Tonight’s meeting was done by Zoom and there were a few technical difficulties in hearing some people completely and some interpretation was necessary. Please forgive any misinterpretations. Please also pardon any spelling and/or grammar errors as those are the fault of the Darkwater Chronicler and NOT the candidates or those that asked questions.
Thank you for your forgiveness and patience,
Barony of Darkwater Chronicler, Lady Ursula Blackpoole and Deputy Chronicler LeAnn Meyrick
Introductions of our
Baronial Candidates:
First we had Sir Johan Craft and Honorable Lady Vivienne le Corbeau Second was Mistress Christine Chabrier, OL and Baronessa Calpurnia Fortunata
Third was Lady Thyri Bersi and Honorable Lord Toki Inn Eldri Bassi
Fourth was Honorable Lady Adelina de Bretigny and Honorable Lord David Archer
➢ In the interest of time while typing, the names of the candidates will be shortened to their first names.
All couples gave us information about how long they have been in the barony and what offices they have held. As well as how many offices they are in. This information is in the “Meet the Baronial Candidates” flyer that was mailed and posted on FB in April.
Question:
Asked by HRM Maisie of Dunbarton:
Have you read Kingdom Law?
Calpurnia and Christine: both said yes.
Thyri and Toki: both said yes.
David and Adelina: both said yes.
Vivienne and Johan: both said yes.
Thyri was asked what she would do with her role of HRM Chamberlain if the Baron and Baroness role came up and advised that options needed to be prepared just in case. HRH Martin said they were good and plans are in place.
Question:
Asked by HRM Maisie of Dunbarton Thyri was asked what she would do with her role of HRM Chamberlain if the Baron and Baroness role came up and advised that options needed to be prepared just in case. HRH Martin said they were good and plans are in place.
It was stated that Trident Tourney, third weekend in January, will be the date for the new Baron and Baroness.
Thyri and Toki were asked if they understood they were the voice of the crown. They both replied yes and discussed the power of the crown and gave compliments to the Kingdom and Barony based on their travels.
Toki had talked about his interests in archery and Masie asked Thyri what she was endeavoring in.
Question:
Asked by HRM Maisie of Dunbarton Thyri and Toki were asked if they understood they were the voice of the crown. They both replied yes and discussed the power of the crown and gave compliments to the Kingdom and Barony based on their travels.
Question:
Asked by HRM Maisie of Dunbarton Toki had talked about his interests in archery and Masie asked Thyri what she was endeavoring in.
She explained her involvement in the lampworker’s guild, and then was asked if she had someone to take that responsibility. Toki and Thyri both replied that they have people in place to take over their positions in archery and lampworking.
Asked by HRM Maisie of Dunbarton
Question:
What will you bring fresh to the SCA? Asked by HRM Maisie of Dunbarton
David: Shake up how we do feast. Trying out some more interesting flavors. Check in with laurels and change up how we do the events that might have become a bit static. Gave compliments to our many chefs in the barony.
Adelina : She comes from a theater background and a Live Action role playing background. And would like to see SCA events with themes similar to that happen more in the Barony. Escape room. High authenticity feasts. Etc.
David: Also suggested holding courts earlier so feasts don’t run so late.
Adelina : She comes from a theater background and a Live Action role playing background. And would like to see SCA events with themes similar to that happen more in the Barony. Escape room. High authenticity feasts. Etc.
David: Also suggested holding courts earlier so feasts don’t run so late.
HRM Kurn O'Farrell of Ulster : It’s important to have a balance. Feast doesn’t need to be a big deal every time and it’s not everyone’s tea. He also thanked everyone for their interest in supporting the role of Baron and Baroness. It’s nice to see four really good candidate couples to promote Darkwater.
HRM Maisie of Dunbarton: Asked the candidates if they would be willing to submit a letter of why they would like to seek the chair of the barony. She would like the input and offered support to the candidates as well.
Thank you for putting this together and thank you to all of the candidates for volunteering to take on this role. If you could choose one thing to do for your populace that you feel would be inspirational for them to show your love for the SCA what would you do?
Vivienne: There is a lot we try to do on a regular basis. We have been supporting Loch Gryffyn currently. We really just want everyone to feel appreciated and loved. We can’t give everyone an award, but we can still show love and say thank you.
Calpurnia: Her whole “shtick” is about making people feel appreciated and this would allow her to do it on a bigger and official scale. Christine would say the same thing. We just want to show people how much they are loved. Take care of them. How appreciated they are. We can do so many things beyond awards. They gave the idea of the tokens given out by those before her. Christine said JP covered the bases. And she said they wanted to expand by increasing the recognition of people that are in the Barony that might not make it to an event. She mentioned ideas and art sci she can do to make things for them.
David and Adelina : Beyond the awards, you need to be on the lookout and ready to recognize people in the moment. Let them know that we see what they are doing. But you also have to watch how engaged others are. If everyone is engaged then everyone is participating as well. Create shared experiences that gather both the fighters and artists, that gather both children and adults. You can’t do it for everyone, but you can try to give them the opportunities. Create an environment where people can do it for themselves.
David: Take the time to recognize people at the events. He doesn’t want to open court all the time, but find a way to have larger courts and pull people in to offer recognition at different times. If it is the right time, with the right people, we should do it then.
Thyri and Toki: I believe that awards are amazing. They are breathtaking and important thank you’s when you get called up in court. But they are minor when compared to the work the Baron and Baroness should do in talking with people, being present for people, doing things, working with the populace. There are so many people, and what our dream is, is to have our presence as Darkwater reflected in the event. Several of the people in here now run these events, but we would love to find a way to get all of the populace reflected in the event so they can all have a part in the events. Because we gave of ourselves, that when people come to meetings or events or practices, everyone should feel included in some way. Not feeling like a guest.. This is us! I am part of this. Set up the baronial pavilion and provide people a space to be a community. We know it will be a lot of work, but the Baron and Baroness is a service, a job. We are willing to do it.
At one point in the future all of our lives will return to normal and might not be soon. Given the uncertainty that we are all in right now, and what that might mean for the SCA, what do you all feel the SCA can do, and specifically the Baron and Baroness of Darkwater, do to limit the damage and help the growth when this pandemic has led many to feel scared?
Vivienne: People are wary of congregating but also everyone is aching to get back together and wear garb and drink and dance with our friends again. We may not be going out to campsites but we are still doing things. We are in this together. We are doing online classes, meet and greets, websites, and zoom classes. We are uploading things to Youtube. These small changes we are making involves people in the remote settings and will help pull people in rather than pushing them away.
Christine: It Is going to be a different life and that can be an advantage. We can use this time to plan ahead, work together, and start back, mind you some of us aren’t as young as you physically, maybe start with small gatherings. We don’t have to have 50 people crammed into a room. We can have 10 people in 10 different rooms and make them sit 6 feet apart and still have the joy of each other's company. We can work with this, and as it gets more comfortable, we can enjoy each other’s company in ways we can create. Maybe more frequent, smaller get-togethers and fewer big ones. I think that actually, this weaving of the internet and interpersonal is going to make us stronger.
Calpurnia: I totally agree. With the things that we have been doing online during these precautions, we are actually able to reach out to more people than we might not have reached out to or met before. We have more tools to reach a wider audience now.
Christine: I think one of the reasons this seems so hard is because it has been only 6 weeks, but we will get better at this. At the moment it is still new.
Calpurnia: We can do more in small groups. Like Adelina’s idea of escape rooms. It gives us the opportunity to try new things. IF it doesn’t go well, then that is okay.
Calpurnia: I would like to implement tea time with the baroness again. That’s a thing.
Toki and Thyri: First things first, let’s follow the CDC guidelines and keep our populace safe. We are staying in, social distancing and follow guidelines right now so we can all gather again and not have anyone be missing. We would like there to be many different things to make it so people are apart but enjoying their event in safe/small groups.
Thyri: We have a lot of smart, problem solvers in the group and we can use this as the template to have a large or small event that will work. And maybe something better. This isn’t a one person problem and we can solve this as a group. We make this the best event to help everyone.
David and Adelina: I suspect that when we open up, next to harassment policies at events there will be CDC safety policies and guidelines from the board. Earlier it was noted that we used to mail things and now we are in this digital age. I remember that it was quicker to drive to out of town friend’s instead of sending something in the mail. We have a great opportunity to change some things and in 6 months we can go back or change things. But this has shown that we can integrate technology in our groups and make interactions happen between groups in a different manner. The baronial officers will have to get together after the CDC guidelines are in place and they’ll get guidance from the board and the kingdom level and have a long conversation.
Adelina: Be careful and considerate when we come back to normal. The power of pause. We are at a point where we have to take a pause and breath and consider what is important. What do we need to keep moving forward and what do we need to let go of. And in my mind, the most important thing is the connections between people. Maintaining these connections and continuing to work together. We have dance videos, scribal wars, and classes going right now.
I would like to know what the candidates have planned to increase the numbers in the barony. That is the A /#1 problem right now.
Vivienne: Johan and I have been working on this for years. We always try to reach out in ways like colleges, larp fests, dice tower con, etc. In Trimaris, we are an aging audience. Average age is 50. We have to pull in new and younger blood to continue our Barony. By reaching out where other nerdy people hang out, we can bring in those people. Lady of the Lakes helps, Megacon, etc.
Calpurnia: We do have an older populace and as someone that was recruited out of high school, and is now in her 30s, I think a LOT of people my age and younger would really find this different. Nerdy history culture would love this. We have a lot of colleges and conventions to reach out to. We can reach out to the number of colleges and cons we have.
Christine: I back all of that. Given that 50 is no longer considered old, one thing we might look at is the activities groups of The Villages to grow numbers. 50 is young and retired people may not move away and might be bored. Think about some venues we haven’t talked to before. Retirees that are bored. Etc.
Calpurnia: Kids activities need to be increased to bring in families. Foster people that grew up in the barony and want to stay.
Christine: There is no reason to limit the age up or down.
Adelina: The reason we don’t keep people is membership experience. We need to support families with small children and young adults when there are so many other things competing for their time. There are a lot of people who might want to be involved but they may not be fighters. We need to have other things for them to do and other ways for them to get involved and feel appreciated. Get children excited so they want to be part of this as well and want to drag their parents to the event.
David: Some kids that he knows tell him they like coming to events and ask about the SCA all the time. We also need to express the hospitaller a bit more. Having the Hospitaller class. Too many people say that they have bad experiences in the SCA. Information warfare is a thing we need to work on.
Thryi: I don’t think we have a problem with recruiting new people. We have a problem with retention. In Darkwater, we have had people come to meetings that sit against the wall. No one talked to them. They regretted coming, so I started talking to them and Johan came up to explain “cut and thrust”. It doesn’t matter how many newcomers come if we don’t get them to stay... If we don’t talk to them. We get a lot of people from Lady of the Lakes. 300 people from each weekend to contact, but we don’t keep them. There’s interest and we have to branch out of our circles. Why do we stay? There’s cool things and I love the SCA, but we stay for our community. We have to build the connections so they feel like they’ve found home and stay.
Mistress Jehannette de Lille: You are Mom and Pop in a barony but outside, you are a PR machine. You are a PR machine.
Thyri: And I have seven years at Lady of the Lakes PRing my butt off. I love demos. You will find me at almost all demos talking up the SCA and how cool my hobby is.
How do you plan to balance the demands of position with work and family commitments:
David and Adelina: We will try to be at major business meetings and will break up the class meetings. David is limiting travel and works from home. She will go to Kissimmee and Seminole while he will go to Loch Gryffyn. A number of friends and family have offered to help with their son, they have full time babysitters that will come to events and help them with their son.
Vivienne: Our balancing act is a little less precarious because we are both self employed and make up our own schedules, but also less flexible because we base our schedules around our clients. However, if it is something important we can not schedule anything on those meeting days or weekend events. Our daughter loves the SCA more than we do and wants to be there. We also have friends and family that want to help us out.
Toki: We are fortunate that our little ones aren’t so little anymore. We pretty much have that covered. Our youngest is turning 18 when this would start. She loves the classes at Gulf Wars and had tears to not be able go this year. Toki is the breadwinner and she is the “mooch”! (joke) They make it work and have gone to just about every baronial event, meetings, some of the canton meetings.
Calpurnia: I am a childless married woman that has a husband that doesn’t play. And I work a 9-5 Monday through Friday job that allows me time off when I need it. I don’t think I have missed a baronial event in ages. I make every kingdom event. Most meetings. And we would like to split up and make it to many if not all of the cantons.
Christine: I am in the same boat as Calpurnia. The current job she was going to do has been put on hold but would be 8-4 Monday to Friday with ability to take time off.
Are you aware of the extent of the cost of being a Baronial Noble?
Thyri and Toki: We have taken into account the cost. We have a savings put aside for this that covers the 4 years. Whether we win or not, we will be able to have an opportunity to continue to go to other events over the years. We are planning to attend many of the events of all of Trimaris’ that we can in the next few years.
Christine: We have discussed it, have it figured out, got it arranged and plans are in place.
Calpurnia: Pretty much.
David: We talked about this a LOT beforehand. We discussed it with other Baronial nobles to get an idea of what costs would be. We do have it fully budgeted in our plans and we are good with costs. We have a good amount in our “fun fund”. My job allows me to get free miles that I can use to go meetings outside of the kingdom.
Vivienne: We weren’t in the right place the last two times to run and we have sat down with the past three baronial nobles and with some from other baronies to see what we were getting into. We already do a lot of travel out of the Kingdom. We try to hit at least one baronial event and as many other events as we can. Might have to up our garb game a little bit and share more of ourselves, but it won’t change things a lot.
How do you feel your weaknesses are and how do you feel this experience will change you for the better?
Adelina: Introvert. Very nervous. Most people assume that David wanted to run, but after Marcaster chose an introvert I thought I could do it too. I am working on my self confidence and this would help me continue that journey.
David: I think this will help me grow and focus on individual people. I do a lot of my service behind the scenes and tend to try to do things without being noticed. I think this will continue to make me better at things.
Christine: I am an introvert but have grown over the last 30 years. To become Baroness I am following in the footsteps of my family in service to a group I love. It isn’t so much about overcoming or repairing something but more about fulfilling the dream.
Calpurnia: I tend to overload myself. I want to do all the things and I want to help to the point that I will do it if I don’t see anyone else doing it. I am making improvements. I acknowledge what the problem is and that I need to be able to let people do things, to serve me, etc. The “helium hand” is getting punctured.
Johan: said it was he can’t stop talking. He said he will strive to stop and listen. Sometimes you don’t have to fill the silence.
Vivienne: Comes off scary and has RBF, but she is nice. She also doesn’t always know about Art/Sci and that is something she needs to be more connected to. But that makes me different. Fighters don’t have to explain things to me but people could teach me something in a scribal class.
Thyri: We are from New England, and one of the first rules we had is we are not mind readers and we tend to be direct communicators. There is no trick and no hint or meaning you need to get. I am very on the table with what I say and what I mean. I’m growing in learning that there are more subtle styles of communicating.
Toki: This is an extremely important job. It can be scary. It is like holding a child and being scared you will drop it. We are scared to fail and let people down and we need to work on leaning on others for help when we need it.
Do you want a Baronial Signet Herald?
Adelina: Yes, please. We have sat in enough meetings and through enough court business meetings to know we need one.
David: Absolutely. I understand how stressful your job is and we have talked about how there needs to be a strong line of communication between us and the signet and autocrats.
Thyri and Toki: The job that the Baronial Signet does is so important and is needed. They help to make sure we don’t lose someone in the shuffle of things.
Vivienne and Johan: Yes! We have seen first hand how important they are and would love Jessi to do it, but only if he wants to.
Calpurnia: The Chart Signet should be chosen by the baronial nobles. It is a job that requires a lot of trust and communication and should be chosen by someone that they know is super reliable in that position.
Christine:Everything that everyone else has said has been true but I would like to add one thing. Could you train a deputy so you could have some more fun too?
How do you deal with conflict? Especially if it deals with friends as most of those in our hobby are friends?
Christine: I have not had to deal with a problem in the SCA but many years ago, while running a white water canoeing group, there was an attempted coup against the palace. Things were handled quietly and everyone settled down and everyone got along well after. I have experience with dissolving a friendship for the responsibility and greater good of the kingdom/barony. Been there.
Calpurnia:I hate conflict. I despise it. It makes me super uncomfortable. But, I have also really learned to navigate conflict. I really try to keep a rational head. If I can help, I will help. There is a limit of what we can do and love people anyways.
Johan: I am not afraid of dealing with conflict because conflict happens, we are a social club. Sadly, conflict happens often, especially with fighters. You have to talk them through it. Make sure everyone walks away with a cool head.
Vivienne : Came in as nobody really, but took over the baronial fighter marshall, sometimes you have to be bigger and stronger and sometimes softer. You have to know the scenario and know how to talk to them.
Thyri: Conflict is never easy but is inevitable. Sometimes we have to deal with things that aren’t easy but we have to manage feelings within ourselves so we can be a fair witness of the situation. We heard that someone was upset with me. I asked them if they had said things about me. And this required time to talk about it. And it was uncomfortable, but we talked through it. It is two people learning how to communicate and work together. You have to lean into the conflict and work on it to move on.
Toki: I am usually on the archery field and the community is fairly calm and not full of conflict. It just really is about being on the same page, understanding what is being said or told, somewhere in the middle is the truth.
David: I had to discipline someone recently that is a friend and he might lose his job because of it, but you have to be willing to step up and deal with these things regardless. I have dealt with it in the SCA and it is the same thing. Most conflicts are due to misunderstandings. A lot of stuff gets resolved with mediation and with taking the time to talk to each other. Pull in a third party if you need to. I have watched our current and past baronial nobles solve conflicts with friends and have learned from them how to handle things.
Adelina: It doesn’t come natural for my personality, and I don’t like it, but I work in HR and have had to learn to deal with conflicts and I have my HR face when I need it. If it involves you talk through it. Stay calm and work through it. You can’t solve it for them but you can be a sounding board.
The coronet often requires a large amount of diplomacy and tact, because the reality is that we have no stick, only a carrot. How comfortable do each of you feel being able to say the things that need to be said, often where everyone knows it needs to be said, but finding the compassionate, kind, and tactful way to say it?
Calpurnia: Customer service face. You learn to use your words and calm your voice. Talking to people is one of my strong suits and I try hard to be a compassionate and kind person. I feel I have empathy that I can use to help people.
Christine: A lot of us grew up in service jobs, and sometimes you almost have to be a parent in the SCA. Sometimes people don’t realize they are doing something wrong or incorrectly. Sometimes it requires a quiet talk. I try to the best of my ability to care for whomever I am talking to.
Thyri: I am going to approach this as, I honestly speak with you to the point and without bullshit. NO one comes to this volunteer organization to screw everything up. They are there to help and do their best. When you need to speak to guide, mentor, support as they learn so that they can grow from failure. When people are overly sugar coat things it can come across as insincere or patronizing. We are all mature and intelligent people and need to be rewarded for trying. Be sincere and honest so people will trust your words. Be who you need them to be. Have the kindness you would want to be corrected with.
Toki: She (Thyri) is spot on.
Adelina: You can be honest and still be kind. Even if you are saying something unpleasant, people will respect that you are being honest. Give it to them straight with compassion and empathy. They might be mad at you in the moment, but it all comes back around. Be the best you can be. Deliver it with respect.
David: We have dealt with this in different offices and positions I have had. I believe in encouragement as being the best way, but you do have to be firm with people sometimes. Sometimes you have to sit people down and explain some facts to people. If a gentle hand will work to solve something I will be okay with that, but I will also use a stronger hand if needed. People treat people with shiny hats differently and while I don’t think you need to use that, it does offer that respect.
Vivienne: We are parents of a 6 year old. There is a fine line between correction and crying. Johann is a people person and likes to talk to people. It is important to be able to gage people’s reactions. Everything is based on the people you are talking to. Everyone is an individual and you have to talk to them in the way that works for them. Deal with them one at a time! Know your audience. Some people require you to be the baseball bat while others require the feather. Start below where you need to be and you can always go up from there.
Johan: I’m a people person. I talk to people all the time. Being able to gauge people in a conversation will tell you how far your tact has to extend. Everyone is different and is an individual.
Gavine: There are times when you might not be in your head. You might not be in the kindest mindset. How comfortable is everyone and how they would handle being stuck talking to someone they didn’t want to. How do you escape if you are trapped for lack of a better term?
Toki: Your time isn’t your own as Baron and Baroness. You need to be “their person” in this role. Put aside your personal thing and be their Baron and what they need.
Thyri: You should give to all people. Everyone gets to sit at the table. You might not choose them normally, but they are your people now. Regardless of time or place you need to be there, step it up and be what they need. This is what makes the dream come true.
Calpurnia: I already have experience with this with the whole St. Calpurnia thing. The shouty post was meant to just make people feel better and I got put on a pedestal and it’s weird, but now people all over the knowne world want to be my friend on FB so they can see that. So I have to be that person for them regardless of how I am feeling.
Christine: When you wear the coronet of Darkwater, you are Darkwater. It isn’t about you. You are Darkwater and as such you have no emotions, no sex, no hunger, no nothing. You are a representative but at the same time you are an embodiment of the dream that can be talked to, hugged, curtsied to, bowed to, whatever. Sometimes you have to put aside your exhaustion, hunger, tiredness aside, to remember that to this person or others watching, you are Darkwater.
Adelina: Yes, when you have the coronet on you have to act accordingly and be the Baron and Baroness, but you still need to take care of yourselves and you need to take breaks. Landed Baronials have told me to take time for myself so when I do go out, I am ready and can be what the populace needs. I also think it is okay, to ask someone to schedule a time to talk about what they want to discuss. To let them know that you need a minute or that it isn’t the best time. It’s a balancing act.
Thyri: I fully agree. If you need to tag out, tag out.
David: This is something I have had to learn in the SCA. I am 100% in the belief that when the hat is on you are on stage, but also when you take on the role, you are that person and on stage all the time. Social media, etc. Sometimes eating crow is necessary to get things done. One thing I have learned from Jake is how well he does this.
Adelina: It isn’t about you. It is about the populace. It’s what’s required of you.
Vivienne and Johan: We are in the spotlight and the representation and face of the barony. We sometimes have moments where we just have to suck it up. And there are times where we can excuse ourselves and walk away. Everything we are doing affects everyone. The populace as part of the kingdom. As part of the Barony. We have a beautiful schedule in that we sleep at different times and so one of us is usually available to be that person.
Johan: I travel extensively. You are the face of your kingdom. You have to be tactful and sometimes, even when you don’t want to talk to them you have to take a breath and say okay and realize that is what and where you are.
Jake: We can label a question on the barony populace page and let the running candidates answer.
When you are the landed noble you are working with the crown and representing both sides to the crown and the populace. How do you handle that if you do not care for the current crown or their views:
Vivienne: The reality is the Crown’s rule is law. As long as they aren’t breaking the law or Corpora, you eat crow. Even if I don’t agree or I don’t like you, the Crown’s rule is law.
Johan: You have to resign if you are that against the Crown or what they are doing. They are the crown.
Calpurnia: The nobles power comes from the crown. It is their stuff, we just move things for them. The Crown’s will is law. Play nice or step down. You can disagree but you still have to do your job.
Christine: I agree with JP with the point that the Barons are here for 4 years while the Crown is here much less. If you can’t deal with the crown for a short time you shouldn’t be a baron for a long time. As barons we support the crown and the populace.
David: Sometimes you have to explain things to the Crown or just say Yes, Your Majesty. If the Crown says this is what I want to do, then you have to do it. You can give feedback and ask if they thought of all or a certain aspect. If they still want to do it, they are the Crown and you have to be willing to let them do their thing. As long as it isn’t breaking a law, it is their will. But you have to be willing to talk to them and occasionally push back to do your populace justice:
Adelina: Agreed with David. It is a landed nobility’s job to advise and support the crown. But know you have to be able to suck it up buttercup!
Toki: You need to swear fealty when a new Crown comes in and it is a bonded and binding relationship. It becomes the Crown’s will and you are a spokesperson for that Crown.
Thyri: When you swear fealty, you swear to accept their word as law. And your attitude and presence around the Crown is how the populace sees the Crown. Their word is law, regardless of your issues, but when at an event you treat them as royalty. Put your mundane and personal feelings aside and fulfill your job!
Question:
Asked by Trish Amador Baroness of Wyvernwood: Thank you for putting this together and thank you to all of the candidates for volunteering to take on this role. If you could choose one thing to do for your populace that you feel would be inspirational for them to show your love for the SCA what would you do?
Vivienne: There is a lot we try to do on a regular basis. We have been supporting Loch Gryffyn currently. We really just want everyone to feel appreciated and loved. We can’t give everyone an award, but we can still show love and say thank you.
Calpurnia: Her whole “shtick” is about making people feel appreciated and this would allow her to do it on a bigger and official scale. Christine would say the same thing. We just want to show people how much they are loved. Take care of them. How appreciated they are. We can do so many things beyond awards. They gave the idea of the tokens given out by those before her. Christine said JP covered the bases. And she said they wanted to expand by increasing the recognition of people that are in the Barony that might not make it to an event. She mentioned ideas and art sci she can do to make things for them.
David and Adelina : Beyond the awards, you need to be on the lookout and ready to recognize people in the moment. Let them know that we see what they are doing. But you also have to watch how engaged others are. If everyone is engaged then everyone is participating as well. Create shared experiences that gather both the fighters and artists, that gather both children and adults. You can’t do it for everyone, but you can try to give them the opportunities. Create an environment where people can do it for themselves.
David: Take the time to recognize people at the events. He doesn’t want to open court all the time, but find a way to have larger courts and pull people in to offer recognition at different times. If it is the right time, with the right people, we should do it then.
Thyri and Toki: I believe that awards are amazing. They are breathtaking and important thank you’s when you get called up in court. But they are minor when compared to the work the Baron and Baroness should do in talking with people, being present for people, doing things, working with the populace. There are so many people, and what our dream is, is to have our presence as Darkwater reflected in the event. Several of the people in here now run these events, but we would love to find a way to get all of the populace reflected in the event so they can all have a part in the events. Because we gave of ourselves, that when people come to meetings or events or practices, everyone should feel included in some way. Not feeling like a guest.. This is us! I am part of this. Set up the baronial pavilion and provide people a space to be a community. We know it will be a lot of work, but the Baron and Baroness is a service, a job. We are willing to do it.
Question:
Asked by HRH Martin At one point in the future all of our lives will return to normal and might not be soon. Given the uncertainty that we are all in right now, and what that might mean for the SCA, what do you all feel the SCA can do, and specifically the Baron and Baroness of Darkwater, do to limit the damage and help the growth when this pandemic has led many to feel scared?
Vivienne: People are wary of congregating but also everyone is aching to get back together and wear garb and drink and dance with our friends again. We may not be going out to campsites but we are still doing things. We are in this together. We are doing online classes, meet and greets, websites, and zoom classes. We are uploading things to Youtube. These small changes we are making involves people in the remote settings and will help pull people in rather than pushing them away.
Christine: It Is going to be a different life and that can be an advantage. We can use this time to plan ahead, work together, and start back, mind you some of us aren’t as young as you physically, maybe start with small gatherings. We don’t have to have 50 people crammed into a room. We can have 10 people in 10 different rooms and make them sit 6 feet apart and still have the joy of each other's company. We can work with this, and as it gets more comfortable, we can enjoy each other’s company in ways we can create. Maybe more frequent, smaller get-togethers and fewer big ones. I think that actually, this weaving of the internet and interpersonal is going to make us stronger.
Calpurnia: I totally agree. With the things that we have been doing online during these precautions, we are actually able to reach out to more people than we might not have reached out to or met before. We have more tools to reach a wider audience now.
Christine: I think one of the reasons this seems so hard is because it has been only 6 weeks, but we will get better at this. At the moment it is still new.
Calpurnia: We can do more in small groups. Like Adelina’s idea of escape rooms. It gives us the opportunity to try new things. IF it doesn’t go well, then that is okay.
Calpurnia: I would like to implement tea time with the baroness again. That’s a thing.
Toki and Thyri: First things first, let’s follow the CDC guidelines and keep our populace safe. We are staying in, social distancing and follow guidelines right now so we can all gather again and not have anyone be missing. We would like there to be many different things to make it so people are apart but enjoying their event in safe/small groups.
Thyri: We have a lot of smart, problem solvers in the group and we can use this as the template to have a large or small event that will work. And maybe something better. This isn’t a one person problem and we can solve this as a group. We make this the best event to help everyone.
David and Adelina: I suspect that when we open up, next to harassment policies at events there will be CDC safety policies and guidelines from the board. Earlier it was noted that we used to mail things and now we are in this digital age. I remember that it was quicker to drive to out of town friend’s instead of sending something in the mail. We have a great opportunity to change some things and in 6 months we can go back or change things. But this has shown that we can integrate technology in our groups and make interactions happen between groups in a different manner. The baronial officers will have to get together after the CDC guidelines are in place and they’ll get guidance from the board and the kingdom level and have a long conversation.
Adelina: Be careful and considerate when we come back to normal. The power of pause. We are at a point where we have to take a pause and breath and consider what is important. What do we need to keep moving forward and what do we need to let go of. And in my mind, the most important thing is the connections between people. Maintaining these connections and continuing to work together. We have dance videos, scribal wars, and classes going right now.
Question:
Asked by Mistress Jehannette de Lille: I would like to know what the candidates have planned to increase the numbers in the barony. That is the A /#1 problem right now.
Vivienne: Johan and I have been working on this for years. We always try to reach out in ways like colleges, larp fests, dice tower con, etc. In Trimaris, we are an aging audience. Average age is 50. We have to pull in new and younger blood to continue our Barony. By reaching out where other nerdy people hang out, we can bring in those people. Lady of the Lakes helps, Megacon, etc.
Calpurnia: We do have an older populace and as someone that was recruited out of high school, and is now in her 30s, I think a LOT of people my age and younger would really find this different. Nerdy history culture would love this. We have a lot of colleges and conventions to reach out to. We can reach out to the number of colleges and cons we have.
Christine: I back all of that. Given that 50 is no longer considered old, one thing we might look at is the activities groups of The Villages to grow numbers. 50 is young and retired people may not move away and might be bored. Think about some venues we haven’t talked to before. Retirees that are bored. Etc.
Calpurnia: Kids activities need to be increased to bring in families. Foster people that grew up in the barony and want to stay.
Christine: There is no reason to limit the age up or down.
Adelina: The reason we don’t keep people is membership experience. We need to support families with small children and young adults when there are so many other things competing for their time. There are a lot of people who might want to be involved but they may not be fighters. We need to have other things for them to do and other ways for them to get involved and feel appreciated. Get children excited so they want to be part of this as well and want to drag their parents to the event.
David: Some kids that he knows tell him they like coming to events and ask about the SCA all the time. We also need to express the hospitaller a bit more. Having the Hospitaller class. Too many people say that they have bad experiences in the SCA. Information warfare is a thing we need to work on.
Thryi: I don’t think we have a problem with recruiting new people. We have a problem with retention. In Darkwater, we have had people come to meetings that sit against the wall. No one talked to them. They regretted coming, so I started talking to them and Johan came up to explain “cut and thrust”. It doesn’t matter how many newcomers come if we don’t get them to stay... If we don’t talk to them. We get a lot of people from Lady of the Lakes. 300 people from each weekend to contact, but we don’t keep them. There’s interest and we have to branch out of our circles. Why do we stay? There’s cool things and I love the SCA, but we stay for our community. We have to build the connections so they feel like they’ve found home and stay.
Mistress Jehannette de Lille: You are Mom and Pop in a barony but outside, you are a PR machine. You are a PR machine.
Thyri: And I have seven years at Lady of the Lakes PRing my butt off. I love demos. You will find me at almost all demos talking up the SCA and how cool my hobby is.
Question:
Asked by Zdinka Jezek How do you plan to balance the demands of position with work and family commitments:
David and Adelina: We will try to be at major business meetings and will break up the class meetings. David is limiting travel and works from home. She will go to Kissimmee and Seminole while he will go to Loch Gryffyn. A number of friends and family have offered to help with their son, they have full time babysitters that will come to events and help them with their son.
Vivienne: Our balancing act is a little less precarious because we are both self employed and make up our own schedules, but also less flexible because we base our schedules around our clients. However, if it is something important we can not schedule anything on those meeting days or weekend events. Our daughter loves the SCA more than we do and wants to be there. We also have friends and family that want to help us out.
Toki: We are fortunate that our little ones aren’t so little anymore. We pretty much have that covered. Our youngest is turning 18 when this would start. She loves the classes at Gulf Wars and had tears to not be able go this year. Toki is the breadwinner and she is the “mooch”! (joke) They make it work and have gone to just about every baronial event, meetings, some of the canton meetings.
Calpurnia: I am a childless married woman that has a husband that doesn’t play. And I work a 9-5 Monday through Friday job that allows me time off when I need it. I don’t think I have missed a baronial event in ages. I make every kingdom event. Most meetings. And we would like to split up and make it to many if not all of the cantons.
Christine: I am in the same boat as Calpurnia. The current job she was going to do has been put on hold but would be 8-4 Monday to Friday with ability to take time off.
Question:
Asked by Mistress Anne of Blackthorne Are you aware of the extent of the cost of being a Baronial Noble?
Thyri and Toki: We have taken into account the cost. We have a savings put aside for this that covers the 4 years. Whether we win or not, we will be able to have an opportunity to continue to go to other events over the years. We are planning to attend many of the events of all of Trimaris’ that we can in the next few years.
Christine: We have discussed it, have it figured out, got it arranged and plans are in place.
Calpurnia: Pretty much.
David: We talked about this a LOT beforehand. We discussed it with other Baronial nobles to get an idea of what costs would be. We do have it fully budgeted in our plans and we are good with costs. We have a good amount in our “fun fund”. My job allows me to get free miles that I can use to go meetings outside of the kingdom.
Vivienne: We weren’t in the right place the last two times to run and we have sat down with the past three baronial nobles and with some from other baronies to see what we were getting into. We already do a lot of travel out of the Kingdom. We try to hit at least one baronial event and as many other events as we can. Might have to up our garb game a little bit and share more of ourselves, but it won’t change things a lot.
Question:
Asked by Baroness Marie le Mains How do you feel your weaknesses are and how do you feel this experience will change you for the better?
Adelina: Introvert. Very nervous. Most people assume that David wanted to run, but after Marcaster chose an introvert I thought I could do it too. I am working on my self confidence and this would help me continue that journey.
David: I think this will help me grow and focus on individual people. I do a lot of my service behind the scenes and tend to try to do things without being noticed. I think this will continue to make me better at things.
Christine: I am an introvert but have grown over the last 30 years. To become Baroness I am following in the footsteps of my family in service to a group I love. It isn’t so much about overcoming or repairing something but more about fulfilling the dream.
Calpurnia: I tend to overload myself. I want to do all the things and I want to help to the point that I will do it if I don’t see anyone else doing it. I am making improvements. I acknowledge what the problem is and that I need to be able to let people do things, to serve me, etc. The “helium hand” is getting punctured.
Johan: said it was he can’t stop talking. He said he will strive to stop and listen. Sometimes you don’t have to fill the silence.
Vivienne: Comes off scary and has RBF, but she is nice. She also doesn’t always know about Art/Sci and that is something she needs to be more connected to. But that makes me different. Fighters don’t have to explain things to me but people could teach me something in a scribal class.
Thyri: We are from New England, and one of the first rules we had is we are not mind readers and we tend to be direct communicators. There is no trick and no hint or meaning you need to get. I am very on the table with what I say and what I mean. I’m growing in learning that there are more subtle styles of communicating.
Toki: This is an extremely important job. It can be scary. It is like holding a child and being scared you will drop it. We are scared to fail and let people down and we need to work on leaning on others for help when we need it.
Question:
Asked by Lord Nickel Hartman: Do you want a Baronial Signet Herald?
Adelina: Yes, please. We have sat in enough meetings and through enough court business meetings to know we need one.
David: Absolutely. I understand how stressful your job is and we have talked about how there needs to be a strong line of communication between us and the signet and autocrats.
Thyri and Toki: The job that the Baronial Signet does is so important and is needed. They help to make sure we don’t lose someone in the shuffle of things.
Vivienne and Johan: Yes! We have seen first hand how important they are and would love Jessi to do it, but only if he wants to.
Calpurnia: The Chart Signet should be chosen by the baronial nobles. It is a job that requires a lot of trust and communication and should be chosen by someone that they know is super reliable in that position.
Christine:Everything that everyone else has said has been true but I would like to add one thing. Could you train a deputy so you could have some more fun too?
Question:
Asked by HRM Kurn O’Farrell of Ulster How do you deal with conflict? Especially if it deals with friends as most of those in our hobby are friends?
Christine: I have not had to deal with a problem in the SCA but many years ago, while running a white water canoeing group, there was an attempted coup against the palace. Things were handled quietly and everyone settled down and everyone got along well after. I have experience with dissolving a friendship for the responsibility and greater good of the kingdom/barony. Been there.
Calpurnia:I hate conflict. I despise it. It makes me super uncomfortable. But, I have also really learned to navigate conflict. I really try to keep a rational head. If I can help, I will help. There is a limit of what we can do and love people anyways.
Johan: I am not afraid of dealing with conflict because conflict happens, we are a social club. Sadly, conflict happens often, especially with fighters. You have to talk them through it. Make sure everyone walks away with a cool head.
Vivienne : Came in as nobody really, but took over the baronial fighter marshall, sometimes you have to be bigger and stronger and sometimes softer. You have to know the scenario and know how to talk to them.
Thyri: Conflict is never easy but is inevitable. Sometimes we have to deal with things that aren’t easy but we have to manage feelings within ourselves so we can be a fair witness of the situation. We heard that someone was upset with me. I asked them if they had said things about me. And this required time to talk about it. And it was uncomfortable, but we talked through it. It is two people learning how to communicate and work together. You have to lean into the conflict and work on it to move on.
Toki: I am usually on the archery field and the community is fairly calm and not full of conflict. It just really is about being on the same page, understanding what is being said or told, somewhere in the middle is the truth.
David: I had to discipline someone recently that is a friend and he might lose his job because of it, but you have to be willing to step up and deal with these things regardless. I have dealt with it in the SCA and it is the same thing. Most conflicts are due to misunderstandings. A lot of stuff gets resolved with mediation and with taking the time to talk to each other. Pull in a third party if you need to. I have watched our current and past baronial nobles solve conflicts with friends and have learned from them how to handle things.
Adelina: It doesn’t come natural for my personality, and I don’t like it, but I work in HR and have had to learn to deal with conflicts and I have my HR face when I need it. If it involves you talk through it. Stay calm and work through it. You can’t solve it for them but you can be a sounding board.
Question:
Asked by Baron James Highgate The coronet often requires a large amount of diplomacy and tact, because the reality is that we have no stick, only a carrot. How comfortable do each of you feel being able to say the things that need to be said, often where everyone knows it needs to be said, but finding the compassionate, kind, and tactful way to say it?
Calpurnia: Customer service face. You learn to use your words and calm your voice. Talking to people is one of my strong suits and I try hard to be a compassionate and kind person. I feel I have empathy that I can use to help people.
Christine: A lot of us grew up in service jobs, and sometimes you almost have to be a parent in the SCA. Sometimes people don’t realize they are doing something wrong or incorrectly. Sometimes it requires a quiet talk. I try to the best of my ability to care for whomever I am talking to.
Thyri: I am going to approach this as, I honestly speak with you to the point and without bullshit. NO one comes to this volunteer organization to screw everything up. They are there to help and do their best. When you need to speak to guide, mentor, support as they learn so that they can grow from failure. When people are overly sugar coat things it can come across as insincere or patronizing. We are all mature and intelligent people and need to be rewarded for trying. Be sincere and honest so people will trust your words. Be who you need them to be. Have the kindness you would want to be corrected with.
Toki: She (Thyri) is spot on.
Adelina: You can be honest and still be kind. Even if you are saying something unpleasant, people will respect that you are being honest. Give it to them straight with compassion and empathy. They might be mad at you in the moment, but it all comes back around. Be the best you can be. Deliver it with respect.
David: We have dealt with this in different offices and positions I have had. I believe in encouragement as being the best way, but you do have to be firm with people sometimes. Sometimes you have to sit people down and explain some facts to people. If a gentle hand will work to solve something I will be okay with that, but I will also use a stronger hand if needed. People treat people with shiny hats differently and while I don’t think you need to use that, it does offer that respect.
Vivienne: We are parents of a 6 year old. There is a fine line between correction and crying. Johann is a people person and likes to talk to people. It is important to be able to gage people’s reactions. Everything is based on the people you are talking to. Everyone is an individual and you have to talk to them in the way that works for them. Deal with them one at a time! Know your audience. Some people require you to be the baseball bat while others require the feather. Start below where you need to be and you can always go up from there.
Johan: I’m a people person. I talk to people all the time. Being able to gauge people in a conversation will tell you how far your tact has to extend. Everyone is different and is an individual.
Question:
Asked by Baron Gavine Armestrang Gavine: There are times when you might not be in your head. You might not be in the kindest mindset. How comfortable is everyone and how they would handle being stuck talking to someone they didn’t want to. How do you escape if you are trapped for lack of a better term?
Toki: Your time isn’t your own as Baron and Baroness. You need to be “their person” in this role. Put aside your personal thing and be their Baron and what they need.
Thyri: You should give to all people. Everyone gets to sit at the table. You might not choose them normally, but they are your people now. Regardless of time or place you need to be there, step it up and be what they need. This is what makes the dream come true.
Calpurnia: I already have experience with this with the whole St. Calpurnia thing. The shouty post was meant to just make people feel better and I got put on a pedestal and it’s weird, but now people all over the knowne world want to be my friend on FB so they can see that. So I have to be that person for them regardless of how I am feeling.
Christine: When you wear the coronet of Darkwater, you are Darkwater. It isn’t about you. You are Darkwater and as such you have no emotions, no sex, no hunger, no nothing. You are a representative but at the same time you are an embodiment of the dream that can be talked to, hugged, curtsied to, bowed to, whatever. Sometimes you have to put aside your exhaustion, hunger, tiredness aside, to remember that to this person or others watching, you are Darkwater.
Adelina: Yes, when you have the coronet on you have to act accordingly and be the Baron and Baroness, but you still need to take care of yourselves and you need to take breaks. Landed Baronials have told me to take time for myself so when I do go out, I am ready and can be what the populace needs. I also think it is okay, to ask someone to schedule a time to talk about what they want to discuss. To let them know that you need a minute or that it isn’t the best time. It’s a balancing act.
Thyri: I fully agree. If you need to tag out, tag out.
David: This is something I have had to learn in the SCA. I am 100% in the belief that when the hat is on you are on stage, but also when you take on the role, you are that person and on stage all the time. Social media, etc. Sometimes eating crow is necessary to get things done. One thing I have learned from Jake is how well he does this.
Adelina: It isn’t about you. It is about the populace. It’s what’s required of you.
Vivienne and Johan: We are in the spotlight and the representation and face of the barony. We sometimes have moments where we just have to suck it up. And there are times where we can excuse ourselves and walk away. Everything we are doing affects everyone. The populace as part of the kingdom. As part of the Barony. We have a beautiful schedule in that we sleep at different times and so one of us is usually available to be that person.
Johan: I travel extensively. You are the face of your kingdom. You have to be tactful and sometimes, even when you don’t want to talk to them you have to take a breath and say okay and realize that is what and where you are.
Jake: We can label a question on the barony populace page and let the running candidates answer.
Question:
Asked by Baroness Ilene Johnnestoune When you are the landed noble you are working with the crown and representing both sides to the crown and the populace. How do you handle that if you do not care for the current crown or their views:
Vivienne: The reality is the Crown’s rule is law. As long as they aren’t breaking the law or Corpora, you eat crow. Even if I don’t agree or I don’t like you, the Crown’s rule is law.
Johan: You have to resign if you are that against the Crown or what they are doing. They are the crown.
Calpurnia: The nobles power comes from the crown. It is their stuff, we just move things for them. The Crown’s will is law. Play nice or step down. You can disagree but you still have to do your job.
Christine: I agree with JP with the point that the Barons are here for 4 years while the Crown is here much less. If you can’t deal with the crown for a short time you shouldn’t be a baron for a long time. As barons we support the crown and the populace.
David: Sometimes you have to explain things to the Crown or just say Yes, Your Majesty. If the Crown says this is what I want to do, then you have to do it. You can give feedback and ask if they thought of all or a certain aspect. If they still want to do it, they are the Crown and you have to be willing to let them do their thing. As long as it isn’t breaking a law, it is their will. But you have to be willing to talk to them and occasionally push back to do your populace justice:
Adelina: Agreed with David. It is a landed nobility’s job to advise and support the crown. But know you have to be able to suck it up buttercup!
Toki: You need to swear fealty when a new Crown comes in and it is a bonded and binding relationship. It becomes the Crown’s will and you are a spokesperson for that Crown.
Thyri: When you swear fealty, you swear to accept their word as law. And your attitude and presence around the Crown is how the populace sees the Crown. Their word is law, regardless of your issues, but when at an event you treat them as royalty. Put your mundane and personal feelings aside and fulfill your job!
