Tournament of the Golden Swan
Thanksgiving Weekend (October)
Golden Swan is a persona-development challenge for female personas that takes place in the Shire of Appledore on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. It has been held annually since 1984.
Candidates are judged in 10 categories and must remain in persona from Saturday morning until noon Sunday. The personas must be original, not from fiction or historical figures. Candidates do their own research and must create at least one complete outfit for their persona, be able to describe their families, homes, culture and environment, as well as have a knowledge their character might have had of current events.Entry into the competition is by application well in advance of the event.
Successful Swans have told stories, gossipped, danced, sung, spun wool and silk, cooked, sewn, played games, painted pictures and told us about birthing babies. Some Swans are reserved, some are calm and confident, some have kept us on the edges of our seats listening to tales of lives centuries old, that were as real as our next door neighbours. The magic of the SCA is never so alive as at a Golden Swan.
Candidates are judged in 10 categories and must remain in persona from Saturday morning until noon Sunday. The personas must be original, not from fiction or historical figures. Candidates do their own research and must create at least one complete outfit for their persona, be able to describe their families, homes, culture and environment, as well as have a knowledge their character might have had of current events.Entry into the competition is by application well in advance of the event.
Successful Swans have told stories, gossipped, danced, sung, spun wool and silk, cooked, sewn, played games, painted pictures and told us about birthing babies. Some Swans are reserved, some are calm and confident, some have kept us on the edges of our seats listening to tales of lives centuries old, that were as real as our next door neighbours. The magic of the SCA is never so alive as at a Golden Swan.
Tournament of the Golden Swan
October 9-12, 2015
Shire of Appledore, Oliver BC
Welcome all to the Tournament of the Golden Swan. In addition to classes and Swan activities, there will be tourneys and archery, as well as bardic competition, the Jawbone of the Ass punning competition, and much more. There are several merchants expected, for your shopping enjoyment!
Currently we have one possible candidate for Golden Swan. Many of the judging sessions are conducted as round-table discussions open to all who are interested in listening. There are courtesies to be observed in asking questions of the candidates. Please speak to Swan Walburga, the Judging Co-ordinator, to find out more.
All of the Swan categories are also open as contests. Sign-up sheets will be posted in the hall. The categories are Persona Creation, Textile and Fibre Arts, Costuming, Everyday Life, Food, Habitat, Games and Pastimes, Skills and Technologies, Correspondence (Calligraphy), Performance, Survival Skills. Please see the Category descriptions at the Golden Swan website to find out more about requirements and how these are judged.
We have some activities planned for children. You may also wish to bring some quiet games for your child, possibly something they can share with others. There is very little outdoor space on-site for children to play. There is a park with playground equipment 5 blocks away.
Some classes are planned. Class list will be posted when it’s finalized. Registration will be on-site.
Saturday is a catered feast, tickets available for $15. Please reserve your seat with the autocrat, Magdalen at m.defeo@hotmail.com
Sunday is a potluck feast. There is a kitchen onsite with pots and pans, but it’s best to bring your own serving vessels and utensils if possible.
Breakfasts and dayfood will be available for sale on-site. The site is also within walking distance of a supermarket, restaurants, drugstore and liquor store. A gas station is 3 blocks away, and there are motels and B&Bs within walking distance as well.
The event site is the Air Cadet Hangar, 5856 Cessna Street, Oliver BC.
Directions: Make your way to Oliver on Highway 97. From north or south, go through the first set of lights and at the second traffic lights (corner of Oliver Place Mall, with Maple Leaf Inn Towne Motel on one corner, Cactus Tree Inn nearly kitty-corner) turn east (left from the north, right from the south) onto Similkameen. Stay on Similkameen for 2 blocks, around the end of the airport. Turn right at the second right-hand turn onto Cessna. The site is a big blue hangar on your right, the only building on that side of the street.
Please unload, then park your vehicle along the street wherever there’s room. Don’t block traffic, this is a street in the town of Oliver, and be mindful that traffic may come along here.
Site fees: Adults $22. Day fee $14 Adults,.NMS will apply. Make cheques payable to Society for Creative Anachronism Shire of Appledore. note: there is no site fee for Minors 18 and under.
There are several motels in Oliver, as well as B&Bs and vacation rentals. Most of these can be found using TripAdvisor or other links. Closest motels to the site are the Maple Leaf Inn Towne and the Cactus Tree Inn. Please book early, as the weekend of the event is the final weekend of the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival and accommodations fill up. As of this writing, many motels are full, so we’re not kidding! Get on it if you want a room!
There is limited space for RVs and no hookups. If you want to bring an RV, you MUST contact HL Olwen (address below) to reserve space. We need to know the length and type of RV so we know how to fit you in. Parking your RV along the street is permitted.
There is sleeping space in the hall. This is co-ed. Bring earplugs and a sleeping mask if you need to. The hall features showers, as well as washrooms! No tents allowed inside except by permission, and only for specified reasons.
Tent camping is available on private property two blocks away (you won't need to cross any streets and only one small hill). The property is sheltered and fenced with limited access from the street, and the area is very safe. Campers will need to unload, then move their vehicle as parking is very tight, but street parking is easy and plentiful nearby. There will be a portable toilet with hand wash facilities at the camping property. The Air Cadet hangar has showers as well as washrooms.
Billets are not available.
Osoyoos is 15-20 minutes drive to the south, OK Falls the same distance to the north. Penticton is 35 minutes north. Air Canada Jazz flies into Penticton Airport from Vancouver. All other destinations in North America fly into Kelowna, two hours north.
Event Steward: Magdalen of Haphazard Manor (Mary Defeo) mdefeo1 at telus dot net
Swan Steward and Appledore Seneschale: Honourable Lady Olwen Pen Aur (JoAnn Turner) 250-498-2570 joann_turner at telus dot net (email is preferred and will get you a faster response)
Judging Co-ordinator: Honourably Lady Walburga of Liege (Mary Defeo) mdefeo1 at telus dot net
Appledore has been a dragon preserve since its inception, Shooting dragons out of the sky is absolutely not permitted! Also please note that use of electronic devices, including games or phones, in plain sight at this event will result in being staked out for the dragons to do with as they will. You have been warned.
October 9-12, 2015
Shire of Appledore, Oliver BC
Welcome all to the Tournament of the Golden Swan. In addition to classes and Swan activities, there will be tourneys and archery, as well as bardic competition, the Jawbone of the Ass punning competition, and much more. There are several merchants expected, for your shopping enjoyment!
Currently we have one possible candidate for Golden Swan. Many of the judging sessions are conducted as round-table discussions open to all who are interested in listening. There are courtesies to be observed in asking questions of the candidates. Please speak to Swan Walburga, the Judging Co-ordinator, to find out more.
All of the Swan categories are also open as contests. Sign-up sheets will be posted in the hall. The categories are Persona Creation, Textile and Fibre Arts, Costuming, Everyday Life, Food, Habitat, Games and Pastimes, Skills and Technologies, Correspondence (Calligraphy), Performance, Survival Skills. Please see the Category descriptions at the Golden Swan website to find out more about requirements and how these are judged.
We have some activities planned for children. You may also wish to bring some quiet games for your child, possibly something they can share with others. There is very little outdoor space on-site for children to play. There is a park with playground equipment 5 blocks away.
Some classes are planned. Class list will be posted when it’s finalized. Registration will be on-site.
Saturday is a catered feast, tickets available for $15. Please reserve your seat with the autocrat, Magdalen at m.defeo@hotmail.com
Sunday is a potluck feast. There is a kitchen onsite with pots and pans, but it’s best to bring your own serving vessels and utensils if possible.
Breakfasts and dayfood will be available for sale on-site. The site is also within walking distance of a supermarket, restaurants, drugstore and liquor store. A gas station is 3 blocks away, and there are motels and B&Bs within walking distance as well.
The event site is the Air Cadet Hangar, 5856 Cessna Street, Oliver BC.
Directions: Make your way to Oliver on Highway 97. From north or south, go through the first set of lights and at the second traffic lights (corner of Oliver Place Mall, with Maple Leaf Inn Towne Motel on one corner, Cactus Tree Inn nearly kitty-corner) turn east (left from the north, right from the south) onto Similkameen. Stay on Similkameen for 2 blocks, around the end of the airport. Turn right at the second right-hand turn onto Cessna. The site is a big blue hangar on your right, the only building on that side of the street.
Please unload, then park your vehicle along the street wherever there’s room. Don’t block traffic, this is a street in the town of Oliver, and be mindful that traffic may come along here.
Site fees: Adults $22. Day fee $14 Adults,.NMS will apply. Make cheques payable to Society for Creative Anachronism Shire of Appledore. note: there is no site fee for Minors 18 and under.
There are several motels in Oliver, as well as B&Bs and vacation rentals. Most of these can be found using TripAdvisor or other links. Closest motels to the site are the Maple Leaf Inn Towne and the Cactus Tree Inn. Please book early, as the weekend of the event is the final weekend of the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival and accommodations fill up. As of this writing, many motels are full, so we’re not kidding! Get on it if you want a room!
There is limited space for RVs and no hookups. If you want to bring an RV, you MUST contact HL Olwen (address below) to reserve space. We need to know the length and type of RV so we know how to fit you in. Parking your RV along the street is permitted.
There is sleeping space in the hall. This is co-ed. Bring earplugs and a sleeping mask if you need to. The hall features showers, as well as washrooms! No tents allowed inside except by permission, and only for specified reasons.
Tent camping is available on private property two blocks away (you won't need to cross any streets and only one small hill). The property is sheltered and fenced with limited access from the street, and the area is very safe. Campers will need to unload, then move their vehicle as parking is very tight, but street parking is easy and plentiful nearby. There will be a portable toilet with hand wash facilities at the camping property. The Air Cadet hangar has showers as well as washrooms.
Billets are not available.
Osoyoos is 15-20 minutes drive to the south, OK Falls the same distance to the north. Penticton is 35 minutes north. Air Canada Jazz flies into Penticton Airport from Vancouver. All other destinations in North America fly into Kelowna, two hours north.
Event Steward: Magdalen of Haphazard Manor (Mary Defeo) mdefeo1 at telus dot net
Swan Steward and Appledore Seneschale: Honourable Lady Olwen Pen Aur (JoAnn Turner) 250-498-2570 joann_turner at telus dot net (email is preferred and will get you a faster response)
Judging Co-ordinator: Honourably Lady Walburga of Liege (Mary Defeo) mdefeo1 at telus dot net
Appledore has been a dragon preserve since its inception, Shooting dragons out of the sky is absolutely not permitted! Also please note that use of electronic devices, including games or phones, in plain sight at this event will result in being staked out for the dragons to do with as they will. You have been warned.
For more information about the Golden Swan competition and for application forms and entry procedures, please go here.