Happy New Year, Altavia!
His Excellency and I hope you all had a wonderful and safe holiday season with the ones you love! Since the last time we wrote our monthly missive, we’ve only had one event..but it was a major one!
Last Saturday saw the coronation of our new King and Queen, Valrik and Drada. The day started with the last court of Queen Katherine and King Panza (who sadly had to miss the event). Many awards and honors were bestowed and, thanks to the efforts of Countess Batista and milady Maura (and the artisans of Altavia), the barony presented the outgoing queen with lovely thank you gifts. The afternoon saw the spectacular oathtaking on TRM Valrik and Drada…he spoke his in Russian and she sang hers in English. So very impressive and I am sure videos will surface soon. Thank you to all who attended and especially those who were there to be a part of my special day. It means more than you will ever know.
Looking ahead, we are still planning on hosting Queen’s Champion at Veteran’s Park next weekend. Plans continue apace for all the various activities of the day, led by our able event stewards, Mistress Cecilia and her Ladyship Amabel. We will hear more about what is still need a bit later in the meeting.
The next day is Queen’s Champion Archery and Thrown Weapons, being held at Woodley Park Archery Range here in Altavia but hosted by our friends in Lyondemere. Come out and shoot for the Queen!
The following Saturday is Gyldenholt Unbelted which is always a fun event with some spectacular fighting!
As you may have seen on the Book of Faces, there are a lot of discussions going on at both the Kingdom and Society level about whether we should be continuing to host events and practices right now. His Excellency and I will do our best to keep you informed on the latest decisions. Please know that we will try and make the best and safest decisions for Altavia and Altavian events based on the info we have at the time. Always remember that the SCA is a hobby and your health and safety come first; if you feel unsafe to attend an event for any reason, do what is best for you. No one should ever tell you or make you feel otherwise.
Just as before, we can get through these continued tough times together. I stand ready to host all the Zooms, should it become necessary, and both His Excellency and I are here if you need a listening ear or a virtual shoulder to cry on. Somehow, someday…this too shall pass.
We love you, Altavia.
Yours in Service,
Baroness Briana MacCabe
Baron Nikolaos Phaistos
