[Gatesedge] Re: Pavillion

Diane M. Mathews camelothorse at earthlink.net
Tue Jun 12 10:56:43 PDT 2001


An added two cents-----
I have not been in the Canton long   (less than two years)   so I can not
speak for how old the pavilion is or what has gone on in the past but, I can
say how it is to have a multitude of items and work to take care of and be
on limited man power since I own and operate a farm.   Camelot averages 45
horses to care for, 35 students taking lessons a week, and I usually have
around 8 horses in training.   I have " ONE " hired hand and just this last
18 months another trainer to help teach.   That totals three people to do
what really needs 10.  At least here, I am getting paid and earning my
living by putting in so many hours and hard work.   The members of the
Canton  "VOLUNTEER"  their time and money and get no reward except for when
we say "Thank-You".

I hope that the message that everyone got at the meeting was the same one
that I received---and that is that we ALL need to pitch in more help and not
leave the dreary duties of clean up to only a few dedicated die hard
members.  I, unfortunately, do not have the same days off that most others
have.   I have to work on the weekends for my mundane job.  There are only
so many weekend days my clients will allow me to take off before I start
loosing business and my living but, I can help on Mondays, which are my
normal day off, and provide space on the farm and extra help from my hired
hand on that day. This is something to keep in mind since our events are on
the weekends and I can provide extra clean-up the day after.   I think we
all just need to organize and work within different individual's schedules.
I am sure that there are others like me that could provide extra help if it
were " OFF SCHEDULE ".

I know this message is too long but, I want to add that----I LOVE OUR CANTON
" GATE'S EDGE "   !!!    For those who have not seen or experienced the SCA
outside our Canton let me tell you WE ARE BLESSED !!
This is the nicest group of hard working, non political people you will ever
find !!!   Our WORST problem is minor compared to others across the US.  I
would have quit the SCA if it were not for our own special group that is so
supportive of others, whether they are in our Canton or not.   You are all
very special to me.  If I can help more than I have then, I will try and you
will get it.   I am sure that others feel the same way.

Lady Guenievre
----- Original Message -----
From: "Darlene Vandever" <blaan at flash.net>
To: <gatesedge at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 11:52 AM
Subject: [Gatesedge] Re: Pavillion


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BlankHello Everybody,

Last night at populace, Iaen brought up the pavillion and the care it has or
has not recieved in the past. Others spoke up to voice their observations
and thoughts.   I would have put in my two cents last night but I had a
terrific headache and so prefered to remain silent.

However, I believe I can add a bit to the knowledge of the group concerning
the history of the pavillion.

First, I believe there is a misconception concerning the age of the
pavillion.  It was purchased during the senechalate of Patrick of Kilkenny,
early at the end of his first year of service.  Since then the senechalate's
of Anna Marie, Signy, Myself, Stephan, and now Caitlin were part of that
history.  Adding up these senechals,  Patrick as 1 year, Anna Marie 1 1/2,
Signy (2), Myself (2), Stephen (1) and Caitlin (3 mo.), that puts the age of
the pavillion at close to 8 years of use and not 5 as stated during the
meeting last night.

As to that use, my impression is that some folks at the meeting last night
may have the idea that the pavillion is only used once a year.  That has
been true for several years here in the recent past, but in its first years
of its life it was borrowed or asked for several times by Stargate for
various events.  We have taken it to a number of Raven's Fort events and
even have an award given in Sept. of 1995 when we entered their heraldic
banner and pavillion contest.  I believe it has been also used up at the Ren
Faire at least once.So it has been used a bit more than just 5 times, and
not always by our own people.

Most of the damage and stains to the pavillion seems to have occured when it
was stored at HL Ihon's garage for the better part of several years.  We
were grateful for a place to keep it as at the time, no one in the canton
had the means to store it, but HL Ihon was also blessed with a number of
wild cats that called his garage home.  Several of them chose to use the
canton canvas as their marking post.  Their signs stay with us today.

The first year or so of its life it stayed in Lord Patrick's garage, and
since its leaving HL Ihon's garage, the canvas had resided in my house with
the posts in my shed.  It was stored in my laundry room where my cats are
not permitted to go.  It how resides in the shed outside which has a door
that closes well.  My greatest concern is that it will become a home for the
pine (red) roaches that seem to love that shed.

In my knowledge, I can remember at least 2 other times the canton got
together to clean the canvas.  Both times were at Baron Talmon's.  It had
stains and marks each time and those stains stayed with us despite our best
efforts.  This last time, the canton came to my home to clean the canvas.  I
can attest that it was cleaned more thouroughly this time than in any other
time in its history. It was scrubbed with oxyclean and mops and brushes.  It
was soaked overnight in a wading pool purchased for that purpose with 15
pounds of oxyclean in it.  It was sprayed with a bleach/water solution.  It
was rinsed thoroughly.  This I know because of the increase in my water bill
which came later that month.   We let it sit out in the sun for two days to
make sure it was completely dry.  I want to give word fame to Bowen, Seren
and Trion (sp?) as they came out 3 days in a row to work on the canvas and
the last day Bowen and Seren (pregnant no less) singlehandedly took down,
folded and put away the canvas and the poles.  I did not take it down but I
can state that it looked cleaner than at any other time since it was bought
even tho' you could still see stains.

I did not go underneath the pavillion at our event a couple weeks past but I
do remember looking at it from a short distance and thinking that the
cleaning had done a good job as it was very bright in the sunlight.  I do
not doubt that there are still stains visible.  I remember fighting those
dang stains several times in years past.

I also want to remind folks that for a significant part of the history of
the canton, we were a *very* small group, consisting at times of 6 to 9
people with very limited resources, time, money and energy to take care of
things as they should have been.  Right now, we are bigger in numbers and
strength than we have ever been in terms of people who come to meetings,
fighter practices etc.  Each time I come to populace I see faces that are
unfamiliar and new and the numbers in the room are greater.  This is good.

 However, even with all these numbers of people, it took us two tries to get
the canton to get together to inventory and clean up our stuff.  There were
at least 25 people there last night.  There were more than 40 at the meeting
the month before.  However, I recall 4 people (Gwyn, correct me if I'm
wrong) at the first attempt to clean things up.  The second one faired much
better with a total of 15 on the first day.  But even for the second turn
out, many in the canton were unable or chose not to come and help.

Does the pavillion show wear?  I have no doubt it does. I have seen it with
my own eyes.

 Could we as a group probably have taken better care of it?  Perhaps we
could have but to tell you the truth, there were several years where we just
did the best we could with what we had.  And for many years, that wasn't
much.

 Should we resolve as a canton to increase our vigilance and care of our
most expensive item?  I would heartily hope so.  But that will mean a lot
more people wanting to work than has been shown even in the recent past.

I don't want people to think that those of us who have been in the canton
for years or since the beginning have been unaware or uncaring where the
pavillion is concerned.  I remember many sweaty hours dealing with it and
the sun and the bleach and the hoses.  I don't want people to think that the
stains are recent because they aren't.  Lastly, I don't want people to think
that pavillion is nearly new because it isn't.

My two cents,

Annes
Dear God,  Help me to be the person
my dog thinks I am.  Amen


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