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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Unto the Western Region do I Baron Gavin Mac Iain send
greetings.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">I want to express my appreciation to those of you in the
Western Region that joined me at Three Queens this past weekend to support
Britta and the Region.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I would like
to especially thank those that came to support our fighters by marshalling and
taking such good care of us in camp.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Not too long ago in this Region, if someone put out a
call for help we all did our dead level best to come out and help that person -
whether it was a local/Regional event or somewhere across the Kingdom.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>To my shock and dismay, I awoke Saturday
to find only a fraction of the people that I had hoped and expected to see in
attendance.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">We had a wonderful opportunity to prove to the rest of
Kingdom that the Western Region is not a joke.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Instead, we have only reinforced their
already low opinion of us.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">I can still remember a time when we cared enough to help
out one of our own.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For the first
time since I’ve been in the SCA I’m beginning to understand why the rest of the
Kingdom thinks we’re such a joke.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>We won’t even leave our tiny little corner of the Kingdom in support of
someone who is universally loved or respected by the entire Region.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In the brief time that she was our
Queen, Britta did a great deal to change the opinion that the Kingdom has of the
Western Region.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">That work has now been undone.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">I understand that mundane responsibilities come first and
that is how it should be. However, I know that there are more than the few that
showed up that had the time, money, and ability to be there.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You chose not to support this
Region.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Ever wonder why we don’t have more peers in the Region,
or that more people from outside the Region don’t attend our events?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This is why.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We do not attend events outside the
Region.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If we want our fighters,
artisans, and service people to be recognized for their abilities, we have to
get them out of the region.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We have
to travel.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Not only do we have to
travel out of the Region, it would be helpful if we could bother to show up in
any sort of numbers to the biggest event in our Region.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Our turnout to Gothic was laughable,
once again reinforcing the opinion of the Kingdom that we’re a joke.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">I have always lived here and I have always taken pride in
being a part of the Western Region - until now. I am personally hurt and
offended that more of us did not attend. If it had not been for the Frey and
Rhoadd choosing to fight with us this weekend, the Western Region would have
fielded an army of seven.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I know we
are a small Region, but I’ve seen us field 20 fighters for Gulf Wars and that is
in another Kingdom.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">What’s happened to us Western Region???<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Where have we all
gone???<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Gavin<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>