[Western] Disappointed

[HE Kainin Tepesa]

Greetings Baron Gavin, Countess Britta and the West,

Let me be the first to publicly offer personal apologies to Countess 
Britta for our lack of attendance at Three Queens this weekend past. 
Mundane matters kept us away. My sister who lives in Washington, and 
who I have not seen since Christmas, was in town with her husband and 
so our weekend was filled with much needed time with family. I had 
assumed that the West and Countess Britta would be well represented 
at Three Queens and that since neither Oriana nor I are currently 
fighting our presence would not be missed; it appears I assumed wrong 
and so again I am sorry.

However, I must also address what his Excellency Gavin has said. You 
are correct my friend, something in the West has changed. I too 
remember the day when a kinsman could give a call for help and could 
expect to be overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from this 
Region. The West has never been known for the pomp and circumstance 
of other regions, the West has never had the strength of numbers 
boasted by several of the other Regions, but the greatest strength 
that the West has always had is the fact that the West is a family.

Oriana and I have a unique opportunity to watch the interaction 
between groups in the West as we have held court at nearly all of her 
events. Though we have not yet made it to Blacklake or Trelac in our 
first year as Baron and Baroness, I think that I have a pretty good 
feel for the level of interaction from my experience as my 
predecessor's court herald. There are a select group of faces that I 
can be pretty sure to see at most of the events in the West. The 
interaction in the southern collection of groups (Blacklake, 
Crossrode Keep, Mendersham and Trelac) is pretty solid, those groups 
interact fairly well with Bonwicke (central) and Bonwicke with them. 
Where I see the greatest weakness and where the group of familiar 
faces dwindles, is between the northern part of the Region, 
Adlersruhe, and the southern collection. For instance, I saw very few 
of the familiar faces at Passe de Arms in Adlersruhe this year. On 
that note, how many of you are coming to Am Loch this Saturday?

I agree with Gavin that something has to change, we have to find some 
way to get back what we have lost. I think that Lord Ian has a 
wonderful plan in the works to encourage interaction between groups 
and inspire Western pride. He has worked hard on the Western point 
race and has come up against ridicule and many complaints. There were 
some growing pains the first year, that was to be expected, but the 
kinks are worked out and this year should be much smoother. I hope 
that everyone will support and encourage this year's race and that 
this will become a grand tradition in the West.

Also Lady Ryah has suggested a Western round table meeting and though 
I loath the idea of another business meeting, I see the wisdom in 
this. It would be a great chance for the officers of the West to sit 
down and discuss the health and direction of the Region. Most 
importantly this would give the Seneschals of the West a chance to 
sit down with a calendar to make sure that no group plans an event, 
last minute, on top of another. With an established Western calendar 
we can all make better plans to attend and support each other's 
events.

I don't know the answer that Baron Gavin seeks, but I do know that I 
am proud to be from the West. I know her history, I know what she is 
capable of and I will strive to see that what she has lost is 
regained. I hope that all of you will take Gavin's words to heart and 
join me in my own personal quest to see the Western moon shine bright 
again.

Vivat the Western Region!

-- 
In service,
Baron Kainin Tepesa
Lord Bonwicke