Letters of Intent from Previous Submissions
Listed below are the Letters of Intent from some who previously sought the position of the Baronage of Starkhafn.
Athanaric and Sigridhr | Robartach and Gyda | Thomas and Catylyn
Athanaric and Sigridhr
(2015)
Lady Sigridhr inn Irkska and I, Sir Athanaric Thorismund sunus, do send greetings upon their Excellencies, Michel Philippe and Elspeth, Baron and Baroness of Starkhafn.
I hope this letter finds you well and please accept it as our letter of intent to become your noble heirs of the great barony of Starkhafn.
At this time both my lady wife and I participate in multiple aspects of play in our great Barony to include fighting, weaving, brewing, wood carving, leather work, archery, youth combat, silk banner painting, as well as service to Crown and Barony.
For Talon Crescent I Lady Sigridhr carved the mold used in the casting of site tokens as well as assisted with the casting of the 500 tokens. I volunteered over 50 hours during this same war. This is just a sample of our recent service to the Barony.
Over the course of my SCA career I have held multiple offices and served several years as both a member of the guard and as captain of the guard. Lady Sigridhr has been both a member of the guard and a lady-in-waiting.
Moreso, I have been an active participant in the Barony since I started playing at age 16. I have seen the good and the bad of several different Baronial reigns and would work hard to incorporate the strength and splendor I have witnessed and leave the bad in the mists of time. I have a very strong grasp of the traditions that make this the great barony that it is and it would be my intent to leverage my experience as a Knight of the society and a child of Starkhafn to lead this Barony in continued greatness and splendor on all fields of play.
Lady Sigridhr has been a member of Starkhafn since 2001 and has enjoyed being part of the struggles and joy of its growth since moving here from the Barony of the Angels. It has been her pleasure to raise our 3 children as active participants of the SCA, and all the fun and learning it has to offer.
It would be our intent to push every aspect of SCA play in the Barony with regular art classes and competitions to go along with our amazing growth in Heavy, Rapier, Archery, and thrown weapons.
Aside from our collective experience within the SCA we also bring to the table of wealth of personal experience as well to include staying calm and professional through times of great strain and stress. There will always be those that are unhappy as it is impossible to please all people at all times however with calm level headed thought and deliberation, without strife or anger, all problems and conflicts can and will be resolved in a polite and professional manner. These are skill gained through the challenges of professional life as well as raising three children.
In service to the Dream,
Athanaric
Sigridhr
Robartach and Gyda
(2015)
Letter of Intent for Lord Robartach and THL Gyda
Unto Their Royal Majesties Mansur and Eilidh, Kingdom Seneschal Master Thomas Blackkeep, Their Excellencies Michel Philippe de Sarcey and Elspeth of Stillwaters, and the noble populace of the Barony of Starkhafn, do we Lord Robartach mac Lochlainn and THL Gyda Magnusdotter send our warmest and most humble greetings.
We have spent a significant amount of time seeking counsel and after much introspection and self-examination in regards to this position of import to the Barony of Starkhafn and the Kingdom of Caid, we humbly offer ourselves for consideration as candidates for the next term of service for Baron and Baroness of the Barony of Starkhafn.
The two of us are embarking upon our 12th year in the Society for Creative Anachronism; 7½ of those years have been here in the Kingdom of Caid. We started our SCA career in the Kingdom of the Outlands being very service oriented and that service continued in Caid. The two of us have received service awards while in the Kingdom Outlands and here in the Kingdom of Caid.
Robartach has contributed his artist talents to several projects throughout his time in the SCA, working on everything from helping build vital parts of a Motte & Bailey site in The Shire of Blackwater Keep, stone and pewter work for site tokens, creating gatebooks, most recently for Talon Crescent War 1, and numerous other art projects. He has served as a member of the court guard for Starkhafn since 2012. Robartach has been an avid volunteer and assisted Gyda in all her officer positions and both event & feast service. Although most of the service and work Robartach has done has been behind the scenes, he is looking forward to using his talents to support the Barony.
Robartach served for a total of 30 years in the United States Air Force, most of which were served in supervisory positions responsible for hundreds of personal and thousands of pieces of equipment in mission critical situations. Robartach’s training and experience in his service to the country has forged strong leadership skills.
Gyda has worn many hats in the officer core including: Hospitaller, Chronicler (twice deputy), Webwright (thrice), Deputy Herald, Deputy Exchequer and Deputy Regalia officer. She has been a Lady in Waiting since 2011 (for both Baroness Muirenn & Baroness Elspeth of Starkhafn) and Chief Lady in Waiting for Baroness Elspeth since 2012. She has also been a Co-Event Steward and Co-Feast Steward at numerous events.
Robartach and Gyda grew up in military families. That childhood experience along with their military life together, has found them in many areas around the world through which they have learned to work with and appreciate various different types of people along with their cultures, traditions and personalities.
We currently own and operate a small but successful business we founded fifteen years ago. Through this business we have mastered the skills of planning, organization and financial management. Throughout our 30+ years together as a couple, we have volunteered in several organizations and military support projects including the Boy Scouts of America and educational support groups. We are financially stable and have a schedule that will allow us to travel as this position will require.
We believe the time we have served behind the thrones has given us an honest view on what it takes to serve from the thrones. We view this position as a service position.
We believe that we have the abilities and traits to fulfill the obligations that would be expected of us should we have the honor of representing their Majesties and the Barony of Starkhafn. We endeavor to commit ourselves and our service to help support and promote the populace in their individual interests and in their pursuit of The Dream to the best of our abilities. What we don’t know, we will endeavor to seek wise council and utilize our strong research skills to learn. We hope you will allow us the opportunity to serve.
Yours In Service to the Dream,
Lord Robartach mac Lochlainn and THL Gyda Magnusdotter
We are happy to answer any questions or provide greater detail on anything you require.
Thomas and Catylyn
(2020)
Letter of Intent for Lord Thomas Chisholm and THL Catylyn verch Morgant ap Llewellyn
Unto Their Royal Majesties Alexander and Tahira, Kingdom Seneschal Eronric of Devon, Their Excellencies Robartach mac Lochlainn and Gyda Magnusdotter, as well as the noble populace of the Barony of Starkhafn, do we Lord Thomas Chisholm and THL Catylyn verch Morgant ap LLewellyn send warm greetings.
It is with all sincerity and due consideration that we offer our letter of intent for the positions of Baron and Baroness of Starkhafn. This is done with full knowledge of the commitment of time and resources needed and which we are prepared to make. Considerable counsel and encouragement has been received from many fellow populace members. With their support and the confidence of the Crown and Kingdom Seneschal we have no doubt we will be able to carry out the duties of Baron and Baroness and serve our Kingdom and Barony well.
Together we have over 50 years of experience in the Society of Creative Anachronism. Lord Thomas found the SCA while serving in the Marine Corps in 1987. THL Catylyn discovered the SCA through theater groups and costume design while participating in the Renaissance faire venue in the 1980’s. We finally met each other and married five years ago and have shared this dream happily since.
I (Thomas) have been the head of the fighting household of Dragon Watch since 2005 and have been a heavy armored fighter since 1987. I have served the Barony as Constable for three years as well as the Baronial Regalia officer and continue to hold those offices. In the mundane world my experiences include 8 years of service in the United States Marine Corps, 6 years experience as a restaurant manager and 10 years experience as the director of sales for a fine art publisher. I have cultivated many skills through these professions such as leadership, customer service and the ability to maintain a level head even under the most stressful situations.
THL Catylyn has served as an SCA Exchequer since the 1990’s starting in the Shire of WinDale, working several years as the Estrella War Exchequer, the Talon Crescent War Exchequer and then ultimately taking the position of Baronial Exchequer for Starkhafn. In the mundane world she started her career as a paramedic and then RN in the emergency services field serving on both ambulances and helicopters. She finally settled down to work in a hospital here in Las Vegas as a vascular access specialist. She is well known for keeping a level head and calm demeanor in high stress situations. Her organizational skills and attention to detail will continue to serve this Barony well into the future.
Having served in support of our current Baron and Baroness, we have seen the demands that are required of such a commitment and we are well prepared to take on those responsibilities. We hope that we can continue the most excellent work and service that our Excellencies have given to our Barony and to the Kingdom of CAID. We believe we have the experience and the skills needed to serve as Baron and Baroness and look forward to the opportunity to support our populace here in Starkhafn and throughout the Known World to thrive and continue to enjoy this dream we all share and love.
In Service of the Dream,
Lord Thomas Chisholm and THL Catylyn verch Morgant ap Llewellyn