Seneschal Letter -- Summer 2018

Greetings all,

Recently there have been a lot of things going on, and I’ve gotten questions about changes. Change isn’t easy, but it can be good. There are times when we put a process in place and it becomes tradition. In order to grow, we need to be willing to review these things and question why we do them. Toward that goal, know that I have an open door policy. If you think we could improve things by making a change, reach out. If you think a change we’re making is a mistake, reach out.

I’d like to talk next about interactions between people. Whether the interaction is on social media or in person, always consider what you’re saying and ask yourself if you’re acting in the best manner. Especially on social media, it’s very easy to post something that we think is funny but can be taken the wrong way. Likewise, if you have a complaint or an issue, be careful how you present it on social media. What you post is often there forever, so what might be a small misunderstanding can look very bad to a new person reading the history. If you have a concern, please consider reaching out to the person in question privately first.

For in-person interactions, I think the Barony does pretty well most time, but we have our moments. At the revel, we had one of those moments with a baseball team that was at our cookout; several people had to help get the field cleared and defuse a situation. I know I get highly protective in such situations but sometimes the best option is to step away. Related to that: a reminder that if the seneschal, autocrat, or similar officer for an event tells you to step away, you need to listen and take that action. We have people who are looking to help; however, we also have officers for a reason.  It’s their responsibility to handle such situations.

On a more positive note, I think the Revel went really well despite the few bumps and the weather being a bit rough. I want to thank everyone who helped make the event happen, especially HL Freyja (Sunny).

In talking to our Baron and Baroness and our knight’s marshal, we’ve decided to switch things up a bit for the baronial revels moving forward. We are aiming to have one every 4 months, and rotate where the events are held: Swampkeype, Loch Gryffyn, and Central Orlando. Toward this goal, I’m going to be hiring a new Deputy whose primary duty will be organizing the revels.  If you are interested in applying for this position, please send me a letter of interest, preferably with your SCA resume. If you don’t have a resume and would like help making one, let me know.

Til next time,

HL David Archer