3 January 2024, Time: 7:30 PM EST

Notes submitted by Seong Myeong Su Daesaseong, South Downs Chronicler.

Magister Lorenzo called the January meeting to order. Our Seneschal, Lady Raven Helmsplitter started recording the meeting and greeted the populace joining the Zoom meeting. Lady Raven read the Kingdom Anti-Bullying statement.

Officers’ Reports

Seneschal, (Lady Raven Helmsplitter)

• Schedule for this month:
  • January in-person dates are 1/17 and 1/31 (5th Wednesday potluck)
  • Project online, class on third wednesday
• His Excellency and I went to Bert Adams for a site visit to scout out the site for RedTower 2024 (RT 50!). Looking for a new site since it’s booked for the weekend that we wanted.
• We need to start thinking about what KLE we might put in a bid for, as every barony is required to submit a bid for a KLE
  • Another group may be doing RUM this year
• Midwinter A+S is coming (3 February 2024)! 
• Officers:
  • Please check your officer page on our website to make sure your info is correct – especially links to external websites (kingdom, for example). If there are any updates needed, please get your updates to Eirikr (I believe he has a form to use).
    • Populace – please also check your listing in Dramatis Personae > People of South Downs. If you have updates (or are not listed), please let Eirikr know and he’ll update your listing.
  • Their Excellencies would like to meet with all the officers (and deputies) sometime soon (possibly in January, after the holidays), to discuss what we want to do in 2024.
• Our pause during the pandemic made our usual processes, well, weird. I want to get back on track with our normal terms of office, and am looking into what the usual/expected terms of office should be. In the meantime, I’d like to have all the officers let me know when they started their terms.

Herald (Magister Lorenzo Petrucci)     

• Nothing to report
• Write in award recommendations!

Knight Marshal (Lord Eiríkr Pálsson)

• Got a practice last weekend
• Jan. 7th – next weekend will not have a practice here, but up at Laurel Grove for an interkingdom fighter practice.
• Jan. 14th – no loaner gear for heavy available, but practice will happen
• Jan. 28th – no practice

Rapier Marshal (Captain Brendan de Hay)

1. Practices have been proceeding, weather and other events permitting.  Sundays starting around noon (concurrent with armored practice).  Schedule changes, cancellations, and any other relevant information is shared on the FaceBook group “Atlanta SCA Fighting,” and sometimes other locations depending on circumstances.  Loaner gear is usually available, but it doesn’t hurt to check the “Atlanta SCA Fighting” group in advance.  Sometimes when I’m not available, the “stunt marshal” might not be able to bring it.
2. BTW, “Atlanta SCA Fighting” is still visible publicly and searchable, but is now “Private” to keep the bots out.  If you have any trouble at all finding practice announcements, feel free to reach out directly to me or Ld. Eirikr.  It should be readable to anyone, but you’ll need to join in order to post.
3. Thanks to everyone for working together to keep practices happening.  I wouldn’t mind having a deputy step up who could take over from me in the not-too-distant future.  In the meantime, my continued thanks to Ldy. Ogata, Master Ximón, Master Nikoslav, et. al.
4. Big shout-out to folks recently giving rapier a try.  Looking forward to seeing more folks having fun!  Just before Castle Wars, we had several new authorizations, and a couple of new auths at CW.  The field is getting bigger!
5. The castle is now as functional as it’s ever been.  It still needs paint.  It’s really nice to see it stored indoors again, but let’s please keep in mind that it really does need a work day sometime for a sprucing up (new paint will also help protect the wood from bugs and weather).
6. A couple of rapier-centric event announcements:  Bryn Madoc’s 12th Night celebration this weekend (https://brynmadoc.meridies.org/events/12th-night/) and Nantyderwiddon’s InterKingdom Fighter Practice (https://fb.me/e/78hCoX9RX) are bothe this Saturday.
7. HYDRATE!

Live Weapons (Master Mathias Blackett)

• At Twelfth Night this weekend, there will be a thrown weapons range but no archery.
• Archery practice this month, working with Mistress Peryn in Villa Rica for mounted archery
  • Jan. 13th – Calvary practice as well as archery on the ground to start out
  • Might check to see if archery practice is viable in Villa Rica
  • Details will be on the Meridian Calvary Page
  • If you’re interested in learning how to be an archery marshal, let Master Mathias know!

Exchequer (La Magnifica Justina di Silvestri)

• Our current bank balance is $2127.15
• Did get a check in the mail, so it should be deposited soon
• Expenses
  • Meeting space paid through June
  • Practice space for after Midwinter is reserved
• Email made for the deputy Exchequer!
• Paypal is up for Midwinter
• Paperwork for the bank account will be updated soon

Quartermaster (Maestra Isabetta de San Marco) 

• Nothing to report
• Looking for a deputy

Chatelaine (Lady Ogata Mitsuko)

• His Highness and Baron Engelbrecht have put together a demo at Atlanta Comic Con Feb. 9-11th.
• If you want to get involved, contact His Highness Sebastianos or Baron Engelbrecht

Demo Deputy (VACANT)

• Demos covered by Lady Ogata

Arts & Sciences (Lady Maryam)

 I hope everyone had a good holiday season and a great start to the new year.

• Midwinter A&S pre-registration is open, and the regional faire is open for all kinds of entries (except brewing due to site restrictions)! To register in the faire, find the link on the Facebook event page, the event’s Discord channel, or you can message me. 
• Even if you don’t have anything to enter, there will be an opportunity to show your appreciation for our artists by voting for your favorite entry at the faire and sharing your input. 
• Additionally, if maybe you have been researching a topic or fixated on something you’d like to share – please consider teaching or sharing your knowledge at a class night!

Provost (Lord Ælfric Hort)

Getting back into the A&S Class Swing for the new year.  

• Midwinter class signups are in full swing.  Still have approximately a week and a half remaining before the signup deadline Jan. 14.
• Wenyeva will be teaching about Middle English Nicknames online on Jan. 24th.
• I still have most of the year open for teaching slots, as well.  Please get with me if you have things you would like to share with the barony.  Our class nights are a great way to test out or dry run a class that you might be interested in offering for larger events as well.
• I am still looking for a Deputy.

Chronicler (Seong Myeong Su Daesaseong)

• Thank you to all who got your reports sent in early!
• Behind on newsletters, but will post them as soon as I get them done
• Updating the baronial calendar with the in-person/virtual meetings, should update and in turn update the baronial calendar as well.
• Always looking to interview the populace for each issue, so please fill out this form to get included! Eventually I’d like to collect these into one PDF so we have a good collection of information about our members: https://forms.gle/MNxww3KUQJo2VsEG9
• Please submit photos, art, articles, shout-outs, or anything that you’ve found interesting and want to share! I’ll always be collecting stuff for the newsletters going forward. You can submit either through this form: https://forms.gle/8SyEF9D7c8rMCnZP6 or email me at chron.southdowns@meridies.org.

Social Media Minister  (THLady Agnes Halydaye) 

• Our social media is full of interesting things and beautiful people!
• The preregistration link for Midwinter should be posted on the various channels, go preregister!

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Officer (DEIB), (Lady Lily of South Downs)

• Nothing to report.
• Waiting to hear back on the reorganization of the office on the society level

Webminister (Lord Eiríkr Pálsson)

• Send in requests if you need your information updated on the website
• Link to form to update you information on the SD website: https://forms.gle/omZbL4QcaDFbHQV78
• Midwinter event page and Paypal info are up and running.

Minister of Children (VACANT)

• Position is still open, if you are interested, please contact Lady Raven.

Their Excellencies, (Maestro Ximon Cordoba de Martillo & HE Rhiannon verch Madyn)

• Ximon 
  • Happy Holidays to everyone!
  • Thanks to everyone who are working on getting Midwinter and the Regional Fighter Practice together
    • If someone wants to teach an outdoor class under the pavilion, please know that there’s plenty of space
  • After Midwinter, we’re going to start planning for RT 50th Year
  • You guys are an awesome barony and we’re really proud to be a part of South Downs!

SCA Business

• Midwinter A&S

• • • Baron Piers and Lord Eirikr
      • Looking for runners and people to help with parking
      • All the other positions are already filled
      • We’ve got about 15-16 classes already
      • There’s a couple classes at a Salon as well
      • Always looking for volunteers for Troll and Teacher check-in
      • Master Mathias
        • Commedia performance planned for an half hour right before court
      • Midwinter may be filmed for a documentary, going to look into what rules may apply for filming from the Society and from the University
      • May schedule a couple more order meetings, will check with the contacts to make sure

• Twelfth Night

• • • Master Mathias
      • Come support the regional faire at Twelfth Night!

• Castle Wars

• • • Lady Ysabel
      • Winners from the raffle have been contacted and the prizes will be brought to the Jan. pot luck meeting at the end of the month.

• Commedia dell’Arte

• • Master Mathias
    • If you have any connections at universities that would be interested in hosting a lecture or two from Master Anton about Commedia

Non-SCA Business

• None reported.

The business meeting was closed @ 8:17 PM EST

The next business meeting will be held on February 7th, 2024, 7:00 PM EST via Zoom Meeting.