ALABAMA RENAISSANCE FAIRE

Minutes of Meeting, 5-19-05

Those present:  Donna Miles, Perri Scott-Hawthorne, Autumn Harris, Rick McAdams, Billy Warren, William Freeman, Liz Myers, Lee Freeman, Susan Key, Susie Rickard, Ralph Bowersox, Donna Mitchell, David Mitchell, Carol Burhans, Don Green, Jim Lake, Aubrey Gaskins, Ann Iaria, Noelle Smith, Riley Mitchell, Chris Solis, Sue Bevis, Her Highness Queen Salana Letsinger

1. Billy Warren introduced Autumn Harris as the newest member of the Roundtable.  Everyone welcomed her warmly.
   
    
2. Don Green reported that he is searching the Internet and local stores for the best buys in paint and gesso for the new canvas walls that he and Keith Hawthorne are creating.  He circulated among the group some pictures of possible drawings that might be done on the walls.
   
    
3. Donna and David Mitchell reported on their recent visit at the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival.  They stated that:
   1. Our Feast is much superior to and less expensive than the Feast in Oklahoma;
   2. The Oklahoma Festival officials accepted the proclamation developed by Lee Freeman and treated them as visiting Royalty;
   3. The Oklahoma Festival has coins of the realm that are treated as legal tender within the Festival;
   4. They made contact with a bootmaker who specializes in Medieval-Renaissance boot styles;
   5. They made contact with a root beer vendor (Gyllen’s Tavern, telephone 850-597-2891) who would like to come to our Faire; and
   6. They met a falconer who would come to our Faire for a fee of $2,000 for the two days.
      
       
4. Susan Key reported that Vicki Hale, drafting/design teacher at Florence High School, has greatly enlarged our map of Wilson Park so it will be much easier to read.  Hooray for Vicki!  We will now be able to assist vendors with setup so much more efficiently.
   
    
5. Don Green suggested that we purchase large plastic containers to store tee shirts and other items at the Information Booth so they will be protected from the elements.  (Thanks, Don.  Why haven’t we thought of this before?)
   
    
6. In a drawing, Sue Bevis was the winner of one of the books in the Harry Potter series.
   
    
7. Billy Warren reported that Andy Betterton is negotiating with Independent Computer Services (ICS) to get our web site functioning again.  We are waiting to receive a CD of our recent web information from Martin Dean so Andy can proceed with the negotiations with ICS.
   
    
8. Sue Bevis reported that she is continuing to search for an appropriate tent for us to use as an Information Booth.
   
    
9. Billy Warren reported that applications have been mailed to potential crafts vendors, food vendors and entertainers.  Some completed applications have already been returned.
   
    
10. Billy Warren circulated information about a talented actor whom he is considering as an artist-in-residence in the 2005-2006 school year for drama students in grades 9-12.  Donnie Bryan, drama teacher, saw this performer, Matt Wilson, at the recent Southeastern Theatre Conference and gave him rave reviews.  If Matt comes to town, he would also stay over the weekend of the Renaissance Faire.
    
     
11. Lee Freeman reviewed the proposed menu for the Feast as it now stands.  Based on the seasons of the year, the Feast is tentatively set to feature only Italian dishes.  It is still a work-in-progress.
    
     
12. Billy Warren announced that Rick Freemon is working on the design for this year’s coin of the realm.  Featuring Sir Lancelot, it is the fifth in a series of six coins based on the Arthurian Legends.  Billy also announced that Theresa Kanka is designing a shadow box to display all five coins, with space left for the sixth.  We will exhibit this display in the Information Booth to give people an idea of how they might preserve and mount their own collection.
    
     
13. Billy Warren reported that he has provided the North Alabama Tourism Association (NATA) with information about our Faire so it can be entered into competition for the twenty most outstanding events of the year’s fourth quarter sponsored by the Southeast Tourism Society in Atlanta.
    
     
14. On behalf of Liz Myers and Jason Behel, Billy Warren invited all Roundtable members to their wedding on Saturday, June 25, 4:30 p.m., at Coby Hall (Magnolia Church of Christ in case of rain).
    
     
15. On behalf of Rick McAdams, Sail Master of the Muscle Shoals Sailing Club (and a Roundtable member, of course), Billy Warren announced a 4-day sailing seminar scheduled for two weekends:  June 11-12 and June 18-19.  More information is available by calling Rick at 767-6610.
    
     
16. Billy Warren distributed copies of a very interesting article about chess from page 96 in the May 2, 2005, issue of Time magazine.
    
     
17. Before judging the poster entries, the group agreed that, if a high schooler’s entry didn’t win, we would conduct a separate contest for the high school entries, with the first place entry receiving $50 and the second place receiving $25.  An adult, Vicki Antoine, was the winner.  Therefore a high school contest was conducted, with these winners chosen:

First Place:                   Jessica Jaynes

Second Place:               Scott Trousdale

                        Honorable Mention:       Dan Green

                                          Madeline Hunter: