Greetings Fellow Boggers,

     As many of you know there have been some changes made to our borders. A new Shire and (as soon as Kingdom approves the paper work) a new Canton.
     We look forward to seeing many of you at the Spring Thing in Westmoreland, this June. This has always been a fun event and this years looks like a doozie!
     Remember to pre-register for Pennsic.

So long as the Raven flies and the Cattails grow, We remain in service to the Bog
Aquila and AElfra

Greetings fellow Boggers!

     Spring is here! I won't take up you time with prattle. Get out there and enjoy it. Go to events, help out, participate and have fun!!

In service,
Talishar

     Officially Spring is here and with the spring comes many changes. On that note, I'd like to congratulate the members of Gryffyns Keep on becoming an incipient Shire, and thank them for granting us the ability to hold our Spring Thing event on its traditional site in Stahlstown. There are several members of the Shire who have been receiving monthly copies of the Bog’s newsletter, those wishing to continue this service need to contact me directly - especially anyone in Greensburg.
    As always, if you have any submissions or suggestions or artwork for the cover or as inside filler, please contact me, Cait (aka Kathleen) at 724-238-0114 (if you get the answering machine, please leave a message) or bogchronicler@yahoo.com.

In service to crown and bog,
Lady Caitilin "Cait" ni Mhaolconaire

From the Scribal Mistress

Tuesday, April 13th, from 6:00pm till 7:45pm, is the Bog's Ceili Night at the Adams Memorial Library (1112 Ligonier St., Latrobe, PA; 724-539-1972) - everyone is welcome!  If interested or if you have any question, contact Rose Thorne (Beth Rose 724-850-7404 RoseThorne@att.net).

Greetings kindly gentles of our noble barony,

     Spring is now upon us and while the clouds have continued to insist of dropping snowflakes on our heads, there is hope underneath the withered leaves of last summer's growth. Upon puttering about in my garden, a few days past, I uncovered spring's promise of renewal...bright, vivid green leaves of daffodils, tulips, and day lilies. Most exciting of all were the brilliant blooms of the crocuses all yellow and purple and white.
    As in the garden, this is also a time of renewal and growth for our barony. Kingdom has received the packet of information sent out by those hopeful to form a canton within our barony and is reviewing the information with other kingdom officers and cartographer. She has asked our patience with this process.

In service,
Rose

Greetings fellow Boggers. Here is the compressed version of the March meeting:

Baron and Baroness asked that all who plan to attend War pre register.

Exchequer: totaled $3,837.52 in checking and $2,000 in savings. Lady Caroline will be handing her office over to Francis Martin as soon as the paperwork is completed.

Chatelaine: Jorka informed us that the Somerset paper will be doing a story on the SCA prior to our Green Gables Demo. HGA would like us to do a demo April 6th. Forest Hills HS is interested in a demo and Greensburg Public TV access channel will have an SCA listing.

Archery: Derek is looking for funds for children's arrows. He was asked to provide a couple bids. Also he was recently at a shoot and was asked to host the next one. Keep your eyes open for dates/times.

Herald: Presented lovely badges to the populous for viewing. The decision was made to register them.(see VIV for pics)

Business: The minister of Youth would like an assistant to help with the office's activities due to health reasons.

Spring Thing Event: planning is going well. The autocrats would like to have volunteers to be "suspects" for the murder mystery. Marshals-contact the autocrats and get planning. Question was raised about the possibility of the site not being in the Barony's boundaries. Seneschal replied: The planning was in the works for longer than any question of border arisen, we're holding the event as reserved.

Seneschale: Updated the populous on the question of zip code assignment. It is the understanding of the Seneschal that Kingdom made a decision and according to the listing in AEstel the incipiency for Gryffins Keep was granted. The populous was informed that Greensburg is to be a shared territory. (and as soon as official direction on this situation is received information will be given to the populous) The matter stands as Kingdom says it stands. As soon as I receive an official document, addressed to myself and the Baron/ess, stating the standing, that information will be released to the populous. More than likely word will reach us soon, or after Kingdom gets my 1st quarter Seneschale report.

........................And thus chaos was declared.

     Please consider our Bid for our 12^th night, January 22, 2005. This event would be auto-crated by Lord Kenn the Just and Lady Katerina de La Marne (Kenn & Cindy Leap).
     The site of this wonderful event would be the Amber Rose banquet facility located at the Intersection of Frankstown Road and Truman Blvd in Johnstown.

The feast would include:

BOTH Baked Ham and Stuffed Chicken Breast
Homemade dinner rolls
Tossed Salad
Parsley Potato
Vegetable
Coffee-Tea, Hot or Iced - and Soda

     We plan to charge around $18.00 per head. All this food is Good Old Fashioned Home Cooking. At this time the price for half-lings is not available.
     Since the site would open at 1pm and close at 8pm, a small side bar would be available.
     This site holds 250 people, has a huge parking lot, and is ADA accessible, with an outdoor deck on 2 sides of the building.
     We would also host again our wonderful Bardic Competition and Court and Country Dancing. It is our suggestion that no auction be held to allow for more activities, to be announced at a later time.
     This site is convenient or those traveling, RT 219 and RT 56 are within 4 miles of the site. As well as within 4 miles of our traditional Post-revel site.

Please thoughtfully consider this bid for next years 12^th night feast.

Bid from Charmaine:

     This being a formal bid for 12th Night 2005: to be held Saturday, January 22, 2005, at Green Gables in Jennerstown, PA (our usual site). Autocrat: Baroness Charmaine. Co-autocrat: TBA.
     I would like to autocrat 12th Night again next year due to its being Dame Viv and Don Quinn’s first 12th Night as Baroness and Baron. I have several ideas to make the day a little different, although not overly so since gentles seem to like our laid-back, unstructured event.
     First, I propose to eliminate the feast and have an all-day sideboard with different dishes appearing throughout the day. Heartier dishes would appear at lunch time (stews, sandwich makings) and normal feast time (hot meats, cooked vegetables). The rest of the day the sideboard would consist of various finger foods for nibbling (raw veggies, fruits, cheese, etc.) This would require having a feastocrat in charge of the sideboard to co-ordinate the arrival and serving of foodstuffs. There would still be a high table and servers required for it. To keep our good relations with Green Gables, I would ask them to provide the hot meats for the evening.
     Second, there would be a Chinese auction instead of our regular one, and I would ask beforehand for specific items from various Baronial artisans and cooks. Every gentle attending would receive several tickets with their site fee for the auction, and could purchase more. Bags next to each item would hold the ticket stubs and winners would be drawn for the auction items after the courts.
     Plus along with dancing and Bardic competition, perhaps we could have a gaming tournament or two to pass the time.
     Costs would be hopefully less than this year, around $1,100 to $1,300 for the event. Site fees would be less since there would be no auction discount, maybe $12 per person with halfings half price. (It will depend on what price I get from Green Gables.)
     If this event bid is accepted, I will need a co-autocrat, feastocrat, troll, servers, etc. (Lady Andree has already said she will do high table again, thank you!!)

Saturday, April 17, join Kenn & Katya for a bonfire.
Time - whenever you get there till you leave, BYOB, BYOF*, BYOC*, BYOB*.

Directions:
219 to airport, follow directions to Airport Road, keep airport on left. Go to bottom of the road. Turn right. Go approx 9 miles, turn left onto Wissinger Hollow Road. Go approx 5 miles turn right onto Martin Road, look for Kenn & Katya’s devices on mailbox.

Questions, contact the Leaps - info on Officer’s page.

*Bring Your Own Food, Chair and Blanket.

15 x 21 complete w/ poles, ropes, stakes & finials

New in 2001 from Four Seasons Tentmasters

Still in great condition

Asking price: $1500.00 (usd)

I live in Abhainn Ciach Ghlais (central PA) and could be willing to meet mid-way for swap instead of shipping. If you are interested, please contact Geraine –– geraine@ptd.net or (570) 538-4643 before 9pm please.

     It was a dark and stormy night when two members of the Barony of St. Swithin’s Bog gathered to plot a day of Murder and Mayhem. Ok, so it wasn’t really stormy, but we did plot... and Murder and Mayhem will be the theme for the 6th annual Spring Thing event to be held June 5, 2004 at the Flax Scutching Grounds in Stahlstown, PA (no street address). The mistresses of murder OR mayhem will be autocrat, Caitilín ní Mhaolconaire, and featocrat, Rose Thorne.
     All marshal activities are welcome. The lists will open at 10:30 am with the first tourney scheduled to begin at 11:30 am. An A&S competition will also be held. And a Bardic competition for which we encourage all bards to find your best song or poem about murder or mayhem (funny or serious). Children’s activities will be planned as well, please contact Morrigan of the Willowbrook (Robbin Ford – 814-495-4018; morriganofthewillowbrook@hotmail.com).
     And what event focused on the merriment of murder and mayhem would be complete without a little murder? To heighten the enjoyment, we’re hoping to stage a murder mystery. As the event unfolds, a murder will be committed, and participants will have the chance to practice their skills as a sleuth and attempt to solve the crime.
     A light lunch and murderously delicious Feast shall be created by the hands of Rose Thorne (Sue Beth Rose –– 39 N Urania Ave., Greensburg, PA 15601; 724-850-7405; rosethorne@att.net). If you have any dietary restrictions or questions, please contact her. Feast shall be served near the hour of 5pm.
     The gates for the event shall open at 10:00 am and close at 10:00 pm. Cost of this event will be as follows: Onboard (includes site fee, lunch & feast) – Adults - $8.00, Children ages 6-12 - $4.00; Off-board (includes site fee & lunch) – Adults - $4.00, Children - $2.00. Children under the age of 6 are free. Non-members must pay an additional $3.00 where appropriate. The feast is limited to 40 people, please send reservations by May 28, 2004, to autocrat Caitilín ní Mhaolconaire (Kathleen Giesey –– 112 Deeds Street, Ligonier, PA 15658; 724-238-0114; snowdragon1027@yahoo.com). Make checks payable to "SCA: St. Swithin’s Bog," include both your mundane and scadian (if possible) names.

From the West:
Make your best way to Route 30 East to Ligonier. Turn right onto Route 711 South. *Go approx. 8 miles to the village of Stahlstown, the Flax Scutching Grounds are on your right as you enter town. Or take 176 PA Turnpike East to old Exit 9 Donegal. **Turn left onto Route 31 going only 1/10 mile to Route 711 North (turn is on left over a bridge) and go through Donegal until Route 711 N turns right. Go North 5 miles through the village of Stahlstown and the Grounds are on your left.

From the East:
Makes your best way to Route 30 West to Ligonier. Turn left onto Route 711 South, then follow as above*. Or Take 176 PA Turnpike West to Exit 9 Donegal and follow as above**.