions.

This process will take time to be sure. It is really important that if you have anything to say on this that you do so in the proper forums. There is a place on the Lionsdale Forum for comments to the council and for questions to be raised. Please take time to answer the informal poll on the website regarding if you support bring the two branches together and stay tuned for updates on the information we discover and progress that we make. You can also direct comments and questions to seneschal@lionsdale.net.

To conclude: there are some interesting decisions that will have to be made in the next while. We feel that the committee has done its part to discovering the process and see if we are at a point to consider it. We find that we are ready and so now would like to have any more discussions happen at council. The process is underway!

My personal thoughts on this are that we were a child of the Barony of Lions Gate when we were a canton. Then we grew up and left home to become our own shire. Right now think of this as a courting time with the exciting possibilities of being married (with Eisenmarch). Who knows maybe someday we might even have children of our own (Cantons)!

Yours in Service,

HlaefdigeThora Golvik
Seneschal of the Shire of Lionsdale

To the many dedicated citizens of Eisenmarche and Lionsdale, the councils of your fair Shires’ send their Greetings.

Some of you may have heard whispers regarding the future of our branches.  We send you this missive to officially inform you of the aspirations of your council.

It is our wish to join Lionsdale and Eisenmarche to form one branch, with the prospect of becoming a Barony.

This, of course, is not a decision for the councils alone.  You, the citizens of our Shires’, have the responsibility of making many informed decisions to determine this outcome.  To present you with the information and opportunity to discuss the joining of the two Shires, ALL are invited to attend your local Shires’ council meetings in June, July and August.  Eisenmarche and Lionsdale will then poll their respective memberships in August for the official response of joining Lionsdale only.  (This will not be a Baronial polling).

We look forward to your input and questions.  Please contact your branch Seneschale for more information.

Regards,

Council of Lionsdale,
Thora Golvik email: seneschal@lionsdale.net

Council of Eisenmarche,
Elphin o Flaithbheartaigh email: elphinoflaithbheartaigh@gmail.com

Greetings Lionsdale!

I am amazed at how quickly the time has flown by.  We are looking at only a few months left for my tenure as your seneschal.  I would like to name my replacement as of the June council and so in light of that will be accepting applications for the position immediately.  The change over to the new seneschal will be complete by August council.

This is a big job.  There are so many rewards though.  The biggest of which is the people that you will get to work with and meet along the way.  I have included a job description as I see it below.  Please submit both mundane and SCA resumes as well as a letter of intent to seneschal@lionsdale.net

Thank you.  I have sincerely enjoyed my three years in this position and hope to continue serving in someway with the branch in the future.  I will be staying on as contingency deputy until such time as the new seneschal is comfortable with the office and able to provide a new contingency deputy.

Position: Seneschal for the Shire of Lionsdale
Application acceptance close on May 31st, 2010 at midnight.
Tenure: Two years (you can re-establish/re-apply for two ‘one year’ terms after that)

Requirements:

• SCA membership in good standing for the full duration of your tenure.
• Acceptable warrant from the Principality of Tir Righ and the Kingdom of An Tir.  (ask me if your not sure)

Commitments and Responsibilities:

• You are the legal representative for the branch on behalf of the SCA Inc.
• You are also the chairperson.  Your responsibilities will include running the monthly council meeting and being involved in all committee meetings.
• Approving all event bids in principle and budgets with the financial committee.
• You will be responsible for signing all contracts with sites and service groups.
• You will be responsible for reporting to council monthly with updates and announcements from up the chain.
• You will be responsible for reporting quarterly to the Principality of Tir Righ’s Seneschal, including a dooms day report at the end of the year.
• You will be responsible for following up with officers regarding their reporting
• You will be responsible for maintaining a file of important correspondences as well as reports for the officers and yourself
• You will be responsible for reporting for any major offices that are vacant and for helping find replacements for them
• You will be responsible for problem solving issues as they arrive in the day to day running of the Shire and at events.  (This may include calling authorities if needed to remove persons behaving in a illegal or dangerous way at events)
• You will be responsible for finding and maintaining a contingency deputy
• You will be responsible for screening applicants for your replacement so that they meet the requirements and acclamation of the attendees at council.

Expectations:

• You will need to be able to devote about four hours (flexes with activities through the year) each week to the day to day running of the Shire
• You should have a mode of transportation to allow you to get to various meetings and events
• You should have reliable access to a computer including email, printer and scanner (fax is a bonus)
• You must be able to say “no” in such a way as to not offend people overly much.
• You should be well versed in the various governing documents for our group (includes: SCA Corpora, Kingdom of An Tir and Principality of Tir Righ Laws, BC Societies Act and Lionsdales policies that are in place)
• You can not be afraid to ask direct questions when you are in doubt.
• The whole group benefits from you travel out of the Shire and attendance at such meetings as Principality and Kingdom Curia Meetings and Seneschal meetings and retreats.

There are alot of materials and people around to support you in the office should you succeed in obtaining the position and while I am asking for resumes, I am also fully aware of the aspect of volunteerism and won’t be only looking at that.  I really would like to see someone with the ability to work well with other people, and with the drive to continue taking the Shire on through the process of looking at and possibly becoming a Barony. I look forward to talking with all applicants at length and answering their questions.

Thora Golvik
Seneschal of the Shire of Lionsdale

HAPPY NEW YEARS ONE AND ALL!   At this time of year it is a tradition or collective pastime to look back over the last year and also to look ahead to the things yet to come!   I have put together a brief synapsis of the shire’s officers and of the events held in 2009 and a quick glimps at what 2010 is going to look like.

Seneschal:

First of all I wanted to let you all now first of all that I am releasing Katerina as my contingency deputy and am taking on Tomas in that roll.  So the seneschalet office will look like this:

Seneschal (till August 2010) Thora Golvik

Contingency Tomas

Information and Stats Clerk Mayrin (sp?)

Exchequer:

Sebastine, who has done an amazing job as Exchequer needs to find someone to be a contingency deputy.  If anyone has an interest in this area that you know of, get them in touch.

Also the office of Chamberlain is accepting applications!  Thank you to Donatello for your time spent in this.  We are sorry to see you step down.

Largess Deputy is Elspeth who I wipe clean of largess at Bard in November, so she will be needing more stuff again.  I promise to get you some stuff too!

Chronicler:

Danika has been working for the last two years on Chroniclers Office.  She has kept things going well in that area, working with Tomas as Web Master on the History of our Champions and Officers (there are still information need on these BTW), and getting the minutes and policies more accessible.

Tomas has brought us a new web page in the last year and the new old forum back.  He is looking for a deputy too.

Arts and Sciences:

Sofia has been busy tracking down the happenings in the Arts and Sciences communities.  There have been some great competitions at events and she is working hard with her deputies on keeping thing going and bringing in new things as well.

Azzah, even though she has moved out of the area, has worked in a never ending way with dance practices in Chilliwack.

Elspeth, shire scribe, has been working with (or rather as a part of ) both Principality and Kingdom now in bring charters to our painters and helping get people co-ordinated with teachers and with new scroll assignments.

Wulfstan, Lionsdale Bardic Champion, is finding out what it is like to wear more than one hat at a time.  For the First time we see the Champion reporting to the appropriate officer with his efforts to bring more bardic prosuits to the area.

Chatelaine:

We have been without a chatelaine for a very long time.  We are so pleased then to have Safiye take the office.  And I know as there is much to be done that she would welcome helpers too. So once again pass the word around.

Gold Key office is open and accepting applications.  Elora, thank you so much for all your time that you have put in as well.

Pied Piper Office is accepting applications, but I have one person who has now applied and I will be bringing her before council this month.  Thank you to Wulfstan for holding this office and creating fun things for our children to do at events.

Herald’s:

This year we saw a new officer named to this office.  Wulfstan, thank you for taking on this job.  And again if you know of people who are interested in Heraldry at all….

Stables:

Savaric has stepped up into the office rescently.  Right now he is a lone ranger and I think that anyone interested in Marshalling, Archery, Rapier, Heavey, War, Practices, or anything eles that goes with this office should be in touch with him!

Last years Events:

Winters Tourney:

Event Stewart: Danika

Items of note:

-we moved the Bardic Championship from Chapion’s tourney in June to this event to make the spread more even between the two events.

Arts and Sciences Champion: Dr. Carus of Burn Abbey

Rapier Champion: Lord Tremayne de Clairvaux

Bardic Champion: Hlaford Wulfstan Hrafnsson

Champion’s Tourney:

Event Stewart: Giera inn harfaqra

Items of note:

- This was a brand new site.  Only a few issues stood out with the gate closing but we got around it all.

Archery: Archos James Wolfden

Armoured Combat: Viscount Sir Savaric de Porte des Lions

Missile Combat: Lord Warwick Drakkar

Odin’s Playground:

Event Stewarts: Wulfstan and Elspeth

Items of Note:

- there was this awesome metor that alot of us saw.

-we invited another Norse recreation group to come on out for the fun

Bard and a Banquet:

Event Stewart: Thora

Items of Note:

-play was the Three Musketeers

-3 sets of Royals were there

-Important business at court: William of the Battered Helm put on vigal for knighthood at 12th Night.

-Food Cold buffet

2010 HERE WE COME!

Calendar of Events:

Known World

Kingdom

Tir Righ

Lionsdale

Jaunary 8-10 12th Night Coronation

January 21st Council at Sofia’s house in Chilliwack

Jan 23rd Winter’s Tourney

February 1st 2009 4th QTR reports and Dooms Day 2009 Deadline

February 18th Council

Feb 19-21 Tir Righ Investiture in Ramsgaard – as many as we can should go to support our own locally grown stepping up Prince and Princess.

March 5 – 7 Kingdom A&S

March 18th Council

April 10 – 11 Tir Righ Heraldic Symposium (Hosted by Lionsdale)

Arpil 15th Council

May 1st 2010 1st QTR report deadline

May 20th Council

May 21 – 23 May Crown

May 28-30 Lionsdale Champion’s tourney (TBC)

June 11 – 13 Known World Heralds’ and Scribes’ Symposium

June 17th Council

June 18 – 20 Tir Righ Coronet

June 25 – 27 AT War

July 2-4 An Tir West War

July 16 – 18 July Coronation

JULY NO COUNCIL

August 1st 2010 2nd QRT reports deadline

August 19th Council

August 27 – 29 Tir Righ Investiture

September 3 – 6 Crown

September 10-12 Odin’s Playground

September 16 Council

September 24 – 26 Tir Righ Coronet

October 21 Council

November 1st 2010 3rd QTR reports deadline

November 18 Council

November 20 -22 Tir Righ A&S and Bardic Champion’s & Grand UTR

November 27 Bard and a Banquet

DECEMBER NO COUNCIL

February 1(2011) 2010 4th QRT report and Dooms day reports deadline

Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or comments that you may have.  I would love to hear from you.  You can talk to me in person at (604)826-5683 or email me via the contact page.

See you soon.  Bright blessings on the New Year.  I hope that it is a year of fullfilment of wishes and dreams come true for each of you!

Yours in Service,

Thora

Hlaefdige Thora Golvik of Al in Hallingdal

Seneschal of the Shire of Lionsdale