The group of people who were interested in the SCA got together in Nerissa Wilhite’s living room and discussed the SCA with Claire Spencer, who had been in the SCA in Drachenwald in Thairis (Germany) while she was there in the military. She told us everything she could remember, and we began to plan a group in the Salt Lake City, Utah area.

I have an undated piece of paper that says:

Our Shire–“The Great Salt Wastes” (hee hee)

Seneschal–Claire (also Exchequer)
Herald–Me
Knight’s Marshall–Lonnie
Mistress of Arts–Nerissa
Chronicler–Jeri
Hospitaler–Me and Claire

Claire is Claire Spencer, at that time Sorcha O’Melachlin, later Ferelith MacDonald. I’m Julia West (then Howarth), who took the name Rhonwen y Llysieuydd (later corrected to Llysieuyddes). I’m not sure who Lonnie was–a friend of Claire’s, I think. If he was ever knight marshall, I don’t remember it. Nerissa is Nerissa Wilhite, who took the name Elaine of the Lion’s Tale. Jeri is Jerilyn Woods (now Foster), who took the name Jerilyn of Vert Silva.

Why did I get the job of herald? None of us knew anything about heraldry, but I was mundanely employed as a genealogist and worked daily at the Family History Society library in Salt Lake City. There are books on heraldry there, and heraldry sort of has something to do with genealogy. So I got to be herald.

Isn’t this how we fall into many of our roles in life?

Another note is due about now. The original name of our group was “am Mor Salann Fasach,” which, as many people have pointed out, is very badly put-together Gaelic for “The Great Salt Waste.” Where did that name come from? I’m partly to blame. Since, as I said before, I worked at the Family History Library, I had access to lots of dictionaries for different languages. I was asked to look up the words the, great, salt, and waste in Gaelic. I did. Someone, I don’t remember who, just put the words together in the same order they’d be in English, and “am Mor Salann Fasach” was born. We were all very new at this research thing, and didn’t quite figure out for a while that we needed to use Gaelic word order, too. That’s why, after we became a barony, we changed the name to “Loch Salann” (which is Gaelic for “Salt Lake”), and were done with all the problems the original badly-put-together name caused. (And started new problems, since people keep pronouncing SA-lann as Sa-LANN, which sounds like “salon,” but that’s another story.)

I have notes dated 13 March 1977. I’m not sure that was the day we decided who would do what, or if we decided that earlier. But this was when we learned some really basic stuff about the SCA. Here’s what I took down that day:

3-13-77

Seneschal designates Autocrat–who gets the meeting together, calls people, etc.

Autocrat
Where it will be (your place or someplace else)
Provide refreshments (or get people to)
Keep in touch with Seneschal

Devices–the shield, coat-of-arms, what-have-you.

900-1650 years

Bring devices to revels to decorate hall

Herald–Green with crossed gold trumpets–wear surcoat when performing official function

Chatelaine–who does what and who has what–“directory” (who plays recorder, who knows needlework, etc.) Seek out newcomers and make them feel welcome.

Nobility–conferred by King, at Crown Tourney

Atenveldt–every six months change King at Crown Tourney
King is winner of Crown Tourney
Next time become King–if do it three times be permanent Duke.
If have been King ever become Baron permanently.

Masters and Mistresses of the Laurel
Rank with Knights and Masters of Arms

Knights and Masters at Arms
Fighting Prowess

Masters and Mistress of the Pelican
Special service to the Kingdom
Same rank as both above.

Order of the Rose
All ladies who have been Queen
Distinguish ladies as fighters + Order of Laurel

Once a month each of first five officers must write a report to regional superior officer.

Keep in mind that things have changed since this was written, and some of this information wasn’t quite right even then.

Back then, am Mor Salann Fasach was in the Kingdom of Atenveldt and the very new Principality of the Outlands. Our mentors were mainly folk from Caerthe (Denver, Colorado) and al-Barran (Albuquerque, New Mexico). We drove very long distances to get to any SCA event outside our own little area. This was before the days of email and the internet. Our correspondence was all by snail mail, and when disasters brewed (as often happened) they were usually taken care of over the telephone–if something had to be done before the next event. So we grasped at any bit of information we could get, from whatever source.