The Canton of Lightwood is no more!
After much thought and consideration, the founders of the Canton, Her Serenity Baroness Adelindis filia Gotefridi (Liz) and The Honourable Baron Karl Faustus von Aachen (Eric), are sad to announce that the Kingdom Seneschal approved their request to properly close the Canton of Lightwood.
Why? Two reasons: time and energy. They didn’t have enough of either. Both suffered COVID recently, and are not fully recovered; thanks to Long COVID, the gift that keeps on sucking, it may be quite some time before they are. The time required to maintain and expand an SCA Canton is not trivial, and with a full-time job plus a fairly busy side-gig (Eric), and remaining mostly bedridden even three months after the Plague struck (Liz), neither feels able to do the job any more.
The ongoing Plague is also a factor. Even with people fooling themselves that the Pandemic is “over”, it is the founders’ opinion that no SCA group can guarantee anyone’s safety, and they won’t be party to activities that will harm people.
The founders would like to thank everyone who helped create the Southernmost Canton In The Known World. In particular, thank you to The Honourable Lord William and Lady Morwenna de Bonnay (Terry & Jan) of Housse de Bonnay, and all their family who contributed so much over the years. Thank you to GeCo, especially former director Michael Higgins, who made many resources available to the group from its earliest days. And thank you to all the Barons & Baronesses, Peers, Officers and populace of Ynys Fawr, who overrode their natural aversion to travelling long distances and came down to join in with Canton activities every time.
The Canton may return one day, when the Plague is really over (not just “all the politicians are sick of Zoom meetings” over) and when the love of medieval mayhem inspires a new generation. The founders may be there, in the background, sipping mulled apple juice and waving magnanimously as other people do the work… but that’s a dream of the future. For now, it’s time to push the dragon boat out onto the lake and lob a few burning torches onto the deck.
Per noctem dormio, per diem laboro!
Walk in, waddle home!
Lightwood!