November 2020 Minutes • Østgarðr Commons

The November commons meeting was held November 20. Here are the minutes as recorded by Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin and edited by Alienor Salton.  The officers’ reports are attached at the end.

Attendance

Present

• Suuder Saran, Il-Khan
• Lada Monguligin, Il-Khatun
• Alienor Salton, Seneschal
• Francisco de Braga, Exchequer
• Drasma Dragomira, Herald
• Laila al-Sanna’ al-Andalusiyya, Chatelaine 
• Þorfinn Hróðgeirsson, MoAS
• Alec MacLachlan, Fencing Marshal
• Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin, Youth Marshal, Deputy Webminister
• Anne of Østgarðr, Webminister
• Zahra al-Andalusiyya, Chronicler
• Vika Grigina z Prahy, Whyt Whey Seneschal
• Ragnarr Bliskegg, Acting Brokenbridge Seneschal
• Catelin Straquhin, Deputy Seneschal
• Albrecht Anker
• Aurora ffolkes
• Friderich Grimme
• Gibbs Moryss
• Hanya Vladimirovna Polotskaya
• Isabel of Østgarðr 
• Jacqueline Helene Loisel
• Jenna Childslayer
• Kunigunde Wedemann
• Luigj Vascili 
• Medhbh inghean Uí Cheallaigh, East Kingdom Seneschal
• Mikjáll bogmaðr, East Kingdom Exchequer
• Morwenna Penrose
• Oliver de Bainbrig 
• Pia Maletesta di Rimini
• Richard the Poor of Ely 
• Thomas of Northpass

Absent Officers

• Arnora Ketilsdottir, Chancellor Minor 
• Ervald LaCoudre, Armored Combat Marshal
• Arnbiorg Helga Niálsdóttir, Archery Marshal
• Marion of York, Minister of Lists
• Ian of Clan Mitchell, Chamberlain
• Sofya Gianetta di Trieste, Historian
• Nagashima Ichiro Ujimichi, Lions End Seneschal

Opening 

• Called to order at 8pm.

Northpass Dissolution Q&A

The meeting opened with a short question and answer session with the East Kingdom Seneschal, Mistress Medhbh inghean Uí Cheallaigh, and the East Kingdom Exchequer, Baron Mikjáll bogmaðr.  

Mistress Medhbh read into the record her statement, previously shared with the Viceroy and Vicereine and Østgarðr Seneschal, regarding the future of a group in the Great North Woods counties of Westchester and Putnam.

November 20, 2020

Greetings to Their Excellencies Suuder and Lada, Viceroy and Vicereine of the Province of Østgarðr,

I write to conclude the remaining issues from the dissolution of the Canton of Northpass and to provide guidance for a new group in these same zip codes, if the populace desires to form one.

As you had requested, the Kingdom retains the Canton’s name, arms, and populace badge. Should a new group form in this area, it will have the option to request use of these. If a new group declines to use the name, arms, and populace badge, the Kingdom will release them at that time.

The Kingdom Exchequer is working with the Province’s Viceregents, Seneschal, and Exchequer to determine the best disposition of the funds in Northpass’s bank account.

It is the Kingdom’s hope that this area will continue to thrive, as well as grow, under the Province’s leadership. Should a new group wish to form in the zip codes previously assigned to Northpass, they may start the process after October 25, 2022 or 12 months following the full resumption of in-person activities and events in the Society, whichever date is later. A potential new group must follow the normal procedures for group formation under Society policy and East Kingdom Law.

That said, any potential new group will not be allowed to (re)form if it appears that it is just going to return to past problems. Although no one is barred from holding office in a potential new group, the people involved will have to convince the Kingdom that they can avoid dysfunction going forward. To that end, I strongly encourage the Province to look to how it might recruit and foster a successful officer team if there is interest in a new group in the area.

Yours in service,

Medhbh
Kingdom Seneschal

Ensuing discussion covered finances and property (archery equipment, items in storage, food-related supplies).  Goals for finances include in the future supporting any new group that forms in the same zip codes, and in the present supporting the current members in conducting their usual activities (events, equipment maintenance and purchase).  The roughly $11,000 currently held in the Northpass account must be moved, either to kingdom or province, because the bank account must be closed now that the group is dissolved.  Percentages of dividing the funds between those goals were discussed, as well as the merits and limitations of reserving funds at the kingdom or provincial level.

None of the equipment assets are over $2,000 in value, so none of them are tracked at the kingdom level.  Consumables should be consumed, donated or discarded.  Other physical assets need not be transferred to kingdom and will be kept within the province.  They may be transferred to a new group at the discretion of the provincial leadership at such time as a new group forms.  (Current provincial leadership cannot commit future provincial leadership to any specific actions, however, we strongly encourage this course of action.)

The financial committee met after commons, and agreed upon a course of transferring the money to the provincial bank account, 75% going into the general fund with the intention of using it to support the usual activities and intended improvements previously discussed among the group members (such as a mobile kitchen to make Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park more usable), and 25% into a dedicated line item to be reserved for the future use of a new group.  The accounting would resemble what we already do for Brokenbridge, and did for our other cantons before they opened their own bank accounts.

As the sponsoring group for any new group which might form, we are free to bootstrap them with additional funds, over and above the reserved 25%, which again we, the current leadership of the province, would strongly encourage the future leadership of the province to elect to do.

The Northpass bank account should be closed before the end of the year.  Francisco, Østgarðr Exchequer, will proceed with researching and executing the necessary steps.

Additional discussion included people’s disappointment over the dissolution, and questions about who may participate in any future group activities.  Officers of a group need to be approved by the leadership of the group.  You can’t exclude people as officers on the basis of a protected class, like race or religion, but eligibility for officer positions is not automatic.  Events are open to all.  Events in the area will continue, hosted by Østgarðr.  The mobile kitchen proposition should be brought before the Østgarðr finance committee, and would benefit from discussion among the members and officers at provincial commons.

Anyone who wishes to discuss this further is welcome to reach out to the provincial leadership (the viceregents and/or seneschal).  We can also schedule a group conversation if people want to talk things out among each other.

Officer Report Items For Discussion

• Ten provincial officer terms expire at the end of the year; eight people have volunteered to return.  Our MoAS had stepped in to fill a term for someone who left, and was ready to move on; Randve has stepped up.  For the Chancellor Minor position, Kunigunde, Oliver, and Pia have volunteered to serve.  Alienor circulated their letters of intent after the meeting.  Please vote!  Read their letters https://ostgardr.eastkingdom.org/chancellor-minor-letters-of-intent/ then vote through this Google form https://forms.gle/49JnddZBemzR74QW7  Voting is open to all paid members ages 14+ residing in the province; poll is open until midnight  (Eastern) Dec. 17th.  Results will be announced at December commons.

• Next month’s commons, December 18th, will be a provincial court, with no business meeting.  “No business meeting” means that officers are not required to submit reports or to attend.  If you have any business to discuss, please email the seneschal before the call, or bring it up yourself during the call.  Thank you!

• The viceregents need technical help for provincial court.  They has been advised to pre-record as much as possible, and need help editing it together, to make that happen.  Vika volunteered to talk them through the process as she has behind-the-scenes knowledge from supporting EK court.  Albrecht says he can edit in Premiere or Aftereffects.  If you have any business for the court, please let the Viceroy and Vicereine know.

• The viceregents extend their thanks for the Three Princes feast.  It was very well received by those who attended, thanks for everyone who helped to make it help.

• Friderich is waiting on receipts to finalize the 3 Princes event report.

• Lada reminds us all to tune in on December 13th to EK court, to support provincial members who may be recognized.

• Catelin Straquhin’s email address as Østgarðr deputy seneschal is deputy.seneschal@ostgardr.eastkingdom.org

• Please fill out our poll regarding your preferences for time, day, and week of month for holding Commons in 2021.  https://forms.gle/zr5np2mAGzpXzBBF7  Based on current responses, we will likely Google Meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, call starting at 7pm, meeting (in alternating months, to relieve pandemic stress) called to order at 7:30pm.  Alienor will propose an amendment to our bylaws noting the usual day change at our January Commons.

• There’s no armored combat practice, but there are videos and a Facebook group.

• Fencing is virtual.

• Chronicler will be printing the December issue of the e-Horse soon, please submit content by next week.

• Whyt Whey celebrates their new Minister of Arts & Sciences, Berakha.

• We welcome Brokenbridge’s new seneschal, Ragnarr, to the provincial officers’ council.

Committees and Projects

There was no committee activity this month, aside from the finance committee discussion after commons, noted above.

Upcoming Events/Activities

Sponsored by Østgarðr or its cantons

• Deck the Hall of Valhalla, January 9th, 4-8pm.  Morwenna Penrose is the event steward.  She needs bards, teachers, and other staff.  If you want to help out, please contact Morwenna (email Ragnarr seneschal@brokenbridge.eastkingdom.org or Alienor seneschal@ostgardr.eastkingdom.org if you need her contact information).  If you’re attending Valhalla, please send Tom an image of your device at chatelaine@brokenbridge.eastkingdom.org and he will put it on a shield in the virtual event hall, a model of a Viking hall.  He can also help prepare new versions of your armory at higher resolution.

• Lada suggested that we could run an online EK Twelfth Night in January.  She will reach out to other landeds to see if anyone wants to co-host.

• We have discussed having a Purim-themed event in the beginning of 2021. (Purim falls on February 25-26 this year.) If you want to work on that, please speak up!  We will need event stewards as well as technical and other staff.

• For when in-person events resume, Lada has been thinking about an EK Youth Day event at Veterans Memorial Park; all youth events; free for youth.  

Upcoming Commons Meetings

• December 18, provincial court
• January 20, formal commons
• February 17, social gathering
• March 17, formal commons

Closing

• Meeting closed at 8:49pm.

Links Contributed in Chat

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T1vfsHYiKY 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDBoWA32TvU 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWEDZFoLmyA 
• https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=614729318 
• https://www.fetlar.org/hnefatafl 
• https://www.playdiplomacy.com/ 
• https://www.nerolarp.com/ 
• http://heraldicart.org/ 
• https://sundries.alecstory.org/2017/07/neural-network-generated-sca-names-and.html 
• http://medievalcookery.com/recipes/cameline.html 
• http://www.calonsong.org/CalontirSongs/seneschalsfault.htm 

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Viceregents • Suuder Saran & Lada Monguligin

• (online) Feast of 3 Princes,  This was a huge success.  We are very proud of all you.  This was so spectacular.  We were thanked by many, many people for it.  Particularly the 3 former princes for dedicating the feast to them.  They were deeply grateful and happy how it turned out.  We were told by lots of the people that it felt exactly like an SCA event.  The rushing to get ready, making sure the garb is out, the setting of the table and getting it just right to showcase and the anticipation.  Also the seeing of friendly faces.  They loved the break out rooms and the wonderful bardic entertainment.  Way to go all of you, We are so proud of each of you, that we’d give all who helped an animal from one of our herds (Not just the Yaks!) but they would need to make a vaccine first before we could. So Thank you, one and all.  It was a shining light in a currently dreary world.

• Please Tune into the Court of Their Majesties on December 13th, as several of our members are getting things and we are proud of them all.

• ViceRegal Court.  We have gotten the OK from the kingdom to do a court of our own.  We are currently setting things up to have it. But We need a bit of help.  We know that we have officers but didn’t want to assume, so we are asking for volunteers.  We need someone to help us with figuring out the best way to do it, possibly contact the kingdom to see how they do it.  We will also need a Video Editor to help with some of the video, as we will have recorded parts that need to be cut together, and most likely a coordinator during the court to cut to said videos during court.  

If you want to do one of these or just do something for our court let us know we will add you to the court docket.  We are still preparing a good portion of it now. Thanks.

Seneschal • Alienor Salton

Thank you, Friderich Grimme, Perez Ben Meir Gershon, and all the staff of 3 Princes for putting on our first ethereal event!  A rollicking feast!  Well done.  

Thank you to Anne of Østgarðr for making a poll to help us reschedule commons next year.

Thank you to ALL officers for submitting reports before commons.  This is a difficult time for everyone and you are super great for checking in under these conditions. 

Submit award recommendations, please!  Provincial award descriptions may be found here https://ostgardr.eastkingdom.org/provincial-orders-awards/   To nominate someone for a provincial award, email your recommendation to viceregents@ostgardr.eastkingdom.org 

Kingdom award descriptions may be read here http://www.sca.org/awards/east.html and are presented in chart form here http://blog.heraldicart.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Awards-Chart.pdf  To nominate someone for an East Kingdom award, fill out the survey here https://surveys.eastkingdom.org/index.php/945932/

Consider the people who you have seen stepping up to serve the province and the kingdom, some with little acknowledgement.  You can check whether someone has been recognized in the past by visiting https://op.eastkingdom.org/op.php and looking them up (by first letter of their SCA name).  Examine your biases, please, when you are evaluating someone’s effort.

December 18th Commons (online) will be a provincial court (& social gathering).

Please fill out our poll regarding your preferences for time, day, and week of month for holding Commons in 2021.  https://forms.gle/zr5np2mAGzpXzBBF7 

Wednesday & Thursday, 3rd week of the month, are the top running choices.  Thursday is out because of the order recognition meetings during pandemic.  Østgarðr bardic circle is on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, so there is no conflict there.  Canton commons are 1st Thursday (Whyt Whey), 2nd Friday (Lions End), and weekends (Brokenbridge), so no conflict there, either.  

Unless poll responses change dramatically (count all the votes!), 2021 commons will likely be 7:30pm (call start) 8pm meeting called-to-order, 3rd Wednesday of each month.  We will continue alternating formal / informal business meetings, to reduce pressure on our officers to attend meetings and write reports while activity is reduced and stress is high.

We have discussed hosting a Purim-themed event, to be held in February 2021.  Do we have volunteers to steward this event?  I believe the success of 3 Princes has shown us some of what is possible.  I would love to see to see us do it again, bringing the dream to life ethereally.  We will have addiitonal experience with virtual event hosting once Brokenbridge carries off Deck the Halls of Valhalla in January as the smashing success I am sure it will be.

Candidates for offices:  Pia Malatesta d’Rimini, Oliver de Bainbrig & incumbent Arnora Ketilsdottir for Chancellor Minor.  Randve Litil Hammar for MoAS.  Incumbents will remain in all other positions.  As Þhorfinn is not running again for MoAS, Randve will be inducted via acclamation, like the incumbents in the other offices for which there is only one candidate.  Election for Chancellor Minor will be held in December.  Letters of intent from the 3 candidates will be shared under separate cover.  

Catelin Straquhin, our new deputy seneschal, can be reached at deputy.seneschal@ostgardr.eastkingdom.org   As previously noted, all canton seneschals are also deputy provincial seneschals.  Mathghamhain continues to serve as my backup / emergency deputy seneschal.

Exchequer • Francisco de Braga

Exchequer does not have anything to report at this time.

Herald • Drasma Dragomira

Quarterly report for Q4 was submitted to kingdom. The resubmission of the Order of the Sea-Urchin badge was on last month’s kingdom letter, for which a decision on whether it will move onto society level should be avaliable next month.  I extend many thanks to Catelin for doing the voice work for Three Princes, and Mathghamhain for coordinating that part.

As always, if you want to work on your name and/or armory, feel free to reach out.

Chatelaine • Laila al-Sanna’ al-Andalusiyya

Nothing’s really happening on the newcomer front.

Chancellor Minor • Arnora Ketilsdottir

An announcement from the Kingdom Chancellor of Minors, regarding communicating with minors online has been distributed.  Please email the EK seneschal and the Kingdom Chancellor of Minors if you have any questions about the policy.  

Other than that the kids of the crown province are doing nothing. 

Arts & Sciences • Þorfinn Hróðgeirsson

We acclaim the new whyt whey a&s minister, berakha.  Also, please run for my position.

Armored Combat • Ervald LaCoudre

The COVID19 NYC shutdown has not gone away enough for the Corp SCA to allow official practices yet.

I have been too busy to do the virtual fighter practice / training for the past couple of months, but will bring them back if there is enough interest. In the meantime feel free to revisit the 15 or so I have posted on http://www.youtube.com/newyorkknightscombat1

There is also a lot of good stuff for fighters on the Facebook group Known World SCA Virtual Fighter Practice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/virtualfighterpractice/ 

I have a new place to hang my hat and keep my armor, so I will be able to hold occasional armor repair and building workshops eventually.

Keep up your training!

Archery • Arnbiorg Helga Niálsdóttir

No archery activities. Hopefully we can get something going in the spring. 

Fencing • Alec MacLachlan

I have continued to hold virtual fencing practices.  Though it is more of a tutorial as only one fencer attends most of the time.

I have submitted my 4th Qtr report to the Southern Region Marshal & Deputy Youth Rapier Marhsal.

I will try to get some of the other local marshal’s to hold special sessions, as their schedules may have changed since I last spoke to them several months ago.

Youth Combat • Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin

There’s been no youth-combat activity this month.

Minister of Lists • Marion of York

Nothing to report.

Webminister • Anne of Østgarðr 

The Feast of Three Princes went well – I am hoping to write up a widely consumable report with what we learned about virtual event hosting in the next couple weeks. (I learned a lot, at least!) Not much else to report, that took up most of my SCA time recently.

As always, I’m here if you want help with anything online 🙂

Chronicler • Zahra al-Andalusiyya

The next issue of the E-Horse is scheduled to be published on Tuesday, December 1. Please send me any materials you would like to have published, preferably by next week. Also, as you are comfortable, please feel free to solicit content from your circles. If you have a friend who isn’t an officer but probably has something cool to share with the Province, they might just need a friendly nudge in the right direction (i.e. towards the E-Horse). All submissions should be sent to e-horse@ostgardr.eastkingdom.org. Thank you!

Chamberlain • Ian of Clan Mitchell

No changes.

Historian • Sofya Gianetta di Trieste

Nothing to report.

Whyt Whey • Vika Grigina z Prahy

Whyt Whey has a new Minister of A&S, Berakha bat Mira v’Shlomo.   No other activity to report.

Lions End • Nagashima Ichiro Ujimichi

Nothing to report.

Brokenbridge • Ragnarr Bliskegg

First, I wanted to introduce myself, I am Ragnarr Bliskegg, the Seneschal Elect for Brokenbridge. I just took over the position from Brandr Aronsson.  I am looking forward to working with you all and helping Brokenbridge and Ostgardr flourish in these times.  

The report for Brokenbridge is the following, we are currently planning for Deck the Halls of Valhalla.  It will be an online event similar to the Three Princes with a mix of classes and bardic performances.  Morwenna Penrose will be Event Steward.  It will be January 9th, and we are planning for it to be from 4pm to 8pm.  

Also, we just had our November Commons, and the minutes are here: https://brokenbridge.eastkingdom.org/brokenbridge-commons-minutes-11-15-2020/ 

Other than that, I am in the process of taking over my position and updating the Brokenbridge site. 

Committees

No reports submitted.

Upcoming Events

Deck the Halls of Valhalla • January 9 • Morwenna Penrose

We will be holding Deck the Halls of Valhalla on Zoom Saturday, January 9th between 4-8 pm (Most people liked it being later in the day)

We are looking for bards, musicians, and people to hold classes in crafts that are easy to teach on zoom or history classes. 

• I have two people so far who have offered to teach.
• I have two people who have shown interest in helping with setting up zoom, breakout rooms, and backgrounds.
• Alienor mentioned to me that Catelin Straquhin agreed to MC — I will confirm with her.
• I sent a text to Arnora Ketilsdottir about sending me the Brokenbridge email list so I can contact people. 

In the next week or so I will hopefully be hearing from people and putting together a outline of what the event will look like from beginning to end.