I've mentioned before, most notably in my Birka posts, that I am a member of a robust household in Society -- House Strangewayes. We started out as a group of friends who played together, dipping our fingers into the different parts of what the SCA has to offer and, over time, we've started to take flight a bit, as well as grow.
I was part of the first real expansion of the House, and there's been a steady expansion since I came on board, almost 10 years ago.
Yesterday at KQ Equestrian Tournament and Champions, was a big day for the House.
First, one of our newest members, Gritta (who I don't believe has a blog, yet, for her work) received her Award of Arms. She's still very new into playing -- having attended her first event closing in on a year ago. In that time, she's really come right into making some quite exceptional German garb. Her sewing skills floor me, as I'm not the greatest craftsman at sewing.
Gritta is on the bottom right-hand side in the feathered cap. At Birka 2016 (this photo), she won a special award for having the most historically accurate dress, by the eye of the judges, in the Fashion Show. It was well deserved and it was her first German garb ever! From there, she's been upping her skills and looking around at more examples of German.
I'm excited to see what else she does as the continues to wade into the SCA, and especially the Arts and Sciences. She's also become a fast friend of mine, specifically, so I was overjoyed to see her recognized by the Crown for the great work and even better conduct example she's been setting. She is a true asset to the Society and I'm thrilled that I get to call her a friend. I'm so proud of her recognition that I could gush for ages!
Fortune also received an induction into The Order of the Burdened Tyger. I've linked to the awards page for the East Kingdom, but it's a service award that is granted for exceptional service, typical for an event that required a huge amount of logistical rejiggering to work. Fortune, Lord Aleksei and other gentles I don't know in any way, received the induction for their work during Coronation.
Fortune outlines all that went into the event here, and it's a really great run down of how she in particular, and her leadership team overall, earned the Burdened Tyger. It's a "wow, awesome, big deal" kind of award. Fortune and I have been friends for over a decade now, before either of us were SCAdians. She's jumped into SCA and really has blossomed, both personally and skills-wise, since joining up. To see her receive an Award of Honor made my heart smile.
Between the two awards, it was a great day for good friends, for the Household, and I had a tinge of pride myself at knowing these people and helping to support them as they grow themselves, which is really what SCA is all about -- helping each other pursue our interests and growing together as humans.
Vivant to you both, and to all the recipients of awards, including the Shire as the first recipient of the Company of Fellowship for our willingness to come together as a community. Her Majesty, in her description, said beautifully that it shows the Shire is a group who thinks of the "we" instead of the "I" (and may be a tinge on the nutty side). I think it's a great testament that the Shire got awarded this new honor on the same day others received Burdened Tyger, which wouldn't have been possible without that same "we not me" attitude.
It was a good day yesterday for all of us -- Shire, and House.
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