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:: [ Welcome Newcomers! ] ::
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Welcome! We would like you to join us in the Dream, to participate in the re-creation of History. Read these pages for the overall Kingdom of Caid Newcomers Guild - but come back here and please take a look at our newest feature, A Newcomers Point of View, an onging article written by a newcomer to Angels which discuss his progress, observations and shows the journey of his first few months.
Newcomers meetings are held on as needed basis at events and fighter practices. New members have the opportunity to "view as they learn'! Please email our Castellan, Lord Owain ap Gwyllim Pengryth for the time and locations, and with any other questions. There is loaner clothing ( called "garb") available as well. Detailed handouts will be provided to help new members get acquainted!
Check the events listing for the next Barony of Angels event, or check the overall Kingdom of Caid events listing. There is usually a tournament (one-day picnic in a park) or a war (several-days long camping trip) every weekend or so within driving distance of our Barony. At events outside our Baronial boundaries, we can be found at our Baronial pavilion. Once you arrive at an event, ask the Event Steward (person running the event) where the Barony of Angels might be found.
"I've been looking for something like this all my life! Now that I've found you, what do I do?"
This is probably the line that the Chatelaine\Castellan hears most frequently from people new to the SCA, and there's no quick-and-easy answer. That's why a series of classes has been developed to help Newcomers get oriented to the SCA and get involved.
 The Gold Key symbol above identifies the Officer who greets and trains new members. Look for it at tourneys for assistance in finding your way through the culture and populace.
Newcomer's Point of View - June 2003
by Lord Balthazar van Bruges
Since I've been in the SCA I've met many fine people, been to more places and learned more skills than I have in the last 5 years. I'm proud to say I am from the Barony of Angels, and I'll be proud to say this 10, 15 or 20 years from now. My three most recent events were Potrero War, Coronation and Heatherwyne Anniversary. Each was as different as the one before it.
At Potrero I camped with people not from our Barony. House Silvermoon, who took me in and let me crash with them. It was a first for me, in the sense that I'd never been to a war. I didn't have anything to do with the fighting, not because I don't want to, just haven't learned how to yet. I, in turn, volunteered. I sat at gate for a few hours, watched and ordered cars as the back porter for an hour and risked having things thrown at me by being the town crier. I also made an appearance as the booth boy for Morgaine and Jason, when they went to Court on Sunday.
I ran into several people I knew that weekend, talked a few minutes and then moved on down the road. It was an interesting experience, seeing the hoards rushing onto the field of battle. It was even more exciting realizing that the majority of the combatants were men and women my age, hitting each other with hand-made weapons. Something, I look forward to doing soon.
I'll admit I wasn't my odd self that weekend, Hanse didn't show up as much as I would have preferred, but I did have a great time. I realized that in order to have a good time, one has to just go out and do it. And, isn't that what the SCA is all about? So, for those of you who saw me at Potrero, expect an altogether different Balthazar at Highland War.
The next event was Coronation in Starkhafn. Someone told me that you always remember your first King and Queen and you remember the King and Queen who give you your first award. This made Coronation doubly sad for me, since Gerhart and Una were my first in both cases.
It was a wonderful feeling, seeing them anxiously waiting to proceed to their thrones. I'd always seen them from a distance, and usually at my first few events, I'd make a wide swath around their thrones. Afraid they'd see me not bow or I'd stumble or do any number of stupid things. But, after receiving my award, I felt closer to them. Saw them as more than my King and Queen. And, seeing them stand among their court, impressed me even more.
I smiled at each of my friends who populated the procession, noticing more and more people each turn of my head. And then they were walking away, and in some twist of circumstance Rosamund and I were walking at the end of the line to our seats, but it felt as exciting as if I'd been a part of the line. For a first, court began on time.
The event went along smoothly, awards were handed out and the next thing I knew their crowns were gone and they were no longer my King and Queen. A tiny part of me was lost when they walked past me, dethroned. But, the spot was soon replaced with the thought that I'd be more comfortable speaking with them. No more will I be afraid to make myself known; as a matter of fact I look forward to having arts conversations with both Gerhart and Una. I know my SCA experience is better for having them in it.
The most recent event I attended was Heatherwyne Anniversary. I've made some nice friendships with quite a few of the Heatherwynes, through archery, brewing and heraldry. It was a wonderful, lazy day, spent weaving and talking and eating.
Several newcomers stopped by at the baronial pavilion that day, and each of us from the Reeve and Reevess to myself greeted and explained what we were doing. From our individual art projects to the fighting on the field.
One such meeting stands out vividly in my memory. A man walked up, who we'd all assumed was a gang member. It wasn't that he'd ask why we had landed in the ghetto, but the fact that he had POMONA tattooed on the back of his neck and it didn't faze us one bit. We all went through our spiel, comfortably and with confidence, proud of who we were and what we stood for, and I smiled seeing him as excited by the raffle at the end of the day as the rest of us.
If there is one thing I garnered from these events, it has to be friendship. It was the fact that I was accepted in a household that didn't know me, because of my friend Skaha. It was the trusting of Morgaine and Jason when they left me alone in their booth. It was seeing the camaraderie of the court as they laughed and waited for their turn to step down and it was the simple welcoming of newcomers at the Heatherwyne Anniversary. All of this makes me even more proud to call myself Caiden.
Newcomer's Point of View - May 2003
by Lord Balthazar van Bruges
When I first joined the SCA, I wanted to do everything. I wanted to learn everything, dance everything, drink, eat and touch everything. Then reality set in.
The first thing I passed on was fighting. Now don't get me wrong, I'd love to hit someone with a stick as much as I'd love to be hit. It just so happens that at this point in my life I don't have the money or time to learn something as difficult as this. I admire and honor anyone who can go out on the field and furiously battle an opponent with finesse.
On Saturday, I realized I wouldn't be excelling in illumination. From the moment I placed paintbrush on the canvas, my hand shook and wobbled as I tried to paint within the lines. This was not to be. This also led me to realize I wouldn't be working on calligraphy or the drawing of any scrolls.
At May Day, I wandered around the field sporting my new spurtle, but I don't know when I'll be using it properly. With the knowledge and wisdom of Morgaine FitzStephen and Therese of the White Griffin, how could I not want to learn how to weave and spin?
The one thing I've become successful with is brewing. In my short time within the Barony, I've discovered how important it is to have a treasured bottle of Honey Vodka or Plum Cordial or Blackberry Cordial or heck even Sekanjabin. It's what makes the pavilion a more jovial place in a sea of grass. OK, I admit maybe I had one too many glasses of cordial, because pavilions are usually on fields of grass.
I am working at becoming a herald. I love to talk, I love to research and I love to write, so herald would be the next most exciting thing for me to do. I am interested in putting together a tome of our Barony, a sort of Domesday Book of the Barony of Angels. So, if I come up to you at an event or gathering and grill you on the origins of your family name, or your position in the Barony or your lifelong dreams, don't be frightened.
Some of you may have met my alternate persona, Hanse. Creating and living as my persona is great, but for those times when I want to be naughty. Those times when I've had a tad too much of the spirits, or I just want to bring a little wickedness to the thoughts and minds of my friends. That's when I'll bow deep and rise tall as Hanse Inderhosen: Der brewmeister of Chateau Flammel.
And, this is just me scratching at the edge of all the jobs and skills and experiences available in the SCA. I bet if you walk up to me in a year, I'll have tried many more and removed just as many from my list of things I want to learn. It is true, I want to be Balthazar of all trades, master of none.
Newcomer's Point of View - April 2003
by Lord Balthazar van Bruges
I can't imagine what I did before I joined the SCA and the Barony of Angels. I look back at all those 8 hour days at Renaissance Fairs, those nights when I curled up in bed reading Norman Cantor and Jacques Le Goff or watching Excalibur and dreaming I was there. It never dawned on me that there were other people out there who had the same dreams. Oh sure, I heard stories about the people who put on the RenFaire. I wanted to be one of them so much, that when my friends decided to go one year, I suggested we go costumed and it has been in my blood ever since.
But there was still something missing. I could only ever afford to go to one day of the faire each year. My jobs got in the way of letting me experience anything. Then one day I read The Barsoom Project, and it mentioned two groups of people. The IFGS and the SCA, I semi-joined the
IFGS because I was really into gaming (can we all mark that in our big book of Duh?). They spoke of the SCA, rather whispered of them. Saying they were more historical, doing more research and sometimes fighting with rapiers. The itch got deeper, but I still didn't have the means to even investigate the SCA, let alone get involved in the IFGS.
Then last year everything fell into place. I stumbled upon the Caidan web site, which pointed me to the Barony of Angels. It was love at first site. The page was so beautiful and the people looked and sounded like me. There was nothing holding me back. I now had the time and money to get involved. I wanted to do and learn everything.
My first meeting, probably was the best thing for me. I showed up at Winnet Hall, stood outside the door waiting and thinking maybe it was the wrong place because it was dark except for a red exit sign. I was just about give up when this guy named Robert walked to the door. My first meeting was just he and I talking about what the SCA was all about. What there was to do, what there was to see and what there was to be.
He suggested I check out some other meetings, and suggested Yule as a great place to meet everyone from the Barony. Before this treasured event, there was one more meeting… a scribal meeting. I wasn't sure if it was for me, my hand use to shake even in high school when I tried it.
This was the meeting where I was introduced to quite a few more people. Therese, who made me blush like there was no tomorrow. Yllaria, who made me giggle. I felt as though I'd known Ysabeau and Trinette forever, even after 3 minutes of talking to them. Morgaine and Jason, made me feel at home. I was astounded by the clever work of Amhas and Fu Ching. Ursula and Giovanni rounded out the group with their laughter. Later that night I discovered that the guy I spoke with was the Baron and the woman who made me blush was the Baroness and I truly felt at home.
I feel more and more at home with every event I go to. I've learned how to behave and how not to behave. I've had conversations with royalty. Queen Una gave me the tip to serve the royal table at 12th night, because they have the best leftovers. I Discussed with King Guillaume, who made my Heraldry class at Collegium a very interesting experience, my 5-year plan about becoming Baron Balthazar van Bruges.
So, basically I'm here to stay. I've been told that my enthusiasm has brought many old-timers back into the fold, and I sit here thinking how much I love my second home. And how happy I am to have found the Barony of Angels.
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