Greetings unto Our Most Resilient Kingdom of Ealdormere,

As many of you have now seen, the Board of Directors has approved a Resolution that suspends in-person events until January 31, 2021. While it pains Us to continue to be apart, We wholeheartedly support this Resolution. Always the health, safety and wellbeing of Our populace is paramount in Our decision making in these most difficult times. We know you all want to be able to gather together again. We too want this. We miss every one of you and look forward to raising a glass together in-person. But that time is still not quite here yet. While We are saddened that this plague has not yet released us all from its harsh grasp, We would not put Our populace at risk needlessly.  

We are hopeful that, with luck, We will see the Kingdom able to move forward to the next phase in the Kingdom Reopening Plan and have small, safe local gatherings begin in the coming weeks. The Plan has already been updated to include the requirements with respect to the Board’s Resolution. Should the Kingdom be in a position to open earlier than January 31, We will revisit things at that time.

As our time as the Crown will be longer than expected , We would ask you for your help during the months to come. Our staff, the Kingdom Officers, and so many others have been working hard to provide online content to help find ways to maintain and strengthen our connection with one another during this forced hiatus. With potentially six more months to go, We would ask for input from the Kingdom for new ideas for connectivity, and volunteers to donate some of their time to help support these endeavours. We would ask good gentles in the Kingdom to contact Us or Maister Colyne should you wish to help. We welcome input and assistance from all: newcomers to the Society, long time members, those who have unique interests, those who have ideas they would like to see realized. We hope to hear from you.

Stay strong friends and stay safe. We will get through this together.

​King Rattanicus and Queen Isabel

The SCA honours living history, and has always done so with a progressive social mindset that values inclusion, tolerance, and common respect. Intolerant, exploitative, and predatory practices were a part of many historical cultures that our Society depicts, but we have always made the conscious choice to concentrate on the best social virtues that history has to offer. Against the backdrop of challenges that modern society is grappling with, our ‘conservative’ re-enactment of history is at its best when it honours a ‘progressive’ social value system. In the current climate of completely warranted anger over the status quo, the Order of the Chivalry has pondered how we can improve the situation. 
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As knights and masters who choose to do so, we swear to the Royalty each reign that we will be the “Shield of the Weak”, “Courteous at all times”, and “Champion of the Right and the Good”. The chivalric virtue of humility teaches that each of us, from time to time, will fail to live up to what our oath demands, and that as an Order, we must guide one another towards being better. Recent deliberations within the Order have led us to believe that further improvement is warranted; our values compel us to hear your criticisms, and to do better in living up to our oaths. There are no perfect knights, but trying to be is a worthy endeavour in spite of inevitable flaws. 

This is not the first time that our Kingdom or our Society has made this sort of statement. If we take this challenge seriously, then recurrent deliberation and reaffirmation of these values is appropriate, in much the same way that we renew our oaths for each new Sovereign. We are not the only ones who serve this Kingdom: we rely on officers, peers, and our fellow populace to hold up the ‘Mirror of Chivalry’ so that we can see our flaws. Sometimes it is people outside our Order that are best suited to define our problems and show us the path to solutions. Our role as an Order is to hear them, respect them, and learn ways to be better from them.  

We value inclusion, tolerance, and respect, and support the cause of justice.  We will not defend those who, through bigotry, sexism, intolerance, bullying, or other predatory behaviours, have made themselves morally indefensible 

If you have experienced one of these things, we encourage you to bring it to one of us. We will advocate for a resolution. We will help ensure that the person best qualified addresses your issue.

Roak 
Steinarr 
Evander
Richard 
Shahid 
Quilliam 
Tristham 
AElfwyn  
Gann 
Rattanicus 
Kasimir
Menken 
Varenko 
Mordain 
Baldric 
Elizabeth 
Tiberius 
Finnvarr 
​Edward the Red

Greetings to the Good People of Ealdormere.

I think I can safely speak for the Crown when I say Thank You to all the generous groups and individuals who have donated towards the Kingdom Zoom account.

As you may know from the challenge issued in Episode 4 of Ealdormere At Home, the Kingdom has been using the 500 participant level of Zoom account ($87/mth +tax) to make sure we can reach our populace.

As we have settled into our Digital routines, we have noted that the participant numbers have safely dropped below the threshold of the next lowest account. We have added other means of distributing our broadcasts such as streaming on the Kingdom Facebook Group and uploading the recordings to the Kingdom YouTube account. We can still reach the populace without the continued need of the high level account.

For these reasons, and to maintain good stewardship over the funds you entrust us with, the Privy Council has decided to shift our Zoom account to the 100 participant, unlimited time tier ($20/mth +tax).

Knowing that groups may be contemplating donations towards our Zoom account, we wish to inform you of the change to maintain transparency and to enable you to make informed decisions.

YIS,
April R/ Jane Caldwell, KExch

 Greetings, Ealdormere.

 I am... well, pleased is not the right word given that we even need to have such a document for these times. In any case, Their Majesties and the Privy Council have approved this plan for the reopening of Ealdormere. As you are all aware, we are officially shut down until 31 July which isn't that far off at all. We are of course in no position to just go back to things on 1 August, so please read and understand the course that has been charted to move forward. This plan describes a phased resumption of activities as Provincial health authorities and the pandemic situation allow. Many thanks to those who had great input and insightful comments as this was being developed. As always, if you have any questions please reach out to me at ealdormere.kseneschal@gmail.com.

 http://links.ealdormere.ca/covid-reopening

Greetings unto Our Beloved Ealdormere,

As we move forward through this long summer, We are hopeful that the months ahead will provide us all with opportunities to gather as we have become accustomed. As the mundane authorities allow for larger gatherings so, too, will the Kingdom open. In looking forward to being able to get together again, one thing is clear, the wearing of face coverings or masks is going to be a part of things moving forward for the foreseeable future. 

With this in mind, We would issue a challenge to those good gentles who would accept, to attempt face coverings and masks that are heraldic and/or medieval inspired! They could be constructed of your heraldic colours, incorporate your personal, household or Kingdom populace heraldry or badge, covered in handcrafted lace, embroidered, stamped, the possibilities are endless. They can be of any style the wearer is comfortable with, however if one is looking for instructions or a pattern, Baroness Matilda has generously put together a tutorial and pattern that can be found in this month’s issue of the Tidings. We would love to see what you come up with and show off the talents and imagination of Our Kingdom and Baron Alexander Gladstone has offered to assist in this task. We would ask that once constructed, please send a photo of your mask or, if so inclined, a photo of you wearing it while in garb to Baron Alexander at photosbyalex@cogeco.ca. Please put “EALDORMERE HERALDRY MASK” in the subject line when you send your photos along with the appropriate permissions to allow for the use of the photo in the body of the message.  It is Our intent to have the compilation of photos featured in an episode of Ealdormere at Home. 

We will be announcing further photo challenges throughout the summer months and would welcome ideas from the Kingdom, not only for themes for the challenges, but for other ideas for online content you would like to see from Us as well. Please send your ideas to Us by email at Ealdormere.Crown@gmail.com.

One of the difficulties of having everything move into the virtual is the limitations it puts on involving the children of the Kingdom in the activities. Our plan had been to bring hobby horses to events during Our reign to gift to the children of Ealdormere to be theirs to decorate and bard so that they might participate in equestrian challenges. We would still very much like to do this, but its implementation requires some adjusting. As such, We ask those with children to contact Us by email and provide Us with a mailing address that We might send your children a gift of a hobby horse! Please note there will be some assembly required upon receipt. 

It has been so wonderful to see the all of the inventive virtual events and classes being hosted throughout the Kingdom. While not the events we are used to, Ealdormere has certainly risen to the challenge of this time of the plague and shown we will persevere and we will not be discouraged! 

Finally, and as previously announced, as We continue to find Ourselves without Heirs We have extended the deadline for submissions for Our Crown Tournament to Sunday September 20, 2020 at 11:59 pm.  As in our previous letters, Our Crown Tournament requirements and Tourney remain the same with the exception of the deadline change as noted above. Should anyone have questions regarding Our tournament, please do not hesitate to contact Us. 
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We look forward to when we can all gather together again.

King Rattanicus and Queen Isabel

Greetings unto Our Beloved Ealdormere,

This year finds us celebrating Canada Day differently than we are used to. War of the Trillium has always been an event so very dear to Us. Our memories are filled with classes, combat, dancing, archery, grand Courts, songs around camp fires with friends and so much more. While We, along with many in the Kingdom, are saddened that the plague has led to its cancellation this year, the staff have outdone themselves with their inventive and creative ideas to bring some of the fun to the Virtual.

As part of the Virtual Trillium War, We would invite all to come join us this Saturday evening for a brief Court via Zoom so that We might make a few announcements, issue a challenge and maybe a few other things.

Court will be immediately followed by the concert planned by the Trillium War staff. For those unable to attend, Court will be recorded and made available through the magic of Facebook and YouTube.

So don your garb and please come join us, Saturday, July 4 at 7:00 pm.

King Rattanicus and Queen Isabel
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Ealdormere Zoom is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Kingdom Court - followed directly by a performance of music and stories Time: Jul 4, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83162804942?pwd=WFlMWk13dWZ0dzBWVm9RVmpuc3p2Zz09

Meeting ID: 831 6280 4942
Password: 386105