Welcome to the Online Clann Tartan Newsletter for September 2008

Come one, come all, to Col. Gaffney's Muster

Muster is our time each year to gather as a family, to teach each other and learn from each other, to try to hone our skills as living history representatives. It is also a great opportunity to qualify for different items on your Muster check-off list. Food will be provided and educational lectures, demonstrations and hands-on learning will all be available for you to participate in.

Muster will be on the second weekend of September, with setup on Friday the 12th. We will gather at Jack McGowan's farm, a lovely piece of land in Mankato. In order to accommodate as many people as want to come, modern tents are permitted, and there is also space available in Jack's beautiful bunkhouse for bedding down.

When we appear in public, we want the patrons to feel like they have stepped back in time to 1630. It is our task to create an illusion. This is hard and we _all_ need constant practise, just like a military unit needs to drill constantly. To that end, we will be attempting to keep a period camp during Muster weekend. We are fully aware that compromises must be made. If you have to wear eyeglasses, do so. Our events require handling gunpowder, fire, and sharp objects; we need everybody to see clearly. Similarly for orthotic shoes. If you have any other health or safety concerns please let us know. We can work on them. Your staff and board are not going to be keeping score.

If you do not yet have enough period clothing, no problem. Some our veterans will be bringing extra clothes to lend out as needed. We do ask you to keep non-period items, except as noted above, out of sight. Behind a _closed_ tent flap is fine. After hours please keep the use of non- period light sources to a minimum. The moon will be between First Quarter and Full, so we should have light well into the night.

As usual, please check in with Lisa Gillstrom (anstice_demalkuth@yahoo.com) if you can come so we can plan to feed you.

I hope to see many of you there!

Cheers!

Mia

MUSTER REQUIREMENTS

STAFF ELECTIONS

The Chief of Staff is at the end of her two-year term. Persons interested in running for Chief of Staff should contact Mia McDavid; mia_mcdavid@comcast.net.

BIG ISLAND SETUP

Big Island and Mankato History Fair coming in October
Big Island Rendezvous, October 2-5

The 2nd and 3rd are school days, and the weekend is public. We need enough of us during the school days to run about eight demos simultaneously. Organization and scheduling is tight, so even those who don't feel ready to give demonstrations are needed to act as traffic cops and prepare meals. We put on presentations of roughly 20 minutes on some aspect of 17th century Scottish life. On the weekend, we normally have some scheduled presentations like dance and drill, and we may be asked to participate in other event activities, such as the parade. Saturday night is usually a big party near the main stage.

We are allowed to set up the weekend before the event; please check Staff announcements for Corporate setup time. As we did last year, we have the prime real estate right inside the gate; we will be the first group that people see!

For a fee you will be able to park at the private residence on the road to the park entrance. Free participant parking is available at Snyder field (not the athletic field, but a lot on the North side of the high school.). Shuttles run from the parking area to the park on a regular schedule. Shuttles run to shower facilities at high school. Showers are free for show participants. Personal vehicles are prohibited from event grounds during show hours.

Location

Big Island Rendezvous is located in Albert Lea, MN - just off Interstate 35 about 98 miles south of the Twin Cities.

Drive Time

Allow about 2 hours from the Twin Cities.

Directions

From Minneapolis or Saint Paul, take I35 South to I90 in Albert Lea.
Take I90 West to the 90 west take exit 157 (one mile)
Turn Left and head South on Bridge Avenue to Hammer Road (about 1 mile).
Turn Right and head East on Hammer Road to the park entrance.
You will be able to drive on-site before and after show hours. Our
camp will be located inside the park area.

Mankato History Fair, October 9-11

Saturday is a public day. We are allowed to remain in camp Saturday night and leave Sunday. Clann equipment will be packed after closing Saturday. Mankato is within day-trip range, but vehicles have to removed before opening.

Directions

From the Twin Cities, follow 169 through 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, which is the second left after crossing the Blue Earth River;
follow this to its end (Jack McGowan's on the map)

A Gentle Reminder

Just a couple of reminders to everyone as we start into the late summer/fall shows...being about midway through it all. A couple of things that we all need to keep in mind at shows.

SETTING UP AND PACKING UP
Please remember that company gear gets broken down and the trailer loaded prior to personal gear. If you use a company trooper, please remove your personal gear to a pile, and break down your trooper. If you have a personal tent, leave it as is until the rest of camp is being loaded. The Tavern and its contents, the cooks fly and its contents, the kitchen tent and its contents, and the military gear and firepit need to be taken care of first. Once company gear is "prepped" for the trailer to be loaded, as long as there are enough people to load the trailer, those not needed should begin their personal breakdown. If too many hover about the trailer, it gets crouded and takes longer. ASK the person in charge of loading if you are needed, don't just wander off.

The opposite is true of setting up. If the trailer is there, get company stuff up first, then your own. Please see the person in charge of camp set up (HCF or other assigned person) to find out what you can do, and if you are needed.

CARPOOLING
With gas prices what they are, everyone is trying to save as much as possible. That means people are carpooling and ride sharing. Please be courteous to those riding with you, and get them where they need to be on time...this is especially important if you are transporting members who are underage. If their parents expect them home at a certain time, make sure they are there at that time, or the parents are contacted if there is a problem with making that happen.

RESPECT FOR CAMP & COMPANY
Your board and staff work very hard to give everyone, not just the patrons, a good show and enjoyable time at events. If you see them talking (most often after hours, but could be during a show) to someone, who is clearly identified as an event staff, please be courteous, and allow them to talk. Sometimes, they are discussing funds, or a problem, or even future events. Remember that even after hours, our actions reflect on Clann Tartan as a whole!

This holds true during all show hours as well. Do not correct a demonstrator while they are presenting. If you know of an error in their demonstration or information, ~politely~ discuss it with them afterward, privately, if you feel it needs to be corrected. Do not interrupt a demonstration unless you absolutely HAVE to. There are times when someone is needed urgently, in that case, do so politely and respectfully and if you know the demo, offer to step into their place if possible, so the patron doesn't feel shorted.

Keep in mind that meals are planned for certain times, a certain number of people and with certain foods. The HCF will provide snacks for members during the day. And other foods for those who need to eat periodically for medical reasons. If you want a snack, and don't see anything out on the table in the cooks fly or in the tavern, find the HCF and ASK. DO NOT go into the kitchen tent and take something. Doing so may mean there is not enough left for a planned meal.

Once dinner dishes are washed, DO NOT use Company dishes to prepare personal food. The water kettles are always on the fire so they are the exception. There may be other exceptions if arrangements are made with the HCF in advance. If you DO have an arrangement, make sure that you wash and put away any dishes dirtied. There is nothing more miserable than getting up at "Oh my god its early o'clock" to make breakfast, except maybe "oh my god its early o'clock and I have to wash dishes before I can make breakfast".

The late summer/early fall shows bring with them some of our biggest and busiest shows. The weather is either really hot or really cold or sometimes both. And the shows are often back to back to back. All of these things make for short tempers and angry words, even when we don't mean them. Lets remember that Clann means family, and continue to treat each other with the love and respect that we all want to be treated with ourselves!

I am looking forward to the upcoming shows, and thank all of your for your hard work and energy in making the last several shows great successes!!

Sincerely,

Lisa Gillstrom
Head Camp Follower

FOR SALE

GAFFNEY'S SUTLER SEEKS WARES

You can either bring your goods to Heidi at events, or entrust them to her beforehand. We ask that items be small and not terribly fragile if Heidi is to transport them.

Thank you for your support of Clann Tartan.

Board Minutes

Clann Tartan Board Meeting, July 15, 2008

Board Members Present: Julie Yoder, Bruce Yoder, Glenn McDavid, Betsy Bolton, Sean McCanna, Marty Byers

Staff Present: Mia McDavid, Lisa Gillstrom McCanna

Minutes from the June meeting were accepted as presented.

REPORTS:

Vice President:

No Report.

Treasurer:

Checks from Pioneer Village, Twig, and Woodville have been deposited. We have not heard from the Minnesota Scottish Fair and Highland Games

Secretary

Nothing new.

Quartermaster

No word yet on replacing the pike heads that we ordered which turned out to be too small.

Company and Camp Reps

No news (=good news).

Music Guild

Going well.

Dance Guild

Going well.

Sword Guild

Met in June with the usual suspects. Some other members are interested.

Fiber Guild

May have meetings at Jen and Bob's house

Historic Site

Making progress.

Garden Guild

Not meeting.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Deer River (August 1-3)

Confirmed. Same terms as in 2007, but we can make our own schedule.

Perham (August 16-17)

Confirmed. Showers 1/4 miles away [Where were they??] We have a new contact there. We need to balance attendance between Deer River and Perham

Muster (Second weekend in September)

At Jack McGowan's in Mankato. The Muster Committee needs to meet and plan the event.

Big Island

Contracted. Our application has been accepted through 2011.

Mankato

We have not yet heard from them, but that is normal for this event.

Fargo (November)

They may want songs. This is something for the Music Guild to work towards. Accomodations are an issue--this is not a camping event

New possibilities for 2009

Lisa has been busy :)>

• NE Dakota Scottish Fair -- September
• Celtic Edge in Hastings
• Celtic Fair in northern Iowa -- May

There are some really long distance events (e.g. California, Texas) that sound interesting. Logistics are an obvious problem, but with planning we might be able to do one. Lisa will write an article for the newsletter.

OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS

Sealing the wooden furniture was discussed. The tops and the bases of the legs are what really need attention. However, if we seal the tops we have to seal the corresponding undersides--otherwise the wood will warp.

There is artwork on some of the tables. Unfortunately, some of it is unauthorized and not period-appropriate

We need a good quality tarp for the trailer. The cheap plastic ones cannot take the punishment dished out by our trailer trips. The Board authorized $75 for this. [Done].

Meeting adjourned at 8:05 PM. Next meeting will be the Quarterly membership meeting on August 23. [Since changed to a Board meeting on August 19.]

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:
Marty L. Byers
orthodoxdruid@gmail.com
651-483-1173

MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!

We will sing and play music of many styles and places from our period. Bring your voice and/or your instrument(s). Neither need be period correct.

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.

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.

Other Guilds

Fiber Guild Meetings

Clann Tartan has our own historic site near Duluth MN. Dun Gowan is an ongoing project, which is the site of Gaffneyis Annual Tactical in July. We are finishing the fort and beginning the construction of a village this year. Contact David Vavreck at 612-378-1973 or baethan1630@yahoo.com for further information, or to volunteer to help.

Calendar of Events

Event Schedule for the 2008 Season:

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

Map to 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 /Quarterly/Annual Meetings Corcoran Neighborhood Center, 3334 20th Av South, Minneapolis, MN	Map to Marty & Judy Byers home 2821 Churchill, Roseville MN
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 and Fiber Guild 340 Brooks Ave Roseville, MN

Directions

From the Twin Cities, follow 169 through 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, which is the second left after crossing the Blue Earth River;
follow this to its end (Jack McGowan's on the map)

Big Island Albert Lea, MN October 2-5, 2008

Mankato History Fair, October 9-11

Saturday is a public day. We are allowed to remain in camp Saturday night and leave Sunday. Clann equipment will be packed after closing Saturday. Mankato is within day-trip range, but vehicles have to removed before opening.

Directions

From the Twin Cities, follow 169 through 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, which is the second left after crossing the Blue Earth River;
follow this to its end (Jack McGowan's on the map)