Lilies, Crown Tournament, and Coronation Postponed


Below is the complete text of TRMs posting to the Kingdom Facebook page. Main highlights are:

  • Lilies is postponed. Event stewards and staff are working on plans for a scaled down version in the fall.
  • Crown Tournament is postponed to a future date, when it can be safely held.
  • Coronation will be postponed, with the intent of giving future heirs at least a month before elevation
  • No plans to hold virtual courts

Good evening Calontir!

First, we appreciate everyone who attended our Q&A session this evening. Your concern for your fellow Calontiri heartens us. For those of you unable to attend, we know that it was short notice, but hopefully this message will cover most of the high points for you. Many of you have, until now, had a lot of unasked questions and uncertainty. We hope that this has helped alleviate those fears.

Along those lines, while we all labor with the uncertainty of the pandemic it has been Our task to keep Kingdom morale high, and to do our best to help you meet those needs from our home. Using that as a metric, last week we failed you. We apologize to you all for that and we will strive to do better. Further, if you find yourselves unhappy with the SCA, the Kingdom, or the management of your local groups under our restrictions we accept that blame as well. Please direct that ire where it belongs – on us.

Here is a very brief summary of the announcements we made this evening

-In light of the most recent health guidelines and information released by both Missouri and Iowa on Monday 4/27, We are postponing Lilies. The event stewards and staff are working hard on plans for a scaled down Lilies in the fall, and details on that will be released as they are available. While we will all miss our usual Summer, His Majesty and I are looking forward to this and greatly appreciate the efforts of everyone working to still give us that Lilies experience a little further down the road. We cannot thank them enough for time they have given and the dedication they have shown to the Kingdom.

-Because of this postponement, Our Crown Tournament is also postponed. Our current intent is to hold it as soon as it is safely possible, and We will be investigating options for that. We are working with the Society to obtain variances for several possibilities. We thank them for their willingness to work us to see that our Customs and Traditions are preserved.

-As far as other June activities are concerned, We will be maintaining our previously stated method of making decisions on a month-by-month basis and will be evaluating the possibility of smaller events, meetings, and practices for June in mid-May. We want to thank the Barons and Seneschals and Kingdom Reeve for their continued patience and support.

-With Crown Tourney postponed to an uncertain future date, Coronation must be as well. We hope to have heirs as soon as we can safely do so, and to give them at least a month to enjoy being heirs and to organize for their own reign and the continued betterment of all Calontir.

-All of these postponements lead to the necessity of seeking a variance for the extension of our own reign. We had hoped to avoid this deviation from tradition, but it has been made unavoidable by the current circumstances. We will be working to find the best possible solutions for finding our heirs to follow us in maintaining Calontir and hope that We have your patience and understanding while We do so.

The following are some additional notes based on your questions and comments:

-Please do keep the business of the SCA as active as you can – planning events, seeing to the local books, and reports. We do not know what the future time tables will be for events, and we understand that some details may be hard to pin down with not all businesses and site locations open, but if we are not planning for upcoming events now, there will be nothing to attend when the time comes and we are able to be together again.

-We do not have any plans for Virtual Courts. Those that have happened in other Kingdoms have mostly been due to the necessity of having heirs step up. The business we have outstanding, elevations specifically deserve more than an electronic thank you.

-Many had kind words for us on the reign so far and we wanted to acknowledge our entire royal household, and specifically Mistress Jorunn and Mistress Gabby for the incredible amount of effort that they have put in behind the scenes keeping us organized and making us look good. Similarly, Mistress Rochwen has been instrumental in organizing and creating the beautiful scrolls for awards that we have given and many that we have yet to give. They all deserve more thanks than we can possibly express.

These times are difficult for everyone. We know that you feel strained, patience is tried, tempers are short, and fear whispers to you. We know what to do and we know how to do it, but to stare unwavering at uncertainty is eventually bound to shake even the most dauntless.

Pick your friends and siblings up. Help them stand strong so that they may do so for you in turn. Hold Fast Calontir.

Until death take Us, The world end, or Our rightful heir take this burden from Us.

Lucian and Tamar