Welcome to the Online Clann Tartan Newsletter for May 2009

SIEGE OF WOODVILLE

MINNESOTA SCOTTISH FAIR AND HIGHLAND GAMES

MEMBER MEETING

We are putting together such a list of in-house talent. If you wish take advantage of this free advertising, please let David know that you want to be on the list, along with what you make or can help others make.

Thanks.

David
baethan1630@yahoo.com or 612-378-1973

Mark your calendars!

Johndezvous is a Gaffneyis event where we gather at the O'Duggan household to have fun making stuff. The goal of Johndezvous is to have a low-key but productive weekend, spiffing up our camp by making ourselves period correct equipment from wood or iron.

John's workshop has both woodworking and blacksmithing equipment. The address is 20628 Whistle Pass Drive, Lewiston MN, between Rochester and Winona.

The list of period wood projects for which we have plans includes:

Stools (several varieties)
Forms (benches)
Chairs (several varieties including folding chairs)
Tables
Chests, Coffers and Boxes
Candle Stands
Hanging Chandelier
Beds
Pipe Box
Candle Box
Toys (tops, boats, etc)
Sundials
Wheelbarrows
Ruler
Tent Pegs (metal stakes apparently were not used much until about 1900)
Spoons (Mary Rose 1545 England, or Vasa 1627 Sweden)
Trencher (wooden plate)
Targes

and even

Mousetraps (count 'em - 12 varieties!)

It would be best to show up Friday with your wood already purchased in order to fully make use of work time Saturday through Monday.

If you would like to see any of the plans before deciding on a particular project, David can bring them to upcoming dance, drill, staff and board meetings and such, or you can make an appointment to drop by his house to take a look.

If you have a woodworking project in mind, but no plans, give David a call or email, and he'll see what he can find. Obviously, the sooner you do this, the more time he'll have to research for you.

John will be there to help with the forge, and David will be there to help with woodworking. And John will be there to help when David is stumped.

There is also opportunity for archery practice, musket shooting, hand ax throwing, candlemaking, and such like. Or you can knit, stitch, or what have you.

The good Colonel has seen fit to feed us; just like any other event, we will need your RSVP to make sure we have enough food.

Please send your RSVP to Julie Yoder.

See you there!

Road Trip

One proposal for a future trip was to head south to meet with a group from Texas. Lisa Gillstrom McCanna has the details on the Texas group. This is only one possibility, if you know of other likely events that should be considered, please get the details, including dates and location to staff. staff@clanntartan.org Staff needs to get any proposals so they can decide on feasibility and worth before bringing it to the board. The board then needs to decide on the financial aspect. Please get any ideas to staff as soon as possible, be sure to include as much pertinent information as is available.

Discover the Manual

A lot of valuable information is in the current Clann Tartan Manual.

Board Minutes

Board Members present: Julie Yoder, Mike Eastling, Heidi Johnson, Bruce Yoder, David Vavreck, Anthea Cross

Minutes from the February meeting have not yet been distributed for approval. Heidi will contact Glenn. Update: Minutes were discovered to have been approved, and were sent for addition in the newletter.

Reports
VP:
Replied to an e-mail expressing interest in Clann.

Treasurer:
The financial statements through Feb 28th have been prepared but were not available for review. February had approximately $600 in revenue; $400 in dues and $200 in donations. Plus we have a receivable for Ramble, (we are usually paid later for that show.) February expenses totaled $225, and included Ramble food, new wooden bucket and some miscellaneous repairs and supplies. Cash balance at end of February is $1300 in checking and $6700 in savings.

Secretary:
Transition of duties is going reasonably well. Heidi had some policy questions, and the list of people receiving a hand-mailed copy was reviewed. Due to unfortunate circumstances, this month's meeting was not recorded.

Quarter Master:
Has sent an inquiry to members attempting to learn the whereabouts of Clann equipment. Is in the process of repairing the collars of bandoliers. Proposed that the leather lacing be replaced with lucet cord. It was estimated that a 100 yard spool of thread would make enough cord for the three musketeer's bandoliers and also the grenadier's bandolier. Approximated fifty charges and four primer flasks.

Still needs to get muster records from the previous quartermaster.

Wants to acquire tampions for the ordnance. Offered to turn them on his lathe in exchange for one years dues credit. The board agreed to this proposal.

Wants to update the equipment inventory at the time of moving to the new garage.

Guild Reports
Music
Singing-has been well attended. A woodwind meeting is TBD.
Dance
Going well with good attendance except during winter storms.
Fiber
No report.
Sword
The single sticks have been ordered from Jackie and David hopes to have them in time for muster in April. Still planning on two training events per month, one MN, one WI.

Historic Site
Laura is working with Don Chesney to set up a schedule of work weekends for this spring. Repairs to the existing fort and construction of the first house are planned for 2009.

Events
Ongoing drill:
Probably indoors in March but outdoors from then on. April drill will be at Muster.

Moorhead Celtic Festival, March 14th. Had minor emergency earlier in the week. There were nine members attending but four cancelled, leaving only one man and four women. HCF sent out urgent call for more and got two more. (post event addendum, ten members participated)

Muster planning is underway. This year muster will take place on April 24th-26th.

Woodville. Friday after muster. Same basic structure as the past two years. As of last month it was unknown whether we would be able to stay over for Saturday because of staffing issues with the school. No new info regarding that item.

MSFHG, Saturday May 9th. Everything proceeding normally.

NESD Celtic Fair, Aberdeen SD. Date changed from Sept 12-13 to Sept 19-20. Much better dates for us, won't conflict with Hudson Presby. church show on the 12th. Aberdeen is 280 miles from Mpls. slightly farther than our guideline of 250 miles. Because of the large stipend for this show, we need a good presence. Board wants a least 12 members. If necessary, we can cancel up to 24 hours before the event. Sean and Lisa have offered transit in their bus. Laura is planning on taking her van.

Old Business:
Garage
Bruce has found a garage we can rent for $50/month. It is a 2 ˝ car garage located at Arlington & Edgerton in St Paul, east of 35E and south of Maryland. Website
Julie is working on scheduling a website committee meeting w/ John Debnam. The committee will consist of the following members: David Vavreck, Mary McKinley, Julie Yoder, Mia McDavid, Glenn McDavid, Betsy Bolton, Mike McCarty, and Heidi Johnson.

Board & Staff

If you need to contact someone associated with Clann Tartan, here is where you find out how. If you are unsure who to contact, you can always email us at: info@clanntartan.org

Guilds

Contact:
David Vavreck
baethan1630@yahoo.com
612-378-1973

Music

The Yoders have graciously offered to host music once a month. We will meet at their house at 4736 12th Ave S, Minneapolis, from 7 - 9pm the 4th Monday of each month.

To contact the Yoders, call 612-825-4519 or email to Julieyoder@juno.com.

To contact your Music Chair, call David at 612-378-1973 or email to baethan1630@yahoo.com

Thanks, and I look forward to making some noise with y'all!

David

We have a yahoo groups email list for the guild that we use for reminders about the meetings and topical discussions. If you want to be on the email list, request an invitation to join from Bruce at bruceyoder@juno.com.

Gaffneyis Glee Club

Please contact your music chair, me, to express your interest, and to let me know what evenings would work best for you. And if you can host.

I am thinking maybe twice a month, but you can vote on that, too.

I will set it up for the day(s) with the most votes.

And if you have a better name for it than Gaffneyis Glee Club, I am all ears. It does have a nice ring to it, though.

David Vavreck
612-378-1973
baethan1630@yahoo.com

Gaffneyis Recorder Consort

We have seven members already, and are working on a bit more refined style of music than we do in our regular music meetings.

Contact your music chair (David) if you are interested in joining up.

baethan1630@yahoo.com or 612-378-1973

Dance

It is at the corner of 27th Av S and E 44th Street. Both streets are one way. That block of 44th between 28th and 27th Avenues is one way westbound and that block of 27th Av between 44th and 43rd Streets is one way northbound. You must enter turning west onto 44th St from 28th Av and exit from 27th Av onto 43rd St.

Questions? call Mary at 651-699-6853 or Julie at 612-825-4519

2nd & 4th Tuesdays
Saint Christopher's Episcopal Church, 2300 N Hamline Ave. in St. Paul.

It is at the northeast corner of Highway 36 and Hamline Avenue (Hamline is between Snelling and Lexington). The church is actually encircled by the highway entrance ramp.
The Dance Guild gathers weekly from 7PM-9PM to learn and practice historic Scottish country dances.
For more information call:

Mary at 651-699-6853 or Julie at 612-825-4519

It's a great place to meet people!

We have a yahoo groups email list for the guild that we use for reminders about the meetings and topical discussions. If you want to be on the email list, request an invitation to join from Bruce at bruceyoder@juno.com.

Fiber Guild

Historic Site

May drill will be held at the "Johndezvous" event.

After this we drive back to the Yoders' to work on costume, character, history, leather work, or whatever else needs doing. Tea, hot chocolate, good company and shared skills. Drill will conclude at 4:00.

How to find the Millitary Drill Location:

Address: 6400 Bloomington road St Paul MN 55111-4002.

From the north, take 35E south to 110 west, merging onto 55 and taking the exit for Bloomington road (keep to right lane and you'll hit it easy enough) there's a stop sign at the end of the exit, the historic site straight take a right at the stop sign, golf course will be to the left as you go to the last building on the right.

From the west, take 494 (or 62, depending on preference) from 494 keep to the right following the signs for Bloomington road, keep to the right following 5, and you'll reach the same exit as from 110 to Bloomington road. Google Maps is one way to get very good, accurate directions.

A great while agoe, when Monsieur Gout was not so rich (as he now is;) he was forced to travell, as other poore men are sometime, in his travel he met with a spider, whose journey lay as Mr. Goutes did: they being both benighted, they sought lodging, and came to a poore mans house, which the Gout tooke up for his lodging, for he being alwayes a laisie companion, would goe no farther, but the Spider being more nimble, went to a rich mans house, and there tooke up his lodging for the night: the next day they met againe, and asked each other of their entertainement the passed night, "mine" said the Gout, "was the worst night as ever I had, for I had no sooner touched the poore mans legs, thinking ther to take my rest, but up he gets, and to threashing he goes, so that I had no rest the whole night." "And I," saide the Spider, "had no sooner begun to build my house, in the rich mans chamber, but the Mayde came with a broome, and tore downe all my worke, and so fiercely did pursue me, that I had so much a-doe to save my life, as ever I had."

"Seeing it is so then," saide the Gout, "we will change lodging, I will goe to the rich mans house, and thou shalt goe to the poore mans:" they both were well content, and didso, and found such ease and rest in their lodging, that they resolved never to remoove, for the Spider builded and was not troubled, the Gout he was entertained with a soaft Cushion, with downe Pillowes, with dainty Caudels, and delicate broathes; in briefe: he did like it so well, that ever since he takes up his lodging with rich men, where I desire that he should take his rest, rather than in my poore house.

Acting, Re-enacting, and Experiential Archaeology

From my Merriam Webster Dictionary, I draw these definitions. Acting - "the art or practice of representing a character". Re-enacting; re- "prefix meaning again" enact "to act -out". Experiential- "relating to experience". Empirical - "Capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment:" Archaeology- "the scientific study of material remains .... of past human life and activities."

So what do we as Clann Tartan do while out there in front of the public? Are we Actors, Re-enactors or providing Experiential Archaeology? Are we a little bit of all three?

I have been making shoes for five years. I studied under Master Boot Maker D.W. Frommer II of Redmond, Oregon in November 2003. [I have been doing "rendezvous" since 2001 (Thank you "Beaver Vous"). I guess Clann adopted me long before I became a member (Thank you David, Jaimie, Donald and all others).] So, at Big Island 2008, one of my first pair of shoes came back to me. They were sadly in need of repair. OK. They're made to be repaired. But why, only a few years after I made them, did the leather look just fine and the stitches be totally gone!

Here is where the Actor/Re-enactor/Empirical Knowledge thing meets, well, me, I guess. I've been "demo-ing" since I was 9 or 10 years old in some fashion or another. I've won awards for my presentations. We all try to make our re-enacting as accurate as possible. We do our research. We have all had the discussion as to how far do we take it? We joke about the "Rennies" (I'm generalizing here. Don't get bent out of shape) who go by the 10 foot rule - If it looks good at 10 feet it's good enough. And the other historical fantasy characters who wander through our midst trying to play along but really don't care if they have it correct. And at the other end of the spectrum you have the "stitch counters" that complain about the details but miss the bigger picture. Somewhere there is the goal of educating the public without getting so caught up in the details that you stall out.

We use "artificial" sinew. It is nylon thread that is waxed and coated to look like the real thing. I use mono-filament instead of hogs bristles because my pig hasn't gotten big enough yet. We use a sewing machine to make shirts, skirts, and other garments. Some of our canvas has grommets and ninety-nine percent of it has Sunforger Marine finish to make certain it doesn't spontaneously combust or mold and mildew with a minimum of care. Some events have vendors that sell cotton candy, bison burgers, and soda pop on Styrofoam plates and in plastic cups. I'm not saying that any of this is wrong. In fact, some of it is very good (I'm partial to kettle corn - just ask my family). If you can't get people to come to the event, how can you put your material in front of them. A great band with electric amps and lots of lighting so you can dance the night away is a great draw for re-enactors and general public alike. And there are events for those who keep it pure.

Not everyone goes to an event or gets involved in our "hobby" for the same reason. Some are in it to blow things up without getting arrested. YEAH!!! They may like marching around and all that tactical stuff. I personally love cannons and the smell of black powder smoke. Some enjoy the craft end of things. Some enjoy teaching or camping. Some got dragged into it kicking and screaming and are here because they love their significant other enough to spend time in their hobby. Some want to get in touch with their "roots." I certainly did not get into Clann Tartan walking forward. I kind of backed in. (blame David).

So, back to those shoes in need of repair, I am a cordwainer, shoe maker if you prefer. I am a guild member in good standing. I am actively engaged in the gentle art. I am also, I am discovering, not so much a re-enactor but an experiential archeologist. I demonstrate shoe making at Clann Tartan events and other events. I research what materials were used and what techniques were used. OK, so the pike drill is no different. But that is what I have been using in the product I produce. Here's the rub. I tell my school kids that shoes were expensive. It would cost some people many months pay to earn a pair of shoes. I ask if their shoes had cost so much would their parents allow them to play in the mud puddles with them, or drag their toes when they rode their bikes, or leave them outside in the rain all night? Not a chance. But we are not living in 1630. We have the everyday habits of people who dispose of a pair of tennis shoes in the trash if they have a hole in the bottom. We run through mud puddles and drag our feet. The shoes which came back to me were worn by a soldier who participated in battle reenactments. So there was mud and wear and tear. In 1630, while sitting around the fire at night after a hard day of pike drills, a soldier mended socks and shirts and took preventative care of his footwear because he knew that their use was needed tomorrow. And that the day after tomorrow, if the shoes fell apart, he didn't have three months wages to be spending on another pair. An actor or re-enactor goes to the Tanglefoot concert. I'm not saying that we do not take care of our possessions. I am saying that the emphasis of care for our possessions is different than those who depended on them for their very existence.

So here I am making shoes in 2008. But, am I really making shoes for modern re-enactors or for someone who lived in 1630? I think from the evidence that I received, I am clearly making shoes for 1630. My "empirical knowledge" has been increased. I see that I have to make some changes. For all of you purists out there - you know who you are (David); your shoes are as historically accurate as I can make them using the materials available today. You will need to take care of your shoes just like they did in 1630. I do suppose I could make a change in my pricing structure to reflect historical worth; that would make a pair of shoes cost $3120 more or less. I think if you spent that much on a pair of shoes you would care for them much differently than the $50 tennis shoes. I do not believe, however, that would be in my best financial interest. I don't think I'd get many requests for a pair of shoes. I think, however, I will add another question or two or three to my list when I fit your shoes. How do you intend to care for your shoes? Do you want them historically accurate in technique, -in all materials, or just look like they might belong to the 17^th century? Nylon thread is not much different in price from that of linen. Nylon thread looks very similar to linen shoe thread. The difference is that it will not rot right out of the shoe if you march through mud and muck and then just throw your shoes in the bottom of your camping box without cleaning and waxing them first. I will make shoes for purists or for re-enactors but I will remember to ask which before I start making your shoes. It will certainly make my life easier to manage.

So I, Pegeen of Clann Tartan, am throwing out the question: Are you actor, re-enactor or experiential archeologist? And what do you do to live in 2009 and in 1630?

Suaviter in modo, fortiter in reo

Calendar of Events

The following is a list of the dates of the events that are currently on the schedule for this year. The staff has met and decided to keep this running list of events in the newsletter to give you a chance to get an idea of what is going on this season as well as keep you updated to changes in the schedule.

The column titled status will include the following information.

Tentative- this means that an event organizer or Clann has expressed a strong enough interest in doing this event that it warrants reserving space on the calendar for the event.

Pending- this is the next stage of an event. This means that the Contracts Administrator has entered serious discussion about Clann doing an event but we are still not committed to the event. You should however if possible think about whether or not you may be able to attend this event.

Scheduled- this level means that the board and staff have approve the event and we are committed to providing manpower to making the event happen. When an event is assigned this level please let Julie know as soon as possible if you can or can not attend this event.

Canceled- This means that for various reasons an scheduled event has been removed from the current season. We will try and give as much notice as we can prior to canceling an event.

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact me regarding this matter

Thanks,
Lisa Gillstrom McCanna

Maps

1st and 3rd Wednesday Dance Lake Hiawatha Neighborhood Center 2701 E 44th St., Minneapolis	Map to St. Paul location St. Christopher's- Dance
Map to Bruce and Julie Yoder's Home Music and Board & Staff Meetings 4736 12th Ave S, Minneapolis	Map to Glenn & Mia's home Hosts for staff meetings 340 Brooks Ave Roseville, MN
Jen McDermott Host for Fiber Guild 1638 Arlington Ave Saint Paul, MN 55106

MAP TO MUSTER APRIL 24-26 2009

Hwy 169 into Mankato;
Left at the Hillcrest Health Care Center ( if you go past the flashing lights at Co Road 68 you've gone too far);
Left onto Shamrock Lane(Hawkeye Lane);
follow this to it's end (Jack McGowan's on the map)

SIEGE OF WOODVILLE, Woodville WI May 1-2 2009