What's New in Østgarðr

This page last modified at 12:19:05 PM EDT on Wed, May 23, 2007.

• Feb. 11, 2007: Sir Patri du Chat Gris, OL, OP, ETC, well known as a student and teacher of historical dance, as well as long-time Baron of Carolingia, passed away after a long battle with liver cancer.

• Jan. 17, 2007: Two one-page publicity flyers have been posted for downloading and handing out: a plain, black-and-white version and a version with the Ostgardr arms as a colored "watermark".

• Jan. 6, 2007: Their Excellencies' monthly missives to the populace, Sententiæ Viceregalis, are now on the Web.

• June 28, 2006: Their Majesties announced the results of the Viceregal Succession Poll: Alexandre and Eularia will be the next Viceroy and Vicereine of Østgarðr, to be invested at Barleycorn on September 9.

  Vivant! to the new Viceregency. Vivant! to the outgoing Viceregency, taking a well-deserved retirement from the position after c. 25 years. Vivant! to the other candidates, Andrea, Renier, and Aurora; all the candidates ran courteous, thoughtful campaigns and brought good ideas to our attention.

• May 17, 2006: In response to several recent questions, we've added a section to the Music page on "Where do I find sheet music?".

• March 26, 2006: A series of "Meet the Candidate" nights has been scheduled for various evenings in March and April, in various locations around Østgarðr. Citizens of Østgarðr are welcome to come to whichever and as many candidate nights as they wish, to hear the candidates' views on the important issues and ask the candidates questions.

• March 19, 2006: Madeleine Pelner Cosman, author of Fabulous Feasts (among other books), passed away. She wasn't a member of the SCA, and this book has been superseded by subsequent research, but for many years it was the only easily-accessible book on medieval cooking, and as such it got a lot of SCA cooks started.

• Jan. 20, 2006: Since the announcement didn't get into the December or January Pikestaff, the timetable for Viceregal succession has been pushed back a bit:

  • Feb. 15, due date for self-nominations (send to Their Majesties, Their Highnesses, Kingdom Seneschal, and (as a courtesy) Ian and Katherine.
  • Feb. 15-April 18, "campaign" period. Sir Edward would like to have a "Town Meeting" in each of the eight modern counties that make up Østgarðr. (It was pointed out at Commons that very few Østgarðrians live in Putnam County, and some of them are candidates, so the Westchester and Putnam County meetings may be combined.) You may attend whichever meeting(s) you wish, regardless of where you live.
  • April 18, Polls are mailed to all paid members of the SCA, 14 years or older, living in the official boundaries of Østgarðr. If you want to be polled, make sure your membership is paid by the end of March.
  • May 18, polling closes, and the ballots are counted.
  • Late May or early June, Their Majesties announce their choice for Viceroy and/or Vicereine of Østgarðr, informed and advised (but not bound) by the poll results.
  • September 9, investiture at Barleycorn.

• Dec. 7, 2005: A number of amendments are proposed to the Bylaws, including (among other things) procedures for election of a new Viceroy and/or Vicereine. See the amended bylaws here. Note that they show deletions and additions to the previous bylaws; once approved by the Provincial Officers' Council and each of the Canton Officers' Councils, they'll be cleaned up and renumbered and should look like this.

• Nov. 20, 2005: Since the Provincial Bylaws are unclear on how the election of a new Viceroy and Vicereine are to take place, the Officers' Corps will discuss the matter in Nov. and Dec. The current, maybe-or-maybe-not-approved Bylaws are here.

• July 28, 2005: Baronial Review results, revised
  Their Majesties have agreed with Ian and Katherine to initiate the process of choosing a new Viceroy/reine, but on a "less precipitous schedule" than previously announced (which was to start at Barleycorn this September).
  To read more about the process of choosing new titular heads, please see East Kingdom Law, section VII, sections C and F.8. In brief, as I understand it,...

  1. Since the Viceroy and Vicereine are stepping down voluntarily, they will probably continue to serve until new office-holder(s) is/are chosen and invested, and there will be no need to appoint a Vicar.
  2. A poll of the populace may be held to determine whether the Crown Province wishes to retain its current status, become an ordinary Province (Baronial level, but with no titular head(s), or become a Shire. As far as I know, there is no public sentiment to change status, so I expect this will be skipped.
  3. Assuming the Crown Province chooses to remain a Crown Province, then another poll of the populace is held to determine the new titular head(s). The result of the poll is determined by simple majority; if no one candidate receives a majority vote, the Crown decides how to interpret the poll.
  Each of the two aforementioned polls involves sending, by U.S. mail, a ballot to every paid SCA member who resides inside the Crown Province and is at least 14 years old. The deadline for returning these ballots will be at least one month and at most three months after the ballots are mailed. (If you want to be polled, you might want to get your paid membership in soon....)
  All candidates for Viceregal positions must be at least 18 years old, reside inside the Crown Province, be paid SCA members, and not hold any other Provincial office during the candidacy (except as specifically permitted by the Crown).
  The Viceroy writes:

  [If you're considering taking on the job of Viceroy/Vicereine,] please use the Pennsic War as a time to seek info on what it means to be a Territorial baron in the East and in the SCA. Speak to the Barons and Baronesses of our adjoining groups, Settmour Swamp and An Dubhaigeainn. Speak to Baroness Bridge, who has been in office almost as long as Katherine and me. Speak to Baron Salamallah, who retired a few years ago as Baron Beyond the Mountain. His games booth is opposite the barn. Come speak to Katherine and me. We want our successors to be able to nurture Østgarðr as we have. I do not yet know the timeline for the selection process. Katherine and I will be talking to Sir Edward after the war to get things going.

• Weather Forecast for Slippery Rock, PA

• Road construction between here and Pennsic: see State of Pennsylvania Interstate Highways for updates.

• Some pertinent Pennsylvania state traffic laws:

  • When driving through a posted construction area, you must have your headlights on.
  • Booster seats are required for children 4-8, and baby/child seats for infants and toddlers. See Pennsylvania state law concerning child safety seats.
  • When driving through a posted construction area, don't speed: 11 MPH over the speed limit can get your license suspended for 15 days.

• Jan. 21, 1999: several email addresses at ostgardr.org are up and running: viceroy@ostgardr.org, seneschal@ostgardr.org, exchequer@ostgardr.org, seahorse@ostgardr.org, webmaster@ostgardr.org, and herald@ostgardr.org. These email addresses should work from now until judgment day to reach the relevant officers, even when the office-holder changes.

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