Greetings and well met to those here present;
Most times I try to talk about the amazing things going on in our Barony - and those things are no less amazing today than any other - we have a wonderful Trident Tourney coming up next year with the investiture of our heirs, Toki and Thyri. We have amazing officers who work tirelessly to make sure our group keeps running and people who donate their time and effort to teach.
But we also have hard and difficult times afoot, and for the moment, we're going to face those head on.
There is no gainsaying that everyone's stress level is significantly higher in recent days due to mundane politics, SCA politics, and the general 'operational fatigue' of not getting to do our hobbies and things that relax us.
Her Excellency and I have noticed that everyone seems just slightly more on edge. Just slightly more tense. With just slightly less patience for themselves and others. To quote my good friend, Don Brian, this is neither good, nor bad. It simply 'is'.
I would like to invite the populace to our next populace meeting through zoom - during that meeting, I have asked our Seneschal Hextilda to allow Her Excellency and I to speak first where normally we have asked that the focus be on the officers. She has graciously allowed us to do so.
We need to talk about how we can come together, going forwards. We need to talk about how to not only have grace and compassion for others but for ourselves as well. And we need to talk about the road ahead as our time as your Coronet winds down into the history of our Barony.
Her Excellency and I took the Coronets with one singular purpose - to bring as many people together in our group as possible. And we're seeing all these tiny stress fractures across our group that drive people away, not together. And so we need to talk about how to work towards unity, not disparity. Towards communication, not disconnection. Towards the group, not the individual.
Together, we are the Barony. And it's hard - incredibly so - to remember that sometimes when we are physically far apart and when interest can lag because of these pressing times. I will only remind you, as I have done before, that this is but a passing shadow.
In closing, I would again like to invite as many who would wish attend to do so for our next populace meeting where we can discuss how to go forwards from shadow and into light.
Yours in love, and a sworn service to this Barony that will never end,
James and Milesenda
Baron and Baroness of Darkwater
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