Welcome to the Online Clann Tartan Newsletter for March 2008

Celtic Festival

Come lose yourself in the beauty of the northern MN landscape where time stands still, and participate in a building workshop at Dun Gowan, the Clann Tartan Historic Site.

This weekend-long event is designed for the person with little or no building experience who wants to learn the construction techniques for a 17th century structure. It is also an effort to benefit Clann Tartan's own Historic Site where we hold our annual Tactical weekend, and, in fact, have permission to hold gatherings a-plenty, if we should wish. Together, the participants will learn the use of various period tools in addition to getting hands-on experience focused on the preparation & hewing of the logs needed for this year's project - a Crafter's Cottage. Attending members will be involved in the construction of this 12' x 16' cottage with an added sleeping loft.

Future project ideas include an eventual full village including a tavern, kirk, & various workshop and period livestock facilities. Previous years' events have seen the construction of the blockhouse with mulit-layered defensive structures including palisade, ditch and rampart, redoubt, fascine & a small bridge over the "river". Deep in the forest of trees, Don has also recreated a birch wigwam with ancillary structures for the illustration of Native American life as it was centuries ago & for the reenactment of New World scenarios.

Dun Gowan is located in the magical wooded wilderness 26 miles NW of Duluth, MN. Its owner, Clann member Don Chesney, has dedicated Dun Gowan to educational reenactment of all types from the 17th through 19th centuries. The site is named for the talented blacksmith, and owner, who lives and works onsite, or possibly for the wild daisies that once grew amongst the grasses there. It is equipped with perma-potties, a hot shower & a separate modern kitchen facility. Volunteer cooks are thus provided with the convenience of a gas stove, running water in the sink, refrigerator, and cutting board with counter top for food prep should they not want to cook over a period outdoor fire.

Clann Tartan is a family. Relish with me the opportunity to enjoy the company of the people who made joining Clann, in the first place, something we wanted to do.

Event Details:

Location: 5261 Fish Lake Rd Duluth, MN

Dates: This year's Dun Gowan Weekends currently include May 9, 10, 11 & June 27, 28, & 29, July 11, 12, & 13 with Tactical starting on the morning of July 18 and going through the 20th.

Length in Days: Friday evening through Sunday

Lodging: Bring your tents. If you don't have one, there are many who have room to share. Send out an email with your needs to coordinate.

Tuition: Donation of food or $12 per person to cover meals cooked by volunteer staff Materials Fee: Included

Level: Beginner

Age: Any - with necessary permission forms filled out & signed by parents/guardians of minors & an adult present who takes responsibility for that minor.

Necessary items to bring: If anyone has any axes, or a chainsaw, please bring them. These would be very much appreciated!

Registration Contact Info: call Laura Swenson at 715-684-4221 or register via email at mommyco1630@yahoo.com

FOR SALE

A Gentle Reminder...

-Please be respectful of others space and property. If a tent is closed, or even if it is open, ASK before entering.

-We are a team, so everyone is expected to pitch in and pull their weight. This means helping with set up and tear down if you are there, giving a hand when one is needed, and generally watching out for fellow members.

-We have camp and company representatives, a board, and a full staff. Please direct comments and/or concerns (and compliments, too!) to the appropriate person. If you are uncertain who is who....ASK. Or, check the newsletter. The Board and Staff members and their contact information are listed in every issue.

-Remember we represent a specific era of history. Please keep this in mind during show hours. Put things that are not necessary (you can keep your glasses, casts, canes, wheelchairs, medical stuff, etc, of course) away, safely out of the publics sight. Our camp is pretty busy, and there are always members around, but only you are responsible for your personal effects.

-Keep in mind the usual kitchen safety if you are helping with meals. Wash your hands. Wash the dishes. Don't cross contaminate. See me if you have questions about this!

-Make sure you inform the Head Camp Follower if you have allergies, sensativities, etc. or other medical conditions. This information will keep you safe and healthy! If I don't know, I can't work around it or with it.

-Remember to RSVP as far in advance as possible. If I don't know you are coming, I can't plan to feed you!!! So let me know as soon as you know! Also, there is limited company canvas, so if you don't have a tent, and you don't RSVP and let me know you need one, you may not get one.

-Speaking of canvas....we have six troopers. and only six. This means that you may need to bunk with someone. It is easier for planning if you work this out among yourselves and let me know when you RSVP. Due to an acute shortage of company canvas at certain events, longer term members without their own canvas ~may~ be bumped in favor of a newer member. The old rule about members of over one year being given tents after those with less than one year membership may be enforced at the larger events. Please keep this in mind! Your staff will do everything humanly possible to accomodate everyone, but its not always possible! There are many longer term members with larger personal tents, if you get bumped or we run out of tents, please ask around, someone probably has space for you!!

-During shows, we are all busy with our duties and demos. This means that meals will be served at their posted times. Unless you are doing a demo or guard duty, show up on time. If you come an hour or two later, you probably won't get fed a meal. I will try to make snacks available for those with medical conditions and for the children (and for those of us who just have the munchies) However, this is NOT a substitute for a meal if you missed it.

-Everyone is expected to do a turn with helping in the kitchen. Washing dishes means you will eat with the cooks for the NEXT camp meal. After all, no one else gets paid before they do the work!! Helping cook/set up/etc. means you will eat before the rest of the members for that meal.

-We do our best to feed everyone enough food. However....please eat what you take and take only what you will eat. The Scottish are "known" for being miserly, so Waste Not, Want Not! Please remember that there are others who need to eat, so be considerate of those in line behind you.

-During set up for each event, the Staff member or person assigned to the task will have a footprint of the camp, and where things should be (approximately) set up. PLEASE follow this clearly. It will prevent lack of walkways in camp, and ease the flow of patrons. Certain spaces and tent fronts will be planned for demonstrations. We will need your assistance in this, so please tell your HCF the dimensions of your personal canvas (including flys etc) so we know what we are dealing with. Open (period interior) tents will be toward the front of camp, closed/nonperiod/anyone volunteering tents will be toward the back. Exceptions will be non-period interior tents where the flys or front space are used for demonstrations (ie: the sutler, Mia and her fibre demonstrations, Mary and her Herbwifery, etc.) If you need clarification on this, please let me know.

-And lastly, keep in mind there are children in camp, and we are adult role models. Please conduct yourselves appropriately. After hours, the public may have left, but the wee bairns are still present, and little pitchers have big ears.

I am certain that I have not covered EVERY eventuality, or circumstance, and there are exceptions to every rule, so expect updates every once in a while. Please let me know if you have questions/concerns/comments/etc so they can be addressed, either privately or on the boards.

Thank you,

Your Head Camp Follower,
Lisa S. Gillstrom McCanna
ie: Brietta Baird

Camp Drill Schedule

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   Jauary 15, 2008

Board Present:	Mary McKinley, Bruce Yoder, Glenn McDavid, Cate Hesser,
		Sean McCanna, Diana Steben, Marty Byers

Staff Present:	Mia McDavid, Lisa Gillstrom McCanna, Julie Yoder, Maeve Kane

Other Members:	Jaimie Zaugg (all members are welcome at Board Meetings)

The minutes of the December meeting were accepted as posted.

REPORTS
=======
VICE PRESIDENT:  No report.

TREASURER:  In December there were no checks written and no deposits, just
$66 interest.

Some of our rent checks for the garage have not been deposited.  This is of
a little concern since we want to be sure our landlord knows we have paid.

QUARTERMASTER:  We are negotiating with Arms and Armor (local firm) for 5 pike
heads.  No quotes or turnaround times yet.

We can't find a replacement priming flask on the market, but it should be 
practical to make one.  We will contact David Vavreck and Jay Henderson.

John O'Duggan still has the broken musket.  We do not need it for Ramble, but
we want it for Tartan Day (First weekend in April).

We lost the cap to a scouring stick at the Airing of the Tartans (Jan. 1).
It should be possible to make a replacement.  Mia will look into this.

CAMP/COMPANY REPS:  Reported no issues (=good news!)

MUSIC GUILD:  Did not meet in December because of holidays.  Will meet next
Jan. 28.

DANCE GUILD:  The location is working well.  We need more men.

FIBER:  Mia is working on an arisaid for Laura Swenson.

HISTORIC SITE:  Need to contact Don about work dates.

SWORD GUILD:  Need to contact Corcoran about the schedule.

UPCOMING EVENTS
===============
Board Elections: Feb. 2 at Corcoran.

Albert Lea, Feb. 9-10:  Demos of clothing, dancing, musket, horning.

Ramble, Feb. 16-17:  The schedule is set.  We will be upstairs again.

Tartan Day, April.  We will decline the request for funds, and support them
with our participation.

Charles City, April.  We were asked to donate our time.  We cannot afford
that. We will not do it without a fee.  [Later update:  We have been 
guaranteed a somewhat reduced fee, and the possibility of getting our full
fee if the event does well.  This is acceptable.]

Woodville:  May 2, possibly also May 3.

Minnesota Scottish Fair and Highland Games (May 17).  This is on.  It 
conflicts with Macalester College's graduation, and so is likely to be
rescheduled for 2009.

Muster:  Not yet scheduled.  Will aim for Memorial Day weekend.  Don Newsome
is willing to give a cooperage demo, but we will have to pay for his gas
to get there.  The Board agreed to do this.

Pioneer Village, Midsummer weekend:  They seem interested, and did not
mention any budgetary restraints.

Deer River:  Still on.

Des Moines:  We will try to get back in.

Amana:  We will look into it, if they are still around.

Big Island and Mankato (October):  On track.

Winona (October).  After the problems with 2006, there was some feeling that
we should only do that event if we are paid in advance.  This seems
unrealistic, so we will ask to be treated on the same level as everybody
else.  In 2006 some groups got paid in full immediately, while we had to wait
a year.  This is not acceptable.

BUDGET
======
The current budget was based on 2007 expenses.  Mia requested an increase
in the daily mail amount.  It has been $5.25 for years.  Donated meat
has been saving the budget.  The Board voted to raise that figure to $6.00.

Trailer:  Need to look into getting a spare tire and wheel.  We will need a
quote.  We also need a general inspection.

Communications:  The budget was raised to $500.

General Expenses:  Annual insurance is about $1600, both liability and
property.  We might consider reducing the property coverage, but we may
already be at the minimum.

Bruce will compute the reimbursement figures.

Do we want to include income from Winona in this budget?  The Board decided
not to.  If the money actually comes in, that is fine.

This looks like a deficit budget, but it will be close to breakeven.

Mia was authorized to sign for Clann on the basketry class.

Meeting adjourned at 8:27 PM.

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

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!

Garden Guild

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.

DUN GOWAN WORK WEEKENDS

We have work weekends where we will continue working on the first house in the village, which we started last year.

No construction experience is neccessary. Just bring your enthusiasm.

Contact Don Chesney (218-721-4501 or DLChsny@aol.com) or David Vavreck (612-378-1973 or baethan1630@yahoo.com) for further details.

Drill

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