Commendations read into the record today
Commendations - Society Seneschal Final Report
• Renee Signorotti, Patricia LaChance, Theresa Anderson
o The SCA Corporate Headquarters in Milpitas has been invaluable and patient and these three ladies are on the watch-list for sainthood for the myriad indignities minor and major they overcome in the course of providing excellent service to our membership. Their cheery assistance to myself, my staff, and the kingdoms has been without equal. Renee stands out especially, given the (approximately) 1.3498 million times she has kept me from going under the bus.
• Heather English
o Heather English concludes her tenure on the Board at the end of the April 2009 meeting. Before that she spent several years as one of my Kingdom Seneschals. Heather came into both jobs with much to learn and grew into each quickly. She will long stand on my list of excellent servants to the society-ever skilled at making it don’t. She also has some brilliant taste in scotch.
• Leslie Fulton
o Leslie has spent the past few years as the Executive Assistant to the Board of Directors. We all love Saint Leslie for her good humor, deft hand at a thankless task, the gentle way she can invite someone to stop smoking the bad bird seed, and for her innate ability to make Duke John Bear-Killer hide under the couch. Leslie has been a wonderful coworker, a fine example to emulate, and a very dear friend.
• SCA Web-folk - These folks, led by Marla Lecin keep the lights on, the web-site running, and field a thousand problems a year before anyone ever knows something is amiss. We could never possibly count the volunteer hours spent keeping our systems and data safe, our operations operating, and tolerating the ever changing whims of the Imperium Seneschal. Thanks guys!
• Dave Wiener, Scott Courtney, Jeffrey Alan Brown
o As a technology executive in the modern world, I was quickly drafted to assist with the Chief Technology officer’s area, forming a bridge between our corporate needs and the many systems that support them. Dave Wiener and his cast of volunteers did a phenomenal job making online membership happen. Scott Courtney brought us into a more robust and cost-effective technology solution and Jeff Brown helped forge the role of the CTO into a corporate office reporting to the President and over-seeing projects as opposed to punching keys. These gentlemen all provided invaluable service to the Society took us from paper forms to online waivers and well-earned the Pelicans that grace their arms.
• Meg Baron, Linda Moore, Patrick Anderson
o It is somewhat frightening to think that I served with three different Presidents of the SCA. Meg Baron was a storehouse of ‘how we do that” and “WE Do NOT do THAT!” and “Gods above tell me you did not hit SEND on that!” Meg worked at the Corporate level for just under six years as Director, Chairman, President, and Executive Assistant. I still miss her humor at meetings and hear the click of nails on the keyboard express.
o Linda Moore was a phenomenal Kingdom officer, the perfect image-well to me-of a Director, a vibrant and caring Chair of the Board, and a very fair, detail-oriented President. When she left the corporate level to be queen of Northshield, I remember thinking how very much I’d miss her and how very lucky Northshield was.
o Patrick Anderson is a perfect example of what happens when you forget how to spell “NO!” He served well as chair of the SCA Legal Committee and did not flee for the border when a sudden vacancy appeared at the top box. Patrick has guided us through many and sundry tangled issues and displayed remarkable dignity whenever someone hisses out the word, “Potttteeerrrrrrrrrrr!”
• Jason Williams, Hal Simon
o Jason Williams is one of the finest examples of fair and measured work as a chairman that I have ever seen. He looked at every possible side of a story-even when the answer seemed obvious at the outset. As a result, many decisions were made effectively when a more-hasty action would have led to disaster. He is off racing cars now, but the SCA is a brighter place for his laps around our track.
o Hal has served on the board twice and his persistent calming influence and experience with historical organizations is a tremendous asset to the Society. I was lucky to get to work with him twice during my tenure.
• Gabrielle Underwood, Fernando Vigil, Shawn Reed, Liz Schraer, Dena Cady
o These directors were a delight to work with and each in their own way greatly impacted the quality of service I have been able to provide.
Gabrielle Underwood is a proud force of nature who is positively miffed when we cleverly spot how much she cares about people. Her fire, enthusiasm, and skill at keeping a meeting on point were simply priceless.
Fernando (FERD) Vigil was a rock upon which the waves of wrong had no chance. He can see through any subterfuge, find humor after a fifteen hour work session, and hand a can of quiet to a screaming duke with confidence and a smile.
Shawn Reed can see every side of the story and will examine all possible good motives before assuming mal-intent. This detailed due diligence kept sanctions activity on the path of fairness for her entire tenure. She has a cool last name too.
Liz Schraer. Liz could spot a typo on page 476 of a document without opening the binder. Her attention to detail is simply amazing to behold.
Dena Cady. The delightful Dena has the compassion of a nurse and the no-nonsense nature of the emergency room. She could cut an issue to the bone and take direct action when the situation called for it. She has been off the Board for years now, but I still remember when she saved my life with a liberal supply of advil and a warm smile.
• Susan Earley, Mazelle Attiya
o Without a stalwart Society Exchequer, where would we go to finance the SCA? Petty Cash of course! In seriousness, both Susan and Mazelle came into the post with directives to address specific problems and initiatives and succeeded masterfully. They are fine co-workers and priceless friends. One thing though-the shortest path between two points at Estrella is *not* found by following Susan Earley…
• Kelly A. Stowe, Tim Jennings
o What can one say about the Ivy Duchess of Arts and the King of Bling?
Kelly went on from the chaos of two full terms as a society officer to the quiet, reserved retirement due to anyone who becomes Khan of the Horde for life.. O Wait.
Tim Jennings is a masterful entertaining, director of theatres in modern life, and a great encourager of the arts and sciences. His skill, collaborative sense of compromise, and dedication to service have made him an icon of excellence in the SCA. I particularly enjoyed our April Fool’s report competitions.
• Elise Fleming
o Elise has been the Society Chatelaine for most of my tenure. She did a phenomenal job teaching, coaching, mentoring, inspiring, and giving SUCH a pinch when matters call for it. I am ever inspired by her enthusiasm and warm heart.
• Tamara Griggs, Stephanie Drummonds
o In the beginning there was the SCA and nobody knew who we were and this was good. So very, very good.
o But then came the media on a slow news-day and they discovered the games in the parks and cooked up great schemes to show the games on Wife-Swap and Queer Eye and it was bad so very, very bad…
o But then I hired Tamara Griggs to establish a Media Officer post and organization, and there was policy and protection, and proliferation of positive press…and this was good…so very, very good.
o But then Tamara needed a rest and the infidels of wife-swap were upon us and the masses wailed and it was bad so very, very bad
o Forth-ok Second-came Stephanie Drummonds, and there were smiles, and calm, and velvety anvils, and manners, and policy, and perfectly positive pictures of presentable press and it was very, very good. So good I shall stop this section now.
• Kevin Griggs
o Fighting and eating and dancing, and finances can be a risky business. I asked Kevin Griggs to step away from his regular position as Large Duke of Intimidation (+3) and develop some risk assessment strategies. He did so and evaluated many circumstances for their risk to our membership and the organization itself. There are at least a dozen utter disasters no one ever heard about because he analyzed them for me and I was able to open of a large box of “Not Happening!” and make them vanish.
• Tobalina Beck, Deborah Brown, Cathyn McKenna, Marilee Lloyd, Charles Cohen, Wendel Bordelon, John Fulton, AJ Riviezzo, Erik Langhans
o My fearless band of intrepid investigations deputies. These folks gave up tons of free time, travelled around the continent, interviewed stressed-out, angry, scary people, and rendered sound recommendation as to what my office or the Board should do about problems. There is **no** way I could have accomplished the Sanctions Management part of my job without these fine folks and I commend them highly for taking trips under the bus on my behalf. Sorry about the tire-marks guys…
• Joseph Radding, Sandi Doner, Cara Zitny, Jennifer Gaspar
o In every long-term SCA experience there are examples of dedication, hard work, selflessness, and amazing calm in the face of the impossible and daunting. These folks are who I think of whenever this sort of person is discussed.
Joe Radding is perhaps the finest mediator I have ever seen. His greatest triumph was a mediation that did not entirely work, but it showed that one really can afford every possible chance for conflict to be resolved with pinache.
Sandi Doner, known in the society as Saint Katherine Barr was seneschal of the East Kingdom and taught me immeasurable things about grace under fire.
Cara Zitny twice organized large symposiums on my behalf, with minimal financial burden to the SCA and great positive change to the organization. I cannot express how much the SCA owes this fine Baroness from Caid. I can only say thank you.
Jennifer Gaspar. Some people evoke great changes and some people evoke little ones which add up without anyone noticing. Jennifer performed a small task for my office some years ago. This small task allowed us to begin the process of streamlining Corpora, Seneschal Policy, Kingdom laws, and cut down to the rules required. She is also the only soul I have encountered who can be Kingdom Seneschal, Royal Chamberlain, and Royal Liaison at Pennsic and still have a smile at the end of the week. It could have been the stout, but I like to think it is about class and the fabled fists of fury.
• Kathryn Kibellus, Karen Johnson, Courtney Powers, Brandy Powers, Dana Cushing, Scott Herzog
o While I have had nearly a dozen SCA dependents promoted in the 15 years since I became a peer, these fine folks have given up Laurel/Pelican time, pitched in on projects, kept their silence when they heard confidential information, and brought me a tasty adult beverage when venting was just not going to cut it.
• Baroness Aurelia Rufinia. I had the pleasure of twice working with Her radiance as the Best.Pennsic.Secretary.Ever ™ Those two pennsics were so much easier than the others, despite 18 hour days and chaos at 3 am. Rufinia is a true force of nature and “A Roman by God!” She is an effective bouncer, a skilled scheduler, a tactful courier, and if I ever told people how much she really cares about the SCA and the people in it she’d probably…o…dear..
• George L. Reed III, James William Reed
o My boys gave up a lot of Dad time when I scurried around the globe on SCA business. I have to think that theirs was a far-greater sacrifice than mine. Their smiles and hugs when I got back have frankly been one of the things that keep the Swiftrunner swift for what has become a term two days longer than Hilary of Serendip.