ANST-Announce - Galen's ATYC thank you's (long)

[Paul Mitchell]

Unto the Good Folk of the Kingdom of Ansteorra, wherever you are,
from Galen of Bristol, Viscount, KSCA, Pel., etc.

Good Greetings!

The second weekend of July, 1999 (A.S. XXXIV), saw the largest-ever gathering of
Ansteorrans in one place.  We gathered together to celebrate the 20th
Anniversary of the creation of Ansteorra as a Kingdom of the Society for
Creative Anachronism.  All true Ansteorrans wanted to be there, and over 1,500
of you were able to attend.  We had a lot of fun.  There were five chivalric
lists and five rapier tournies.  Gov. Bush of Texas sent us his congratulations,
and Gov. Keating of Oklahoma proclaimed July 10th "Ansteorra Day" for us.  We
saw the conclusion of the reign of our very-successful 40th King & Queen,  made
a great start on the reign of our 41st King and Queen, and began our third
decade in grand style.

It was my privilege to serve as Steward of Ansteorra's Twentieth Year
Celebration (ATYC).  It is now my awesome responsibility to express my thanks,
both personally, and on your behalf, to all the people who are owed thanks for
their parts in putting on this event.  There's no way I can do it all, without
leaving out or mistaking someone, so I sincerely hope whomever I unintentionally
slight will forgive me and accept these my thanks for your contribution.  Of so
many attendees, almost all did _something_, so I couldn't possibly name -- or
even know -- all the names.  The following 130 individual names are the best I
could do.

Thanks to Master Burke Kyriell MacDonald, the Kingdom Seneschal.  The event was
your idea; I was honored to be chosen as the autocrat, and your constant and
eloquent support of what we were doing was indespensible to the event's success.


Thanks likewise to TRM Jean Richard and Gladwen, who approved the inital
project; TRM Barn and Katriona, who supported my appointment as Steward; TRM
Gunthar and Sara, who sweated with me through all the months coming up on the
event and whose saintly patience with me and my autocratic encroachments onto
what are usually royal prerogatives made our demanding schedule possible; and to
TRM Daffydd and Octavia, who gave up the traditional royal power to determine
the vision and schedule of their own Coronation so that Ansteorra could have the
event we had.  To all of these truly royal folk too, my thanks for your
tolerance of my foibles and your unflagging encouragement.  I can't tell you how
much every word meant to me and the staff.  Thanks also to Their Meridian
Majesties, Richard and Katrina, and the people of Meridies, for their support of
this event.  Thanks also to Mistress Eilis O'Bourne, the Seneschal of the
Society for your attendance and your kind remarks; it was a great pleasure to
meet you at last.

Thanks to all of Ansteorra's former rulers who attended.  I saw Duke Jonathan
and Duchess Willow, Duchess Julia, Duke Kein and Duchess Alisha, Duke Richard,
Countess Anora, Countess Gladwen, Count Finn Kelly, Countess Regina, Count
Simonn & Countess Tessa, Kahlid Mahadi and Countess Valeria, Earl Barn and
Countess Kat.  To all of you, thanks for helping Ansteorra to stay in touch with
its history.

Thanks also to Duke Sigmund the Wingfooted, for your example in having run the
Society's
TYC and TFYC events, as well as your early encouragement of me and your
expression of good wishes for the event.  It really meant a lot to me.

Thanks to Master Rosario in Carboni, and the whole feast crew, most of whose
names I shamefully never learned, but including Don Alden, Baron Vallust and
Baroness Ascelyn, for putting on the greatest feast in Ansteorran history,
enjoyed by almost 850 people!  Thanks to Mistress Evelyn for Ansteorra's
birthday cake.  You all came so far to work so hard, and Ansteorra is in your
debt.  (Thanks also to Vallust for catching me when I stumbled.)

Special thanks to HL Ulrica Bronwynsdottir, who recruited Rosario, who suggested
the Western Region for doing the feast, who handled the servers and the mail-in
pre-registration.  She also originated the ATYC mailing list, which kept the
staff in touch for the months preceding the event.  All those good things I
heard about you pale in comparison to how wonderful you really are.

Thanks to Sir Badon for taking on security and getting it properly lined up in
advance, and to Duke Kein again for agreeing to take it on when it looked like
Badon wouldn't make it.  Thanks also to all who worked security, including Sir
Drake and Baroness Kayleigh, Countess Tessa, Lord Raimond, Lady Marguerite, Lady
Rainah, Sir Alexis, and especially Lord Randolph.

Thanks to HL Darius of the Bells, in charge of site heraldry, to his Lady
Rosalia, as well as Lord Lucas, Lady Nicolette, Lord Raimond, Elenore, Master
Daniel, Lord Sigimund, and Lord Timothy, and all the others who helped with this
vital work.

Thanks to HL Borek, who organized herald's point, and to all who worked herald's
point including HL Francois Lord Star, Master Da'ud, Master Daniel, HL
Gwenllian, HL Crandall, and many, many more.

Thanks to Mistress Kestral for the hard work on the history book, and the
history display.  Thanks to Allemandus Baron Steppes, now Thomas Allemand, for
the Atenveldt flag, and to Mistress Clare for carrying it.   Special thanks to
Baroness Hillary Rose Greenslade, who did all the legwork to acquire the letter
from Gov. Bush, and the proclamation from Gov. Keating, and for providing copies
for all the branches.

Thanks to Clan Firefall; the fireworks on Saturday were their gift to Ansteorra,
at their (great) cost.  For years to come, when folk speak of the greatness of
Ansteorra's celebration, they will finish with "we even had fireworks".  And it
was the first fireworks show in Canton, Texas in -- what?  30 years?

To paraphrase Shakespeare, I should be little grateful, if I could say how much
I am in debt to Baron Rumil and Baroness Margaret Fletcher, who foresaw every
problem and solved it in advance.  Your hard work and good planning made a vital
part of the event go very smoothly indeed.  Thanks to all those many who worked
the gate, including Sir Mahadi, Baroness Gitana, Baroness Dana and Lady Bice,
and most especially Lord Ragan.  

Lord Niklas Vasilievich was responsible for the radios that kept the autocrats
connected with heralds, security, gate, children's activities, the hall, and
each other.  He also provided us with mobile phones for more secure
communication, and each other.  These radios are a _big_ part of why I was able
to be at work Monday morning; they were great labor-savers.  Thank you! 

Thanks to Lady Ebergardis, the Chirurgeon-in-Charge, and all who helped her,
especially Lord Caelin one Andred, Duchess Alisha, Dona Leah, and Lady Elizabeth
Teal.  It was very nice to know it was in good hands at all times.

Thanks to Lady Ceridwen for organizing the waterbearing, and all those who
helped, including Lord Wolf, Lord Randolph, and Baroness Hilary.  Not half bad
for your first time.  (1200 gallons of free powerade sure goes a long way!)

Thanks to Lord Ingve of York, for yeoman service on the sound system in the
hall.  Thanks to you, Lord Raimond, Lord Niklas and Master Richard, the people
in the back heard Coronation for the first time ever, perhaps.  Certainly, it
was the first time the people in the back of _that_ hall had ever been able to
hear court.

Thanks to HL Mara of Rede, and her great crew of ladder-climbers!  That hall
never looked half so good, and few halls have come even close.  Thanks also to
Duchess Larissa and the Canton of Lindenwood, Lord Krzysztof for the ATYC logo
banners, and all those who loaned so many beautiful banners.

Thanks too to Mistress Charla Noel du Lac, whose great work on advance
fundraising saved the kingdom from having to front quite so much money.  She
also put in quite a lot of work onsite for the equestrians, until a horse
stepped on her foot.

I don't believe there's a single branch in this Kingdom that didn't have
somebody who helped somehow on this event; every region, barony, shire, canton,
college and stronghold has grounds to be proud.  Thanks especially to all the
branches who donated money or held fundraisers to defray the cost of ATYC,
especially including the Cantons of Gate's Edge and Westgate, and the Baronies
of Northkeep, Wiesenfeuer and Elfsea.  Thanks also to Elfsea (particulaly Lord
William and Lady Cassandra) for taking on the t-shirt concession.  Thanks also
to the groups who donated their stuff, notably including Loch Solleir, Steppes
and Elfsea.

Continuing thanks to Lady Chiara Francesca d'Onofrio, for as pretty and thorough
a website as any event ever had.  Thanks to Krzysztof, for arranging space for
the website on the kingdom site, and to Pug for setting up my ansteorra.org
e-mail alias.

Thanks to Countess Anora Frayne of Winward for running the Childrens'
Activities, and to all who helped her, including (of course) Duke Richard, and
many others.  And thanks for the nice scroll you gave me.

Thanks to Lady Rainah DuBois, for organizing the inivitations to the former
royalty, to Lady Ceinwen and Lady Tanwyn for the calligraphy, and to Mistress
Gwyneth for the illumination.  Thanks too to Baroness Chrystal and the scribes
of Raven's Fort for the invitations to Ansteorra's former rulers.

Thanks to Count Finn and Mistress Roz and the whole cast of _The Lion in
Winter_, another high point of the event, for those who saw it.
 
Thanks to folks who helped with setup and teardown, including Lord Raimond
(again), Duke Richard (again), Lord Borek (again), Lord Timothy (again), Lord
Wolf Waldenganger, and Lord Randolph (again).

Thanks to my squire, Lord Armand Dragonetti, and his wife, Lady Ameline DuBois,
for the loan of their golf cart.  All thanks, praise and blessings on Ameline
for her work in keeping Arabella, Richard, myself, and all our spouses fed
throughout the weekend, even when this meant pulling her wheeled cooler up the
hill to the hall, or flagging down our golf carts to thrust sandwiches into our
hands.  Thanks also to Lady Kerr Megan and HL Ihon mac Fergus for making me feel
so much better on Saturday morning.

Thanks to Lady Ellen for doing the work of coordinating the merchants, and
fitting more than 60 merchant booths into only a little more than the usual
space.

Special thanks to Lady Eleanor, Lady Galiena, Baroness Mirrim, and all those who
collected money for our members whose house burned down while they were at ATYC.
 We raised nearly $3000, I'm told; it makes one proud to be an Ansteorran all
over again.

Thanks to Lord Charles de Bourbon for organizing the A&S competitions.  Amazing!
Thanks to Duchess Larissa and Duchess Willow for their work on organizing bardic
activities, and to all who helped them, especially HL Ihon.  Thanks to HL
Sudvchin, Mistress Stassia, and all who helped with the haflas, especially Lord
Tuhtahl, Lady Otter, and Baroness Mirrim.

Thanks to Sir Pendaran for taking over the chivalric list on Saturday, and to
Lord Erasmus for building the barrier.  Thanks to Thegn Duncan for running the
viking roundshield list on Thursday night, to Duke Richard for running the
Children's Defender list on Friday, to Baron Theodric for running the Merchants'
tourney Friday night, and to HRM Daffydd and Baroness Michelle for running the
king's champion list on Sunday.  Too, thanks to Sir Timo for running the youth
boffer demo.  Thanks to all who helped on the various chivalric combat
activities, especially Mistress Stella for handling authorization cards.

Thanks to Don Llywelyn for running the one of the largest rapier lists outside
Queen's Champion. Thanks yet again to Duke Richard for running the Children's
Champion list.  Thanks to Don Dore, Lord Antoine, and Don Navarre for their work
on the Merchants' rapier list Friday night.  Thanks to Baroness Kayleigh and Don
Robert (nee Horoun) for running the rapier combat on Saturday.  Thanks also to
Lord Pieter for organizing the youth rapier demo.

Thanks to HL Gilbert Ostwestley!  Not only did he bring all those archery
targets (many of which were given away), organize the archery, run out and buy
hay bales, and run all those archery competitions, he also brought much cooking
equipment to loan, and many listpoles for our use.  Thanks to all who helped
Gilli, including Lord Talon Blackoak, Lord Ferghus McKenna, and especially
Gilli's lady wife, Darcy.

Thanks to Sir Henri for organizing one of the most splendid equestrian
competitions ever seen in Ansteorra, and all who helped, including Mistress
Charla, Mistress Neassa, and the rest.

Thanks to all the participants, and congratulations to all the winners, of the
various competitions.

My personal thanks to the thousands of people who started and who have
maintained Ansteorra all these years, and for making it so good, so that we
could have something worth celebrating the twentieth anniversary of.

I'm very grateful for the assistance (which still continues as I write this) of
Lady Arianne Balfour, the event treasurer, who made sure that all money was
handled in accordance with the dictates of the treasurer's office (or, to put it
another way, she kept me out of a lot of trouble).  Thanks also to Mistress
Xene, the other member of our financial committee, as well as to Baroness
Mirrim, and Master Burke for their assistance and cooperation.

Very special thanks to my lady wife, HL Allessandra Beatrice Desiderio, for her
encouragement of me early and late; she made it possible for me to do this
event.  And then she kept things in good order in the hall all weekend.

A huge debt of thanks is owed to Master Richard Fairborn, the site liason.  Any
question about the site, he handled.  Allocating space was handled by him. 
Talking to the site owners was handled by him.  Without his efforts, this event
could not have been half so good.

Finally, everyone on the ATYC staff appreciates the work done by Lady Arabella
de Montecute, the event secretary.  She always was ready to provide the most
up-to-date information on our ever-changing plans to anyone who needed to know. 
She helped with the budget, with ordering cooking gear and other supplies like
tables, chairs, and pavillions.  She handled publicity.  She was there
throughout with ideas and energy, and she helped with all but a few of the
elements of this event.  Arabella, you sure made me look good!

To conclude, I have been in the SCA for 20 years, 15 of them in Ansteorra.  Of
all the things I've done in the SCA, including ruling all of Europe as a Prince,
nothing comes close to the experience of running ATYC.  To all who attended, and
to all who even wished they could come, you added to the magic of this event. 
To the staff of ATYC, this parting message:  I told you it would be a great
adventure, and that we would all be adventure heroes.  And so we are.  You did
great, and it was an honor to serve with you.  And so in service I remain,

In These Current Middle Ages,

Galen of Bristol
Eighth Viscount von Drachenwald, 
by the Grace of God Knight of Ansteorra and Master of the Pelican, 

by my hand this 23rd day of July at Axe's Ford, in this first month of the reign
of Daffydd and Octavia as King and Queen of Ansteorra, being Anno Societatus
XXXIV, and Anno Domini MCMXCIX.


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